By Jenna Liston
The eighth annual floral display competition, Westfield in Bloom, is ready to bring color to the City of Westfield.
Brittany Goger, community outreach manager for the Westfield Parks and Recreation Dept., said the event gives residents something to look forward to as warm weather begins.
“This is a great time for everyone in the community. Each year the event brings in residents, schools and businesses to compete for the best floral display. Those who have competed before really enjoy registering each year and tell their neighbors to join in as well,” Goger said.
Volunteer judges selected by Melody Jones, parks and recreation director, judge based off the criteria of originality, arrangement and distribution according to each category. Community members can choose from four categories including Residential, Business, Neighborhood Entrance and Churches, Schools, Hospitals, Library, Government and Civic.
“Each category has different criteria for the judges to base their decisions off of. It isn’t all about the competition itself, it is more about making the event fun for the participants,” Goger said.
Each year, Westfield in Bloom selects a color they want participants to use while planting the flowers. The colors for the 2016 competition are yellow and blue to represent the Indiana Bicentennial Celebration, to honor the state’s 200 years of history.
“We really like this theme because it will give the public a chance to honor Indiana and celebrate our history. The more people see the colors, the more they will understand the years of progress this state has made,” Goger said.
The competition registration will close June 21 and judging will commence June 25. Registration can be completed online or by mail.
Competitors are not required to be present during judging dates. Judges will visit each floral entry and will announce the winners with a celebration with all participants after their final decision.
Competitors are not required to be present during judging dates. For more, visit westfield.in.gov/parks.
