SF Union Square blooms with 80,000 flowers for plucking at annual Tulip Day event

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Flower power was in San Francisco on Saturday.

Thousands converged at Union Square as it bloomed into a massive garden.

Eighty thousand tulips were brought in to celebrate Tulip Day, an annual event in which free flowers are given to those waiting in line.

Those lines began early in the morning. Each person got to pick out eight tulips of whichever colors they liked.

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Tulips are said to represent spring, beginnings, vitality and growth. It's inspired by Amsterdam's National Tulip Day.

Organizers hope people there were inspired by it too.

"Fun, loving tulips, start to buy more and more tulips, having them at their home all the time, putting them in their garden, fall in love with tulips, that's it," said Anne Verdoes with Royal Anthos.

The Union Square Alliance and the Consulate General of the Netherlands partnered up for this event as part of an effort to bring back life and activity to downtown.