Crowds lined up outside the Atrium on Friday (May 29) to pick up peonies of their choice. Visitors could walk around, take pictures and order the flowers they liked. One of the visitors who was browsing through the stems said that choosing buds always ends up giving her surprises, because it’s hard to predict what they look like after blooming. Another visitor was carefully choosing peonies of all sizes and colours as a surprise for his wife. The free festival that featured about 7,000 peonies
was organized by a partnership between Ripple Events, Poppies Floral Art, and Bespoke Blossoms. Crowds gather at the first-ever Victoria Peony Festival to pick their favourite colours. (Nishadini Fonseka/ Victoria News) Ripple Events, along with Bespoke Blossoms in Victoria, saw a strong desire in the Victoria community to have more unique experiences, and a pull for creativity after the city opened following the pandemic. That is how the two companies came up with the idea to create the event. “Everyone that I talk to about
it says, I can’t wait to come. I love peonies… I think that not only is the community excited about having an event, but they’re excited about peonies specifically,” owner and CEO of Ripple Events, Cassie LeBlanc said. More information on the event is available online at www.peonyfestival.com/the-festival The festival returns for its second day on May 30.
Victoria Peony Festival, peonies, Ripple Events, Poppies Floral Art, Bespoke Blossoms, Atrium, May 29, May 30
Peony festival? That sounds like free flowers and free vibes.
People really lined up just for peonies? I mean good for them I guess. After the pandemic everyone needed something pretty to do.
Wait so they pick the buds and then it’s surprise? That’s kinda like roulette but floral. Also why is it at an Atrium—like in a mall? Seems expensive for “free festival” unless they mean free entry only.
I love peonies but “first-ever Victoria Peony Festival” makes me think it’s not actually in Victoria, like they’re just calling it that because it’s near Victoria Day or something? Idk. Anyway Cassie LeBlanc sounds like she nailed the creativity thing. I saw the pictures though—7,000 peonies is insane, like are they all real or did they stage it?