Activities

The Burrage Mansion is offered without charge to local nonprofits that serve children. Events held here include both activities for children (with the organizations providing their own staff and curriculum) and a variety of fundraisers that benefit their organizations (including everything from “family fun days” to fashion shows, fancy dinners and Casino nights).

One part of our mission is to inspire and facilitate other groups and individuals in our community to serve less-advantaged children. To that end, the Rochford Foundation coordinates after-school Burrage Buddies workshops with adult volunteers from the community leading classes in photography, cooking, golf, orienteering (and more!) for kids from several organizations.

The Rochford Foundation hosts the popular Burrage Buddies enrichment workshops taught by local, adult volunteers. With three five-week sessions, held twice a week, children from afterschool programs in Redlands are invited to sign up for the workshops that interest them. Burrage Buddies offers a cooking class with a private chef, photography from local photographers, a golf class, guitar, GIS taught by Esri employees, and even a Lego class. Each session averages about 175 kids, ages six to 12, learning new skills and expanding their interests.

Playdays & Overnights

Nonprofits serving children are welcome to plan activities here at the Burrage Mansion and bring their kids here for fun. The Rochford Foundation offers the mansion and grounds, including lots of sports equipment and outdoor toys, at no cost to the organizations bringing children. We have hosted golf lessons and tournaments, soccer clinics, Rochford Scholars movie nights, Boy Scout jubilees, many Boys & Girls Club summer field trips for play days, and various awards ceremonies and sleepovers. There are trails for hiking, a low-ropes course, a kid-friendly kitchen, Slip-n-’Slides, and SuperSoakers…and the grassy playfield is perfect for nighttime stargazing.

Enrichment Workshops

The Rochford Foundation is home to Burrage Buddies. With three five-week sessions, held twice a week, children from afterschool programs in Redlands Unified School District and YMCA are invited to sign up for the workshops that interest them. Burrage Buddies has a cooking class with a private chef, photography from local photographers, a golf class, guitar, and even a Lego class. Each session will have 100 kids ages 6 to 12 learning new things and expanding their interests.

Flag-raising Ceremony

Usually, a big United States of America flag is proudly displayed on a 70-foot flagpole on the Burrage Mansion grounds. But at Christmastime, the flag comes down so we can use the flagpole to support a giant Christmas tree made of twinkling lights, giving us the opportunity to host an annual ceremony to raise the flag again after Christmas.

Each year, all the first graders at Kingsbury Elementary School are invited to help us honor our flag.

A Burrage Christmas

“A Burrage Christmas” drive-thru has become a much-loved Redlands tradition, offered as a holiday activity and celebration for the Redlands community. This free, family-friendly event features the spectacular Christmas decorations along the front of the Burrage Mansion property, plus live entertainment-including Santa and Mrs. Claus! “A Burrage Christmas” is hosted by the Rochford Foundation in partnership with several local service clubs, the Redlands Bowl and the City of Redlands.

Partner events

The Rochford Foundation supports other nonprofits by donating use of the Burrage Mansion as a venue for their fundraising events that benefit children. Offering the house and grounds free-of-charge to various Redlands-based charities and service clubs not only provides them a beautiful venue for their event, but invariably improves their bottom line—meaning more funds are being raised to help children. Fundraiser themes have included fashion shows, celebrity “roasts,” fancy dinners, masquerades, and casino nights.

Clock Walk

The Downtown Redlands Clock Walk, sponsored by the Rochford Foundation and co-developed by the Redlands Visitor Center, is a fun activity for families to enjoy downtown Redlands.

Tim Rochford loves Clocks, and any clock downtown with LTR on it is in front of buildings owned by Tim and exists to enhance the culture of our local community. Located in Ed Hales Park is the sister Cities Clock with three different times from our Redlands sister cities, Linli, China, Hino Japan, and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. The Clock Walk instructions, map, and entry form brochure is now available at the Redlands Visitor Center at 14 N. Fifth St., Redlands.

Downtown Redlands Puzzle

The Rochford Foundation sponsors a fun scavenger hunt puzzle activity to learn about fun places to shop and visit in historical downtown Redlands. You can pick up a map with clues at the Redlands Visitor Center and be on your way. Collect a puzzle piece at each location and keep the puzzle!