Azaleas bloom across the southern United States but also as far north as Oregon.
Bright-colored azaleas bloom across the southeast and south central portions of the United States each spring. The plants are at their peak in most southern states in March, April and May, but may extend through June in Virginia and North Carolina. Many of these states host wild azalea festivals at which visitors enjoy the glorious wild blooms as well as other activities such as craft fairs, bake-offs, live music and car shows. Does this Spark an idea?
Annual Florida Azalea Festival
One of the South's major wild azalea festivals takes place each spring at the Steven Foster Folk Culture Center State Park in White Springs in northern Florida. Thousands of visitors descend on the state's Nature and Heritage Center in the park each year to enjoy the abundant colorful azalea plants, live music performances, arts and crafts fair, contests and other outdoor activities. Festival-goers can purchase azaleas and other local plants to take home as a memento of their outing.
Georgia Started in 2009
Georgia plays host to an azalea festival in the town of Morrow in Clayton County. The fair takes place at the Reynolds Nature Preserve and features music, local food and craft vendors, and presentations on native wildlife and plants. Crowd favorites include a falconry talk and demonstration, hikes through the Preserve's nature trails, and a presentation about snakes and other reptiles found in the region, with opportunities for visitors to get up close and personal with some of the reptiles.
Azaleas Throughout the South
In addition to the food, music, talks on growing azaleas and crafts displays, festivals offer other entertainment options for visitors. Wilmington, North Carolina, sponsors an azalea-themed cake decorating contest as part of its annual festival, and one Louisiana festival hosts a huge shrimp luncheon. Muskogee, Oklahoma offers 5- and 15-kilometer fun runs in conjunction with its azalea festival, while a locally-renowned storytelling contest is a highlight of the annual festival in LaGrange, Georgia
Azaleas Reach All the Way Into Oregon
Most people associate azaleas with the South; however, one of the country's oldest annual wild azalea festivals takes place in Oregon. Brookings, a coastal town just north of the California-Oregon state line, is filled with visitors each May coming to enjoy the wild azaleas, local craftsmen and a judged art show. Local groups, including the quilter's guild, the garden club and local fishermen, display and sell their products. Activities have ranged from square dancing in years past to the more recent car show.
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