Stage set for first Durham Flower Festival

The first Durham Flower Festival will be held at East Durham College’s Houghall campus, on the outskirts of Durham City, on August 30 and 31, with further events staged at Durham Cathedral and Crook Hall and Gardens.

The festival will boast a large range of amateur exhibits and trade and society displays, plus trade stalls selling craft and gardening products.

There will be amateur competition classes for flowers, fruit, vegetables, food and art. Staging will take place on the Friday and judging on the Saturday morning.

There will also be children’s activities including rides, face painting and the chance to meet Houghall’s animals.

Dianne Weir, East Durham College’s events co-ordinator and Durham Flower Festival show secretary, said: “This is an incredibly exciting event to be working on and we are so pleased to be hosting a large flower show for the region at our Houghall campus.

“From talking to various horticultural and floral societies and people in the trade there is certainly an audience out there for this type of event and it’s being really well supported.

“We’re sure it will be a massive success and eventually grow into a nationally renowned horticultural and floral event.”

The festival will run from 10.30am to 5pm each day. Entry costs £5 for adults and is free for children under 16. Free parking will be available.

The cathedral will host flower arranging demonstrations from Susan Hall and Judith Clancy at 11am and 2pm and a local producers’ market from 10am to 4pm, all on the Saturday.

Crook Hall will host a gardeners’ question time on the Sunday.

The launch of the festival follows the axing of the Gateshead Flower Show, last held in 2012, which fell victim to council budget cuts.

Mrs Weir said: “Since the decision was taken by Gateshead Council to stop running the Gateshead Flower Show we have been determined to set up a new flower show for the region.”

For more information, call Dianne Weir on 0191-518-8291 or email: events@eastdurham.ac.uk.