The Kanapaha Botanical Gardens Spring Garden Festival is the perfect opportunity to explore new ways to add color, shade and beauty to a sunny yard. The area’s premier horticultural event will have music, food and, of course, all things garden.
Festival Features
The annual celebration features over 100 booths offering plants, landscape displays, garden accessories, tools and outdoor furniture.
A large variety of plants are available from local and regional nurseries. They will include fruit and landscape trees, large potted plants, herbs, vegetables and house plants. Native, tropical and exotic selections are also for sale.
Kanapaha Botanical Gardens Director Alexis Caffrey said the festival offers a diverse array of plants that are often hard to find elsewhere.
Artisans have stands selling home and garden décor. Their stained glass, turned bowls, tee shirts, incense, soaps and weathervanes will be there for purchase. Artwork, paintings, photographs, quilts and blown glass inspired by nature are also on display.
Local gardening and environmental organizations offer educational exhibits with information on plants, ponds, pests and the environment. The Camellia and Orchids Societies exhibit and answer questions about plants grown by their members.
Family Fun
This year’s children’s activities include photo opportunities, games and designing newspaper hats. Hatchett Creek Nursery will also have a flowering plant for children to plant and take home.
The Summerhouse will be closed, and the entire event will be held outside. Food vendors will be serving snacks. Take a break at the picnic areas available near the festival stage.
On Sunday, the main stage, located under a large live oak tree, features local entertainers. Performers like AELEA, Brian McMahon Band and Klezmer Katz will share the stage. The diverse group of folk dancers and drum ensembles are scheduled from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Spend the Day
The festival will be held on Saturday, March 18 and Sunday, March 19 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. in Southwest Gainesville. The admission price ($10 for adults and $5 for children) includes access to the entire 68-acre Kanapaha Botanical Gardens.
The nonprofit offers over 20 major specialty collections visible from a one-and-a-half-mile paved walkway. Signature plants include a premier stand of Chinese royal bamboo (Wong Chuk), giant Victoria water lilies and Asian snake arums. Kanapaha Botanical Gardens has the state’s largest public display of bamboos and the largest herb garden in the Southeast.
Festival Tips:
- Parking is available onsite
- Strollers, walkers or wheelchairs with inflated tires are recommended to navigate grassy areas
- Bring a wagon or cart if you plan to purchase large plants or many small plants
- No pets will be allowed during the festival
By Jennifer Kennedy.