Press Releases
News and Photo Advisory for Sunday, May 17, 2015
Who:
- Metropolitan Flower Growers Association (MDFGA) and Eastern Market
- Jerry Post, Vice President, Metropolitan Detroit Flower Growers Association
- Dan Carmody, President, Eastern Market Corporation
- Emma Velasco, COO, Eastern Market Corporation
When: Sunday, May 17, 2015 from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Where: Eastern Market, 2934 Russell Street, Detroit, MI 48207
Construction and Parking: Russell Street will be closed at 4 a.m. Live trucks and media vehicles should come in on Riopelle and park in the lot behind Shed 3 between Adelaide and Division. For GPS and direction purposes, use the 2600 block of Riopelle as an address.
Social Media: Follow the excitement of Flower Day via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram using the following hashtag: #FlowerDayEM
The Metropolitan Detroit Flower Growers Association, in partnership with Eastern Market, hosts its 49th Annual Flower Day on Sunday, May 17, 2015 from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. This annual tradition draws thousands from the region to Eastern Market. Visitors peruse flower growers from Michigan, Ohio, and Canada, all offering their expertise in addition to a variety of flowers, plants, shrubs and the like. Guests can also take advantage of free pick-up and drop-off services available to check their purchases, located at two locations throughout the Market. Adding to the event, guests of all ages can also enjoy food and entertainment.
Visitors can celebrate this Detroit tradition for years to come with an original limited-edition print that Eastern Market Corporation commissioned Don Kilpatrick, a Detroit illustrator and educator with the Center for Creative Studies, to create in honor of the 49th Annual Flower Day. The signed and numbered 12 x 19 inch prints (pictured above) are available for $49 and t-shirts with the same art work are available for $20. For more information, call 313-833-9300. Eastern Market’s revamped website provides a page dedicated to Flower Day, helpful to those planning to attend, at EasternMarket.com/Attend/FlowerDay.
The History of Flower Day
In the 1960’s southeastern Michigan had the largest production of bedding plants in the United States. Unfortunately, two-thirds of the crop was sold out of state. In 1966, a group of 20 flower growers in the metropolitan Detroit area formed the Metro Detroit Flower Growers Association (MDFGA) to promote awareness and local sales. The first Flower Day was held at the Michigan State Fairgrounds and featured displays, not sales, by local growers. In 1967, after the success of the event at the fairgrounds, MDFGA moved its event to Eastern Market, where growers could sell as well as display their products.
About Eastern Market Corporation
Eastern Market Corporation (EMC) is the nonprofit that manages Eastern Market on behalf of the City of Detroit. Our vision is to create the most inclusive, resilient, and robust regional food hub in the United States and to ensure that Eastern Market is a community that nourishes a Detroit identity — from food to art and commerce to culture.
For more information, call (313) 833-9300, visit our website at EasternMarket.com or follow us on Twitter: @EasternMarket and Facebook: EasternMarketDetroit.
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