Hello, Fellow LIDS members,

This is an update and reminder about the upcoming 2026 LIDS Dahlia Show. It will be held on Labor Day weekend, September 5 and 6. Set up for the show will be on Thursday, September 3, starting at 9:00 AM at the Carriage House. On Friday September 4, exhibitors will set up their show flowers. We will need as much help as possible setting up on Thursday, and will also need help for the remainder of the days that we will be at the carriage house, including Sunday afternoon for the breakdown and clean up of the show and carriage house (starting at about 3:00 PM on Sunday).

On Friday, exhibitors will be allowed to set up their dahlia entries, as well as on Saturday, up until the time that judging begins. When judging begins, the doors to the exhibition room will be closed with no access to guests or visitors.

We plan to sell flowers in vases on Saturday and make a heartfelt request that you donate your blooms to this event, as it is a major fundraiser for the show. Ann Valenti is running this aspect of the show. We are asking that you donate dahlias, as well as all kinds of cut flowers, as well as greens for "filler." If you have any containers that can be used as vases and can happily part with them, please alert Ann, or simply bring them to the carriage house over the course of Thursday through Saturday morning. Please bring your "donation flowers" starting Friday and continuing through Saturday morning.

On Sunday starting at approximately 3:00 PM, we will begin to sell the exhibition flowers; Roger Bridge has kindly agreed to "run" this sale. He has requested that 2 individuals volunteer to help him wrap the "bouquets" that buyers put together. Please let us know if you would like to volunteer for this job.

We are strongly urging novices to exhibit their dahlias; this is an exciting and fun opportunity to show off your dahlia-culture know- how and skills. Remember... there are no losers! We want to see your dahlias! Additionally, please note that this year for the first time the novice category has been expanded to include 7 categories, which correspond to categories used in the general groups; they are as follows:

1. AA and A;

2. B;

3. BB;

4. Miniature;

5. Balls, mini balls and pom poms;

6. Stellar and waterlilies;

7. All Other Types.

Please also note that this year's "show flower" consists of "Any waterlily."

If you would like to volunteer, please advise either Rosa (rosanews@optonline.net) or Leslie (lesmch2@aol.com), or just show up. We need as many volunteers as possible to help with the many tasks that the show entails. We greatly appreciate you and thank you in advance.

Please note that we are trying to put together a demonstration of how to set up your show flowers for exhibition. A tentative date for this is August 22, and it would be held during coffee in the barn, after the morning workday is done. Please stay tuned.

Thank you for all your help!

The 2026 LIDS Dahlia Show Committee

Other Upcoming Event

Dahlia Horticultural Walk: Wednesday, August 26, 2026 - 6:00pm

Long Island Dahlia Society Website | Newsletters | Calendar of Events | Contact Us

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