Did you know that there are more than 57,000 cultivated varieties of the beautiful and versatile dahlia?
Like its namesake, the 15th annual Dahlia Festival, hosted this year by The Bascom, is proudly showing its adaptability by moving the festival entirely to the beautiful Bascom campus. What better venue to showcase the dahlia as nature’s visual art?
Held this year on September 4-6 at The Bascom, nature and art combine for a creative celebration of botanical design and visual art. Visitors will enjoy Petals and Perspectives, a floral showcase opening on September 4 at 5:00 P.M. This event coincides with the Dahlia Festival and Exhibition Reception, marking the beginning of the Dahlia Festival and The Bascom’s fall exhibition season.
The festival’s signature event, the single bloom competition, begins on Friday, September 5 from 3:30 until 5:00 P.M., and again on Saturday, September 6, from 10:00 A.M. until 4:00 P.M.. Dahlia growers of all ages from across the plateau enter their carefully cultivated single blooms and the hundreds of colors, sizes and varieties are awe-inspiring.
Throughout the festival visitors will experience Petals and Perspectives a dazzling floral showcase where area non-profits will have created stunning floral arrangements as interpretations of works of art in The Bascom’s galleries, offering a creative dialogue between botanical design and visual art.
On September 5 and 6, the Studio Member Pottery Show will be held in the Bascom’s Studio Barn. Guests can browse a curated selection of handcrafted wall pockets and vases, each adorned with fresh dahlias, and all available for purchase.
Gardeners, growers and flower enthusiasts won’t want to miss The Dahlia Dialogue, an educational talk on dahlia cultivation on Saturday, September 6, at 11:00 A.M.
“This event brings together so many elements of The Bascom’s mission—community engagement, regional partnerships, and the celebration of the arts across disciplines,” said Executive Director Billy Love. “It’s one of our most joyful traditions, and we’re thrilled to welcome visitors back for another year.”
An added delight is that The Bascom’s fall exhibitions will be on display throughout the festival as well: Community Call: History of Highlands; Chatov: A Retrospective of Works by Roman, Constantin, and Marc Chatov; and Forms of Inspiration: Ceramic artists of the Bascom Clay Symposium
All events are free and open to the public. For more information, visit thebascom.org or follow @TheBascom on social media.
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