From noon to 4 p.m. on September 15, Dewey Hall in Sheffield was transformed into a sanctuary for brilliant late-summer flowers and their admirers.
With its Dahlia Festival, the nonprofit organization has found the perfect way to invite the community to celebrate what is for many local growers the highlight of the season. More than 150 individual dahlia blooms were entered into competition in three different categories for this second year of what is likely to be a growing event that, like dahlias themselves, inspires new versions. (See the full list of winners below.
) While festivalgoers roamed the tables of flowers sipping cocktails and mocktails, harpist Marie Hamilton offered a gentle audio accompaniment to the loveliness; volunteers sold dahlia bouquets to support Dewey Hall’s ongoing programming; Clara Stickney, one of Dewey Hall’s part-time employees and the primary force behind the event, conducted a wreath-making workshop outside; while local potter Harrison Levenstein did free face painting inside. The dahlia festival is the brainchild of Dewey Hall board member and local landscape designer Wenonah Webster. We talked as the Grateful Dead’s Scarlet Begonias played in the background and the harpist took a break.
Webster said her motivation had to do with the particularly beautiful aesthetics of dahlias, yes, but also a lot to do with inclusion. “We wanted an event that was open to everyone.” The farmer’s wife contributes equally to the retired hobbyist gar.