Austin is already looking ahead to spring and summer 2016.

Community leaders gathered at Steve’s Pizza Thursday to kick off the annual flower basket fundraising drive to raise $20,000 to bring 240 flower baskets downtown and to plant other flowers around town.

“It’s so exciting to be starting our flower basket program, 2016,” Bonnie Rietz said. “It’s come so fast.”

Rietz, who chairs the flower basket program, joked it felt like two months ago that the flowers went up around Austin this past spring.

She called the flower baskets a source of Austin pride for people.

“In the summertime, I just love to come to downtown Austin and take a look at the baskets,” she said. “It just beautifies the area.”

Rietz was also looking ahead to 2016, as it’s the year that will see the new Spam Museum open on Main Street.

“Next summer is a very special summer, because the baskets are going to be up when our wonderful new Spam Museum is opening, so we’re really excited about that,” Rietz said.

Last year, more than 110 citizens and individuals donated to the program, which dates to 1995. Along with the $20,000 raised through citizen donations, the city donates $10,000 and the Hormel Foods Corp. contributes $10,000 for the $40,000 program.

Rietz said the program will be largely the same as it was in past years, with baskets on Main Street along with flower beds around the city.

“This program takes care of all of those,” Rietz said.

Mayor Tom Stiehm noted the baskets help give downtown a great look in the summer.

“It’s one of the first things people notice when they come to town,” he said.

Stiehm said he’s seen other cities with similar programs, but he said Austin’s is the best.

“Nobody has a better program,” Stiehm said.

Steve’s Pizza owner Steve Davis says he hears many positive things about the baskets.

“We get a lot of compliments on it,” he said.

Vision 2020 Destination Downtown Chairman Kelsey Ritchie said the flowers are great for downtown.

“It’s keeping our downtown alive and beautiful,” she said.

Gretchen Boldt, who owns Hilltop Greenhouse just north of Hollandale with her family, will again grow the flowers.

“We grow them the good old fashioned way where we’re going to have nice, strong plants to put in the baskets and in the pots and ground,” she said.

Last year, the Boldts planted 240 baskets in late February. The baskets featured yellow bidens; orange ostespermums; white and blue carpet petunias; white alyssums; blue, purple and pink wave petunias.

The baskets are typically up by mid-May, and Boldt credited Austin park and rec for maintaining the flowers throughout the spring and summer, as several workers water and keep the plants watered all through the warm months.

To support the program, people can send checks to the city of Austin, 500 Fourth Ave NE., with “Flowers 2016” in the memo line.