WASHINGTON — Mounds of snow still line the sidewalks and temperatures continue to flirt with freezing, but in one corner of the city, spring is in the air — and on the ground. On March 23 and 24, more than 40,000 tulips will be on display at The Park at CityCenterDC for the inaugural Field of Tulips festival. Bloomia, a direct-to-retail flower company based in King George, Virginia, is behind the event. Sales manager Evan Kerkhoven said the idea is to share with others the beauty that he and his co-workers are exposed to every day. (Kerkhoven said Bloomia grows about 75 million tulips, year-round, in its 46-acre temperature-controlled greenhouses.) Six to eight different tulip varieties — all hydroponically grown — are featured in the installation. Kerkhoven said a team of about 50 worked to ensure the flowers are at “an exceptional bloom stage for the event.” Entry into the garden is free from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visitors can even take a souvenir of spring home with them for $1 a stem; proceeds benefit DC Central Kitchen. “It’s basically a pick-your-own tulip festival,” Kerkhoven said. The Park at CityCenter is located at the corner of 10th Street and New York Avenue NW.

A sneak peak! Gates open for our Field of Tulips event at 10am! We can’t wait to see you all! 🌷☀️ #FieldOfTulips #CCDCxBloomia #Tulips #TulipFestival #DCEvents #WhereDC #CCDC #CityCenterDC #WashingtonDC pic.twitter.com/fLDL1bd7Ay

— CityCenterDC (@CityCenterDC) March 23, 2018