Cowbridge town centre will look blooming lovely this August as the Vale of Glamorgan Council hosts its inaugural Festival of Flowers.

With the aim of helping its high streets 'bloom' back to life following the COVID19 pandemic, the Council is hosting the event in a bid to drive footfall into the town centres of Cowbridge, Barry, Llantwit Major and Penarth.

Each town centre will have a flower trail for local residents and visitors to take part in, giving them the chance to win £100 to spend on the high street. Trail maps will be available from traders on the high street, as well as the Visit the Vale website. To take part, participants are required to follow the map to find the flowers in selected shop window, identify what flower it is and fill it in on the entry form.

The festival will also allow traders to showcase their floral offerings during the month, including floral fashion and gifts, floral cocktails and food, and floral inspired beauty treatments.

There will also be a flower installation in each town providing a focal point and photo opportunity for an online social media campaign #BloomingLovelyVTC.

These floral inspirations are being created by local florists from each town.

In Cowbridge, Sara Caroline is dressing the Town Hall, in Barry, Kelly Young from Wild Meadow Floral will dress Barry Town Hall, in Llantwit Major Joanne David from Pastures Green will dress the Town Hall and in Penarth Toni Horne from Lily Pad Florist will dress the entrance of Windsor Arcade.

Nia Hollins, Principal Tourism and Marketing Officer at Vale of Glamorgan Council, said:

"We're delighted to host the Festival of Flowers in our four town centres for the first time this year.

"Our events programme looks a little different this year, moving away from events that attract huge crowds, instead focussing on safe, community-based events, that support the economy of our Town Centres.

"The festival aims to encourage residents and visitors to visit and explore what our high streets have to offer and to give our local traders a boost after a tough year.

"We're grateful for the support of the local florists, traders, chambers of trade and town councils who have got behind this event and we're excited to see their floral offerings.

"It's time for our high streets to 'bloom' back to life following the COVID19, and we hope that's what the Festival of Flowers will do."

The event, which is funded by the Vale of Glamorgan Council, will take place in Cowbridge, Llantwit Major, Penarth and Barry and run from August 1st until 31st.