My coat the winter I was in kindergarten came from the Atlantic Mills in Olneyville. (Side bar, practically everyone in RI shopped there back in the day! Dollars to donuts, one of your grandparents or great aunts or uncles has stories about shopping at AM.)

These days, the neighborhood has become a hub for urban farming.

I mean, you’re probably already familiar with the greenhouse that Gotham Greens has going up over on Harris Avenue. (In case you are not, it’s a game changer and worth checking out.)

And there’s What Cheer Flower Farm on Atwood Street.

I first came across it by way of a random post on Twitter that had popped up in my feed.

Prior to that happy occurrence, I had no idea there was in fact this not-for-profit flower farm in the heart of Providence that was growing tons of gorgeous blooms (around 30K a year…wowza!) and subsequently, giving them all away to other non-profit’s in the area (like Meals On Wheels, Crossroads, and Hospice) to brighten the days of seniors, those struggling with homelessness, those impacted by illness (or terminal illness), and many more.

And What Cheer just announced that tickets are on sale for their annual, end-of-summer Flower Festival, happening at sunset on September 19th (from 5 to 9pm) on the farm (which means no heels - because even Carrie left her Jimmy Choo’s back in NYC when she was out in the country with Aidan).

It’s a marvelous way to learn more about what they do while enjoying delicious food prepared by local chefs, live music, an art show, an 18 foot wide “floral wall” (tailor made for all your Insta Stories, Snapchats, and selfies…I mean, where else are you gonna find something like THAT in the OS?), and displays from some of the state’s most celebrated floral designers.

All in all, a swell event that you’ll want to grab tix for, a fantastic way to close out the Summer of 2019.

To buy tickets and get more info, click here.