What better way is there to indulge in the glory of spring than to surround yourself in nature’s beauty? Well, you could do so within confines that are off-limits during any other time of the year. Is the grass always greener on the other side of the fence? In the case of the Kalmia Club’s “Hidden Gardens of Lambertville” tour (June 14), yes. The flowers are in fuller bloom, too, and the ponds are more serene. The lure of tours like this is seeing how your neighbors live — and then lifting their ideas for your own use. So, don’t be shy. Take them up on their invitation, because to wait and try to catch a glimpse at a later time would be trespassing.
www.kalmiaclub.org

The ever-popular Tyler Tasting Party, now in its 19th year, is exactly what a sampler affair should be: an exciting array of top shelf fare served amid a breathtakingly elegant setting. The fundraiser, which supports the restoration and maintenance of the Bucks County Community College’s Tyler Hall, a 77-year-old French-Norman mansion, in Newtown, last year raised a record $62,500. This year’s reception, which will be held June 8, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., will boast more than 40 purveyors of fine food and spirits along with $30,000 worth of prizes between the silent and live auctions, including more than a dozen original works of art. New to the affair, an 18-piece orchestra will perform in the Tyler Gardens (pictured). Tyler Hall is the former home of banker George F. Tyler and his wife, sculptress and patron of the arts Stella Elkins Tyler. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it became the first building of the college when it opened its doors in 1965.
www.bucks.edu/foundation

Fresh from a difficult divorce, author Elizabeth Gilbert sought guidance the only way she knew how: by traveling and opening her mind up to new experiences. Gilbert, who says her desire to travel is rivaled only by her compulsion to write, took the advance from what would become her fourth New York Times bestseller, Eat, Pray, Love, and used it to visit Italy, India and Indonesia. Her aim was to focus on three main aspects of her nature — pleasure (eat), spiritual exploration (pray) and devotion (love) — and then visit places whose cultures mirrored those ways. The New Hope studio Yogaphoria will host Gilbert as part of a “Golden Circle Weekend,” May 9 through 11, which will celebrate the lessons chronicled by Gilbert during her yearlong journey. The centerpiece of the weekend will be a discussion and reading led by Gilbert May 10, 7 p.m., at New Hope-Solebury High School.
www.yogaphoria.com

M. Night Shyamalan isn’t the only one capable of putting a frightening spin on Bucks County’s isolating cornfields and old Victorians. Bucks-based author Jonathan Maberry will be signing copies June 6 at the Doylestown Bookshop of the final installment of his trilogy of supernatural thrillers based in rural Pennsylvania. Maberry is well versed in the horror genre. Prior to the trilogy, he authored Vampire Universe, the definitive guide to all things haunting, as well as The Cryptopedia. Ghost Road Blues, the first novel in the series, earned Maberry a Bram Stoker Award, the horror writers’ equivalent of a Grammy. (Stephen King is a past winner.) Dead Man’s Song followed and drew similar praise. Publisher’s Weekly said it was “reminiscent of Stephen King’s heftier works.” Bad Moon Rising is due out in May.
www.jonathanmaberry.com

Spring Lake, NJ, is a hive for creativity. If ever that point was in question, consider an upcoming tour that pairs eight of the seaside town’s historic inns with 12 prominent romance authors, each with a link to the Garden State. The second annual “Authors & Inns Tour,” June 8, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., is meant to show how wonderfully intimate each inn is, so much so that they are more than simple romantic retreats; they are points of inspiration, the very settings that the featured authors draw upon to create the context for their love-fueled tales. Tour the meticulously appointed White Lilac and the Villa Park House, for starters, and then meet the likes of Annette Blair, author of Gone with the Witch, and C.H. Admirand, author of Pearl’s Redemption, to discuss their takes on the ideal romantic setting.
www.historicinnsofspringlake.com

No matter how often you view it, the imagery that forms along the banks of the Delaware River and Canal throughout Central Bucks County is never less than awe-inspiring, which is why countless artists have been drawn to the riverside communities, particularly New Hope, each hoping to harness that majestic beauty. An exhibition that opens June 13 at the Michener Museum, Doylestown, “New Hope: Art and the River,” explores the undeniable influence the aforementioned waterways have on locally generated art. Drawing upon the museum’s collection and private collections, the exhibit offers a range of perspectives, from the legendary Pennsylvania Impressionists Edward W. Redfield and William L. Lathrop through the New Hope Modernist era of the ‘30s to the artists who are continuing the proud tradition today. “New Hope: Art and the River” continues through October 5.
www.michenerartmuseum.org

