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Garden enthusiasts, rose lovers, and families seeking a beautiful spring day out can experience the best of Tasmanian horticulture at Longford Blooms (15-16 November) and the Festival of Roses (23 November).
When: Saturday 15 & Sunday 16 November 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Where: Village Green, 53 Wellington Street, Longford TAS 7301
Tickets: Available on the day or via Ticketebo
Contact: Facebook @Longfordopengardens
Website: Northern Midlands Council Events
When: Sunday 23 November 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Where: Woolmers Estate, 658 Woolmers Lane, Longford TAS 7301
Tickets: Available at the gate
Contact: (03) 6391 2230 or enquiries@woolmers.com.au
Website: woolmers.com.au
Longford Blooms returns for another stunning year on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 November 2025, offering visitors the rare opportunity to explore twelve of Longford’s most beautiful private gardens. Running from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM both days, this beloved open garden festival showcases the finest residential gardens in the historic town, each bursting with spring colour and creative landscaping.
This two-day garden extravaganza features far more than just beautiful gardens. With 46 stallholders, rare plant nurseries, and specialist garden vendors, Longford Blooms has grown into one of Tasmania’s premier gardening events. Visitors can browse rare and unusual plants from specialist nurseries, discover quirky garden furniture, shop for garden-related crafts, and sample gourmet food offerings including local wine and gin.
A highlight returning from previous years is Ballet on the Green, adding a touch of elegance and cultural entertainment to the weekend. Food vans will be stationed throughout the event, ensuring visitors can refuel between garden visits.
Tickets are available for purchase on the day from The Village Green at 53 Wellington Street, Longford, or can be pre-booked through Ticketebo. Pricing is designed to be accessible for all:
Single Day Pass: $15
Weekend Pass: $20 (representing excellent value for both days)
Concession (pension/seniors): $10
Children under 16: $5
Babies in prams or backpacks: Free
The event proudly supports two worthy causes: the Helping Hand and the Care for Africa Foundation.
One week after Longford Blooms wraps up, the celebrations continue at Woolmers Estate for the Festival of Roses, on Sunday 23 November 2025. From 10 am to 4 pm, the UNESCO World Heritage site comes alive with colour, music, and the scent of more than 5,000 blooming roses. It’s a family-friendly day out that blends Tasmania’s heritage and horticultural beauty — with food, entertainment, and activities for all ages.
At the heart of the festival is Woolmers Estate’s National Rose Garden, an extraordinary 2-hectare garden featuring over 5,000 rose bushes representing 460 different varieties. Established in 1999 through public fundraising, this formal garden showcases one of the finest collections of historic and heritage roses in the Southern Hemisphere.
November is the absolute peak time to visit, as thousands of roses burst into full bloom, filling the historic estate with spectacular colour and intoxicating fragrance. Popular varieties include Grande Amore, Cubana, Leonardo da Vinci, Scouts Honour, Glorious, Moonstone, Darcy Bussell, William Shakespeare, and Munstead Wood.
The Festival of Roses offers exceptional value with simple, family-friendly pricing:
Adults: $10. Tickets available at the gate on the day.
Children aged 12 and under: Free
This makes it an affordable outing for families wanting to experience Tasmania’s heritage and horticultural excellence.
The Festival of Roses offers something for everyone. Beyond the stunning rose displays, visitors can enjoy:
Enjoy a full day of live entertainment featuring local performers and crowd favourites. Rock band The Rollen Mix will take the main stage throughout the day, while Sara-Rose Millar brings everything from Renaissance tunes to original songs in the Rose Garden Gazebo. You’ll also catch Jorge from FJF Cubas Panflutes, plus a lively line dancing demonstration with The Boot Scootin’ Bunnies.
Live music and entertainment throughout the day
Children’s activities to keep young ones engaged
Penny Farthing demonstration at noon
Whip-cracking show by national champion Emiliqua East (and her kids’ clinics afterward)
Face painting from 11 am – 1 pm (and all-day availability from Taz Face and Body Art)
Classic car displays from the Veterans Car Club, MG Car Club, and Evandale Light Railway and Steam Club
Food and beverage stalls featuring local produce. Multiple food and coffee vans will be onsite, along with Tasmanian wine producers and gin distillers. Or, if you prefer something more traditional, stop by for one of Woolmers’ famous Devonshire Teas at the Eleanor Café.
