Flowers and the artists both bloom into life during North Carolina’s summer festival season. Whether it’s a day at the famous Biltmore Mansion or a weekend on the streets of one of North Carolina’s many beautiful cities, expect to be impressed with sights and color this summer on the east coast.
The Festival of Flowers takes place at the Biltmore, located in the town of Asheville through May 20th. Over one hundred thousand blossoms dot the Walled Garden, with tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths. In the Azalea Garden, over one thousand azaleas bloom during May, and inside the largest home in the United States, paintings and floral arrangements complete the effect. You can visit the Biltmore during the Festival of Flowers, and tour the house and grounds, for $39. Get more information and directions at http://www.biltmore.com
Raleigh pays tribute to artist from all disciplines at Artsplosure, one of North Carolina’s biggest outdoor festivals, drawing nearly one hundred thousand visitors to the city. The Moore Square Park area comes to life May 19th and 20th with over two-hundred and fifty artists. The Art Market in the Streets brings select artists from around the country to show and sell their artworks. The Music Stages are packed with jazz and blues, with performers both locally and nationally known. Kidsplosure is an interactive world for children, with plenty of opportunity to create their own works of art to take home with them, including drawing and sculpture. Kidsplosure also comes complete with its own stage, with entertainment picked specifically with kids in mind. Sandy Feat, a sculpting team that works in sand, creates a new sculpture each festival out of two tons of the stuff. And just in case that isn’t enough to bring in the people, there is also a high wire, juggling, and improve. Find out more about this amazing art festival at http://www.artsplosure.org/
If you are a gardener at heart, put your green thumb to work picking through an incredible selection of merchandise specially geared toward your interests. The Garden Jubilee May 26 – 27 that takes place on Main Street in Hendersonville, NC, brings in arts and crafts from the mountains. Also, find gardening clinics, supplies, and plants to help with your own garden. Check it all out at http://www.historichendersonville.org/
Longing for the Scottish highlands? If you can’t make it to Ireland, try to make it on over to the Taste of Scotland festival in Franklin, NC, June 15 – 17, 2007. The heritage of the Scots, with food, dancing, a parade, and games for the children, plus non-stop live performances. Find out more about the festival at http://www.scottishtartans.org/
The largest free street festival in the southeast takes place July 27 – 29, 2007 on the streets of downtown Asheville, NC. The Bele Chere Festival showcases the area’s local artists, with six stages, one hundred and fifty visual artists, and fifty chefs and cooks from local restaurants. A twenty-thousand foot interactive play place will keep children occupied for several hours. Join over three hundred and fifty thousand people in Asheville to join in the fun. Additional information is available at http://www.belecherefestival.com/
North Carolina features some of the most beautiful festival in the US in the summer with the Festival of Flowers and Artsplosure. If those are not your type of festival, there is something sure to excite you at one of the other fun festivals going on in North Carolina this summer.
