Bloom – or Bord Bia Bloom, to give it its formal official name – is back again; taking place in Dublin’s Phoenix Park across the June bank holiday weekend (June 1-5).
It may be hard to believe, but the festival is 17 years old this year and will attract more than 100,000 people.
As well as all the usual attractions – gardens, flowers, food, all-ages entertainment – the themes of improving air quality, tackling food waste and highlighting how children benefit from outdoor play in a natural environment will be the central themes of this year’s festival.
Jim O’Toole, CEO, of Bord Bia said: “Bord Bia Bloom was created to offer a world-class, uplifting and engaging showcase for Irish horticulture, food and drink. Now in its 17th year, the show provides an invaluable platform to highlight important societal issues such as climate change, sustainable production and health and wellbeing. We are proud to see how Bloom has evolved into a unique festival experience, with nature and sustainable living at its heart, while also continuing to offer our horticulture, food and drink clients the opportunity to showcase their latest products and innovations.”
Away from the many flowers and garden arrangements, the food aspect rivals any international food festival – with the likes of Catherine Fulvio, Neven Maguire, JP McMahon, Edward Hayden, Rory O’Connell, Fiona Uyema, Brian McDermott and Shane Smith taking part.
And, as always, there’s the chance to rub shoulders with Marty Whelan and co as RTE will be out in force again. RTEjr will entertain the kids while RTE Lyric FM will have its largest presence at the festival to date.
