What not to miss during Floriade’s opening week

Posted on 11 September, 2026

Flowers, food, farmers and plenty of reasons to head to Commonwealth Park – here’s what not to miss during the first week of Floriade 2026.

From Saturday 12 September, Commonwealth Park will burst into bloom for another four weeks of Floriade – but this year, there’s more to see than spectacular flower beds.

The 2026 Feast of Flowers theme gives you plenty of reasons to look beyond the tulips this year. You can explore the food-inspired garden beds, meet the people growing food in the Majura Valley Farm Kitchen Garden, watch floristry students create wildflower arrangements, hear from chefs and farmers, learn more about The Cook’s Companion, make a grazing box or join a long-table conversation about community and seasonal living.

And that’s just the first week.

Here’s what not to miss from Saturday 12 to Sunday 20 September.

Dig into a wildflower feast

Every day from Saturday 12 to Sunday 20 September, you can head to The Garden House by Bunnings Warehouse for CIT Floristry where students from the Canberra Institute of Technology’s Certificate III in Floristry will showcase Australia’s spectacular wildflowers in their hand-tied bouquets, created for the Wildflowers Australia National Students Competition and demonstrated live for Floriade visitors.

The designs then complete their tablescape installations bringing together flowers, foliages and food in balanced, harmonious displays. Students will be judged on technical skill, design and creativity, choice of materials and overall visual impact.

See what’s growing at Majura Valley Farm

The Majura Valley Farm Kitchen Garden is a working seasonal garden planted and looked after by the Majura Valley Farm team throughout Floriade 2026. You can wander through beds of spring vegetables, edible flowers and herbs, and find out how the crops grow, when to harvest them and how to eat them.

On Sunday 13 September, you can also pick up some growing inspiration at the Majura Valley Farm – Tomato Workshop. Visitors can learn how to plant and care for a tomato seedling, with each participant able to take one home in a compostable pot.

Then, on Sunday 20 September, get a little more hands-on at the Majura Valley Farm – Cut Flower Workshop. The team will show visitors how to grow snapdragons, zinnias or cosmos from seed, with each participant taking home a custom Floriade seed packet ready to plant.

Come hungry

The Feast of Flowers theme naturally lends itself to a little eating – and there are several food-focused events in the first week.

On Saturday 12 September, award-winning chef, restaurateur, author and television presenter Karen Martini will be at The Garden House for a live demonstration, conversations and an audience meet-and-greet. You can catch her demonstrations at 1 pm and 3 pm.

Then on Sunday 13 September, Mindy Woods will bring her experience as a chef, restaurateur and MasterChef Australia finalist to The Garden House. A Bundjalung woman, native food chef and owner of Karkalla on Country, Woods will take part in live demonstrations, conversations and audience meet-and-greets, sharing her knowledge of Indigenous Australian cuisine. There are two sessions to choose from: 10 am or 11.30 am – they’re free and you don’t need a ticket.

Later that afternoon, Fire & Spring – A Lunetta Cooking Demonstration will see Lunetta Executive Chef Tristan Rebbettes showcase a seasonal dish inspired by Floriade’s Feast of Flowers. The demonstration runs from 1.30 pm to 2.15 pm at The Garden House. It’s free, but you must book a spot online.

Guests will also receive a Lunetta recipe card to take home.

Celebrate 30 years of The Cook’s Companion

There are cookbooks, and then there is The Cook’s Companion.

On Thursday 17 September, Stephanie Alexander: The Cook’s Companion will celebrate 30 years of the book that has become a staple in kitchens across Australia. She will be in conversation with Canberra food writer and Fed Up author Lucy Ridge at The Garden House in an event delivered in partnership with the Canberra Writers Festival.

The event runs from 11 am to 1 pm and is free. It’s sold out, but you can join the waitlist.

Build a grazing box

On Friday 18 September, you can turn your appreciation of flowers and food into something edible at Build & Bloom | Grazing Box Workshop.

Groovy Grazing CBR will lead this hands-on workshop, where participants create their own grazing box using seasonal produce, floral touches and Groovy Grazing’s tricks of the trade. You’ll even get to take home your grazing box, a grazing guide and a gift!

The workshop runs from 11 am to 1 pm on Friday 18 September at The Garden House. Tickets are $110, and the workshop is designed for people aged 15 and over.

If you’d rather skip the construction phase and get straight to the eating, Floriade Grazing Boxes are also available to pre-order for collection on Saturday 12 and 20 September and Friday 2 October. The boxes start at $65 – pre-order yours here.

Gather around the table

On Sunday 20 September, the first week of Floriade wraps up with Futuresteading Huddle: A Feast of Flowers. Part live storytelling event, part facilitated conversation and part community experiment, it’s a unique participatory experience that invites strangers to become neighbours through storytelling, meaningful conversation and shared reflection.

Hosted by author, farmer and educator Jade Miles, this long-table gathering draws on the ideas explored in her books Futuresteading and Huddle. Guided by a series of thoughtful prompts inspired by flowers, food, community and the changing seasons, participants are encouraged to reflect on what they are cultivating in their own lives, what deserves to flourish, what needs pruning, and the future they hope to grow.

The experience runs from 11 am to 12.30 pm at The Garden House. It’s free, but you must book a spot online before you come.

Explore further afield

Floriade is also popping up around Canberra as part of Floriade About Town, so you can keep the spring theme going beyond Commonwealth Park.

Treat yourself to a Floriade High Tea at Hyatt Hotel Canberra, stop by the Royal Australian Mint for its floral-themed program and opening-day First Coin of Floriade draw, or head to the National Archives of Australia for Stories in Bloom: Murrulangalang Storytime on Wednesday 16 September.

And, naturally, there’s a coffee stop worth adding to the itinerary, with The Cupping Room serving seasonal specials inspired by Floriade.

Program details are subject to change. Check the Floriade website before visiting for the latest information and booking requirements.