USA TODAY 10Best
Holland, Michigan's Tulip Time Named Best Flower Festival!
Best Flower Festival (2016)
Nothing says 'spring' quite like flowers in bloom. These 10 flower festivals, nominated by a panel of flower and garden experts and voted to the top by 10Best readers, represent the best in the nation.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Flower Festival are as follows:
A panel of experts picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Cindy Brockway (The Trustees), Abby Hird (Botanic Gardens Conservation International) and Katy Moss Warner (American Horticultural Society) were chosen based on their extensive knowledge of flowers and gardens.
Additional nominees for this category included the Boston Flower & Garden Show, Chrysanthemum Festival, Magnificent Magnolias, National Cherry Blossom Festival, Philadelphia Flower Show, Sakura Matsuri, San Francisco Flower & Garden Show, Sequim Lavender Festival, Skagit Valley Tulip Festival and the South Carolina Festival of Flowers.
Congratulations to all our winning festivals!
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
Abby Meyer
Abby Meyer is Executive Director of the U.S.... Read More
Abby Meyer is Executive Director of the U.S. office of Botanic Gardens Conservation International, based at The Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens in Los Angeles. Abby works to develop tools and information to support botanic garden plant conservation programs and collections. Abby received a Bachelor’s of Science degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and went on to complete a Master’s in Public Horticulture Administration through the Longwood Graduate Program at the University of Delaware and Longwood Gardens. Prior to her work with BGCI, she was a Putnam Research Fellow at The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University where she developed new approaches for assessing the conservation value of living plant collections. Now in Los Angeles, Abby enjoys hiking and gardening with her husband Evan and their 3-year old daughter Violet.
Abby Meyer
Abby Meyer is Executive Director of the U.S. office of Botanic Gardens Conservation International, based at The Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens in Los Angeles. Abby works to develop tools and information to support botanic garden plant conservation programs and collections. Abby received a Bachelor’s of Science degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and went on to complete a Master’s in Public Horticulture Administration through the Longwood Graduate Program at the University of Delaware and Longwood Gardens. Prior to her work with BGCI, she was a Putnam Research Fellow at The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University where she developed new approaches for assessing the conservation value of living plant collections. Now in Los Angeles, Abby enjoys hiking and gardening with her husband Evan and their 3-year old daughter Violet.
Cindy Brockway
Lucinda A. Brockway is the Program Director for... Read More
Lucinda A. Brockway is the Program Director for Cultural Resources at The Trustees, a Massachusetts conservation and preservation organization with eleven public gardens ranging in size and botanical diversity from Martha’s Vineyard to the Berkshires. Deepening the public connection to plants for all ages, The Trustees is strengthening the resiliency of gardens in the the Northeast’s extreme weather conditions. An award-winning landscape designer and preservationist, Brockway’s work has been recognized by the Garden Club of America, the Garden Club Federation of Maine, American Society of Landscape Architects, Preservation League of New York State, the Massachusetts Historic Commission and others. Her work has been featured in Public Garden magazine, Old House Journal, Colonial Homes, Nineteenth Century and Accent as well as numerous professional and trade publications.
Cindy Brockway
Lucinda A. Brockway is the Program Director for Cultural Resources at The Trustees, a Massachusetts conservation and preservation organization with eleven public gardens ranging in size and botanical diversity from Martha’s Vineyard to the Berkshires. Deepening the public connection to plants for all ages, The Trustees is strengthening the resiliency of gardens in the the Northeast’s extreme weather conditions. An award-winning landscape designer and preservationist, Brockway’s work has been recognized by the Garden Club of America, the Garden Club Federation of Maine, American Society of Landscape Architects, Preservation League of New York State, the Massachusetts Historic Commission and others. Her work has been featured in Public Garden magazine, Old House Journal, Colonial Homes, Nineteenth Century and Accent as well as numerous professional and trade publications.
Katy Moss Warner
Katy Moss Warner is currently President Emeritus... Read More
Katy Moss Warner is currently President Emeritus of the American Horticultural Society (AHS), a national, not-for-profit, member-based organization with a bold vision of “making America a nation of gardeners, a land of gardens.” Katy is also Past President and City Judge of America in Bloom, a national not-for-profit organization that promotes nationwide beautification through community involvement. Katy has traveled extensively hosting garden travel study programs for the American Horticultural Society in Italy, France, England, Belgium, Czech Republic, Argentina, Morocco, Spain, New Zealand as well as many destinations within the USA. Katy has been featured in numerous books, newspaper and magazine articles. She co-authored the book “The Gardens of Walt Disney World Resort.” She is often asked to deliver presentations on various topics including the importance of quality landscapes to the vitality of communities, garden tourism and the power of flowers.
Katy Moss Warner
Katy Moss Warner is currently President Emeritus of the American Horticultural Society (AHS), a national, not-for-profit, member-based organization with a bold vision of “making America a nation of gardeners, a land of gardens.” Katy is also Past President and City Judge of America in Bloom, a national not-for-profit organization that promotes nationwide beautification through community involvement. Katy has traveled extensively hosting garden travel study programs for the American Horticultural Society in Italy, France, England, Belgium, Czech Republic, Argentina, Morocco, Spain, New Zealand as well as many destinations within the USA. Katy has been featured in numerous books, newspaper and magazine articles. She co-authored the book “The Gardens of Walt Disney World Resort.” She is often asked to deliver presentations on various topics including the importance of quality landscapes to the vitality of communities, garden tourism and the power of flowers.