Thousands of people are set to visit the district this week for the biennial BOP Garden & Art festival.

The festival starts on Thursday and runs to Sunday.

It's a happy time for garden and art lovers… and those tracking the festival's financial benefit to the district.

The last festival attracted more than 20,000 attendees with about 30 per cent of those from out of town.

The gross benefit of the 2020 festival was equal to 2.7 million dollars, according to the findings of a Tauranga City Council – conducted survey.

BOP Garden & Art Festival director Marc Anderson Marc says while the event provides a wonderful four days out for people to be inspired by the gardening and artistic talent within the district, it is also responsible for people putting 'a good deal” of money back into the community.

He says that is especially pleasing after lean Covid years.

'Because of the scale of the festival and the amount of people involved, it generates significant revenue and stimulates the local economy.”

The popular festival, which has been running since 2001, provides plenty of other community benefits too, he says.

'There are so many positives that come out of the event. It brings our community and visitors together, it provides a platform for emerging artists to develop their skills, it offers learning opportunities around major issues like the benefit of caring for our environment, and it encourages our community to be aware of the many elements of gardening and art that can have amazing effects on our well-being.”

The festival attracts new people as well as tried and true attendees, and the demographic appears to be changing too with more young people showing an interest, Marc is happy to report.

Bay of Plenty Garden & Art Festival director Marc Anderson. Photo: SunLive

'We're getting people who haven't been before and we're certainly encouraging that.

'We've noted an interest from, for example, first home buyers who are out looking for ideas around their gardens. And, there are aspects of the festival's family-friendly Bloom in the Bay event that appeals too. This year, for example, there will be gardening-related trade stalls and we're expecting the seven tiny homes supplied by Freedom Cabins (NZ) to attract attention. They'll be on display – with artists working inside – at Bloom in the Bay.”

Marc says The NZ Garden and Art Festival Trust's mission to inspire a passion for gardening and art is being achieved. It appears people are loving what's on offer at this Tauranga City Council flagship event.

The survey conducted after the last festival found that 92 per cent of those who attended the 2020 festival were satisfied or very satisfied with the state of the event.

The survey also measured resident pride, and comments included 'the festival increases my pride in Tauranga”.

The enjoyment is official, with the festival winning the 2022 Tauranga Energy Consumer Trust event excellence award.

This year's festival will be the third with Marc at the helm.

Since becoming director, he has introduced the Bloom in the Bay event at the festival hub at Tauranga racecourse.

Bloom in the Bay includes food, live music, a floral art exhibition, speaker series, demonstrations, and the trade stalls and tiny homes.

The event is open to the general public with $5 ticket sales at the gate during the festival days.

Entry is free for children aged 14 and under and for festival pass holders.

As for the always-popular trail, there will be 74 garden and art stops – of these, 20 are art studio stops (about twice as many compared to the previous festival).

Introduced this year, is a specific art studio trail marked out on the map to make it easier for art lovers to enjoy this aspect of the festival.

About 25 per cent of the gardens are new to the festival. As usual the gardens feature a mix of planting themes and range from rural and rambling to urban and compact; and the art is diverse too.

The festival also includes a Long Lunch on Sunday, with New Zealand gardening enthusiast Lynda Hallinan as guest speaker, and NZ's 'bug man” Ruud Kleinpaste as special guest.

Rudd Kleinpaste. Photo: Supplied.

Marc says the festival couldn't happen without the support of TECT, Tauranga City Council and returning sponsors, such as Bayleys the returning principal festival partner. Other sponsors include Palmers Bethlehem who sponsor the trail, and Craigs Investment Partners – the Bloom in the Bay partner.

Marc's efforts are backed by Rose Webb as festival event manager, the festival team, and the festival's trust board headed by Lynda Burch (chairperson), James Sherson, Nichola Vague, Annie Hill and Rebecca Ryder.

For more information about the garden and art trail, Bloom in the Bay, the Long Lunch and tickets see www.gardenandartfestival.co.nz