BORD BIA LAUNCHES 10TH ANNUAL BLOOM EVENT

The evolution of plants, the war in Syria and international gardens from Chicago, China and Chile are just some of the themes and inspirations for this year’s Bloom festival. Bord Bia today launched its 10thannual Bloom event and according to the organisers, this year’s show will have something for all ages and interests.

Bloom 2016 will run for five days over the June bank holiday weekend in the Phoenix Park, Dublin from Thursday, 2nd to Monday 6th. The show continues to grow each year and is now widely regarded as Ireland’s largest garden, food and family festival, attracting over 100,000 visitors last year.
Speaking at the launch today Gary Graham, Bord Bia’s Bloom Manager said, “Bord Bia is delighted to mark Bloom’s 10th anniversary this year and we are proud of how the event has evolved over the years. We are working hard to ensure that visitors are in for a real treat in this our special celebratory year. Once again, the Bloom audience can expect to see breath taking show gardens, sample some of Ireland’s finest food and enjoy wonderful entertainment, shopping and plenty of lively debate.”
 “While gardens from Chicago and the Chinese city of Yangzhou will add an exciting international dimension this year, we will also be celebrating our tenth birthday with a number of new and exciting features” added Mr. Graham.
This year’s show will include 23 show gardens often referred to as the jewel in the crown of the Bord Bia festival. The designers have continued the tradition of repeatedly raising the bar on previous years, to develop beautiful, imaginative and thought provoking designs. Organisations such as Marie Keating Foundation, GOAL, and St. John of God Hospital have also teamed up with designers to create gardens with powerful messages around social and cultural issues. 
This year’s bespoke garden creations will include; UCD Evolution of Land Plants Garden which will allow visitors to walk with plants through a half billion years of evolutionary history; Bullets and Boiled Sweets is a 1916 garden installation designed to commemorate the centenary, while the contemporary Santa Rita Living la Vida 120 Garden boasts Latin American influences, inspired by the designers recent visit to Chile. Meanwhile, the “Face to Face” garden will aim to reconnect us with our environment in the age of 24/7 “always on” social media, the GOAL Syria Garden symbolises the loss, devastation and displacement to which countless families in Syria have been subjected through five years of civil war and the Marie Keating Foundation garden is designed to offer hope to people affected by breast cancer.Liat and Oliver Schurmann, owners of Mount Venus Nursery, Dublin, will design a garden to support the launch of the new Tarzan movie, while other show gardens themes include the importance of social farming, mindfulness and mental health.
Bloom 2016 – Highlights

• Home to over 100 food stalls, gastronomic delights and palette pleasers, the Food Village at Bloomwill offer a wide range of artisan produce on sale and onsite dining options. Guests can also dine atBistro Bloom or visit the Country Crest restaurant and Farm Shop.
• A new BBQ areawill help whet appetites while the Bloom Inn will feature a wide range of Irish craft beers and spirits. There’ll also be a selection of gourmet farmhouse cheeses, supplied by the Association of Irish Farmhouse Cheesemakers.
• This year’sGIY Zone will the biggest to date and includes a new Food Matters stage. Home to daily workshops, discussion and debate, the new hub will bring together Ireland’s leading food writers, chefs, nutritionists, healthcare experts and journalists. Topics will include how to make workplaces healthier and happier, the future of organic farming, school dinners and the real costs of cheap food to mention but a few.
• Bord Bia’s new Origin Green Experience, located within the Food Village, is a must-do at Bloom 2016. By 2050, the global population will have risen by 2 billion, presenting a huge challenge for food production. Bord Bia is inviting visitors to learn more about the Irish food and drink industry and how they are fast becoming world leaders in sustainable food production.
• Also for the first time Bord Bia is working with YouBloomto introduce new and emerging musicians to entertain the masses on the live stage
• RTÉ will be back at Bloomwith lots more live TV and radio broadcasting planned. RTÉ Super Garden, the contest offering one garden designer the chance to exhibit their work at Bloom, will broadcast its finale from the festival while Áine Lawlor and Marty Morrissey will present Bloom Live, a new two part show live from the Phoenix Park. The weather team will be onsite, RTÉ Lyric FM quartet will perform throughout the weekend and RTÉjr children’s presenters will entertain younger Bloom visitors.
• This year the Banter at Bloommarquee will host six talks daily over the 5 day festival. Chaired by Jim Carroll, the Banter marquee will host a series of discussions, talks, and conversations on topical issues around food, sustainability, agriculture, and everything in between.
• The Floral & Nursery Pavilionwill showcase the very best of plant nurseries in Ireland with over 40 exhibits in total
• The AOIFA Floral Art Stage also returns to Bloom, offering advice and demonstrations on the techniques and artistry required to achieve a perfect floral display at home
• The Craft and Design Council of Irelandreturn with the Irish craft village while shoppers will spoilt for choice with over 200 retail stands onsite
• ‘Budding Bloomers’, as the children’s area is called, will host a vibrant mixture of family friendly features to keep children entertained and active, from toddlers to fifth classers. Remember kids under 16 go free!
• Finally, Bord Bia will also be joined by some of the biggest names in Irish food and drink as part of the Chef’s Quality Kitchen stage. Oliver Dunne, The Happy Pear, Roz Purcell, Neven Maguire, Rory O’Connell, and many more will be on hand to share summer recipes and top tips.

Follow Bloom on www.facebook.com/bloominthepark and join the conversation on Twitter @bloominthepark and @bordbia using #Bloom.
Pictured were Doireann McNally (5) and Eva Casey (5) with Bord Bia’s Gary Graham at the launch of Bloom.