Summer preview: Harrogate set for return of floral shop window competition

Harrogate BID’s 'Floral Summer of Celebration' is to burst into life with a shop window competition for town centre businesses.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The organisation, which launched this year’s summer festival – taking place between Friday, July 15 and Friday, August 12 – at the Spring Flower Show, is partnering with Harrogate in Bloom to stage the contest after a two-year absence.

More than a dozen town centre businesses, including Mama Doreens, The Yorkshire Soap Company, and the Yorkshire Hotel, have already picked up the floral gauntlet to help honour the town’s floral fame.

Harrogate BID Chair Sara Ferguson & Manager Matthew Chapman, Blameys Florist Fran Addis, Harrogate BID Business & Marketing Executive Bethany Allen, Blameys owner Ruth Fisher, and Harrogate BID Business Liaison Officer Jo Caswell.Harrogate BID Chair Sara Ferguson & Manager Matthew Chapman, Blameys Florist Fran Addis, Harrogate BID Business & Marketing Executive Bethany Allen, Blameys owner Ruth Fisher, and Harrogate BID Business Liaison Officer Jo Caswell.
Harrogate BID Chair Sara Ferguson & Manager Matthew Chapman, Blameys Florist Fran Addis, Harrogate BID Business & Marketing Executive Bethany Allen, Blameys owner Ruth Fisher, and Harrogate BID Business Liaison Officer Jo Caswell.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

There are five categories to enter - Hotels & Guest Houses, Pubs, Restaurants & Cafes, and Shops – and a trophy will be presented to the overall winner in each group.

Judges will be awarding points for a number of key areas, including first impression and overall design, containers of appropriate size and style, and plants in good condition, disease free and well maintained.

Harrogate BID Manager Matthew Chapman said: “Harrogate is famed as a floral town, and to mark this wonderful heritage we are staging a Floral Summer of Celebration.

“This will take place between July 15 and August 12, and will see the town centre become home to a floral trail featuring eight unique displays.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"There will also be an exhibition in Victoria Shopping Centre looking at different aspects of Harrogate’s floral history.

“Floral-themed shop windows will play a big part in this celebration, and we hope as many businesses as possible will participate in the competition.

“We already have more than a dozen businesses signed up, and with three weeks to go, I’m confident they will be joined by plenty more.

“The floral displays will be located across the town centre, and together with dozens of hanging baskets outside town centre businesses, the numerous flower beds maintained by Harrogate Borough Council, more than 200 barrier baskets funded by Harrogate BID, and some specially commissioned floral street art, Harrogate will be a blaze of colour and well worth a visit.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Harrogate BID’s Floral Summer of Celebration is supported by Harrogate Borough Council, using Government COVID-19 business recovery funding.

Further details and the entry form can be found at https://harrogatebid.co.uk/floral-summer-2022/