Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Tickets go on sale for showcase city event
ONE of the showcase events in the Dundee cultural calendar celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.
Tickets for the Flower and Food Festival went on sale today, with one hotel boss confident this could be the biggest event in its three-decade history.
The council-organised, three-day extravaganza runs from Friday August 31 to Sunday September 2.
This year’s festival offers food, celebrity chefs, horticulture, garden designers, crafts and family activities. Culinary highlights will include BBC MasterChef: The Professionals 2016 champion, Gary Maclean, and gardener Christine Walkden.
To celebrate the 30th year, the displays will be showcasing and celebrating Dundee’s cultural and heritage organisations.
There will be a gardening event where visitors can take part in a range of talks and demonstrations from some of Scotland’s very best horticulturists.
Richard Ellison, a member of the Dundee and Angus Visitor Accommodation Association, and manager of the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, said he expected the festival would bring a “significant economic impact” to Dundee.
He added: “I could imagine this year being the biggest yet, and this popular event still manages to bring in huge crowds. There’s a real energy around Dundee just now.
“What we have found is that with the increased hotel provision in the city, people are booking earlier this year for the festival. You would expect there will be a big knock-on effect for businesses such as restaurants as well – the festival crowd is certainly the right audience to promote our eateries.
“The association has to take its hat off to the council and its planners for the significant economic impact this has for the local area.”
Neighbourhood Services convener Kevin Cordell said: “I am delighted to be able to announce that tickets for the 30th Dundee Flower and Food Festival go on sale today.
“The chef line-up this year is excellent and includes Gary Maclean, singer and farmer Jonathan Benjamin ‘JB’ Gill, gardener Christine Walkden and TV presenter Mr Bloom and his band.
“Visitors will be treated to wonderful floral displays as part of the British Begonia 12 Board Championships and the National Vegetable Society’s Scottish Championships.”
Tickets are on sale at dundeebox. co.uk or can be purchased in person on festival days.
Friday tickets are £9, with accompanied children under the age of 16 admitted for free.
There are also special offers for “early bird” tickets purchased before August 22.