I’ve been waiting for March to go “out like a lamb” since January. It’s not that I don’t love winter — I’ll miss the early morning hailstorms and the hot buttered rum — but after three months of scarves, gloves, and boot socks, I’m ready for a season that’s a little gentler, warmer, and greener.
So for those of you who, like me, have been waiting on the orange blossom perfume that means spring is in bloom, here are five floral events you won’t want to miss:
Epcot® Flower & Garden Festival
Orlando’s Walt Disney World® Resort brings spring into focus at the annual Epcot® International Flower & Garden Festival. From March to May, you can get gardening tips, take a tour of a butterfly house, visit Disney character topiaries, and view a variety of flowers at the event’s special gardens.
The National Cherry Blossom Festival
From March to April, Washington D.C. will be celebrating the en masse bloom of its favorite flower with The National Cherry Blossom Festival. If you can’t make it for the official parade — complete with marshmallow-like sakura balloons — stop in at your leisure for a paddle boat ride on the Tidal Basin or walk beneath flowering trees to the Jefferson Memorial.
Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
Held each year from April 1-30, the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival draws thousands to the fields of the Pacific Northwest, where tulips of every color stretch skyward beneath the Washington sun. Visitors can tour local historic homes and flower-filled greenhouses, or spend a day sampling fine wine and cuisine.
California Poppy Festival
Drive from chic Los Angeles hotels to the Antelope Valley, and you’ll find hills blanketed in neon-orange poppies. The California Poppy Festival celebrates the state’s signature bloom each April with a variety of performances, exhibits, and local delicacies served up in the sunshine.
North Carolina Azalea Festival
This azalea-focused festival returns each April with garden tours, a street fair, and a cheerful parade. Come to witness these bold blooms in person, plus tour the historic homes of downtown Wilmington for a peek at late-1800s Carolina.
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