Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers Is Back for 2022 with 190,000 Blooms and a Floral-Inspired Food Trail

Spring has arrived in southeast Queensland, thawing out 2022's surprisingly frosty winter chill and heralding sunny days aplenty for the next nine months. Fond of all things floral as far as the eye can see? This is your time to shine, obviously — and a trip west of Brisbane to the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers should be on your September itinerary.

Every year when winter says farewell, Toowoomba becomes the brightest place in the region — and the state. Blooms blossom, greenery sprouts and flora reaches towards the sun, with the colourful floral fiesta taking over every space it can in the Darling Downs city. In 2022, as it did in 2021, the Carnival of Flowers is also sticking around for an entire month.

That means that from Thursday, September 1–Friday, September 30, colourful petals and Toowoomba go hand in hand, with the program taking over a variety of locations — including Laurel Bank Park and the Botanic Gardens of Queens Park — to showcase all of the gorgeous florets, growths and gardens around town. This year marks the fest's 73rd year, and it has a big attraction to celebrate: more than 190,000 blossoming bulbs.

Clearly this huge (and free) carnival won't be short on natural splendour. If simply wandering around to take in the bright sights is your idea of an ace spring outing, kaleidoscopic arrays of tulips, petunias and poppies included, you won't be disappointed. But the festivities range further, covering everything from park tours to food trucks slinging bites to eat, a series of talks in local pubs, both guided and non-guided walking tours, pinot and painting sessions, and a floral parade.

Key highlights include the #trEATS regional food trail which showcases local eateries, and this year sees participating cafes, restaurants and bars serve up floral-inspired dishes priced between $10–20. In total, there are 43 bites to tuck into, such as tiramisu with Persian rose fairy floss, coconut cherry bloom gelato with edible flowers and flower petal lollipops.

Luke Marsden

Still on the culinary side, the three-day Festival of Food and Wine returns from Friday, September 9–Saturday, September 11 — and alongside celebrating regional produce, it'll feature The Whitlams playing their entire Eternal Nightcap album, as well as further live tunes from Vera Blue, Ash Grunwald and more.

Elsewhere on the lineup, dog lovers can also take their pup to the pooch-friendly program, which covers more than 20 dog-friendly activities and 27 off-leash parks. Or, film fans can scope out cinema under the stars sessions on Saturday, September 24, courtesy of a double featuring FernGully: The Last Rainforest and 10 Things I Hate About You.

The illuminated night garden is back as well from 6–8.30pm nightly, and so is the ferris wheel with a blooming great view in Queens Park from Friday, September 16–Sunday, September 25.

Basically, there's no bad time to visit throughout September — and you might want to make the trek more than once. Indeed, when it comes to scenic spring sights, there's no prettier place to be. And, given it takes less than two hours to head up the mountain from Brisbane, it's perfect for a weekend day trip.

The 2022 Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers runs from Thursday, September 1–Friday, September 30 across Toowoomba. For further information, head to the event's website.