Photos courtesy of Pamela J Photography
Cathedral Festival of Flowers – The Cathedral Anniversary Year
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Dedication of the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption
Sponsored in part by the San Francisco Flower Mart
September 30 - October 3, 2010 • The Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption
1111 Gough Street • San Francisco, CA 94109 • Get directions »
Cathedral Festival of Flowers was founded in 2007. In 2010, Cathedral Festival of Flowers - The Cathedral Anniversary Year, celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Dedication of the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, will welcome some of the most renowned floral artists from the Bay Area and beyond. In previous years the festival has featured special guest designers from the Northern Ireland Group of Flower Arranging Societies, the National Association of Floral Arrangement Societies of England, and the Association of Irish Flower Arrangers.
Flowers have been used throughout the decades to decorate and enhance the beauty of this architectural wonder atop Cathedral Hill. Floral designers and arrangers from throughout the Bay Area and abroad are coming together for this event to create a breathtaking feast of color and scent.
The array of magnificent displays reflect both the splendor of the great bronzes by Italian sculptors, Enrico Manfrini and Mario Rudelli, and the great soaring nineteen story interior. The floral offerings add to the peace and simplicity of the entire worship space. A kaleidoscope of colors meets visitors from the first moment that they enter the great Cathedral doors until they leave.
The Festival includes participants from local Catholic parishes and Ecumenical guest churches who are prominently featured in the “Little Flower Festival.” This important feature of the Festival is housed in the Cathedral Event Center, located in the Lower Level of the Cathedral complex.
Workshops by knowledgeable presenters are presented throughout the Festival. Topics ranging from basic preparation of flowers and floral design for the non-professional to Flowers in Art plus, Cathedral history and its role in the community, will be explored.
Delicious food and drinks will be available for purchase. The Festival will once again include the very popular “High Tea,” on Saturday afternoon. Reservations for all workshops, lunches and teas offered on Friday and Saturday, October 1 and 2, will soon be able to be made on-line.
The Festival will conclude with a “Festival of Choirs,” on Sunday afternoon, October 3 at 4 p.m., in the Cathedral Church. The concert is free of charge, but donations will be accepted.