Mission & History

The mission of Kalamazoo in Bloom is to enhance the beauty of Kalamazoo County and encourage community pride by planting and maintaining flowerbeds, and supporting activities that celebrate the history and traditions of the area’s plant industries.

Kalamazoo in Bloom was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1984 as Kalamazoo County Flowerfest.  Its focus was a three-day flower festival in which greenhouses and growers highlighted their new plant varieties.  As the area with the largest bedding industry in the world, the festival helped celebrate our local growers and create community pride.

The organization made the decision to celebrate the history and traditions of the area’s plant industries year-round with beautification efforts across Kalamazoo County.  The name was changed to Kalamazoo in Bloom in 2002, and the focus areas included Bronson Park, City Hall and the County Courthouse in downtown Kalamazoo, Library Lane and the City Center in Portage, Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport, Kalamazoo Transportation Center, Eastern gateway stretch along E. Michigan Avenue, Arcadia Festival Site, and the Kalamazoo Mall.

Because of these beautification efforts, Kalamazoo in Bloom and Kalamazoo County were honored with several distinctions including the Governor’s Tourism Award in 1991, and 1st place for community involvement from America in Bloom in 2002, with recognition in 2003, 2004, and 2005.

Today, Kalamazoo in Bloom continues to plant flowers in downtown Kalamazoo and Portage, and also purchases annuals for use at Nazareth Complex, Kalamazoo County Administration Building, Comstock Community Center, and Crane Park.

Partnerships with the City of Kalamazoo, City of Portage, Kalamazoo Valley Plant Growers Cooperative, MSU Extension Kalamazoo County, and other groups make this work possible. Kalamazoo in Bloom is proud to serve Kalamazoo County and to help make our area a beautiful, welcoming place to visit and live.