The 30th Dundee Flower and Food Festival is in full swing with organisers already reporting higher visitor numbers than expected.
Around 5,000 plant lovers, foodies, tipple tasters and gardening enthusiasts attended the launch of the annual show at Camperdown Parkon Friday, with tens of thousands more expected over the weekend.
As part of this year’s 30th birthday celebrations, a special cultural expo will celebrate the impact of design and the city’s status as the only UK Unseco City of Design. It will be hosted in Camperdown house.
Fellow BBC horticulturist Christine Walkden, who presents the award winning series Glorious Gardens, will provide gardening top tips over the weekend.
Dundee’s 71 Brewing will provide drinks in one of the two beer tents, while Tayside-based band the Happy Yukes will join scores of other musicians and dance groups on the entertainment stage.
Depute neighbourhood services convener and the council’s newly appointed tree champion Anne Rendall has been helping oversee the running of this year’s event.
She said: “It’s great that all the months of preparation are now coming together.
“I have no doubt that visitors will be delighted with colourful floral displays and the quality of the celebrity guest that are staring over the weekend.
“With this year being the 30th anniversary we decided to do something extra. We’ve decided to open up Camperdown and let people see the cultural gems we have in the city.
“This year’s festival is on track to be as popular as ever and we have managed to attract a range of celebrities that will appeal to a wide audience. I can safely say visitors are in for a treat.”
One of the organisers, Peter Sandwell, said the judges were impressed with this year’s standard of exhibits.
He added: “Friday was very busy, with a lot of families and children. It’s always quieter on the first day but we were busier than we expected, we had around 5000 people including around 400 children.
“We’re expecting a great weekend overall.”
