Downtown Aberdeen will be noticeably pink this coming Friday, June 21, as part of the city’s first ever Bloom Day event. Throughout the city, downtown businesses will complement the city’s hanging baskets spilling over with pink flowers by decorating their stores in pink, dressing in the color, and offering pink goods for sale, as a way to promote the downtown area.
This official Bloom Day, which is recognized by the city, was thought up by Wil Russoul, executive director of the Downtown Aberdeen Association, as a way to promote downtown businesses in a kickoff event for the summer. A variety of businesses are participating, some with pink flowers painted over the windows by Aberdeen High School students.
Sheril Woodruff, owner of Harbor Blooms, said she’d be giving out 100 pink carnations from her shop at 118 E Heron St.
“The idea was let’s do something that involves the whole downtown area that’s not expensive but creates some energy and awareness to the community about our pinkness and celebrate our flowers,” said Bette Worth, vice president of the Downtown Aberdeen Association.
Worth and Bobbi McCracken, the president of the association, said they’d be walking around town handing out candy that day.
Some incentives to attend are pink goods sold around town, like Cake Cakes, which will have pink cupcakes, Scoops Ice Cream and Coffee which will have pink whipped cream on beverages, or pink lemonade at Steam Donkey Brewing.
In addition, several musicians will stroll the streets around midday, who were recruited by Russoul, a guitarist himself. The musicians include New Zealand guitarist Daniel Walker, Ryan Baker who’s a Johnny Cash impersonator, Alex Lebbert a percussive guitar player, and musician Michael B. Johnson.
There’s no official start time or events, but Russoul said musicians will start walking around sometime midday Friday.
Aberdeen Parks and Recreation Director Stacie Barnum will also be downtown at a booth giving out fertilizer, and Russoul said he himself might be walking around playing guitar as well.
People attending Bloom Day are encouraged to wear pink clothing, or even go all out with pink hair or paint their dogs pink, Russoul said.
