If it’s the weekend after Labor Day, it must be time for Highlands’ 15th annual Dazzling Dahlia Festival, held this year on September 4-6 at The Bascom, found at 323 Franklin Road.
The festival will begin on Thursday, September 4, with a fall reception at 5:00 P.M. Guests will enjoy the exhibitions and light refreshments, and the winner of the annual Dahlia Poster Contest will be revealed.
The festival’s signature event, the single bloom competition, opens to the public on Friday, September 5 from 3:30 until 5:00 P.M., and again on Saturday, September 6, from 10:00 until 4:00. Dahlia growers of all ages, from backyard enthusiasts to professional gardeners, are encouraged to enter their carefully cultivated single blooms. All you need is a passion for the versatile dahlia, a bit of a green thumb, and a willingness to share your beautiful blooms. Festival organizers are hoping for more single bloom entries than ever this year, so help them make this year’s festival a blooming success by entering your beauties.
Prizes are awarded in several categories for both amateur and professional divisions, with a special category for entrants under 17 years old. Entry fees are $5 per bloom, $10 for 3 blooms, and $20 for up to 8 blooms. Registration information and rules are available on The Bascom’s website at thebascom.org/gather/special-events or call them at (828) 526-4949.
Bianca Mitchell, the Bascom’s Director of Marketing and Communications, couldn’t resist joining in the fun and shared that “I never thought of myself as having a green thumb, but dahlias changed that.
They’re fun to grow and come in the most extraordinary colors and shapes. I entered the Single Bloom Competition in my very first year growing and won ‘Best in Show’ the next. If I can do it, anyone can! It’s a wonderful way to celebrate these amazing flowers and connect with an encouraging community of growers.”
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.
All festival events and parking are free.
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