This year signifies a time of change for the Bowral Tulip Time Festival which will celebrate its 40th birthday.

To be held between September 22 and October 7, we intend to celebrate the significant contribution Tulip Time has made to the local community in the past and showcase a new image for Tulip Time that will steer us into the new millennium.

The Tulip Time Board has developed a new strategic plan that will see Tulip Time move from a Bowral garden focus to a very broad spring festival that takes in all of the Southern Highlands.

Change is never easy and there are many people in the community who believe it has all been said before.

Change also takes time and although we have a big vision we are realistic enough to know that we won’t achieve everything this year.

However, we do believe that if Tulip Time does not embrace a more commercial approach that targets a broader audience it will not survive.

So we appeal to local businesses and the community to support this year’s Tulip Time Festival which will include gardens and events throughout the Southern Highlands.

The tulip displays in Corbett Gardens are just one aspect of this year’s festival.

We have added new gardens in the Sutton Forest, Robertson and Wildes Meadow regions and are developing a number of community events that will appeal to all ages.

We are still looking for new gardens to include as charity gardens in areas other than Bowral.

So if you know of any exceptional gardens or would like to offer your own garden please call the Tulip Time office.

One of the many criticisms we have had is the strong focus on Bowral during Tulip Time.

The introduction of new gardens in other areas of the Highlands is designed to take the focus off Bowral.

We hope that by grouping three or four gardens in near proximity in other areas we will encourage tourists to visit the Highlands for more than a day so that they can see more gardens and would like to provide them with itinerary options for their day.