The Hunters Point Parks Conservancy is hosting its “LIC Bulbfest” in Long Island City on Sunday for the fifth straight year.
Neighborhood residents and volunteers from all over the borough will plant more than 10,000 tulip and daffodil bulbs in Gantry Plaza State Park and Hunters Point South Park along the East River waterfront.
“This thing gets bigger every year,” Hunters Point Park Conservancy President Rob Basch said. “You know, there’s a pretty common perception that these parks are for the rich folks who live in the luxury towers along Center Boulevard. But I reject that premise. The crowds that we see here on the weekends are Queens. Our parks represent the diversity of Queens, every nationality.”
The event takes place beginning at 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or until the last bulb is planted. Basch, who does marketing and advertising for Publishers Clearing House, came up with the idea when he was reading through some horticulture items at work.
“I contacted the vendor, Van Zyverden in Mississippi, and they said yes. They supply non-profits with their surplus bulbs,” Basch said. “All we had to do was pay the freight.”
There is a great payoff in late winter and early spring as both parks explode in color.
“Everyone loves it and it’s a great opportunity to get involved in the community, and the kids love to come out and get in the dirt,” Basch said. “Last year’s cornucopia of color was so spectacular in our beautiful waterfront parks. It was so amazing. I can’t wait to see what it looks like around here in 2020.”
Volunteers of all ages are welcome and they should meet at the railroad tracks in Hunters Point South Park at the intersection of 51st Avenue and Center Boulevard. There will be a face painter as well as a bubble show from Bubblemaster Gabe, a familiar figure in the neighborhood, and light refreshments will be served to all volunteers.
“It’s just another way to appreciate the beauty of our waterfront parks,” Basch said
