How to Celebrate National Pink Flamingo Day 2023
Photo by Efratshine/Shutterstock.com
Since 2007, June 23 has held special meaning to flamingo lovers nationwide. Thanks to Dean Mazzarella, the long-time mayor of Leominster, Massachusetts, every June 23 is Pink Flamingo Day!
Leominster was where Don Featherstone invented the plastic pink lawn flamingo, and it was the site of the product’s manufacturing for decades. One year after Union Products stopped producing the plastic pink lawn flamingo, Mazzarella declared June 23, 2007, as the inaugural Pink Flamingo Day.
We’ve given deeper into the history of National Pink Flamingo Day before, so today is less about diving into its story and more about celebrating the 17th edition of the day dedicated to the fabulous fowl!
Where Is Leominster’s National Pink Flamingo Day Celebration?
Nowhere shows out for National Pink Flamingo Day like Leominster does. Every June 23, it hosts an event to commemorate the beautiful bird, its plastic emulation, and the history of flamingos in the city. Monument Square in Downtown Leominster is the host of the 2023 edition, and admission is free for all. You can learn more about it here.
Leominster has put flamingos in their crosswalks. When will they go full-flamingo and change their mascot from the Devils to the Flamingos? #YesFlamingo pic.twitter.com/ecV98WkEbL
— Benjamin Joseph (@MrJosephLHS) June 20, 2018
Where Is Leominster?
Leominster is located roughly 50 miles west of Boston, an hour-long drive away from Providence, Rhode Island, and about a two-hour car trip from Portland, Maine. For most flamingo fans reading this, traveling to Leominster for the event is not feasible, but if you happen to live somewhere nearby, maybe it’s something worth checking out!
Farms in Leominster, Massachusetts - Photo by dougm/Shutterstock.com
What’s The Event Like?
Truthfully, I’ve never been to the National Pink Flamingo Day celebration - I don’t live within a reasonable distance. But the city has posted video documenting past iterations of the event that can help paint a picture of what to expect. By my estimation, if you enjoy flamingo-covered clothing, Massachusetts accents, and a jovial atmosphere, then you’d do yourself a disservice by staying home.
Mayor Mazzarella appears to be quite the character, and he has found as many ways as possible to include flamingos in his administration. Not only did he come up with Pink Flamingo Day, but he also promotes the fabulous fowl on Feb. 2, putting a twist on Groundhog Day to incorporate plastic pink lawn flamingos into the determination of winter’s remaining length.
What does this mean? Great question. See for yourself as he explains it all in flamingo shorts and a top hat amid Massachusetts snow.
I don’t know if there is any other city or town in America as obsessed with flamingos as Leominster. If you too are obsessed with flamingos, then perhaps you have a new favorite city.
What If I Can’t Go to Leominster to Celebrate?
Do you think flamingos give up that easily when the odds are stacked against them? No, and neither should you!
You can celebrate National Pink Flamingo Day in any way you see fit in your local area! You could go to the zoo and check out the flamingo exhibit, you could wear your favorite flamingo shirt all day long, or you could spend the day drawing pictures of flamingos and hanging them up around your house. There is no right or wrong way to celebrate the fabulous fowl. So long as you’re having fun with it, that’s all that matters.
Celebrating National Pink Flamingo Day at the Mighty 6830 @depotgurl88 @melaniepayneTHD @HD6830Bellmead pic.twitter.com/gBnKMEAQCI
— Mark Dickenson (@MarkDickenson13) June 23, 2017
