The 2011 FUNd Party Series will kick off with Cinco de Mayo in the Garden from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 5, at the home of David and Rosemarie Harrington at 225 Seasons Drive in Clyde.

The series benefits the Haywood County Arts Council and will feature three parties in May, offering food, entertainment and unique experiences.

The first late-afternoon party invites gardeners of all levels to join in celebrating Cinco De Mayo on the porch and in the garden with appetizers and drinks and sharing and trading plants from your own personal gardens.

All attending will have the opportunity to bring some of the results of early spring digging and thinning. Ideas and plant-growing wisdom will also be shared. Participants may bring as many plants as they want. Tickets are $35 and seating is limited to thirty partygoers.

The second party in the series is Birding for the Arts, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 7. Birders will meet at the Performing Arts Center at 8 a.m. to set out on a day-long stroll through the area in search of regional nesting birds with sponsors Joe Sam and Kate Queen and naturalist Don Hendershot. A gourmet boxed lunch will be provided.

Tickets are $25 per person and participation is limited to 35 partygoers.

828.452.0593 or visit www.haywoodarts.org.