The 8 Best Spring Flower Shows Across America

No season is quite as magical as springtime. After the cold air drifts away and before the summer's sweltering heat takes over, spring is here with sunshine, wonderfully moderate temperatures, and more flowers than the mind can even conceive.

In celebration of this season, dozens of cities across the United States hold annual flower shows. These events show off local flora and have world-class entertainment that is worth traveling for. Beyond that, they're also perfect for homeowners, entertainers, and brides-to-be.

If you're looking for inspiration for your own landscaping, wedding floral arrangements, or table centerpieces, or if you just want to escape into some seasonal beauty, no events are better than these eight spring flower shows.

Coronado Flower Show, April 8–9, Coronado, California
Just across the bay from San Diego, Coronado, California, hosts the country's largest tented flower show and has been doing so since 1922. If you're into entire city blocks filled with flowers and competitions, this is the flower show for you. In addition to multiple floral competitions, there's also a "home front" competition, which judges the best home and business gardens.

Dallas Blooms, Feb. 25–April 9, Dallas, Texas
If you're looking for an abundance of flowers, of course you turn to Texas. As should be expected, Dallas Blooms is big, both in length of time and number of plants. This annual event boasts over 500,000 blooms, including tulips, daffodils, Dutch iris, hyacinths, pansies, violas, poppies, and azaleas. And though Dallas Blooms runs for six weeks, each new weekend has its own unique theme, giving visitors a different experience every time.

Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, March 1–May 29, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
The happiest place on earth gets a little greener every spring when Walt Disney World's Epcot turns into a springtime wonderland. Throughout the park, stunning topiaries and interactive gardens are set up featuring beloved Disney characters. Epcot goes all-in with its Flower & Garden Festival, with an accompanying food festival that takes over the World Showcase and a concert series featuring the likes of Night Ranger, Simple Plan, and The Guess Who.

Lilac Festival, June 9–18, Mackinac Island, Michigan
Mackinac Island is a quaint island in Michigan, with car-free streets and just 500 residents. In the summer, this tourist destination comes into full bloom with the Lilac Festival. In addition to stunning floral displays, this 10-day festival features the crowning of the Lilac Festival queen, a 10K run and walk, horse drawn carriage tours, a parade, a food festival, live music, wine tastings, a dog and pony show, and more.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival, March 15–April 16, Washington, D.C.
Pretty in pink, cherry blossom trees are confined to specific regional areas and bloom only for a short period of time. Our nation's capital just so happens to be filled with these stunning, unique trees, which were gifted to America from Japan in 1912. The National Cherry Blossom Festival honors this Japanese plant with cherry blossom tours, a parade, an opening festival, and fireworks.

Philadelphia Flower Show, March 11–19, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Leave it to historic Philadelphia to have the longest-running and largest flower show in the world. In its 188th year, the Pennsylvania Convention Center transforms into a floral wonderland, with tours, butterflies, and exhibits from the world's top florists and gardeners. For 2017, the theme is Holland, so the show features internationally renowned Dutch floral designers and sustainability tips straight from the Netherlands.

Portland Rose Festival, May 26–June 11, Portland, Oregon
Since 1907, Portland has welcomed summer with the Portland Rose Festival, which is filled with parades, a royal court, marathons, and a milk carton boat race. If you're looking for beautiful blooms, look no further than the Annual Rose Show, which features more than 4000 flowers. Stopping to smell the roses has never been so beautiful and easy.

Tulip Time Festival, May 6–14, Holland, Michigan
Holland, Michigan, takes its namesake seriously during this annual weeklong festival. Dutch dance performances, trolley tours, and parades take over the streets of Holland, while the surrounding city parks are just bursting with blooms. According to the festival's website, over 5 million tulips will bloom throughout late spring.