MORE THAN 50,000 people are expected to attend the five-day Bloom 2008 garden festival which opens today in Dublin’s Phoenix Park.
The event features 30 show gardens and three interactive children’s gardens. Similar to other international gardening events, a team of experts will judge the show gardens, and medals will be awarded based on strict guidelines addressing both horticultural skills and design superiority.
Bloom 2008 will also feature a new health and wellness arena and a craft trail offering visitors the opportunity to enjoy live demonstrations by crafts people at work. In addition there will be bee-keeping demonstrations; creativity classes with Imaginosity, Dublin’s Children’s Museum; Pfizer health screening, and hourly gardening tips from experts including Dermot O’Neill and Gerry Daly.
There will be daily live entertainment on the grounds, which are located at the Visitor Centre off Chesterfield Avenue, the main road running from Parkgate Street to the Castleknock gate of the park.
In addition there will be a food market featuring 40 traders, and celebrity cookery demonstrations from some of Ireland’s leading chefs including Neven Maguire and Jenny Bristow.
Bord Bia said it had doubled car parking capacity and will supply a free shuttlebus from Heuston Station.
Additional seating has been allocated through the 70-acre site and over 2km of pathway have been installed on the site.
The event is open today between noon and 7pm, with limited preview tickets available. Between tomorrow and Monday, June 2nd, it is open from 10am to 6pm.
Entrance prices vary over the course of the five days, ranging from €35 per adult today to €18-€22 per adult tomorrow, to €21- €25 per adult between Saturday and Monday.
There is a reduced price for children and a family ticket available too. For further details see: www.bloominthepark.com/