Springfest Flower & Garden Show

History

10 YEARS OF SPRINGFEST – REMINICINSES OF DAVID WRIGHT

Springfest is celebrating its 10th Anniversary. Dave Wright of David H. Wright Landscape Architect was here at Springfest 10 years ago, when the brand new greenhouse, minus its poured concrete floor, was home to Sussex County’s first and finest garden and flower show. Dave reminisces about the amazing growth Springfest has experienced over the last 10 years.

Initially, as part of a plan to showcase horticultural development in Sussex County, establish a scholarship fund for students preparing for a career in horticulture/agriculture, and to pay off the debt incurred as a result of significant improvements to the horticultural section of the fair grounds, the Agricultural Division of the NJ State Fair came up with the idea of a flower show. The show would be held in the greenhouse which would be built as a small Quonset hut-type of structure. One summer in the mid 1990’s, at the outdoor garden display, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place garden design winners were asked to help design a new greenhouse. Full of visions for future flower shows, these 3 talented men, David Lee, Brian Hautau, and David Wright, aided by Anthony Cerbo III of Cerbo of Cerbo’s Parsippany Hampton Greenhouses, were able to expand plans from Quonset hut to the100 x 100’ all-glass greenhouse we enjoy today.

Upon the completion of the new greenhouse, in the very early Spring of 1997, these original three, and Tony, with help from many other volunteers, from the horticultural community as well as from the Agricultural Division of the Fair, organized, built gardens, enlisted other gardeners and vendors, advertised, and put on a show, which, in spite of snow on opening day, managed to attract in excess of 1,000 people.

With this modest beginning began a tradition whose rapid expansion is a tribute to those whose commitment of time, talent, hard work, and dollars created an exciting event, looked forward to by all who need a touch of Spring to survive those last dreary winter days. By 1999, with the aid of Foundation Chair, Stan Kosa, Springfest had developed a relationship with Newton Memorial Hospital Foundation, who wished to stage a fundraising event in the midst of the lovely gardens. They provided a tent, which was set up in the parking lot, thereby adding 2,000 square feet of space, and creating the opportunity for more garden related vendor spaces.

Springfest quickly outgrew this new space and contracted to have a paver floor laid, upon which a tent could be erected extending from the greenhouse to the Farm Fun building, and which would further expand available space.

In 2003 the Springfest Committee, was able to raise close to $35,000, as well as in kind donations from local contractors, to bring a new floor, improved electrical systems, and heat into the Farm Fun building, thus making it a viable place to add more gardens to the Springfest display. At this point the original 10,000 square foot site had expanded to 19,000. More gardeners, more vendors, a café, and a lovely evening Gala event to raise money for the scholarship fund, became integral aspects of Springfest.

Springfest Committee named this new addition the Exhibition Hall and promptly outgrew it. For this 2006 Anniversary Springfest, the Committee has once again been able to solicit the aid of local contractors and Springfest participants to lay another paver floor upon which an additional tent can be erected, thus providing 3,200 more square feet of display space.

Visitors from New York City, Pennsylvania and New York State as well as from most of New Jersey will browse among 13 gardens, more that 50 vendor booths, and 12 educational exhibits; they can view prize-winning window box arrangements and vote in the “Peoples Choice” contest for their favorite garden. Children can enjoy a special interactive attraction. Throughout the 5 days of the show they can choose to attend lectures on a variety of horticultural topics.

In a little more than10 years, through the dedicated leadership of Springfest Committee and with support from all the above-mentioned organizations and individuals, as well as the Master Gardeners, our show has grown from a Quonset hut idea to 22,200 square feet of inspired gardens, educational opportunity and community service.

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