Pink Retreat: Ladies who love Lilly gather in Palm Beach to celebrate iconic brand

The ladies who love Lilly — and all things pink — are back!

Some 400 Lilly Pulitzer aficionados from around the United States have descended on Palm Beach County to pay homage to the birthplace of the iconic brand.

The Pink Retreat, which is co-hosted by Discover The Palm Beaches and creator Tosha Williams, features events throughout the county.

The retreat, which opened Thursday and runs through Sunday, includes tours of Worth Avenue; tea at the Flagler Museum; bike tours that include stops at many of the island's landmarked homes; a trolley tour that starts at the historic Seagull Cottage; and a Saturday brunch with the Orrico sisters, owners of C. Orrico, according to a release from Discover The Palm Beaches.

Off-island events include a workout session and The Pink Party at PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, and boat rides on the Hakuna Matata Catamaran out of West Palm Beach.

Longtime Lilly lover and Pink Retreat creator Tosha Williams said the event, which began in 2018, was the result of moving an online group offline. She was part of a very active online community, she said, "where we buy, sell and trade Lilly clothing and I wanted to find a way to get us offline and decided to create a Lilly convention, hence the Pink Retreat."

The event was canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic but returned last year.

Williams said she has always loved bright colors and has been a fan of Lilly for more than 20 years.

"I love color, I am drawn to color, and as an art therapist when I work with my patients at the National Institutes of Health, I would wear bright colors and my patients used to say it was like me bringing the sunshine inside.”

This encouraged her to bring more color inside because her patients could not go outside, she said.

Kelly Cavers, chief sales officer for Discover The Palm Beaches, said the retreat has evolved into more than a love for all things Lilly. It has become a celebration of bright colors and diverse opportunities "to engage with other women, uplift one another and be very positive," she said.

Her organization partnered with Williams because its focus is to grow the tourist economy and the event continues to grow, she said, noting that participants are being housed at seven hotels in the county.

Many of the activities, Cavers said, are representative of Discover The Palm Beaches' brand, including the area's history as "America's first resort destination."

What the ladies are saying:

“I just love coming down here and meeting all of these lovely ladies from all over the country who share a passion for Lilly.” Laura Pincock, Damascus, Maryland

“My love for Lilly brought me here. You talk with so many people online. We’re such a family.” Christy Humphrey, North Carolina

“This is my first time. I’ve made some friends. The mixed media painting was really fun.” Wendy Freeman, Boynton Beach

“I encouraged my mother and sister to come because I love Lilly, I love the print, and it’s very feminine.” Tiffany Joyner, Maryland

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Ladies who love Lilly gather in Palm Beach to celebrate iconic brand