Parramatta Park will welcome visitors to its annual Weekend in Wistaria festival on September 19 and 20, as the historic gardens come into bloom with thousands of spring flowers.
The free two-day event will run from 10am to 4pm each day, with visitors able to explore the park’s wisteria tunnels, cherry blossoms, flowering fruit trees and seasonal displays.
More than 18,000 annuals have been planted for this year’s spring display, which has been designed around the theme of “peace and harmony”. The planting features white, blue and lavender tones alongside green foliage and touches of pink, red and yellow.
The event will include live music, roving entertainment, family activities and community stalls, with food and drinks also available.
The wisteria is expected to be one of the main attractions, with its flowering period typically lasting only two to three weeks in mid-September. The vines are also known for their sweet fragrance, which accompanies the seasonal display.
The gardens have a history dating back more than a century. The wisteria vines are descended from cuttings brought from Japan by Dr William Cotter Williamson in 1906 and were planted around Glengarriff House, which was associated with the former Parramatta Lunatic Asylum.
Wistaria Gardens covers about two hectares within Parramatta Park and retains features including Japanese torii-style gates and mature canopy vines.
The NSW Government said work has continued to maintain and improve the gardens, with horticultural trials underway to identify perennial plants that could remain in the gardens after the festival.
Among the varieties being trialled are Lavandula ‘Spanish Eyes’, Salvia Victoria Blue and White, and Salvia New Dimension Blue and White.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said the event offered visitors a free opportunity to experience the gardens during their short annual flowering period.
“Weekend in Wistaria is a wonderful and free opportunity for people to experience one of Western Sydney’s most beautiful and historic public spaces at its seasonal best,” Scully said.
Member for Parramatta Donna Davis said the event was returning for its fifth year and had become a popular spring attraction.
“This is a chance for families to roll out the picnic rug and enjoy the activities put on by Greater Sydney Parklands, creating treasured memories in this historic and precious garden,” Davis said.
Friends of Wistaria Gardens volunteers have also supported the gardens over the past year, working with Greater Sydney Parklands staff.
Greater Sydney Parklands chief executive Joshua French said the organisation had been working throughout the year on restoration, maintenance and horticultural improvements ahead of the festival.
Weekend in Wistaria will take place at Parramatta Park on September 19 and 20, from 10am to 4pm. Entry is free.
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