Harrogate Autumn Flower Show will celebrate its 50th anniversary next month with a special programme of horticultural displays, competitions and family activities.
The landmark event, which takes place at Newby Hall & Gardens from September 18th to 20th, will mark five decades since the North of England Horticultural Society (NEHS) launched the Great Autumn Flower Show in 1976.
Originally held in Harrogate's Valley Gardens, the show later moved to the Exhibition Halls before relocating to the Great Yorkshire Showground in 1995. Since 2021, it has been staged at Newby Hall & Gardens.
Over the years, the event has become renowned for bringing together specialist gardening societies, competitive flower, fruit and vegetable classes, and some of the country's leading growers.
Martin Fish, former Show Director and NEHS President (2006-2008), has been involved with the show for more than 40 years and now hosts the Grow! Live stage.
He said:
“Harrogate Autumn Flower Show holds so many fond memories for me, from my first visit as a young gardener in the early 1980s to later becoming President of the NEHS and then Show Director.
"It is a real honour to be part of an event that represents the culmination of months, and sometimes years, of dedicated growing.
"There is a wonderful harvest festival feel about the show, with beautiful blooms, immaculate fruit and vegetables and specialist nursery displays. Now at Newby Hall, visitors also get to enjoy the gardens as they enter their beautiful autumn phase.”
Flowers have always been at the heart of the show, with organisations including the National Dahlia Society and National Chrysanthemum Society among its founding contributors.
Ian Ledger, Secretary of the National Dahlia Society, said:
“The idea of bringing multiple gardening societies together under one umbrella show was brilliant.
"The Great Autumn Flower Show created a unique opportunity to celebrate specialist horticulture together, and it remains an incredibly important event for growers.
"From a dahlia exhibitor’s perspective, it is the best dahlia show in the country, and it is a privilege to display and judge these wonderful flowers alongside other specialist societies.”
The show's famous fruit and vegetable competitions will also return, including the National Onion Championship, which has produced several world record-breaking onions since it was introduced in 1983.
Celebrity chef Stephanie Moon will mark the anniversary by preparing a selection of 1970s-inspired seasonal dishes in one of Newby Hall's kitchen garden areas.
She said:
“The Autumn Flower Show celebrates nature’s bounty in all its glory.
"I have so many wonderful memories from cooking at the show over the years, from creating dishes using giant vegetables to introducing young chefs to the stage.
"It is always full of energy, creativity and amazing seasonal and local produce - and it’s a joy to be part of it.”
Visitors can also look forward to a new floral art installation, Grain & Grandeur…The Harvest Ball, created by floral designer Jonathan Moseley, while the Little Nature Rangers Zone will return with birds of prey, free face painting and floral crafts for children.
Nick Smith, Show Director, said:
“Reaching 50 years is a remarkable achievement and we are incredibly proud of the show’s heritage.
"This anniversary is a celebration of everyone who has contributed over the decades - the growers, exhibitors, societies, volunteers and visitors who have made the Autumn Show what it is today.
"We are looking forward to creating a very special event this September and welcoming visitors to celebrate this golden milestone with us.”
Admission also includes access to Newby Hall's gardens, with children under 16 admitted free.
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