Everything was coming up roses Sunday at the Tyler Rose Garden during an event to celebrate the new blooms of the season.

Rose Sunday is a collaboration between the Texas Rose Festival, the Tyler Rose Museum and the city of Tyler to herald in the spring rose blooming season, according to Texas Rose Festival and Tyler Rose Museum Executive Director Liz Ballard.

Ballard said the event is a wonderful way to celebrate part of Tyler’s heritage.

“The purpose of Rose Sunday is to celebrate our famous 14-acre rose garden that is now in the National Register of Historic Places,” Ballard said. “The rose industry is the sole reason the Texas Rose Festival came about in 1933 and the mission is to promote Tyler and Smith County, promote volunteerism, celebrate the rose industry and its history and instill community pride.”

Ballard said she is excited for the new season and all the visitors it brings with it.

“I am truly excited that our garden is in such amazing condition. It is so beautiful and it’s all thanks to the city of Tyler’s parks and recreation team — Jose Parga, Andrew Rutherford and Joe Barboza — who have worked tirelessly to get the garden in the shape that it is in,” Ballard said. “Visitors have been pouring in, and it’s so exciting to have them visit.”

This year’s Rose Queen Molly Louise Berry attended the event. Berry is finishing her sophomore year at Texas Christian University. Berry’s family has had more than 60 family members participate in the festival since the beginning of time.

“I am honored to serve as the Queen of the 89th annual Texas Rose Festival,” Berry said. “I am truly appreciative of the spectacular rose garden that is now on the National Register of Historic Places. This garden has played a tremendous role in advancing the reputation of our city and surrounding communities.”

Mayor Don Warren also spoke at the event along with president of the Texas Rose Festival Tom Brown, Rose Princess Olivia Bristol Young and Duchess of the Rose Growers Hadley Hills Brewer.

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Warren read a proclamation that stated, in which he proclaimed the date Rose Sunday in the city of Tyler, and he encouraged all residents to “stop and smell the roses, plant a rose bush in your yard, and then visit the Tyler Rose Garden not only for this month, but throughout the year.”

The Texas Rose Festival Court and the 2022 Texas Rose Festival Scholarship recipient were recognized during the event.

Addyson Campbell, who recently graduated from Grace Community School and plans to attend Texas A&M, was awarded the scholarship.

The Magills served as entertainment.

From late April until frost, the Tyler Municipal Rose Garden blooms with over 15,000 rose bushes exhibiting approximately 300 varieties of roses. Over 100,000 people from around the world visit the Rose Garden annually. The rose industry, which began at the turn of the century in Smith County, continues today with more than one-third of the nation’s rose bushes being processed, packaged and shipped from the Tyler area.

Rose Sunday is sponsored by the family of Queen Molly Louise Berry, city of Tyler Parks and Recreation Department, the Tyler Rose Museum and the Texas Rose Festival Association.

The Texas Rose Festival is set for Oct. 13 through 16. For more information, visit texasrosefestival.com.

Multimedia Journalist

Multimedia journalist Jessica Payne covers several counties in East Texas. In 2011, she left her hometown Houston for East Texas. In 2016, she left the 9-5 office routine to pursue a passion for sharing inspiring stories and engaging with the community.

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