Hunters Point Parks Conservancy (HPPC) will host its 11th annual “LIC Bulbfest” in Gantry Plaza State Park and Hunters Point South Park this Saturday, with volunteers anticipated to plant more than 15,000 bulbs in the two Long Island City waterfront parks.
This year’s event will take place on Saturday, Nov. 1, from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. or until all the bulbs are planted.
Over the past 10 years, HPPC and volunteers have planted more than 100,000 bulbs across the two waterfront parks, with more than 15,000 bulbs expected to be planted this Saturday.
Agricultural wholesaler Van Zyverden has donated bulbs for this year’s planting, including daffodils, tulips, alliums, hyacinth and muscari.
Council Member Julie Won, State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez, Assembly Member Claire Valdez, the NYC Green Fund and Con Edison are all supporting the 2025 event.
People of all ages and gardening experience are invited to join the event, with volunteers encouraged to sign up here. HPPC said more than 100 people have already signed up for the upcoming event.
Volunteers will gather at the plaza in Gantry Plaza State Park near Central Boulevard between 48th and 49th Avenue, and will then disperse throughout the two parks. HPPC will provide instructions on how to plant the bulbs – as well as providing gardening tools and gloves for volunteers.
The group said its volunteers have already removed 1,990 bags of weeds from the two parks this year as well as planting 860 plants.
HPPC Executive Director Jessica Sechrist praised the local community for their continued support of the two waterfront parks, describing the annual Bulbfest as a “special” community event.
“We appreciate how dedicated our community is to supporting our waterfront parks at all our volunteer events, but Bulbfest is truly special,” Sechrist said in a statement. “Every year more than 200 people from toddlers to those in their 80s join us in the parks to make sure spring on the Waterfront will be filled with beautiful flowers, and we’re looking forward to hosting everyone again on November 1.”
