Blossom Festival

Seasoned Alexandra Blossom Festival float builder Lyn Quinn says the relaxation of rules for competitive floats will not detract from the festival.

The turnaround in the fortunes of the Alexandra Blossom Festival was noted by the Vincent Community Board this week and "rewarded" with a grant of $26,000 for this year's event.

At the Alexandra Blossom Festival on Saturday, September 24.

Photos by Lynda van Kempen; prints available from otagoimages.co.nz.

The message that it is not worth "looking for trouble" at the Alexandra Blossom Festival seems to be getting through, police say, with the number of arrests this year the lowest for 15 years.

Despite the cold, thousands turned out to watch the Blossom Festival Parade in Alexandra on Saturday. ODT photographer Gerard O'Brien was there to capture the event.

Prints available from www.otagoimages.co.nz.

The blossom was in full bloom on the fruit trees yesterday as the family fun started in the 55th annual Alexandra Blossom Festival.

A scene that invited the viewer to "climb into the painting and relax" won top honours in the Central Otago Art Society's Blossom Festival Art Exhibition.

Festivities for the 55th annual Alexandra Blossom Festival begin tonight with the Round the Clock Race and the Mardi Gras.

Official celebrations for the 2011 Alexandra Blossom Festival began yesterday with the crowning of the senior queen.

The men from Alexandra's Men's Shed may not actually have a shed to call their own but that has not stopped them finding a project to work on.