DETROIT – Flower Day at Eastern Market is more than just a shopping trip — it’s a tradition.
Every year, thousands of metro Detroiters, out-of-state visitors and even international guests descend on Detroit’s Eastern Market to browse blooms, haul plants and soak in the unofficial start of summer.
Recommended Videos
“We usually expect 100,000-plus to come out and celebrate. It’s amazing to see how many people will come out to Eastern Market to celebrate flowers,” said Lonni Thomas, director of markets for Eastern Market Partnership.
The event draws gardeners of every skill level. Seasoned green thumbs like shopper Denise Keipert know exactly what they’re looking for.
“I use the marigolds around my vegetable garden to keep the bugs away,” Keipert said.
First-timers are welcome, too. Shopper Maighdlin Kelley kept her haul modest — mostly.
“I got one cactus. One little cactus. The rest are hers,” Kelley said.
For many, Flower Day carries the same weight as a major holiday. Shopper Erica Shark puts it on the calendar well in advance.
“I plan for this every year. It is an event in my life just like Christmas and the 4th of July, so you know, we’re living life,” Shark said.
Shopper Jarrell Harris is already thinking ahead to what the season will bring.
“I plan on building some garden beds so I can help her get some more flowers and hostas and just everything in there this summer,” Harris said.
Wagons, woodworking, one-upmanship
Beyond the flowers, one of Flower Day’s most beloved traditions is the wagons. Shoppers haul custom-built, ever-expanding carts loaded with plants — and a healthy sense of competition.
Keipert said the wagon upgrades are practically a yearly ritual.
“You start off small and then every year you’re like, ‘I think I need a little bit more room,’ and I customized this with my husband — he’s a woodworker — and every year we see something a little bit bigger and we go, ‘Oh, you win,’” Keipert said.
Shopper Bailey Sillers summed up what keeps people coming back year after year.
“It’s a blast are you kidding? And it’s local. That’s the best part,” Sillers said.
For information on upcoming market dates and how to purchase flowers, visit easternmarket.org/events/flower-day-2026/.