Picture this…the smell of popcorn and cotton candy in the air, the laughter of children all around, songs from the carousel off in the distance, clanking of rings being tossed on bottles. What are you envisioning? Hopefully you just stepped into a carnival! And that’s exactly what I did last night. I got a nice little sneak peak of the annual Macy’s Flower Show at Macy’s on State Street, which will be open to the public from March 26 thru April 9.

If my words alone could transport you to the carnival, then you will be in awe of this flower wonderland, just as I was. It is not only gorgeous, but it’s a true depiction of an old world carnival, just all made out of flowers and greenery. (Think early 1900’s carnival.) I have always loved a good carnival theme, and the magic it evokes. Thinking of a bygone era, what people would have been dressed like, the the music they would have listened to, the games they would have played, it just makes you take a step back in time. And I have to say, Macy’s took me there from the minute I walked up to the flowery ticket booth.

For media night they had some nice touches to make it all the more real. A cotton candy stand (Spin-Spun), carnival themed hors d’oeuvres, and palm readers (Invision). Of course I got mine read, twice. I have never had that done, and guys, it was so cool! I feel like they really were able to read me and share valuable info. If you ever get the chance to sit with a clairvoyant, I recommend it!

The people behind the magic of this extraordinary carnival, in addition to Macy’s production team, are McFarlane Douglass & Companies . They know how to put together a whole new world, let me tell you. We even got to see them in action, crafting a floral teddy bear. It’s so fun to step out of the ordinary into such a creative space. Knowing the work that must have gone into creating this Carnival is overwhelming, but the smiles it will evoke from visitors I assume will make it all worthwhile.

To really help it sink it, here are some fun flower show facts….there are fifteen carnival themed gardens. (One of which is a “side show” of plants!) There are over 5,000 different plants in the show. It takes four curators to water all of the plants each night. Construction and production begins in January, and takes over 3,000 hours, with 40 artisans collaborating. Each year, nearly 40,000 people visit the flower show. There are events each day, like circus acts, cooking demonstration and silhouette painting to really get you even more into the Carnival mood.

If you will be in the Chicago area (or near another Macy’s marquee store – NYC and San Francisco), you have to go check out Carnival. I promise you will be transported to another realm, and you won’t be disappointed. Plus, you will get a little time to pretend spring has actually arrived.

P.S. This is my 100th blog post. What better way to celebrate than with flowers and cotton candy! Thanks for following along so far. I can’t wait to share with you what’s to come in the next 100.

Signed with Style,