The 75th anniversary staging of the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers kicks off tomorrow, 13 September and will continue for a few action-packed weeks until 7 October.
This four-week celebration showcases Spring gardens in full bloom, exciting foodie experiences that’ll make your palate blossom, kids’ entertainment that will plant smiles all around and music that will have your spirits flowering with joy.
The festivities kick off with the Festival of Food & Wine, offering gourmet food, fine wine and entertainment.
In October enjoy, Symphony Under the Stars with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and the Dinner Edit will see a culinary tour of Toowoomba’s best foodie experiences.
Peter Homan, CEO of Queensland Country, said Toowoomba’s premiere event is set to break record visitor numbers once again.
“In 2023, the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers blossomed with record breaking attendance, drawing over 417,000 visitors and making a substantial economic impact on the region,” Mr Homan said.
“This year, the event is set to surpass last year’s record by injecting an estimated $25 million into the local visitor economy.”
Crowned Australia’s best event at the 2024 National Tourism Awards and inducted into the Queensland Tourism Awards Hall of Fame in 2017, this beloved festival is steeped in history and holds immense significance for the region, its community and the dedicated volunteers who bring it to life.
Toowoomba Regional Council Environment and Community Committee Chair Cr James O’Shea said this year the program features over 80 amazing events from 13 September to 7 October, with the theme, It’s A Party!.
“Seventy-five years ago a bullock team led a street procession that stretched three miles in length through Toowoomba,” Cr O’Shea said.
“This was the first Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, and now it’s the best major event in the nation (thank you Qantas Australian Tourism Awards).”
“A Must visit is Queens Park Botanic Gardens and Laurel Bank– there’s amazing flower displays and jaw-dropping blooms.
“In fact, there’s over 40 million petals across all of Toowoomba’s parks in the city and Spring Bluff.”
Cr O’Shea said the Carnival’s regional food trail, called #trEATS (Toowoomba Region EATS), just keeps getting bigger and tastier.
“This year there’s a record 65 floral-inspired #trEATS to savour, including six regional venues taking part,” he said.
“Flowers and flavour are one of the world’s great double acts and this program provides yet another wonderful reason to visit.”
This article appeared in  On Our Selection News, 12 September 2024.
