Sat, Sep 12
|30 Beach St, North Kingstown, RI 02852, USA
60th Annual Rhode Island Dahlia Society Show & Photography Contest
The largest dahlia show in Rhode Island returns for its 60th year — a colorful, can't-miss display featuring competition blooms, artistic arrangements, and dahlia photography. Free admission.
Time & Location
Sep 12, 2026, 3:00 PM – Sep 13, 2026, 4:00 PM
30 Beach St, North Kingstown, RI 02852, USA
About the event
About This Event
📄 The complete program, including all bloom sections, special classes, artistic arrangement details, and photo contest rules, is available now:
The Rhode Island Dahlia Society invites you to its 60th Annual Dahlia Show, held at the Cold Spring Community Center in North Kingstown, RI. This milestone event features competitive dahlia blooms, artistic floral arrangements, and our Annual Dahlia Photography Contest, all under one roof and completely free to attend.
Six decades in, this remains the largest dahlia show in Rhode Island. Whether you come to compete or simply to wander the benches, you'll see dahlias in every form and size, from giant AA blooms over 10 inches across down to micro singles smaller than a coin.
Show Hours
Public Viewing:
Saturday, September 12 | 3:00–7:00 PM
Sunday, September 13 | 10:00 AM–4:00 PM
Exhibitor Staging (for those entering blooms):
Friday, September 11 | 4:00–9:00 PM
Saturday, September 12 | 7:00–11:00 AM
Judging begins Saturday at 11:00 AM.
This Year's Challenge Flower
The 2026 challenge is Any Collarette, one of the most distinctive and elegant dahlia forms. Exhibitors may enter up to two challenge blooms.
Artistic Arrangements: "Flowers in Song"
This year's floral arts competition takes its theme from classic songs. The three classes are Ramblin' Dahlias, Tiptoe Through the Dahlias, and Bicycle Built for Two Dahlias. Full design specifications are in the show program.
Annual Dahlia Photography Contest
Open to amateur photographers, with entries competing across five categories:
A. Dahlia Portrait (a single cultivar)
B. Dahlia Blooms (more than one bloom)
C. Dahlia Gardens (your own, a friend's, or a public garden)
D. Dahlia(s) and Critters (dahlias with insects, pets, or wildlife)
E. Digital Darkroom (imaginative or enhanced images)
Photos must be received by mail by September 4, or dropped off in person by 9:30 AM on September 12. For contest questions, contact Denise Boisvert at deebois@aol.com.
Something for Every Grower
The show includes a Junior Growers section for exhibitors age 17 and under, and an Amateur section for those who have never won a Tri-color award. New to showing dahlias? This is a welcoming place to start.
Admission: Free
Location: Cold Spring Community Center, 30 Beach Street, North Kingstown, RI