Missoula to hang 150 flower baskets downtown before busy weekend

MISSOULA, Mont. — The Downtown Missoula Partnership announced it would install 150 flower baskets across downtown on Thursday, May 7, ahead of UM Commencement on Saturday, May 9 and Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 10.

The group has led the downtown flower basket effort since 1981 with the Missoula Downtown Association. This year’s baskets also received support through Missoula Gives and funding from 38 individual donors plus a match from the Missoula Downtown Foundation.

Pink Grizzly supplied the baskets for the 25th year after seeding them in early March. The company plans to deliver them to the Central Park Garage at 128 W. Main early Thursday morning before Downtown Missoula Partnership staff install them.

Jake Treece, operations director for the Downtown Missoula Partnership, said the program marked the start of the warm season in downtown Missoula.

“The flower basket program is a truly special tradition that signals to the community that the warm season is here,” Treece said. “While this program is a gift to our downtown, it is much more demanding than it may seem. It’s not common for cities to maintain 150 living baskets in a hot, dry urban environment like Downtown Missoula. It takes a lot of daily effort from our team to keep them healthy and vibrant, so if you see someone out watering, take a moment to thank them for helping keep Downtown Missoula looking its best.”

The baskets are expected to stay up from May 7 into October after UM Homecoming.