The Pink Retreat returns to Palm Beach County this weekend, bringing with it hundreds of Lilly Pulitzer lovers clad in pink and green.
The celebration of the iconic Palm Beach-born brand is June 19-22 and includes events and activities at venues in Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens and West Palm Beach.
Organizer Tosha Williams told the Daily News in May that she is excited to welcome more women to Palm Beach for a gathering that has become like a family reunion for some groups.
“There’s a lot of women who have put this on their bucket list to attend,” she said. “Which is really flattering to me, because it’s just a little event that I created a few years ago, and it wasn’t supposed to be this, you know? So to hear people say, ‘I’ve been wanting to come,’ or to see the women who last year came and brought their mothers or their grandmothers and had a full reunion type of weekend, it is just really, really special.”
Here’s what to know about this year’s event:
What is the Pink Retreat?
The Pink Retreat is a gathering of women who love Lilly Pulitzer, the colorful clothing brand founded in Palm Beach by its eponymous creator. Lilly Pulitzer became a fashion icon after debuting her playfully patterned shift dresses at her juice shop near Worth Avenue in the 1950s.
Williams founded the retreat in 2017 after seeing a need for a fan-based celebration of Lilly Pulitzer. About 100 people attended that first year. Last year, 500 people attended, she said.
Which events are part of this year’s Pink Retreat?
A shopping trip to Lilly Pulitzer’s Palm Beach store at 240 Worth Ave. is an annual tradition for the droves of the brand’s fans who attend the Pink Retreat.
Palm Beachers can expect to see flocks of women dressed in Lilly Pulitzer taking part in local historian Rick Rose’s walking tours of Worth Avenue on June 20-21.
During check-in June 19 at the Hilton West Palm Beach on Okeechobee Boulevard across from CityPlace, there will be a pop-up shop with more than 30 woman-owned businesses as vendors, Williams said. The pop-up is hosted by Gatorlillys, a resale boutique that specializes in Lilly Pulitzer items and which will sell clothes during the pop-up, then buy and sell Lilly items on June 20, Williams said.
There will be a welcome reception on the opening night in the center court of The Gardens Mall, which has a Lilly Pulitzer store on its lower level.
Each day of the retreat, guests have filled all the slots for lunch and croquet lessons at the National Croquet Center on Florida Mango Road, Williams said. Serenity Tea House in West Palm Beach will host tea for registered Pink Retreat participants June 19-21, and The Ben hotel will have a custom tea service June 20-21, she said.
New this year: A pajama lounge at the Hilton West Palm Beach, where attendees can relax and kick back with friends, Williams said. Sponsors for the pajama lounge are ArtSea Living on June 19, Bella Reyna Spa on June 20 and The Sparkled Shell jewelry on June 21.
At an event sponsored by the city of West Palm Beach, Pink Retreat attendees can experience wine selections from Cakebread Cellars Wines paired with the culinary creations of Sandy James Fine Foods, she said. “The menu is incredible,” Williams added.
The final night’s reception, the Pink Party, is sponsored by Tequila Rose liqueur and will be in the pool area of the Hilton West Palm Beach, Williams said.
Will there be any special guests?
Linda Marie Iem, technical design manager for Lilly Pulitzer, will return to the Pink Retreat this year to talk about the process of designing and making a piece of Lilly Pulitzer clothing, Williams said.
Social media influencer, fashion maven and Palm Beach resident Suebelle Robbins will attend an event as a surprise for registrants, Williams said.
Is registration still open?
Registration ended June 3, but some day-of registration will be allowed, though many of the events and activities are fully booked, Williams told the Daily News in May.
Those who register this week will receive a swag bag and be able to attend some of the larger organized events, like the welcome reception at The Gardens Mall, she said.
For more information, go to thepinkretreat.com.
Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at kwebb@pbdailynews.com. Subscribe today to support our journalism.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Pink Retreat for Lilly Pulitzer fans returns to Palm Beach: What to know
Reporting by Kristina Webb, Palm Beach Daily News / Palm Beach Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
