Flower lovers will have a reason to rejoice this floral season as a spin on a fan favorite is making its way to Detroit. The highly anticipated annual Detroit Flower Day may be canceled, but the Eastern Market is hoping to please shoppers and bring some of its best blooms to this month’s Flower Days. Customers will still have access to the flowers, there will be an abundance of inventory and, of course, COVID safety, while preparations for summer gardens commence.
Occurring yearly in Detroit’s Eastern Market for more than 50 years, Detroit Flower Day signifies the incoming summer season for the city. The event boasts more than 200,000 visitors and over $12 million in flower sales, but COVID-19 caused a swift shift for last year’s floral season.
Typically held on the Sunday following Mother’s Day, Detroit Flower Day is the event of the season for gardeners. Across every skill level, planters come to view the beautiful array of choices and shop from hundreds of vendors. In 2020, Flower Day canceled in-person shopping and opted for a virtual shopping experience in light of the pandemic. This year, the famous Flower Day will still not happen in the traditional manner, but Eastern Market is giving shoppers an in-person alternative.
“Flower Day 2021 will not be happening in the format we all know and love. However, we will provide safe alternatives for in-person shopping throughout Flower Season,” according to its press release.
Four special market days will occur throughout the month of May, with a special time and date. Each Tuesday, the Eastern Market will welcome shoppers to a smaller, yet plentiful floral shop in shed 6 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
“Saturday, Markets in May will come closest to resembling a typical bustling Flower Day experience and the Tuesday Markets are a great option for those who want less crowds, more time to speak with growers and easy parking,” says Sam Morykwas, senior marketing manager for the Eastern Market Partnership.
Flowers will also be available for in-person purchase at Saturday markets through June. Early risers have the opportunity to visit starting at 6 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m. Usually bringing in large crowds, hopes for this year’s floral market days are the same. Despite COVID, organizers are hoping shoppers will still show up and support the event.
“We typically see around 100,000 guests at a pre-COVID Flower Day and our hope is to see a comparable amount of guests over the course of all of our market days in May,” says Morykwas in the statement.
“Last year, we had very little in-person flower shopping and did an online pre-order and pick-up system. There is no online ordering this year,” says Morykwas.
This year, the Eastern Market partnered with local Detroit artist KaCey Kal to create the Wallflower for the 2021 season. The design, which will be featured on specialty items like posters and shirts, will be available during the Flower Days. The artist designed the official poster to commemorate the start of flower season and has seen what was once a longtime goal finally coming to fruition.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment since 2016 and I’ve been preparing every year since,” says Kal in a social media post.
This season’s Flower Tuesdays are already in full swing and will continue throughout the month of May. With COVID guidelines in place, the popular event will hold some signs of normalcy as communities adapt to the changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. CDC guidelines will be observed while guests are in attendance. The market is free and available to all ages.