Ready for Spring, McLean? Bluebells at the Bend Festival Coming Up

Spring officially begins Friday and the countdown is on for a little blue flower that will spring up in the area: The bluebells are coming to Riverbend Park in Great Falls.

It’s a harbinger of spring’s arrival and a sure sign that winter is on the decline, says Fairfax County Park Authority. Spring ephemerals are getting ready to put on their annual show and soon the floodplains of Riverbend Park will be carpeted in blue. The Virginia Bluebell, also known as the Oysterleaf and the Lungwort, produces masses of drooping blue flowers for several weeks.

On Saturday, April 4, come to the Bluebells and Bloodroots program where you can learn to identify these beautiful spring ephemerals, and discover the folklore that has grown up around them.

Join FCPA as they walk the banks of the Potomac River from 10 to 11:30 a.m. The program will be canceled if raining. The cost is $6 per person.

Then on Saturday, April 11 join the crowd at the Bluebells at the Bend Festival.

Come out from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. as the park celebrates an annual rite of spring: the return of Virginia bluebells. The Bluebells at the Bend Festival features live music, wildflower walks, live animals, face painting, wagon rides, and other family-friendly activities. The cost is $5 per person.

For more information about these programs call 703-759-9018. Riverbend Park is located at 8700 Potomac Hills Street in Great Falls.

FCPA photo