Celebrate Pink Flamingo Day Every June 23
Did you have plastic pink flamingos in your yard growing up? Or were they symbols of bad taste (or even “trashy”) in your home? Whatever your history with these iconic lawn ornaments, today is all about them: Pink Flamingo Day.
Dean Mazzaralla created this day in 2007. It actually honors not just the plastic pink flamingo but also their creator Don Featherstone.
Don Featherstone died on June 22, 2015. Just one day before Pink Flamingo Day.
Pink Flamingo Lawn Ornaments Trivia
You probably think of Florida when you think of flamingos (although in truth there are very few flamingos in Florida). But the plastic pink flamingo was actually born in Leominster, Massachusetts.
Don Featherstone created a pair of pink flamingo lawn ornaments there in 1957 for his employer, Union Products. One bird is standing tall and the other is bent down.
When they first came on the market, people thought they were pretty.
Over time they became symbols of tackiness instead.
No matter what the public thought, Don stood by his creation. In 1987 he added his signature into the molds for his birds, making it obvious if the bird was an original or a knock-off. (And clearly if people were making knock-offs there was money to be made in plastic pink flamingos … no matter how tacky some thought they were!).
In 1996 Featherstone received the Ig Nobel Art Prize for his flamingo creations.
Union Products closed in 2006. But the molds live on (with Featherstone’s signature), currently owned (along with the copyrights) by Cado Products. So you can still get authentic reproduction Featherstone flamingos, manufactured under the Union Products name. Yay! ;)
Today there are even companies that will flock your yard with flamingos to celebrate special occasions.
Pink Flamingo Trivia
Since there are actual, real live pink flamingos, we figured we’d give them a bit of love today too. After all, the plastic lawn ornament was modeled on them (actually National Geographic pictures). So without them, their plastic “cousins” wouldn’t even exist!
- Most of the six species of modern flamingos live in Asia, Africa and South America. The American flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) lives in the Caribbean, Mexico, the Galapagos islands and other islands around South America. It also lives in southern Florida, but its numbers there are small (and believed to be descended from zoo escapees).
- Flamingos are pink because of carotenoids in the food they eat (shrimp, algae and plankton). If they’re not getting the right diet their color fades.
- The chicks are white or grey when born. It takes up to three years for them to develop their color.
- They can fly up to 35 miles per hour.
- A female flamingo lays only one egg each year.
- It takes very little effort for them to sleep on one leg. Scientists discovered—partly by accident!—that their skeletons & muscles work together to let gravity do the work of standing upright while they sleep.
Learn more about the birds’ diet, the way they eat and why their “knees” are actually their ankles:
Scroll down for some ideas on celebrating this bright, unofficial holiday.
Ideas for How to Celebrate Pink Flamingo Day
If you’re not afraid of being kitchy for a day (and your homeowners’ association doesn’t ban it), put a flock of pink flamingos on your lawn for the day.
You can put out as many as you’d like, but you’ll need at least 4 to call it a flock. You can get a pair of original Featherstone flamingos at Amazon.
Flock your neighbors’ yards, too! (Assuming they have a sense of humor). Or even the whole block.
Have a Pink Flamingo Day party:
- All guests should dress like flamingos, in all pink with black accessories.
- If you’re feeling really brave, wear a pink flamingo costume instead.
- Ladies can wear pink flamingo earrings.
- Paint your nails pink, too. Or do a French manicure-style design with a pink base and black tips.
- Serve Pink Flamingo cocktails.
- Use inflatable pink flamingo coasters.
- String up pink flamingo lights.
Or browse our Pink Flamingo Day store for a pillow cover, socks and more.
Even if you don’t have a party, you can do any or all of the above on your own.
Get the kids involved, too:
- Let them create their own pink flamingo outfit.
- Make pink flamingo crafts.
- Draw pink flamingo pictures.
- Make them virgin pink flamingo cocktails.
- Use Flamingo Straws.
We’d suggest watching Pink Flamingos, but this truly horrible movie has almost nothing to do with the birds, feathered or plastic. The plastic birds have brief cameos at the beginning and end of the movie. If you’ve never seen it, you’re not missing anything. And you might actually be better off for it.
A better idea might be Gnomeo & Juliet, a cute, silly animated film. No, it’s not about pink flamingos either. But one of the major characters in the movie is a pink flamingo named Featherstone. Apparently Don was tickled pink by this honor.
Charitable Organizations
Consider having a Pink Flamingo Flocking Fundraiser starting on Pink Flamingo Day. The site explains it fully, but basically you put pink flamingos in supporters’ yards and request a donation to make the flock move on. You can also allow supporters to buy “insurance” to avoid being flocked.
So what do you think of the pink flamingo? Would you decorate with one? Will you dress as one? Will you be celebrating them for Pink Flamingo Day?
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