Blooming with Pride is Red Butte Garden and Arboretum’s annual, family-friendly celebration of the LGBTQ+ community through the beauty of plants, art, and nature. Each year we collaborate with local artists, florists, and horticulturists to create immersive showcase displays that bring Pride to life in meaningful, joyful, and visually spectacular ways.

This year’s theme, Rooted Together, celebrates the connections that ground us and the joy that grows when we stand side by side. We invite artists to interpret this theme through the natural world, drawing inspiration from root systems, plant networks, and the ways plants support one another in living communities.

Target Audience

• LGBTQ+ community members of all ages
• Families, allies, and intergenerational visitors
• Plant lovers and outdoor enthusiasts
• Guests seeking an uplifting, visually stunning, and welcoming experience.

Reflect the Rooted Together Theme: Use plants, symbolism, form, and texture to explore connection and community. Consider ideas such as roots growing toward one another, plants that support each other as they grow, intertwined forms, and planting designs that feel united or connected.

Celebrate Pride with Meaning & Creativity: Incorporate color, symbolism, and artistic choices that honor LGBTQ+ identity, visibility, and empowerment in ways that are heartfelt, expressive, and welcoming.

Showcase the Beauty and Symbolism of Plants: Highlight the natural world through thoughtful plant selection, such as native species, resilient bloomers, root-forward design, or flora with symbolism tied to your concept. Prioritize species that will be healthy and visually strong in mid-June at Red Butte Garden.

Use Organic, Plant-Based Materials as the Primary Medium: All displays must prominently feature living plants, cut flowers, dried plant material, or other natural materials. These elements must be intentional focal points, not decorative afterthoughts. Non-organic representations of plants (photographs, paintings, textiles, sculpture) will not be considered unless they directly incorporate organic plant material as a central part of the artwork.

Engage and Inspire
Design installations that spark joy and curiosity. Consider sensory elements such as touch, scent, movement, or interactive opportunities when appropriate. All displays must be suitable for families, children, and guests of varying abilities.

Use Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Materials
Whenever possible, use materials that are reusable, recyclable, or responsibly sourced.

Choose a Display that Fits the Garden
To allow more artists to participate, this year’s displays must be either 3 feet by 3 feet or 5 feet by 5 feet.