The Leura Gardens Festival is celebrating 50 years of showcasing the wonders of spring in the Upper Mountains.
Eleven wonderful Leura gardens will be open for viewing by festivalgoers from Saturday, October 4 to Sunday, October 12, some of which featured in the original festival.
There will also be some new gardens on show and lots of old favourites.
More than 300 local volunteers will be on hand to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Local businesses are also right behind the festival, including major sponsors Bendigo Bank, Blue Mountains Botanic Garden (Mt Tomah), Katoomba RSL, Scenic World and Waldorf Leura Gardens Resort.
This year's festival will offer an entertaining and informative program of events including a music festival, art show and horticultural talks.
Among the presenters are gardening author and expert Jennifer Stackhouse, who, in keeping with the festival's 50th anniversary celebration, will be looking at trends in gardening over the last half century.
She will also discuss what the future of gardening may look like with particular reference to the changes occurring in our environment.
Other speakers are well-known local horticulturalist Helen Caughey (discussing bugs, slugs and thugs) and Mary Sweeney, NSW Floral Art Association president, who will share her secrets and tips about flower arranging.
The music festival is on every afternoon from 1pm and will cover everything from jazz to barber shop to opera.
Among the many popular performers taking part are the David Clegg Easy Jazz Quartette, Scarratt and Watts and the Mountains Opera Chorus.
Visitors can also take advantage of the bargains at the festival plant sales centre, which will offer a wide range of plants including the special 50-year celebration souvenir, a gorgeous yellow daisy named "Leura Gold".
The Leura Gardens Festival was born in 1965 with the aim of raising money to purchase equipment for the Blue Mountains District Anzac Memorial Hospital.
More than $2 million has been raised so far, with donations also going to other local health-related charities including Blue Mountains Health Trust, Can Assist and Blue Mountains Cancer Help.
For further information visit www.leuragardensfestival.com or phone 0431 095 279.