See Canberra come alive with a million spring blooms at Floriade, Australia biggest flower festival. For 30 fragrant days in September and October, the garden beds of Commonwealth Park become canvasses for super-sized floral pictures. It’s a colourful seasonal addition to Canberra’s open green spaces and native gardens. Soak up the floral colour while browsing bustling markets and gourmet stalls and attending workshops, exhibitions and live concerts. Learn about gardening, enjoy films amongst the floodlit flowers or follow the Floriade Trail to spring-themed Canberra attractions.
Get ready to be impressed by Floriade’s flower beds, which depend on a million-plus flowers blooming on cue. Tulips, irises, daffodils, hyacinths, violas, chrysanthemums, ranunculus and daisies open their petals in bold designs which each year reflect a different theme. Rock ‘n’ Roll in Bloom, Magic of the Gardens and Poetry in Flowers are some of the previous slogans. This creative collaboration between landscape gardeners and nature takes careful planting and 18 months of planning. Boost your mood walking past the flower beds or appreciate their size and artistry from a hot air balloon. From here you can see how the flowers burst forth from the city’s landscaped parklands and native bush land surrounds.
Beyond the flower beds, you can browse photographic exhibitions in the Interflora Exhibition Marquee and learn interesting environmental facts in the Look ‘n’ Learn Marquee. Pick winning floral displays and meet Australian gardening personalities. Wander the showcase gardens and observe plant varieties, garden design and landscaping. For families there are seven early childhood play areas and workshops on everything from gardening to storytelling. In the patting paddock, children learn to milk cows and meet new-born chicks and waddling ducks.
The flower-themed festivities continue well past dusk at Floriade NightFest - five nights of entertainment, films, markets and food and wine. Dance to swing bands beneath the lantern-lit trees and watch films amongst the floodlit blooms. Bump into roving performers, browse local art and craft at the night markets or jump on an amusement ride. Enjoy the spring scents and magical lights with a gourmet dinner hamper and a drink from the NightFest Glow Bar.
Canberra sings with springtime energy during Floriade, making it a great time to explore the capital’s many other attractions. Follow the Floriade Trail to national galleries and monuments. Learn about Australia’s military history at the Australian War Memorial and its political past at Old Parliament House. Visit the stylish bars and restaurants and science and technology exhibits. You can experience the violence of an earthquake and understand the science of tornadoes at Questacon, The National Science and Technology Centre. The spring-inspired events range from workshops to curator presentations to pub trivia. Then of course there’s Canberra’s other natural drawcards – the parks, gardens and bush land, Lake Burley Griffin and Namadgi National Park, just a 45 minute drive away.
From massive floral murals to mid-spring night dreams, discover Canberra in full bloom at Floriade.