The first Love Dahlias Festival is over, and what a beautiful week it was.
If you joined us in Douglas, Northern Cape, for the 2026 festival, thank you for being part of something very special. And if you have landed on this page because you are searching for the Love Dahlias Festival 2027 date, you are in the right place too.
Please save the date.
Love Dahlias Festival 2027 Date
For anyone searching online for the next festival date, here it is clearly:
Love Dahlias Festival 2027
10–13 March 2027
Douglas, Northern Cape, South Africa
We are already looking forward to doing it all again next year.
How the Love Dahlias Festival Began
Last year in October, a seed was planted.
It began with a simple thought: what if I could share my love for dahlias with more people across South Africa? What if the beauty, joy, creativity, and connection that flowers bring could be gathered into one special week here in Douglas?
At the time, it was only an idea. A small one. But as so often happens in the flower world, small things have a way of growing.
That little seed slowly grew into something much bigger than I first imagined. It took many people believing in the dream, saying yes to it, lending their hands, their ideas, their time, their talent, and their support. And then it took all of you making the effort to come to Douglas and be part of it.
And for that, I want to say thank you.
A Flower Festival in Douglas, Northern Cape
The first Love Dahlias Festival in Douglas brought together flower lovers, gardeners, creatives, growers, and guests from different parts of South Africa for a week filled with flowers, workshops, conversation, beauty, food, and shared experiences.
What made the festival memorable was not only the dahlias themselves, but the people who came because blooms were their common denominator. It was such a gift to watch people meet, talk, learn, laugh, collaborate, and leave as new friends.
There was a special kind of energy throughout the week. Guests arrived with excitement, curiosity, and open hearts. Douglas became a place where flower people could gather, share ideas, learn from one another, and enjoy the beauty of being surrounded by others who understand why flowers matter.
That is what made the first dahlia festival in Douglas, Northern Cape feel so meaningful.
Love Dahlias Festival Workshops and Collaborators
A heartfelt thank you goes to the incredible collaborators who helped shape the festival and made it so rich in creativity and generosity.
Each of these collaborators brought something unique to the festival. There were flowers, practical workshops, creative experiences, photography, painting, flower crowns, gardening conversations, and so many moments of inspiration.
One of the most joyful parts of the week was seeing some of the most wonderful small-scale people in the flower industry come, boots and all, to be part of the first Love Dahlias Festival.
Teneale Coetzee from Femme Petale
Thank you to Teneale Coetzee from Femme Petale for bringing her floral creativity and style to the festival. Her contribution added beauty, inspiration, and that unmistakable magic that happens when flowers are placed in the right hands.
Corli Leonard from Veldmeisie
Thank you to Corli Leonard from Veldmeisie for the breathtaking floral installation work that added so much drama, artistry, and wow-factor to the festival experience. It was one of those elements that made people stop, stare, and take it all in.
Nzwi Dyira from Akanaka Blooms
Thank you to Nzwi Dyira from Akanaka Blooms for sharing her knowledge, generosity, and practical wisdom during the seed starting and cuttings workshop. It was such a valuable part of the festival for people who love learning how to grow more blooms.
Chane Swanepoel from Blom.Online
Thank you to Chane Swanepoel from Blom.Online for bringing beauty and fun to the flower crown workshop. The crowns, the creativity, and the joy in that session made it one of the most memorable and photographed parts of the festival.
Susie Lebond from Flourish Urban Flower Farm
Thank you to Susie Lebond from Flourish Urban Flower Farm for being part of the festival and for sharing her love of flowers, gardening, and the flower-farming world with such warmth and generosity.
Douglas Bee Farms
Thank you to Douglas Bee Farms for adding such a lovely and thoughtful layer to the festival experience. The bee workshop reminded us all how much flowers and pollinators belong together, and it brought a completely different kind of beauty to the programme.
Jaco Powell from Cape Fox Photography
Thank you to Jaco Powell from Cape Fox Photography for sharing his photography knowledge and creative eye during the festival. It was such a treat to see guests learning how to capture flowers and festival moments more beautifully.
Jess Meyer
Thank you to Jess Meyer from Watercolour Heart for bringing a gentle, creative energy to the festival through the watercolour session. It added such a lovely artistic pause to the week and gave guests a different way to enjoy and interpret the beauty around them.
Katie du Toit
Thank you to Katie du Toit for the eco-printing workshop, which brought texture, colour, and creativity into the festival in such a special way. It was one of those experiences that felt both grounded and imaginative at the same time.
Douglas Guest Houses and Festival Hospitality
We are also deeply grateful to the guest houses and venues in Douglas and the surrounding area that helped welcome festival guests so warmly.
Thank you to Villiera Guest House, The Last Eve Guest House, and Broadwater River Estate for opening your doors and helping us host a festival that felt welcoming, beautiful, and full of heart.
For many guests, these places became part of the full festival experience. They helped people feel at home while they were here, and that mattered so much.
And then there are the people of Douglas. So many guests travelled a long way to attend the festival, and one of the loveliest parts of the week was seeing how warmly they were welcomed by our town. Douglas people have hospitality in abundance, and that spirit became part of the festival too.
The Food and Wine at Love Dahlias Festival
Of course, no good festival can happen without good food and good wine.
A very special thank you goes to Dirk van der Westhuizen and JC for the three unforgettable Dahlia Affair meals. Thank you for bringing such generosity, flavour, and care to the table.
We are also so grateful to the producers and sponsors who helped make the culinary side of the festival so memorable, including Three Sons Lamb, Ingwe Safaris for the game, Malu Pork, Biggi Popcorn , Senqu River Pistachios and Bravehart Gin.
Thank you as well to our wine sponsors, Spier, Allesverloren, De Wetshof, and AA Badenhorst for helping us create such a special experience around the table.
Food and wine have a beautiful way of drawing people closer together, and their contribution added so much to the atmosphere of the festival.
Why the First Love Dahlias Festival Was So Special
The first Love Dahlias Festival South Africa meant so much because it turned a small dream into a shared experience.
It became a place where flowers, people, creativity, and community all met in one week. Guests did not only come to look at dahlias. They came to learn, to connect, to enjoy, to be inspired, and to be part of something new.
To everyone who attended, supported, collaborated, sponsored, hosted, encouraged, and believed in this dream from the beginning: thank you. You helped turn a small idea into something real, beautiful, and unforgettable.
Save the Date: Love Dahlias Festival 2027
If you missed the first festival, I would love for you to join us next year.
And if you were here this year, I hope we get to welcome you back.
Please save the date for the next Love Dahlias Festival:
10–13 March 2027
Douglas, Northern Cape
We are already looking forward to more blooms, more fun, more flower people, and probably more floral mischief in the best possible way.
From my field to your garden, thank you for being part of the story.
She who loves dahlias,
Mareli