America's Best Spring Flower Festivals

By Zachary Laks

April 5,2015; 7:15AM,EDT

Credit: Courtesy of Pella Historical Society & Museums
As the spring season revs up this year, festivals across the country make celebrities of their green-thumbed citizens. From a town that showcases 4.5 million tulips a year to a remote island filled with lilacs, the country's best spring flower festivals celebrate the season and provide a good reason to stop and smell the roses.
DALLAS BLOOMS
Where: Dallas, Texas
When: Through April 12, 2015

Credit: Courtesy of Dallas Arboretum
The expansive 66 acres of gardens on the shore of White Rock Lake in east Dallas come to life each spring with great fanfare at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. Known as the largest floral festival in the Southwest, Dallas Blooms has been a Texas favorite for the last 30 years.
Expect to see almost every color imaginable as 500,000 flowers (notably tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths) bloom on the grounds. The six week-long festival gives the Arboretum the chance to rotate their floral arrangements often, depending on what's in bloom each week, so multiple visits are encouraged to appreciate the full scope of botanical variety. And while exploring the gardens, don't pass up the opportunity to indulge in warm bread pudding, a park favorite.
Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Dallas Travel Guide
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DOGWOOD-AZALEA FESTIVAL
Where: Charleston, Missouri
When: April 16-19, 2015

Credit: Rosemary Showmaker
The stroll along the 6-mile Dogwood-Azalea Trail for the Dogwood-Azalea Festival is the most beautiful time of year to visit Charleston, Missouri. As evident by the name of the festival, Charleston's three-generation dogwoods and azaleas are the two most prominent plants seen throughout the trail. The festival celebrates its 47th year with the theme "A Step Back in Time," harkening back to simpler days with candlelight tours, an ice cream social, and carriage rides. A visit to the festival offers a colorful insight into the locally-proclaimed "history, hospitality, and tradition" of Charleston, Missouri.
Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Missouri Travel Guide
EPCOT INTERNATIONAL FLOWER & GARDEN FESTIVAL
Where: Orlando, Florida
When: Through May 17, 2015

Credit: Courtesy of The Walt Disney Company
Follow your nose to Epcot as Disney's annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival returns, transforming the park into a topiary wonderland. Disney favorites from every era are brought to life through flower sculptures and manicured trees, offering a sensory overload of whimsical fun. Keeping up with the demand for all things Frozen, Disney introduces Anna and Elsa topiaries this year along with new Goofy and Chip 'n Dale creations. Among the many festival activities and entertainment on offer, those interested in learning more about gardening should seek out the Disney horticulturists onsite each weekend, where best gardening practices and inside information on the festival is shared.
Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Disney World Travel Guide