Floriade (Canberra)

Floriade is a flower and entertainment festival held annually in Canberra's Commonwealth Park featuring extensive displays of flowering bulbs with integrated sculptures and other artistic features. Floriade comes from the Latin word floriat, which means to design with flowers.

The festival attracts tourists from around Australia and overseas in spring from mid September to mid October each year, and is considered the most important regular event for tourism in the Australian Capital Territory. It is also called "Australia's Celebration of Spring". After some controversy regarding an entry charge, admission to Floriade has been free for a number of years.

History

Floriade started in 1988 as a one off celebration of Canberra's 75th birthday and Australia's bicentenary of European settlement. Due to the success and popularity of the event, it has run every year since then with each year having a new theme and is currently the largest flower festival in the Southern hemisphere with over 300,000 visitors each year.

In September 2005 ACT tourism authorities considered legal action over a trademark violation with Hunter Valley Gardens in New South Wales [1] who had renamed their annual floral festival to Floriade Hunter Valley Gardens. The term Floriade was replaced with Festival of Flowers in 2006.

Location

Floriade is located in Commonwealth Park, Canberra.

Dates:

2012: Saturday 15 September to Sunday 14 October
2008: 13 September - 12 October
2009: 12 September - 11 October
2010: 11 September - 10 October
2011: 17 September - 16 October

Public art and Culture

Floriade gives great expression to public art, each year commissioning works which are placed in the Floriade gardens. Some remain beyond the festival. Floriade also showcases musical displays with many live performances, cultural celebrations, artistic displays, entertainment and recreational activities. [2]

Floriade has also held a gnome decorating competition and display for several years, with strong participation from schools, aged people's homes, and businesses. The 2005 theme of Rock 'n Roll only accentuated the regular theme of decorating gnomes as the members of bands. Examples shown below are the Australian children's entertainers, The Wiggles, in this case renamed The Gniggles, and the crowd favorite, KISS submitted by Weetangera Primary School.

The Gniggles
KISS
A picture of a sand Australian War Memorial at Floriade 2007, Canberra.
Zebras (2010): Stopper, Reviver, Survivor, Dasher, (named after the "Driver Reviver" stop at the Wheatley stop at Lake George where they were first installed) and the new baby, George.

Floriade themes

1988 Floriade (no theme)
1989 Floriade (no theme)
1990 Floral garlands, champagne bubbles and floral river
1991 Music
1992 The art of horticulture
1993 Kites, colour and movement
1994 Reflections
1995 Carnival of cultures

1996 Floriade celebrates the arts
1997 Colour by day and night
1998 Gardens and gourmets
1999 Magic of the gardens
2000 Games in the garden
2001 The Century in bloom (Celebrating Centenary of Federation)
2002 Poetry in flowers
2003 The heavens in bloom

2004 The wonder of water
2005 Rock 'n' roll in bloom
2006 Carnivale - The World on Show
2007 Aussie icons, myths and legends
2008 Films that shaped the nation
2009 Mind, Body and Soul
2010 Imagination
2011 A feast for the senses
2012 Style & Design

Floriade NightFest

It started in 2008, NightFest is a Floriade’s after-dark extravaganza. It includes live music, comedy and acrobatics performances, shopping, cocktails and movies. http://www.andrewbarr.com.au/story/floriade-2008-worth-25m-act