Each year, during the spring months from February to June events celebrating plants and trees, flowers and gardens take place across the USA.
Featuring everything from cherry blossoms and roses, tulips and azaleas, to formal gardens and water gardens, private homes and public attractions, flower shows and floral parades, these events attract visitors by their thousands to every corner of the USA.
ARKANSAS
Annual Jonquil Festival
March
Washington, Arkansas
Celebration of spring in a 19th-century restoration village features thousands of blooming jonquils, many planted by early settlers, over 100 craft vendors, musicians performing varied types of music, surrey rides, food vendors, special interpretive programs and historic tours, and other added attractions.
For more information visit: www.historicwashingtonstatepark.com
Magnolia Blossom Festival, Sidewalk Art Show & World Championship Steak Cook-Off
May
Magnolia, Arkansas
A tradition since 1988, the Magnolia Blossom Festival, Sidewalk Art Show and World Championship Steak Cook-Off is a three-in-one event bringing over 40,000 visitors to Magnolia.
The festivities include music, art, crafts, sidewalk art show and sale, 5K run, fun run, fishing tournament, food booths, gospel singing, live entertainment, championship steak cook-off.
For more information visit: www.blossomfestival.org
CONNECTICUT
Connecticut Flower & Garden Show
February
Hartford, Connecticut
Considered one of the most prestigious flower and garden shows in New England, the Connecticut Flower & Garden Show features breathtaking gardens constructed by some of Connecticut’s most prolific landscape designers.
Spread over almost 3 acres, the show includes floral and horticultural masterpieces and gardening products and services as well as over 200 exhibitors displaying fresh flowers, plants and herbs.
GEORGIA
Cherry Blossom Festival
March
Conyers, Georgia
More than 26 years ago the Cherry Blossom Festival in Conyers began as a way to encourage cultural understanding and friendship through international music, dance, games, food and crafts.
Today, attracting more than 40,000 visitors, the festival offers multiple stages for continuous entertainment, over 300 booths consisting of arts and crafts vendors, various children's activities.
For more information visit: www.conyerscherryblossom.com
Annual Rose Show and Festival
April
Thomasville, Georgia
A Southwest Georgia Tradition Since the 1920's, the Thomasville Rose Show & Festival held in beautiful historic downtown Thomasville attracts more than 20,000 visitors each year.
Apart from the roses, highlights of the festival include parades, live music, fantastic food, exciting sporting events, arts & crafts … and everything from an elegant plantation ball to a family-oriented street dance.
For more information visit: www.downtownthomasville.com/?page_id=23
IOWA
Tulip Time Festival
May
Pella, Iowa
Tulip Time is held the first Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in May. The festival celebrates Pella's Dutch Heritage with parades, stage performances, a Dutch market, and quilt and flower shows.
Streets are scrubbed for twice-daily parades complete with Dutch dancers in authentic costumes in 3 afternoon and 3 lighted evening parades.
For more information visit: www.pellatuliptime.com
MICHIGAN
Blossomtime Festival
April / May
Benton Harbor / St. Joseph
The party begins with the Blessing of the Blossoms ceremony and continues all week at Michigan’s oldest and largest multi-community festival, celebrating 101 years.
Visitors and locals alike take a self-guided driving tour through blossoming orchards, then sit curbside to watch the two-mile-long Grand Floral Parade, as it winds through these neighboring Lake Michigan shore towns. Flower-decked floats and marching bands from 24 area towns participate.
For more information visit: www.blossomtimefestival.org
Tulip Time Festival
May
Holland, Michigan
One of the largest flower festivals in the United States, this unique festival features the display of millions of tulips and celebrates Dutch heritage and culture through dance (with 1,500 wooden-shoed dancers), art, theatre, and different events.
The festivities include three exciting parades, Klompen Dancing, big name entertainment, free concerts, music and variety shows, a Dutch market, trolley tours, children’s events and fireworks.
For more information visit: www.tuliptime.org
Annual Lilac Festival
June
Mackinac Island, Michigan
A ten day celebration highlighted by many free events including the world's longest horse hitch parade and a fireworks display.
Guests stroll and enjoy the fragrant blossoms and colors of some of the oldest living lilacs in North America. Family hayrides, country line dancing, scavenger hunts, free outdoor concerts, boat cruises and garden tours are some of the highlights of this festival voted one of the top 100 festivals in the United States by Bus Tours of America.
For more information visit: www.mackinacisland.org
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Fields of Lupine Festival
June
Franconia, Sugar Hill and Easton
Held every summer, this regional festival celebrates the blossoming of the lupine, a captivating and bountiful wildflower. The communities of Franconia, Easton, Sugar Hill, Bethlehem, Littleton and Lisbon join together to showcase this colorful pageant.
There are also a number of events such as historic tours, garden workshops, concerts, contests, and performances. Artists and crafters using all types of media, whose work is inspired by regional flowers and plants, exhibit their work.
For more information visit: www.franconianotch.org/lupine.festival.html
NEW YORK
Annual Tulip Festival
May
Albany, New York
Named one of the 2008 top 100 events by the American Bus Association, and Winner of the 2003 Hospitality Excellence Award, this spring festival of more than 200,000 tulips has been a hit for 60 years.
Attractions at this three day event include the street scrubbing on State Street, the Tulip Queen Coronation, Tulip Queen and Court Luncheon and Royal Tulip Ball, music events, children’s activities, food, and art and craft vendors.
For more information visit: www.albanyevents.org/tulip_festival/
NORTH CAROLINA
The Biltmore Festival of Flowers
April / May
Asheville, North Carolina
Biltmore's gardens, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, are alive with color as spring arrives. Guests enjoy special events and the beauty of tulips, azaleas, and countless other flowers during Festival of Flowers.