Exhibitor stalls selling Tasmanian-made products, rose and garden-themed wares, rare plants, and art and crafts
The Eleanor Café, Woolmers’ on-site restaurant, serving light refreshments and locally-sourced meals
Self-guided exploration of the estate’s historic convict-built buildings, including the homestead, workers’ cottages, chapel, and stables
Don’t forget to grab a raffle ticket for your chance to win prizes, including accommodation at Woolmers Estate, vouchers from Petrarch’s Bookshop, and more.
Woolmers Estate is more than a stunning garden venue, it’s a living piece of Australia’s colonial past. Established in 1817 by Thomas Archer, the 82-hectare property stayed in the Archer family for six generations until 1994.
Now part of the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage Property, Woolmers (together with neighbouring Brickendon Estate) was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2010 for its remarkable record of the convict Assignment System that operated in Van Diemen’s Land.
Around 700 assigned convicts helped build the 18 colonial buildings still standing today.
The homestead also holds one of Australia’s most complete collections of original furnishings and artefacts, offering a rare and authentic glimpse into 19th-century life.
Both flower events take place in Longford, Tasmania’s quintessential Georgian heritage town. Located just 20 minutes (22 km) south of Launceston and 15 minutes from Launceston Airport, Longford is perfectly positioned along Tasmania’s Heritage Highway.
Settled in 1813, Longford is one of Australia’s oldest towns, classified as a historic townscape for its remarkably preserved Georgian architecture. Much of the original convict-built architecture remains intact, with grand estates, sandstone churches, coaching inns, and colonial homes lining the streets.
Architectural highlights include:
Christ Church (1839), featuring stained glass windows designed by William Archer of Woolmers and shipped from Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1842 – the oldest stained glass windows in Tasmania
The church’s arboretum, planted in the 1830s with the intention of growing every tree mentioned in the Bible
Queen’s Arms Hotel (1835) and Blenheim Inn Hotel (1846), classic Georgian hospitality buildings
The Racecourse Inn (1860), a Georgian coaching inn now operating as boutique accommodation
Visitors can pick up a self-guided heritage walking tour map from the Visitor Information Centre at JJ’s Bakery to explore Longford’s convict and colonial past.
Longford offers several dining options to complement your flower festival experience. Popular choices include JJ’s Bakery (famous for Tasmie Scallop Pies), Sticky Beaks Café, The Blenheim Inn Hotel, Choi’s Kitchen, and the Country Club Hotel. For a special meal, The Eleanor restaurant at Woolmers Estate showcases fresh Tasmanian produce in its seasonally-inspired menu.
The town also features charming bed and breakfast accommodation in historic properties, including The Racecourse Inn, Woolmers Estate cottages, and boutique colonial-era establishments.
By Car: Longford is easily accessible from all major Tasmanian centres:
From Launceston: 20 minutes (22 km) via the Heritage Highway
From Hobart: 2 hours (198 km) via the Midland Highway
From Devonport/Spirit of Tasmania: 1 hour 15 minutes (99 km)
From Launceston Airport: 15 minutes
By Public Transport: Tassielink Transit operates bus services between Launceston and Longford (Route 794/796), with the journey taking approximately 37 minutes.
Ample parking is available at both event locations, with The Village Green serving as the central hub for Longford Blooms and Woolmers Estate offering free parking for Festival of Roses attendees.
November is an ideal time to visit Longford, with pleasant spring weather perfect for garden exploration. Average daytime temperatures range from 17-19°C (63-67°F), with cooler mornings around 7°C (45°F).
The region experiences approximately 44% partly cloudy to clear days, with spring flowers at their absolute peak.
Visitors should bring comfortable walking shoes, sun protection, layers for changing temperatures, and perhaps a light jacket for early morning starts.
While in the area for the flower festivals, visitors can explore Tasmania’s Heritage Highway tourism region, a string of historic villages representing the state’s convict and colonial heritage. The region features convict-built bridges, sandstone architecture, World Heritage estates, boutique wineries, antique shops, and country markets.
Nearby attractions include:
Brickendon Estate, another World Heritage-listed convict farm village
Evandale, a National Trust-classified Georgian village
Ross, home to the carved stone Ross Bridge and Ross Female Factory Historic Site
Campbell Town, featuring the historic Red Bridge, Australia’s oldest surviving brick arch bridge
