Festival des Fleurs de Louisiane is April 18

LAFAYETTE — On April 18, the 29th Festival des Fleurs de Louisiane will hold its one day show and sale from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Blackham Coliseum — rain or shine.
The show at the coliseum, located at 2330 Johnston St., will feature more than 70 booths inside and out offering a wide variety of plants including native plants, shrubs, annuals, perennials, roses, daylilies, hibiscus, orchids, herbs and much more, according to the festival’s news release. Also available will be garden supplies and accessories, pottery, tools, gardening books and art, bird feeders, unique gifts and ornamental pieces among others.
Lafayette Parish Master Gardener’s Association will be doing gardening demonstrations throughout the day.
Lafayette Garden Club will present its judged flower show with this year’s theme “A Disney Spectacular.” Educat-ional displays by the Bonsai Society of Acadiana, Acadian Orchid Society, Acad-iana Rose Society and the Society for Louisiana Irises will also be presented.
There will be gardening crafts and planting activities for children as well.
Admission is $5 per person with children under age 12 admitted free.
The first 500 people to arrive receive a free plant.
All proceeds from this event will go for needed improvements to the Ira Nelson Horticulture Center, its extensive greenhouses and classrooms, a focus of horticulture education for the students and faculty at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette since 1960.