On the weekends, Biltmore Winery joins the celebration with a commemorative Festival of Flowers wine and music, wine programs, and children’s activities. In the Farm Village, blacksmiths, woodworkers, and farmers demonstrate their skills on Saturdays and Sundays.
For more information visit: www.biltmore.com
North Carolina Azalea Festival
April
Wilmington, North Carolina
A springtime tradition celebrating Wilmington's exceptional artwork, gardens, history and culture, activities at the annual North Carolina Azalea Festival include headline concert entertainment, a three-day river front street fair with arts & crafts, food, a spectacular parade, triathlon and more.
Since its inception in 1948, the Festival has blossomed into an extended weekend celebration that attracts more than 300,000 people and the largest festival of its kind in the state.
For more information visit: www.ncazaleafestival.org
OKLAHOMA
Azalea Festival
April
Muskogee, Oklahoma
Named as one of the United States’ “top 100 events” to attend by the National Bus Association, the annual Azalea Festival at Honor HEights Park has been hailed as one of Muskogee’s premier events, attracting over 300 thousand visitors.
The annual Azalea Festival includes a parade through downtown Muskogee, with a Chili Cook-off and Barbecue contest
Honor Heights Park, one of the most popular attractions in Muskogee welcoming over half a million visitors each year features a pond, fountain, swimming pool, hiking trails, and a waterfall.
For more information visit: www.cityofmuskogee.com
OREGON
Portland Rose Festival
March - June
Portland, Oregon
For one hundred years, the Portland Rose Festival has presented events and programs that spotlight the riches of the Pacific Northwest heritage and environment while offering colorful examples of many international cultures. Attended by more than two million people, the festival is annually one of the top three most highly decorated events by the International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) and in 2007 was named Best Festival in the World.
Among the festival's most popular events are the Grand Floral Parade, one of the nation's top two all-floral parades, and the WaMu Waterfront Village, which features the Best Children's Programming in the World, according to the IFEA.
For more information visit: www.rosefestival.org
PENNSYLVANIA
The Philadelphia Flower Show
March
Philadelphia
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, established in 1827 is America's first horticultural society and in 1829 was responisble for producing the nation's first flower show.
Today, the Philadelphia Flower Show is the nation's largest indoor flower show, featuring the country's premier landscape designers and florists who turn 10 acres of the Pennsylvania Convention Center into a floral fantasy world with exotic plants and eclectic designs.
In addition to the major garden displays, the Flower Show hosts world-renowned competitions in horticulture and artistic arranging, hundreds of gardening lectures and demonstrations, special events, a mammoth indoor Marketplace, and a city-wide Flower Show Week celebration throughout downtown Philadelphia.
The Flower Show is also the major fundraiser for PHS’ Philadelphia Green, one of the most comprehensive urban revitalization programs in the nation.
For more information visit: www.theflowershow.com
RHODE ISLAND
Rhode Island Spring Flower and Garden Show
February
Providence, Rhode Island
A tradition for over 15 years, the Rhode Island Spring Flower and Garden Show at the Rhode Island Convention Center showcases extraordinary gardens woven with original art creations. Visitors can meet the artists and designers, and learn more about their own garden designs at lectures, seminars and demonstrations by nationally recognized experts.
For more information visit: www.flowershow.com
TENNESSEE
Dogwood Arts Festival
February
Knoxville, Tennessee
The Dogwood Arts Festival House & Garden Show is the largest house and garden show in Tennessee for the do-it-yourselfer and the gardening enthusiast.
Visitors walk along more than 60 miles of trails featuring some of the most spectacular dogwood trees of all kinds and colors. This event offers a chance to visit and admire beautiful gardens that features an arts & crafts fair, outdoor and more.
For more information visit: www.dogwoodarts.com
TEXAS
Dallas Blooms
April
Dallas, Texas
Dallas Blooms is a celebration of spring at the Dallas Arboretum, arguably one of top five floral display gardens in North America.
The gardens feature more than 400,000 spring-blooming bulbs, 6,000 azaleas and thousands of annuals and perennials spread throughout the 66-acre garden.
Included in the festivities are music, food, celebrities, poetry and rich history.
For more information visit: www.dallasarboretum.org
Azalea & Spring Flower Trail
April
Tyler, Texas
Officially certified as an Azalea City in 2007, Tyler is the perfect host for this celebration of the Azalea that has been a tradition here for 50 years,
Visitors can enjoy miles of azaleas, dogwoods and spring flowers amidst beautiful historic homes as they tour residential gardens, enjoy plant sales, arts and crafts shows, historic home tours and living history exhibits set in a backdrop of vibrant azaleas.
For more information visit: www.tylerazaleatrail.com
VIRGINIA
Historic Garden Week
April
Statewide, Virginia
The oldest and largest statewide home and garden tour event in the country, Historic Garden Week.
Regions across Virginia host garden tours throughout the week. Each tour features four to seven sites, including private homes and public attractions, showcasing formal gardens, walled gardens, cottage gardens, cutting gardens, annual and perennial gardens, herb gardens, water gardens, and even secret gardens.
For more information visit: www.vagardenweek.org/
WASHINGTON
Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
April
Skagit Valley, Washington
Each year, Skagit Valley celebrates the spring season of flowers from the daffodils in late March to the tulips in April and the the irises and lilies in May.
More than 1 million visitors come to see over 300 acres of brightly colored tulips and to enjoy the festivities in places like La Conner and Mount Vernon. Attractions include the Tulip Festival Street Fair, Tulip Parade, Kiwanas Club Salmon BBQ, art shows and quilt Walk.
For more information visit: www.tulipfestival.org/index.php
