San Francisco’s Tulip Day saw huge turnout in Union Square Saturday, as people lined up to see and pick a display of over 80,000 tulips that celebrated spring and International Women’s Day.
It was a picture-perfect day in the square as the tulip garden filled the area.
“It was fun,” said Woodland resident Ruth Delemos, who came to the city early to wait.
“Last year we came and we missed out, because there were so many people,” Delemos said. “We gave up, and went to the store and got tulips. This year, we planned it a lot better. It’s absolutely stunning. What a great community thing to do.”
If the long lines were any indication, Tulip Day was the place to be. It honored both International Women’s Day, which happened the day before, and spring, which officially begins March 19.
Those in attendance were able to pick up a free bouquet.
“This is where we come to celebrate life’s greatest moments and this shows it,” said Marisa Rodriguez, CEO of the Union Square Alliance. “This is a tradition now. Tulip Day. We’re trying to get as many people through the garden as we can today, so they can enjoy that spring has sprung in Union Square.”
The area has been faced with a number of high profile retail store closures, but Rodriguez noted it was important to know something else is happening, too.
“Actually, over 30 stores have moved in in the last two years,” Rodriguez said. “There is a lot of growth here, and there’s a lot of expansion. We’re having a restaurant boom and a bar boom, right? So this is the place still to enjoy things if you love a store and you’re hearing that perhaps it may be closing, this is your signal to come on down.”
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Tulip Day kicks off the Union Square in Bloom effort, setting up floral displays as people are invited to go support business there.
