Book a Socially-Distant Event at What Cheer Flower Farm
Help the nonprofit farm continue its mission of spreading joy through flowers by booking a small event or contributing to its flower-themed online artwork auction.
A socially distant event at What Cheer Flower Farm in Olneyville. Photo from What Cheer Flower Farm’s Facebook page.
What Cheer Flower Farm has come up with some innovative ideas to try to recoup some losses from its annual Flower Festival, which it can no longer hold due to COVID-19 regulations. The nonprofit flower farm, which grows and gives away 45,000 flowers each year to charity including hospitals for frontliners, food banks and more, has turned its grounds into a socially-distant event space.
The director of the Flower Festival, Kaitlyn Frolich, also owner of Kaitlyn Alyece Event Architects, says that interested parties can book the outdoor space surrounded by vibrant blooms in the middle of Olneyville’s industrial area.
“With the twinkle lights, fire pit and things hanging from the trees, it really is magical,” says Frolich. “Also it’s in Olneyville; it’s a flower farm that’s like a tree grows in Brooklyn.”
The event fee includes tables and linens for a cocktail event for fifty to 100, bamboo chairs for fifty, floral centerpieces that are then donated to frontliners or the food bank, parking, lighting and sound, plus tiki torches and a firepit for atmosphere. What Cheer Flower Farm also works with Easy Entertaining in Olneyville to provide catering services, including the bar setup with cocktails, beer and wine and fun finger food like individual bento boxes for guests (now that buffet tables are out of the question).
And all of the proceeds from the events go straight to What Cheer Flower Farm to help it continue its mission to spread joy through flowers. “You can rent a space anywhere, but why not rent a space where you know the money is going to help the farm,” Frolich says.
Krystal Kraczkowski, the farm’s “grower of smiles,” took us through the rows of blooms that will flower into the fall, including dahlias, flowering kale, lisianthus, sunflowers and more.
The farm is also trying to raise money through a flower-inspired online art sale. Anyone can contribute an eight-by-ten flower-themed piece of artwork to be donated to the art auction to raise money for the farm to keep doing cheerful work of handing out free bouquets to brighten people’s days. They will even ship an eight-by-ten board to you free of charge or you can pick them up from Providence Picture Frame or the farm. Just be sure to return the art by September 18. Browse some of the submitted artwork on Instagram at instagram.com/whatcheerfarm.
A piece of flower-themed artwork donated by Jenny Brown. Visit @jennybrownart.
