By The Backseat View
Updated 2026
It’s finally time to shake off the winter blues and enjoy some spring sunshine. If you can’t make it to Washington or Michigan for the top flower festivals in America, explore the best flower festivals in the South. These Flower Festivals are the perfect opportunity to plan a quality Mother’s Day weekend.
Spring Flower Festivals
Most floral festivals take place in March, April, and May, providing an excellent opportunity for a weekend excursion. While numerous flower festivals are held almost everywhere, here is a list of the Top 10 Flower Festivals in the Southeast that showcase some of the most beautiful locations to visit during the spring season.
Southern Flower Festivals
Best Flower Festivals in the South
1. Dollywood Flower & Food Festival
The Dollywood Flower and Food Festival in Pigeon Forge, TN runs from April 18- June 7th for 2026. With over a million vibrant flowers, larger than life topiaries, it’s the perfect way to celebrate spring. Awaken your tastebuds with festival-exclusives fresh flavors while watching the new shows. Umbrella Sky is a dazzling art installation that covers Dollywood with a kaleidoscope of color.
Combine the Gatlinburg Travel Guide with Dollywood are always a fun weekend choice. Great Smoky Mountains Guide to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge for the best animal interactions, hikes, restaurants and activities.
2. Thomasville Rose Show
The 105th Annual Thomasville Rose Show in Thomasville, Georgia, hosts one of USA Today’s “Top 10 Best Flower Shows” filled with roses and orchids. The exquisite floral art displays are enjoyed along with parades, live music, family activities, and plenty of food vendors. Thomasville is located basically on the FL/GA state line, with the festival held in late April on the 24-25, 2026. Restaurants are stepping up their game by including edible roses in their dishes, desserts, or cocktails. There’s a massive car and truck show along with an artisan market.
Thomasville is a historic and award-winning small town. Expect a few crowds as the Rose Tent opens on Friday. It showcases literally hundreds of stunning roses on display. After the roses, head to Broad Street for luxury and trendy boutique shopping. The parade comes right down Broad Street so grab an ice cream and enjoy the floats. Come for the roses and discover the magic that’s Thomasville.
Since Thomasville is almost in Florida, go ahead and open my Panama City Beach Guide and stay a few more days. The Inside Travel Guide to Panama City, Florida has day trip options from Destin.
3. Cherry Blossom Festival
The International Cherry Blossom Festival in Macon, Georgia, celebrates spring with more than 350,000 Yoshino cherry trees. Macon holds the title of “Cherry Blossom Capital of the World.” This 10-day festival features live music, food vendors, and the Cherry Blossom Parade.
The event includes unique attractions such as wiener dog races, pig races, seal shows, fireworks displays, and hot air balloon rides. Visitors are encouraged to begin their tour at the visitor center and follow the Cherry Blossom Trail throughout the city. The festival usually starts around the 21st of March. The Cherry Blossom Festival is listed as “One of the Top 20 events to attend in the South.”
4. Daffodil Festival at Gibbs Garden
Spring unfolds at Gibbs Gardens as over 20 million daffodil blooms cover 50 acres of valleys, hillsides, and fields. The gardens are filled with tulips and cherry trees, too. Gibbs Garden was named the “World’s 10 Best Places to See Daffodils” by Flower Magazine.
Gibbs Garden
USA Today named “Gibbs Gardens the Best Flower Festival in America for 2025”. The gardens offer more than 60 daffodil varieties for six weeks of blooming in shades of yellow, orange, white, and peach. Gibbs Gardens is located in Ball Ground, Georgia, about an hour north of Atlanta. The entrance fee is $25 and tickets are available online. You can have lunch at the café and spend 2-3 hours enjoying the unending view of flowers.
Gibbs Garden is the perfect day trip to combine with a weekend in Blue Ridge, Georgia. Open the Blue Ridge Mountains Travel Guide for an upscale town with low crowds and delicious meals. The quiet hikes through the spectacular mountains are perfectly balanced with small-town charm.
