If you happen to be visiting Vancouver's Punjabi Market on Main Street these days you might notice a bit more orange and yellow.
A new public art project is turning heads in the neighbourhood. 'Marigolds in the Market' is now up for the entire community to enjoy.
Volunteers and board members from the Punjabi Market Regeneration Collective (PMRC) spent several hours over the past weekend setting up the display.
Dozens of colourful strands now hang from a large tree at the Main Street and 51st Avenue bus stop, on the Sunset Community Centre grounds.
"Marigolds are actually used throughout South Asia for all sorts of religious events, weddings, festivities. So, it's sort of an iconic symbol people are familiar with," explains PMRC creative director Jag Nagra.
The gorgeous garlands even survived Monday night's little local storm.
The flowers were sourced from a nearby business (no, they're not real!) and the group worked with Park Board officials to ensure the tree wasn't damaged during installation.
Nagra hopes the initiative will remind people of the area's historic vibrancy.
"We want to honour that legacy that Punjabi Market has had. I brought my kids here so that they can see it and they grow up knowing what Punjabi Market is; we don't want to lose it," she says.
The PMRC is keeping busy, as plans and fundraising efforts are underway with the Vancouver Mural Festival to bring outdoor public murals to the neighbourhood in August.
Founded in 1970, Punjabi Market was the first South Asian market in North America.