The New Hope pride weekend was launched with the aims of celebrating the local gay community and luring to the riverside town a particularly lucrative, yet largely untapped, segment of the tourism market. On both counts it was an immediate success. Entering its fifth annual installment, the event, which will be held May 16 through May 18, has evolved under the careful guidance of the nonprofit New Hope Celebrates to become a more inclusive affair and, thus, a more accurate reflection of the diversity of the host town. Family-oriented events like the “New Hope Idol” competition, a parade and a street art fair now share billing with the more traditional gay-centered offerings, such as the “Sunset T-Dance.”
www.newhopecelebrates.com

Upon the very first signs of spring, Main streets all over Bucks County morph into racecourses. For a while it was not unusual for several races to vie for the attention of local runners at once. In 1995, Susan Pajer brought together a group of race organizers from across the county to discuss the idea of forming a circuit. The Bucks 5K Series soon followed. Today, the series is comprised of seven races, the majority of which are held between mid-May and mid-June, and the proceeds support several nonprofits. In 2006, the series earned $82,000, which was a 36 percent increase over the previous year. The series also has managed to make its events more accessible, adding one-mile “fun runs” and two-mile “health walks” to the roster of each participating race.
www.bucks5kseries.com

Reputation only goes so far. Robin Larsen understands this better than most. New Hope was introduced to the world at large about a century ago through the remarkable collection of artists who found their inspiration there. While its legacy as an arts colony endures today, it speaks more to the talent that was than is. No other entity has done more to ensure that modern day New Hope remains an integral part of the art world dialogue than the Larsen-directed nonprofit, New Hope Arts. Its annual juried sculpture exhibition, which opens May 3 at the New Hope Arts Center, draws interest from artists across the country. Ultimately, though, it is a vehicle to promote the burgeoning arts scene in its own backyard. New Hope may no longer be the arts colony it once was, but that’s not to say that the arts began and ended with the Impressionists. www.newhopeartsinc.org

Cancer will drive people to great lengths. It is by no means an exaggeration to say that those affected by it, both directly and indirectly, are engaged in the fight of their lives. The struggle and the determination is evident on the faces of everyone who has ever participated in the “Relay for Life,” an annual fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. From the Survivors Laps that launch each local installment to the countless others that are walked for the next 24 hours after that, the “Relay for Life,” much like cancer itself, is a daunting test of patience and will that allows for no short cuts. The rewards, however, are in proportion to the magnificent effort that’s required. For some, that means simply raising awareness. For others, it’s fulfilling a wish for a lost loved one. Upper Bucks Relay for Life, May 3, 9 a.m., Memorial Park, Quakertown; Central Bucks, May 31, 9 a.m., New Hope-Solebury High School, New Hope.
www.relayforlife.org

One of the most exciting aspects of living in Bucks County is that you never know what is going to turn up around the corner. From antiques and the arts to clothing and food, such a dense collection of talent, both present and past, is tucked away here that it feels at times like any number of treasures are waiting to be discovered. Take the Quakertown “Arts Alive” festival, for example. A juried exhibition of nearly 100 artists and artisans, many from Upper Bucks, the odds are good that you’re going to stumble upon a gem or two or several. Planned for May 17, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., in downtown Quakertown, “Arts Alive” also will feature live entertainment, children’s activities and food. So, yes, in many ways it’s your typical street fair. But, as with events like these all over Bucks, it is likely to be far more than what it appears on the surface.
www.quakertownalive.com

Even for those with a mild botanical interest, there are many reasons to appreciate the Iris. It is one of nature’s harbingers of spring. When you see them begin to poke up through the snow — or, in the case of last winter, mud — you can breathe a little easier. Better, though, than the promise they bear is the variety they offer. Iris is derived from the Greek word for rainbow, which refers to the diversity of colors among the hundreds of species covered by the name. In Bordentown, NJ, the Iris conjures yet another pleasant image: a party. The town’s annual Iris Festival and Art Show, which will be held this year on May 10, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., offers a day of live music, al fresco dining at the downtown restaurants, art and, of course, Irises. There is a competition for amateur growers and a tour of local gardens.
www.downtownbordentown.com