Best Flower Festivals in NC
5. Azalea Festival
North Carolina has the Azalea Festival in Wilmington celebrating the city’s many beautiful gardens. The city has celebrated flowers since 1948. It hosts festivities during April, featuring five days of over 50 events. From April 8th through the 12, the town erupts in merriment with visitors from around the South. There are concerts, performances, and parties filled with local and famous celebrities. If you want to glam it up, attend a garden party or a gala. Saturday has the parade with over 50 floats, streets filled with food and entertainment stages. If you aren’t into concerts, watch the boxing competition. At the end of the day, there’s a big firework show called Battleship Boom & Bloom Bonanza. Oh, I almost forgot the flowers, book a tour of the Airlie Gardens to appreciate the azaleas. Wilmington’s beaches and charming town are reason enough to book this trip.
These include concerts, parades, and a Garden Party. The Garden Party is a fancy event with ladies hats similar to the Kentucky Derby. Historic Wilmington opens their porches for a tour of select homes. The fireworks are Saturday night with viewing along the Cape Fear River.
Bonus: Bellingrath Gardens Spring Festival in Mobile, AL, from mid-March through May has over 250,000 azaleas in peak bloom.
6. The Biltmore
The Biltmore in Ashville, NC, hosts the Blooms Festival of Flowers celebrating spring with more than 130,000 flowers on display in the gardens. The gardens show off over 80,000 tulips and 1,000 orchids. It costs around $130 per person for house and grounds tours.
7. Epcot Flower Festival
I LOVE Epcot’s International Flower and Garden Festival featuring Disney-themed topiaries. So, this is just a reminder of how beautiful the park is during spring. Massive Disney topiaries, food booths, and concerts running from March to the 1st of June. If you are heading to Disney, don’t miss my Disney Magic Tips!
8. Callaway Gardens
Callaway Gardens provides a tranquil environment within its picturesque setting. Guests can ride or bike through 2,500 acres of flower gardens and trails that encompass the lake. Boasting a variety of entertainment options, Callaway Gardens serves as a year-round destination for visitors. Enjoy Pine Mountain, Georgia, for the weekend, and I have a getaway guide to make planning easier. Add in an Animal Safari and a night at Great Wolf Lodge to complete the weekend.
9. National Cherry Blossom Festival
The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC peaks late March to mid April at the Tidal Basin. The Tidal Basin has over 4,000 trees. The festival includes the Blossom Kite Festival, Petalpalooza, the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade along Constitution Avenue and the Sakura Matsuri: Japanese Street Festival.
I have everything you need to plan a Washington DC trip in this guide. Every American should have the opportunity to experience a walk through American history exploring Washington, DC. From museums and monuments to Arlington then Old Town Alexandria and Georgetown, the city is filled with endless free adventures.
10. Atlanta Dogwood Festival
There’s just something about dogwood petals that feels like home. The dogwoods are in full bloom across the South from mid-April through early May. The 90th Annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival takes place from April 10-12, 2026, in Piedmont Park. The festival hosts hundreds of artists from across the country, showcasing work from paintings to pottery and jewelry. Live music fills the park, and little ones can enjoy Kids Village with face painting, puppet shows, and games. Foodies are treated to a line of food trucks with tasty bites and beverages. Fireworks are at 9 pm on Saturday. There’s a $10 cover charge. In the same area, the Atlanta Botanical Gardens is fantastic, being filled with spring flowers. Local’s Guide to Atlanta’s 35 attractions for an entertainment-filled week.
Bonus: Dogwood Arts Festival in Knoxville, TN, from April 24-26, 2026, with 90-plus miles of blooming dogwood trails.
Flower Festivals in the Southeast
The Top 10 Tulip Festivals in the South Travel Guide has everything you need for a weekend getaway.
Thanks for reading my Top 8 Flower Festivals in the Southeast. I hope you have a beautiful spring! My Washington Travel Guide provides tips for touring the Lavender Farms. My Guide to Michigan will land you on Mackinac Island with all the flowers. The Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC draws visitors to soak in the spectacular blooms.
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