Myriad Gardens prepare for annual OKC Tulip Festival

Ahead of the annual Tulip Festival at Oklahoma City's Myriad Botanical Gardens, the Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages Porch is finding out more about what to expect from this year's event.

Returning for its third iteration, the annual festival showcases all types of tulips and brings in dozens of vendors and artists as well.

The Porch spoke with Myriad Botanical Gardens Chief Marketing Officer Stacey Aldridge to learn more about the festival.

Q: What can we expect this year?

A: We're so excited this weekend. I think it's going to be beautiful, the weather looks like it's going to work for us. We have two days of Tulip Festival, Saturday and Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days, so people can come out and enjoy the beautiful spring arrangements. We'll have food trucks [and] vendors. We've got live performances going on on the Devon Lawn, the water stage, and over at our seasonal plaza, so just walk around the grounds and take everything in. Our partner this year, Curbside Flowers, is going to have a couple of tents available with fresh-cut tulips. We ask that people don't take our tulips that are in the ground, but you can buy them from Curbside. They'll also have a merch tent with T-shirts and totes, and everything for the Tulip Festival. So it's just going to be a wonderful weekend.

Q: Tell me about the reaction from people who come to the festival.

A: We get to see all of the photos on social media that people tag us in, and it's so fun to see people just really enjoying and embracing and just being outside and here in downtown. It's just gorgeous and a bonus. This year, we did extend our hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days, so the Crystal Bridge will also be open ... A few extra hours for people to come and enjoy. There's a tulip art show called Tulip Mania in the lobby, and then we have our Orchid Show going on inside the crystal bridge. So lots of flowers. People who love flowers come out this weekend.

Q: Is there a cost to attend?

A: For the Tulip Festival, there is no charge. To go inside to see the Orchid Show, there is an admission for that. Just walk around there, kind of all over the place, and some hidden areas, lots of things to discover and just really enjoy.

Visit the Myriad Botanical Gardens website to learn more about the festival.