'Open horn' I Eastern Market

Rlnnmir

t's nearly time for an annual spring
tradition for families across the region:
Flower Day at Detroit's Eastern Market.
This year's highly anticipated event will be
held Sunday, May 19, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
On May 19, all six of Eastern Market's
sheds will be brimming with more than 100
growers selling 1,000 varieties of plants,
including flowers, vegetables, herbs, hanging
baskets, trees, shrubbery and landscaping
plants. This year marks the 47th anniversary
of Flower Day, which is recognized as the
world's largest bedding flower market.
Mark Kaltz, of N.W. Kaltz and Sons Farms,
is a fourth-generation farmer and a longtime
seller at Flower Day and the Saturday Market.
"Any gardener in the area should come to
Flower Day," said Kaltz, who is also president
of the Metropolitan Detroit Flower Growers
Association. "It's the best place to get a large
variety of plants at a fair price. With a wide
variety of entertainment and food, it's a great

I

T7_

May 19th 7am — 5pm
FLOWER DAY AT EASTERN MARKET!

k i Lt
1 14-j r

10 OPEN DOOR Magazine • May 2013

Shannon Mackie { Contributing Writer

experience for the whole family."
With the vast amount of growers,
customers will find a greater variety of
plants than those that are typically stocked
in local nurseries. By purchasing regionally
grown plants, customers help to support the
regional economy and sustain a decades-old
tradition.
For those who can't make it to Flower
Day, it's important to note that flowers and
plants are available at Eastern Market's
Saturday Market. The market is open 6
a.m.- 4 p.m. every Saturday year-round and
offers a mixture of plants, produce, meat and
dairy products, which often change with the
season.
Eastern Market has been at its present
location since 1891, but comes from a deep
tradition of markets in Detroit dating back to
1841. Today the public market is managed
by the Eastern Market Corporation (EMC),
a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EMC is

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

r

Eastern Market prepares for
annual Flower Day event.

committed to providing guests with access
to the agricultural bounty of southeastern
Michigan, northern Ohio and Ontario,
Canada.
A trip to Eastern Market shouldn't be
limited to just the weekend. During the week,
the entire Eastern Market district is open for
business, including a variety of restaurants,
art galleries and shops. During the growing
season, the district is also home to a robust
overnight wholesale market. In addition,
the Tuesday Market is open July 9-Oct. 29
from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Market also hosts
a number of events throughout the year,
including cooking demonstrations, festivals,
fitness classes and weddings. Those looking
to host their own events can even rent any of
the Eastern Market sheds.
For more information about Eastern
Market, visit www.detroiteasternmarket.
corn. ❑

Tips for a successful
trip to Eastern Market's
Flower Day

• Arrive early for better parking
• Have a plan; know what you'd like to
purchase
• Be open to trying new plants or
varieties
• Plan to stay at least half a day and
walk the whole district
• Bring a wagon or some other
container for your purchases