For two days this September, the historic Wistaria Gardens will burst into colour for Weekend in Wistaria, a free spring festival bringing together cascading purple blooms, cherry blossoms, flowering fruit trees and more than 18,000 spring florals.
Running on 19th and 20th September, the festival transforms one of Sydney’s most beautiful heritage landscapes into a garden party of sorts, with live music, family activities, roving entertainment, community stalls, food and plenty of room to unfurl a picnic rug.
One of Sydney’s briefest spring spectacles
The star of the show is, naturally, the wisteria. The vines at Parramatta Park typically reach their peak for just two to three weeks in mid-September, giving visitors a brief window to experience their spectacular purple cascades and their distinctive sweet perfume.
Also, the vines also carry over than a century of history. They descend from cuttings brought from Japan by Dr William Cotter Williamson in 1906 and were planted around Glengarriff House, where they formed part of a therapeutic garden setting at the former Parramatta Lunatic Asylum.
Today, Wistaria Gardens sits within one of Sydney’s most intact Edwardian-era landscapes, with original Japanese torii-style gates and century-old canopy vines adding to the atmosphere.
Follow the scent of Wisteria
This year’s floral display takes its cue from the theme ‘peace and harmony’, pairing soft whites, blues and lavender with fresh greens and bursts of pink, red and yellow.
More than 18,000 annuals have gone into the display, while gardeners are also trialling perennial varieties including Lavandula ‘Spanish Eyes’, Salvia Victoria Blue and White, and Salvia New Dimension Blue and White.
The trials could help shape the gardens’ future planting, with some varieties potentially remaining in the ground long after the festival ends.
Greater Sydney Parklands chief executive Joshua French says the team has been working throughout the year to prepare the gardens. “Behind the scenes, our team at Greater Sydney Parklands has been working year-round to restore and enhance these historic gardens so they’re looking magnificent for the event,” he said.
Bring the kids, stay for the music
Once you’ve had your fill of flowers, there’s a full weekend of entertainment to discover. Visitors can settle on the lawn for live performances from Highly ReStrung, while the roving brass trio Soul Street Brigade brings a little extra energy to the gardens.
Moreover, families can join nature-inspired art and hands-on activities, settle in for Butterfly & Fairy children’s storytime or visit a chill zone featuring music created with plants. Keep an eye out for Moving Pictures’ floral tandem bike making its way through the gardens, too.
Community and nature groups will have stalls throughout the event, while food and drinks will be available to purchase—although bringing your own picnic is also encouraged.
Then, on Sunday, visitors can extend the outing with a short walk to Old Government House for the Regency Promenade & Fair.
There’s a narrow window to catch the gardens at their most spectacular, with the wisteria blooming for only a few weeks each spring. That makes the 19th-20th September a particularly good time to see the gardens at their seasonal best.
“Weekend in Wistaria has become one of Sydney’s most anticipated spring events,” French said, describing this year’s celebration as an “even bigger and better” event filled with colour, entertainment and activities.
Key details
- What: Weekend in Wistaria
- When: Saturday, 19th & Sunday, 20th September 2026, 10am–4pm
- Where: Wistaria Gardens, Parramatta Park, Sydney
- Entry: Free
- Garden entry: Via Byrnes Avenue inside Parramatta Park
