AIFD Northwest Region and Swan Island Dahlias launch Battle of the Blooms for centennial

The AIFD Northwest Region and Swan Island Dahlias are launching the inaugural Battle of the Blooms dahlia design competition Sept. 18-20 in Canby, Oregon, as part of Swan Island Dahlias’ 100th anniversary. The event pairs floral design contests, workshops and public viewing on a farm with 50 acres and about 375 dahlia varieties.

Why it matters: - The event ties Swan Island Dahlias’ 100th anniversary to a new design competition built around one of the flower industry’s signature blooms. - The competition gives floral designers a high-profile stage to showcase work in a live field setting, with public voting and prize money on the line. - The anniversary celebration is expected to draw bigger crowds after Swan Island Dahlias welcomed more than 65,000 visitors in 2025.

What happened: - The American Institute of Floral Designers Northwest Region and Swan Island Dahlias announced a partnership for the first annual Dahlia Floral Design Competition, called Battle of the Blooms. - The competition is scheduled for Sept. 18-20 in Canby, Oregon. - Designers will compete across 50 acres of dahlia fields featuring about 375 dahlia varieties. - Professional and aspiring floral designers are invited to enter. - The deadline to enter is Monday, Sept. 7.

The details: - The competition will award more than $1,000 in prizes. - A world-class judging panel will include National AIFD President Brent Leech AIFD, CFD, and Leanne Kesler AIFD, CFD, PFCI. - Leanne Kesler owns the Floral Design Institute, founded in 1969. - Floral Design Institute is the largest floral design school in the Pacific Northwest and the largest privately owned floral design educational institution in the world. - Kesler also donated more than $1,000 in prizes for competition winners. - Four exclusive floral design workshops will be offered, with limited space. - The public can attend for free. - Visitors can vote for the People’s Choice Award. - A special room rate is available at the Hilton Garden Inn Wilsonville, Oregon, with booking due by Sept. 1. - Entry forms, workshop registration and the hotel booking link are available through the official AIFD Northwest Region portal. - SwanIslandDahlias.com lists farm activities and centennial events. - The event has support from Swan Island Dahlias, Floral Design Institute, Bill Doran Company, Smithers-Oasis and FloristWare.

Between the lines: - The partnership connects growers and designers in a way that highlights how floral artistry starts in the field, not just in the studio. - Robbyn Repp, vice president of the Northwest AIFD Chapter, said the centennial gives designers a chance to reconnect with the source of their artistry. - The farm’s long stewardship by the Gitts family, which began in 1963, has helped establish Swan Island Dahlias as a destination for the industry and the public.

What's next: - Designers must submit entries by Sept. 7. - Attendees who want the discounted hotel rate must book by Sept. 1. - The competition and centennial programming will unfold Sept. 18-20 in Canby. - Additional farm activities and anniversary events will continue through the centennial calendar on SwanIslandDahlias.com.

The bottom line: - Battle of the Blooms is turning Swan Island Dahlias’ centennial into a live showcase for floral design, competition and public engagement.