Barrydale in Bloom Festival 2025

Barrydale will see gardens BLOOM during this year's festival, which starts with fundraising
activities in the week leading up to the weekend's celebrations.
In its 12th year, Bloom25 will have a strong land-art focus, with acclaimed land artist Strijdom
van der Merwe as the lead speaker of our eco-focused talks.

Open Garden Safari
All of our 20+ gardens, located throughout our village and Smitsville, are participating in our Open
Garden Safari will be open from 9:00 to 17:00 on Saturday, 15 November, and from 9:00 to
13:00 on Sunday, 16 November.

We sell a detailed Map (your festival ticket) via a link posted to our website, closer to the event -
We promote this on social media too, so give us a follow on either FB or Insta. Your ticket allows
access to all gardens of our Open Garden Safari and talks hosted at the Karooltjie.

Our Market@Karoolkie, open to the public, features a wonderful range of products by many
local makers, plant sales, Hospice tea garden for refreshments, special kids entertainment, and
right next door, we'll be hosting talks on the Saturday with a focus on the land. Both these
venues are wheelchair accessible, but have some gravel surface.

Festivities start in the week prior, with a flower-making workshop with Scott Hart and Tielman de
Villiers from Magpie Art Collective, and a land art workshop by Janet Botes on Friday afternoon.
Another popular highlight of our celebrations is our Friday night long table dinner. This year, we'll
serve a 'flame-grilled' menu, in part prepared by the chefs from a local supporter, our friends at
Sanbona Wildlife Reserve. Followed by our charity auction of donated items and art, including
Watering Cans (an alternative to last year's Faerie Thrones and our usual Scarecrows).

Also on the programme for food lovers is Champagne and Canapés at Die Langhuis with Gert
van de Merwe and Jaco Janse van Rensburg, and Sunday brunch on the deck of Kamala Karoo
Sanctuary with Terry de Vries.

We have many Open Artists' Studios, also indicated on our festival map, where artists invite you into their workspace and have works for sale during the weekend.
At the market at the Karoolkie Cellar, we also have an exhibition representing local painters.
Dogs are welcome all over town, and we'll have a special Barkrun (Barrydale Parkrun,
four-legged running companions welcomed) on the Saturday morning.
Picnic sites at various places along the river.
Tickets via our website, barrydaleinbloom.com