Keep Gastonia Beautiful events aim to make an impact in the community and highlight our mission.
Below you can find when our events are generally held, click on each tab below to learn more about what to expect at each event.
January:
February:
March: Spring Black Gold Sales, Arbor Day, Great American Cleanup starts
April: Spring Black Gold Sales, Earth Day/Shred Day, Great American Cleanup Continues, Beetopia (check Bee City Page for details)
May: Last Spring Black Gold Sale (if supplies remain), Great American Cleanup Continues
June: Great American Cleanup Wrap-up
August: School Year Prep
September: Fall Black Gold Sales
October: Fall Black Gold Sales
November: Firewood Sales, America Recycles Day/Shred Day
December: Tree Lighting
Other Events
Fall 2026 Community Engagement Opportunities
Saturday, October 24 Scarecrow Event 9:00 a.m. - 12 noon
Rotary Community Garden, 406 E. Franklin Blvd
Please RSVP by using this link
Rain Barrel Sale
Back by popular demand…one last rain barrel sale of the year.
Sale runs through November 4th, with a distribution event Saturday, November 14th from 8-10 a.m. at the Gastonia Farmers Market
- On sale for $85
- Made in North Carolina
- 100% Recycled Plastic
- 50 Gallon Capacity, Linkable to create larger capacity
- Mosquito-Proof Screen
- 6' Overflow Hose Included
- Retail Value: $159
To pre-order your rain barrel, use this link: https://www.rainwatersolutions.com/products/keepgastoniabeautiful
Black Gold
Fall 2026 Dates
What Is Black Gold?
Black Gold consists exclusively of ground compost from leaves collected from Gastonia residences and municipal properties.
It contains no dyes, artificial fertilizers, or additives.
When: Regular sales take place every spring and fall as scheduled.
Fridays 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Saturdays 8:00 am to 12:00 noon
Friday, October 9th
Saturday, October 10th
Friday, October 16th
Saturday, October 17th
Friday, October 23rd
Friday, October 30th
Where: 3100 Duke Street (off of Gaston Day School Rd.)
Cost: CASH ONLY $20.00 per scoop
(approximately 3 cubic yards) 3 cubic yards = 240 sq ft at 4 inches thick.
This will fill the entire back of a pickup truck.
To keep traffic moving at the site, please be sure to tarp your load at the top of the road.
What’s the difference between Black Gold and mulch?
KGB’s Black Gold is different than the typical backyard compost that often includes food waste and possibly chicken/rabbit manure. Our Black Gold is almost exclusively leaf and maybe some yard clippings, which makes for good nutrients that when mixed with soil, slowly release their nutrients back to plants. It is a wonderful amendment and can reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers. Many people side-dress existing plants, giving time for the Black Gold to slowly release to the soil.
Mulch, on the other hand, is a coarser product, and although as organic as is compost, it will need much more time for microorganisms to break down the material and allow nutrients to enter the soil, ready for plants to absorb.
If it rains, please call 704-833-1578 or visit www.facebook.com/keepgastoniabeautiful for information on canceling or rescheduling the sale.
NO DELIVERIES AVAILABLE Help us prevent litter... Bring a Tarp to Cover Your Load! All funds go toward KGB’s beautification efforts.
Shred Day
Join Keep Gastonia Beautiful twice a year for SHRED DAY!
Mark your calendars!
(dates can vary from year to year, so check back for specific dates each year)
Saturday, November 7, 2026
NEW TIME: 8-11 a.m.
174 E. Main Avenue, Gastonia
Parking Lot next to Bradley Bus Station and across from FUMC
Shred Day: Do’s & Don’ts
Help us make the most of this FREE community event by following these simple guidelines:
DO:
- Bring up to 3 banker boxes or similarly sized plastic bins.
- Bring sensitive personal documents you no longer need, such as documents containing Social Security numbers, bank information, old tax records, and other personal information.
- Sort your documents before arriving to help keep the line moving.
- Tell your friends and family about this free service!
PLEASE DO NOT:
- Bring already-shredded paper.
- Bring mixed paper materials, such as magazines, newspapers, junk mail, or other non-sensitive paper. These take up valuable space that could be used for documents needing secure shredding.
- Leave batteries, thumb drives, CDs, or other non-paper items in your boxes. These items can damage the shredding equipment.
To ensure as many citizens as possible can take advantage of this FREE service, please bring personal documents only. Shred Day is not intended for business or commercial records. Your documents are shredded on-site and recycled locally through Sonoco.
Goodwill Dell Reconnect will accept the following items in all conditions and all brands:
Desktops, laptops, mouses and keyboards
iPads, Surfaces, tablets & e-readers
Monitors, printers & scanners
Flat screen televisions
Home audio & theater equipment
Video games & gaming systems
iPods, MP3 players & accessories
Cameras, media cards, video equipment & GPS systems
Mobile phones & accessories
External & internal hard drives
Power cords, chargers & cables
Ink & toner cartridges
Children’s educational toys
Firewood
Fall 2026 Firewood Dates
October 17, 2026
October 24, 2026
November 21, 2026
8 a.m. - 10 a.m.**or until we sell out
@Ferguson Park
1401 Golf Course Drive, Gastonia, NC
CASH ONLY $60 for an entire truckload.
Parks and Recreation staff are on-site to load up your truck, just drive up and we'll take care of you!
Offices for Keep Gastonia Beautiful are located at the Garland Municipal Business Center at 150 S. York Street on the second floor.
Contact Information
Garland Municipal Business Center
150 S. York Street, Gastonia, NC 28052
(PO Box 1748, Gastonia, NC 28053-1748)
704-869-1938 (office)
704-866-6067 (fax)