Preorders start May 6; Proceeds benefit Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks
The Kitayama Brothers Farms Gerbera Festival, a benefit for Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks, will be celebrated again this year as Gerbera-N-Go, a drive-through flower sale at Kitayama Brothers Farms, located at 481 San Andreas Road in Watsonville (next to Sunset State Beach).
Crates of five plants each, featuring a mix of colors, can be preordered online for $10 each beginning Friday, May 6, through Tuesday, May 31, 2022. Flowers will be available for pickup from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 4. A limited number of day-of sales also will be offered for $15 per crate. All proceeds from the Gerbera Festival benefit Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks.
“We have always loved our local state parks and beaches, especially Sunset State Beach that is just west of our farm, and our gratitude for these special places has only grown in the last two years,” said Stuart Kitayama, operations manager at Kitayama Brothers Farms and a Friends board member.
This is the 12th year Kitayama Brothers Farms will celebrate the Gerbera Festival. The event was not held in 2020 due to the pandemic but was reimagined in 2021 as the wildly popular Gerbera-N-Go. Flowers sold out and the event raised thousands of dollars for local state parks and beaches, as well as the Santa Cruz Farm Bureau Agriculture Worker Vaccine Program.
“Our partnership with Kitayama Brothers Farms is deeply-rooted in our shared appreciation of local state parks and beaches,” Friends Executive Director Bonny Hawley said. “We are grateful that KB Farms has been committed to continuing the Gerbera Festival through challenging times and are excited to again celebrate together.”
Gerbera daisies are bright, colorful flowers with large blooms and strong stems. Kitayama Brothers Farms cultivates nearly 20 varieties in shades of red, pink, orange, yellow and white, with centers that are green, cream or dark brown.
About Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks
Established in 1976, Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks (Friends) is a vital partner with California State Parks, creatively working to ensure our cherished local parks and beaches are thriving and available to all. Friends’ innovative and collaborative community partnership provides support and investment for education, equity and inclusion, conservation, facilities improvements, historic preservation and cultural events. Friends currently operates a robust online ParkStore offering nature- and history-themed merchandise for sale to benefit local parks and beaches. Friends also operates ParkStores at Natural Bridges, New Brighton, Santa Cruz Mission, Seacliff and Wilder Ranch. Learn more at www.ThatsMyPark.org or via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest.