USA TODAY 10Best
In full bloom: 10 best flower festivals in the US
Best Flower Festival (2024)
What better way is there to enjoy a bounty of blossoms than by visiting some of the most amazing flower festivals in the country? These 10 flower festivals — selected by an expert panel and voted by readers as the best in the U.S. — allow attendees to enjoy fragrant, colorful blooms, learn about flowers and plants, and simply have a wonderful time.
Some events even offer a marketplace of flowers and plants that you can take home with you.
- Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival - Orlando, Florida
- California Poppy Festival - Lancaster, California
- International Cherry Blossom Festival - Macon, Georgia
- PHS Philadelphia Flower Show - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Skagit Valley Tulip Festival - Mount Vernon, Washington
- North Carolina Azalea Festival - Wilmington, North Carolina
- Northwest Flower & Garden Festival - Seattle, Washington
- Tulip Time - Holland, Michigan
- Mackinac Island Lilac Festival - Mackinac Island, Michigan
- Zoo Blooms at Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden - Cincinnati, Ohio
Photo courtesy of Abigail Nilsson/Walt Disney World
No. 10:
Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is unlike any other garden festival in the United States. On display are dozens of different gardens, all showcasing their area of expertise from Italian flowers to Japanese bonsai. The biggest draw are the Disney-themed topiaries showcasing everyone's favorite characters, from Anna and Elsa to Donald Duck. Fresh and tasty fare is also on offer to complement the gorgeous blooms.
Photo courtesy of David Joseph Photo
No. 9:
California's state flower is celebrated over three days in Lancaster, located in the Antelope Valley at the western edge of the Mojave Desert. The festival features live entertainment, a beer garden, rides, live animal exhibits, and more than 200 vendors selling arts & crafts, flowers, food, lifestyle products, and more.
Photo courtesy of traveler1116 / E+ Getty Images
No. 8:
The International Cherry Blossom Festival in Macon, Georgia, celebrates the arrival of spring, when the town's impressive collection of thousands of Yoshino cherry trees bursts with a beautiful display of color. Highlights of the 10-day festival include live music, a Food Truck Frenzy, and the guest-favorite Cherry Blossom Parade.
Photo courtesy of Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
No. 7:
Hosted by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society since 1829, the Philadelphia Flower Show is the largest and longest-running horticultural event in the United States. The event comprises flower and garden displays, horticulture and floral arranging competitions, gardening presentations, and a massive marketplace where more than 150 vendors sell cut flowers, plants, garden tools, and floral-themed crafts.
Photo courtesy of Brent Roozen
No. 6:
Those who spend time in Washington's Skagit Valley in April might think they're in Holland! During the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, millions of tulips burst into bloom while area farmers invite visitors to tour local flower farms on foot. It's one of Washington's biggest events, with over a million visitors attending annually.
Photo courtesy of stoickt / iStock / Getty Images Plus
No. 5:
Each April, Southern charm is in full bloom at the annual North Carolina Azalea Festival. The community of Wilmington hosts this celebration of spring, which includes concerts, a street fair, parties, garden tours, and a parade. Festivalgoers are sure to see plenty of azaleas in bloom throughout the community.
Photo courtesy of Marketplace Events
No. 4:
It takes a convention center to house all of the inspiring show gardens, seminars, vendors, workshops, and speakers during Seattle's Northwest Flower & Garden Show. Designers offer cool concepts, and attendees make floral discoveries from brand-new plants to the best bugs for your garden. Many festivalgoers make an annual pilgrimage to the event from near and far — it's that good.
Photo courtesy of Mike Lozon
No. 3:
The Tulip Time festival in Holland, Michigan, makes it obvious how the town got its name. Each year, some 6 million colorful tulips bloom in the area, with over 200,000 of them in the downtown area alone. Aside from the floral spectacle, Tulip Time celebrates Dutch heritage with music, dancing, an artisan market, and parades.
Photo courtesy of Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau
No. 2:
Mackinac Island ushers in the summer season with the 10-day Lilac Festival each June. The festival began as a way to entice visitors to the island with horse-drawn carriage rides amid the island’s fragrant flowers. Today, events include the coronation of the Lilac Queen, a 10k run/walk, lilac planting seminars, a cornhole tournament, live music, and the popular Grand Parade.
Photo courtesy of aimintang / E+ Getty Images
No. 1:
One of just two accredited botanical gardens in Ohio, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden becomes a floral feast for the senses during Zoo Blooms. It offers one of the largest tulip displays in the Midwest (more than 100,000), and visitors can stroll among more than 1 million yellow and white daffodils, hyacinths, flowering trees, shrubs, and various spring bulbs peeking from their winter slumber.
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Carly Caramanna
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Carly Caramanna has a passion for covering the latest in unique food, travel, and theme park trends. Growing up in the carb-filled land of bagels and pizza by the slice (aka New Jersey), her parents instilled a love of all things adventure and food. Featured on CNN Business, BBC, NPR, MSN, Huffington Post, and host of the Attractions Magazine podcast, she uses her expertise as a contributor to Travel + Leisure, Business Insider, Delish, and many more. www.adventuresbycarly.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/adventuresbycarly/ X: https://twitter.com/CarlyCaramanna
Carly Caramanna
Carly Caramanna has a passion for covering the latest in unique food, travel, and theme park trends. Growing up in the carb-filled land of bagels and pizza by the slice (aka New Jersey), her parents instilled a love of all things adventure and food. Featured on CNN Business, BBC, NPR, MSN, Huffington Post, and host of the Attractions Magazine podcast, she uses her expertise as a contributor to Travel + Leisure, Business Insider, Delish, and many more. www.adventuresbycarly.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/adventuresbycarly/ X: https://twitter.com/CarlyCaramanna
Jacob and Esther of Local Adventurer
Esther JuLee and Jacob Fu run one of the largest... Read More
Esther JuLee and Jacob Fu run one of the largest travel blogs in the world, Local Adventurer, where they hope to encourage everyone to find adventure in their everyday lives. They spent 7 years moving to a new city every year and are now based in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Jacob and Esther of Local Adventurer
Esther JuLee and Jacob Fu run one of the largest travel blogs in the world, Local Adventurer, where they hope to encourage everyone to find adventure in their everyday lives. They spent 7 years moving to a new city every year and are now based in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Joanne and Tony DiBona
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Travel memories may fade over time, but photographs recall those magical moments.
Joanne and Tony DiBona
Travel memories may fade over time, but photographs recall those magical moments.
Kristin Luna
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Kristin Luna is a Nashville-based travel writer who has contributed to Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, USA TODAY, Southern Living and many more. You can follow her adventures via her blog Camels & Chocolate or on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Kristin Luna
Kristin Luna is a Nashville-based travel writer who has contributed to Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, USA TODAY, Southern Living and many more. You can follow her adventures via her blog Camels & Chocolate or on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Marla Cimini
Marla is an award-winning writer with a passion... Read More
Marla is an award-winning writer with a passion for travel, music, surfing and culinary adventures! An avid globetrotter and guidebook writer, she has covered topics such as the Hawaiian islands (including food trends and luxury beachfront resorts), as well as European getaways and global destinations. Her articles have appeared in many publications worldwide, including USA Today. Marla lives in New Jersey (Philadelphia area) and is a frequent visitor to Hawaii and Southern California, and often covers those destinations. Her travel website is: www.marlacimini.com
Marla Cimini
Marla is an award-winning writer with a passion for travel, music, surfing and culinary adventures! An avid globetrotter and guidebook writer, she has covered topics such as the Hawaiian islands (including food trends and luxury beachfront resorts), as well as European getaways and global destinations. Her articles have appeared in many publications worldwide, including USA Today. Marla lives in New Jersey (Philadelphia area) and is a frequent visitor to Hawaii and Southern California, and often covers those destinations. Her travel website is: www.marlacimini.com
Sky Ariella
Sky Ariella is a professional writer and full-time... Read More
Sky Ariella is a professional writer and full-time traveler originally from New York. After graduating from Hunter College in 2018, she took a solo trip around six Southeast Asian countries. Since then, Sky has traveled to 13+ countries from South America to Europe and she’s written for major travel publications like Travel Lemming, Explore, Booking, and In The Know Traveler, along with publishing on her own blog. She’s written for other types of publications like Zippia, FashionCast, and Inspired Momentum Magazine, and currently writes documentary scripts for a major YouTube channel. Follow Sky on Instagram @skyariella, check out her blog on Medium, and learn more about her work on skyariella.com.
Sky Ariella
Sky Ariella is a professional writer and full-time traveler originally from New York. After graduating from Hunter College in 2018, she took a solo trip around six Southeast Asian countries. Since then, Sky has traveled to 13+ countries from South America to Europe and she’s written for major travel publications like Travel Lemming, Explore, Booking, and In The Know Traveler, along with publishing on her own blog. She’s written for other types of publications like Zippia, FashionCast, and Inspired Momentum Magazine, and currently writes documentary scripts for a major YouTube channel. Follow Sky on Instagram @skyariella, check out her blog on Medium, and learn more about her work on skyariella.com.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original,... Read More
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
