Town centres in the Vale of Glamorgan are looking blooming lovely this month as the Vale of Glamorgan Council hosts its inaugural Festival of Flowers.

With the aim of helping its high streets ‘bloom’ back to life following the COVID19 pandemic, the Council is hosting the event in a bid to drive footfall into the town centres of Barry, Cowbridge, Llantwit Major and Penarth. 

Each town centre has a flower trail for local residents and visitors to take part in, giving them the chance to win £100 to spend on the high street. Trail maps are available from traders on the high street, as well as the Visit the Vale website. To take part, participants are required to follow the map to find the flowers in selected shop window, identify what flower it is and fill it in on the entry form.

The festival also allows traders to showcase their floral offerings during the month, including floral fashion and gifts, floral cocktails and food, and floral inspired beauty treatments.

There is also be a flower installation in each town providing a focal point and photo opportunity for an online social media campaign #BloomingLovelyVTC.

These floral inspirations have been created by local florists from each town. In Cowbridge, Sara Caroline dressed the Town Hall, in Barry, Kelly Young from Wild Meadow Floral dressed Barry Town Hall, in Llantwit Major Joanne David from Pastures Green dressed the Town Hall and in Penarth Toni Horne from Lily Pad Florist dressed a tree on the high street.

Nia Hollins, Principal Tourism and Marketing Officer at Vale of Glamorgan Council, said:

“We’re delighted to host the Festival of Flowers in our four town centres for the first time this year.

“The festival aims to encourage residents and visitors to visit and explore what our high streets have to offer and to give our local traders a boost after a tough year.

“We’re grateful for the support of the local florists, traders, chambers of trade and town councils who have got behind this event.

“It’s time for our high streets to ‘bloom’ back to life following the COVID19 pandemic, and we hope that’s what the Festival of Flowers will do.”

The event, which is funded by the Vale of Glamorgan Council, will take place in Cowbridge, Llantwit Major, Penarth and Barry until 31^st August.