Bloom Festival to draw visitors to Great Southern with stacked program of more than 50 events across 26 towns

A packed six weeks of events for the 2022 Bloom Festival will officially launch this Saturday at the Plantagenet Wines cellar door in Mt Barker.

The annual festival, which runs until the end of October, invites people to explore the Great Southern during wildflower season with more than 50 events scheduled across 26 towns.

Great Southern Treasures, which co-ordinates the festival, is encouraging visitors to “take the roads less travelled on a trip down south”.

GST spokeswoman Carly Watts said it was a big effort from all of the communities that called the region home to come together to “celebrate its beauty”.

“There are a lot of wildflowers found nowhere else in the world except our region,” she said.

The festival aims to highlight the unique character of the region, with as many as 8000 visitors expected to make the trip from all over Australia.

New events for the year include hikes through the Stirling Range by Off the Beaten Track; Hike, Wine and Dine with a Local run by Busy Blue Bus Tour Guides; a long-table lunch in Bremer Bay; and a demonstration of the work being done to heal country at Nowanup.

Throughout the festival, Visitors will also be challenged to name the native flowers at each tractor along the Horsepower Highway, with prizes on the line.

Ms Watts said Saturday’s launch would be a highlight along with Spring has Sprung — the free closing event in Kojonup described in the program as a “fun-filled, action-packed day full of music and entertainment for all the family”.

“I would suggest trying to make a bit of a trip out of it in order to get in as many events as possible because they’re all within the same timeframe,” she said.

“There are some really good workshops, lunches, markets and all sorts of things for the whole family.”

For the full program, visit bit.ly/3dazSlQ.