Under the patronage and the presence of the First Lady of Lebanon Mrs. Nadia Aoun, the Governor Ziad Chebib and in partnership with the Beirut Municipality, The Garden Show & Spring Festival celebrated the opening of its 15^th edition on Wednesday 30th of May 2018 at Beirut Hippodrome. The show was inaugurated with an official flower-ribbon-cutting ceremony.

As Beirut's premier outdoor spring event, this year's show takes place under the theme "Sounds in the Garden," with more than 220 exhibitors showcasing a huge selection of colorful plants, flowers, outdoor furniture, ornaments and all kinds of gardening equipment. It is expected that the four-day event will attract a crowd of over 20,000 people.

"The Garden Show & Spring Festival highlights the importance of green spaces. The festival is a great opportunity for visitors to discover new ideas to uplift their balconies, terraces and gardens while enjoying the unique atmosphere of Beirut Hippodrome," said Joumana Dammous, managing director of Hospitality Services sarl.

"At the show, visitors can also discover many art installations, exhibitions and design displays. This is part of the art of living in the outdoors, showcasing the creativity of our artists," said Myriam Shuman, co-organizer of the show.

Each day of the show, 10 percent of the entrance proceeds will go towards helping charitable associations. Les Restaurants du Coeur, Caritas, CCCL and Tamanna are the chosen charities this year.Visitors will have the chance to support these causes by dining with celebrity chefs from L'Academie Nationale de Cuisine at one of four special "Dine for a Cause" evenings.

Festival highlights include Taste Lebanon, where visitors can enjoy food and refreshments from almost 30 F&B concepts and a special iftar for the holy month of Ramadan, a live musical program and a Kids' Village, providing children with fun and educational area to play games and take part in arts and crafts activities. A number of exciting masterclasses and workshops will be taking place with gardening and lifestyle experts as well as a conference about sound and outdoor spaces.

In parallel, The Garden Show& Spring Festival is hosting Travel Lebanon, the first and only tourism event promoting domestic travel, activities, adventures and local traditions. More than 60 associations, tourism providers, ecotourism specialists, hotels, guesthouses and NGOs are participating in the event. Visitors will also be able to watch local artisans in action, taste the traditional flavors of Lebanon and enjoy live entertainment including dabke flash mob performances.

As part of the eco-friendly initiative, this year's festival will be azero waste event. In collaboration with Cedar Environmental, all waste generated throughout the four-day event will be recycled.

Furthermore, to celebrate the importance of zaatar to Lebanese cultural identity, LRI will be distributing 5,000 zaatar plants for visitors to grow in their gardens.

The Garden Show & Spring Festival | Beirut Hippodrome | 30 May - 2 June | 4 - 11 pm daily