If you missed last summer’s Chilliwack Tulip Festival, you don’t have to wait until this coming summer to check out all the colourful flowers.
The festival is bringing that beauty to Metropolis at Metrotown for the I Heart Tulips event on Jan. 26.
I Heart Tulips will see an enormous, one-day-only installation of 10,000 live red-and-white tulips taking over the shopping mecca’s Grand Court. Sponsored by Onos Greenhouses Ltd., along with Tulips of the Valley (which runs the Chilliwack Tulip Festival and the Chilliwack Sunflower Festival), the installation will be arranged in the shape of a red heart surrounded by white, forming an awe-inspiring floral tapestry.
The installation may be viewed from all three levels of the mall, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Then, at 1 p.m., children supported by Variety – the Children's Charity, will be invited to pick tulips. After 1:30 p.m., the public will be invited to take their pick of the tulips to bring home, with a minimum donation of only $5 for five tulips. The event will continue until all of the 10,000 tulips have been picked.
All proceeds will go to Variety, a favourite cause of Kate Onos-Gilbert, co-founder of Tulips of the Valley. Variety has been providing direct help to B.C. children with special needs for more than 50 years.
"Both Variety and tulips are close to my heart," said Onos-Gilbert. "This event perfectly pairs both the charity and the flower in a one-day event for a very worthy cause. I hope people 'heart' it."
I Heart Tulips will also include a tulip selfie stand, photo frames and the opportunity to take pictures with Tilly, the tulip mascot. Other pre-cut tulips will also be available (by donation), and all tulips may be wrapped on site for easy transport. As well, visitors will be invited to enter a draw to win tickets to the 2019 Chilliwack Tulip Festival, taking place in April.
