Iklin will be in full bloom on Sunday as it hosts the Flower Fest for the third time, from 10am to 6pm in Anton Buttigieg Street.

The street leading to the parish church will be embellished with trees and planters provided by the Environmental Landscapes Consortium Ltd, a key partner and one of the main stakeholders in this year’s edition of the event.

The Flower Fest is aimed at enhancing the locality’s cultural development and identity. The local council strongly believes in citizen participation and community engagement.

This year’s entertainment includes local band marches during the morning and street performances in the afternoon by youths together with singer Ludwig Galea.

Iklin will be hosting professional chefs by The Malta Chef’s Society. A food stand and an area for the placement of tables and chairs will be provided for diners. A special menu has been prepared with very reasonable prices, inspired by the name of the community: Iklin derives its name from rosemary (klin). The dishes include: rosemary focaccia filled with pulled pork and cheese; risotto rosmarino; porchetta with onion gravy and roast potato and rosemary sorbet.

Of interest will be the Eco Café which will host speakers Alfred Baldacchino, Guido Bonett, Catherine Muscat, Peter Calleja, Pauline Attard, Saviour Vella, Dione Caruana and Jeffrey Sciberras.

A number of participants will set up stands to promote their work and projects. These include Mcast’s Institute of Agribusiness, the Lija-Balzan-Iklin primary school in collaboration with Birdlife Malta promoting Proġett: Dinja Waħda, Nature Trust Malta, GreenMT, Malta Chef’s Society, The Mixologist James Aquilina and Iklin Scout Group. Flower vendors are also invited to participate.

Local artists Judith Dingli and Grace Cassar will be preparing and showcasing their works of art.

The subcommittee for youth and sport have also organised a photo competition for youths aged between 16 and 25, on the theme of nature.