Flower Day at Eastern Market is one of Detroit's biggest annual traditions, held on the Sunday after Mother's Day every year since 1967. The one-day market transforms Eastern Market's six historic sheds and the surrounding streets into the country's largest one-day flower sale — over 150,000 shoppers turn out for the chance to buy directly from the Metro Detroit Flower Growers Association: roughly 50 growers offering hanging baskets, annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetable starts, and specialty plants at wholesale-adjacent prices that won't be matched by any garden center the rest of the year.
The market opens at 7 AM and runs through about 5 PM, but serious shoppers arrive at dawn — early arrivals get the widest selection of limited-quantity specialty plants and the highest-quality hanging baskets, while the most popular basket combinations sell out by mid-morning. Most growers welcome small handcarts and wagons; if you're walking far from your car, a flat-bed wagon makes carrying flats of plants back much easier. Cash is widely accepted, though most vendors now take cards too.
Practical notes: parking is a challenge — the surface lots near Eastern Market fill by 8 AM. Side streets within a half-mile of the market work better but require a longer walk back with plants. DDOT buses serve the area and rideshare drop-off near Russell Street is the path of least resistance. Wear comfortable shoes, bring water, and dress for the weather — the market is mostly outdoor and Detroit's mid-May weather can range from cold to muggy. Eastern Market's website (easternmarket.org) posts the year-specific shed layout and any special programming a few weeks before the event.
