The annual South Carolina Festival Of Flowers is taking place in Greenwood, SC from June 6 to 9, 2024. It’s the best place to see an incredible display of topiaries. Plus, there’s music, food trucks, vendors, and more. Get all the details and full schedule here.
For more help planning your trip, check out all of our travel posts.
Everyone who has seen Edward Scissorhands remembers that the moody man with scissors for hands creates the most beautiful topiaries with those scissor hands. But, it’s actually really, really hard to shape greenery — and we don’t give Edward Scissorhands, or just regular landscapers, enough credit.
Two summers ago, Pete shaped the bushes in front of our house into perfect squares and rectangles and my mind was blown.
So imagine how you’ll feel walking around Greenwood during the South Carolina Festival of Flowers when there are dozens of gorgeous topiaries scattered around town. The topiaries are on display for a few weeks, but the unveiling and festival around them happen annually in June.
This year’s festival is happening June 6 to 9 and we have all the details below.
The South Carolina Festival Of Flowers takes place in uptown Greenwood, SC.
If you’re traveling to the city of Greenwood for it and you’re looking for other things to do while you’re in town, check out our Things To Do In Greenwood, SC post.
South Carolina Festival Of Flowers History
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Bryan Adams sings about the Summer of ’69, but to talk about the OG SC Festival of Flowers, we have to go back to the year before: the summer of ’68. It was then that the town of Greenwood was celebrating the 100th anniversary of the George W. Park Seed Company.
The Park Seed Company, which its known as now, was originally started by a then 15-year-old George Park in his home state of Pennsylvania. He decided to pack up seeds from his backyard and sell them to friends, families, and anyone who found him through an advertisement he purchased in a newspaper. That ad cost $3.50 and made $6.50 in orders. And that was that. Park Seed Company was born.
Don’t tell me kids don’t have good ideas because the mail-order seed business boomed.
George Park married one of his customers, Carol Mary Barrat, and they moved to Florida. But, Florida was just too hot for seeds, so they eventually settled in Carol’s hometown of Greenwood. Annually, the Park Seed Company would hold grower’s days when tons of visitors would come to purchase seeds.
Not to see those tourism dollars go to waste, the town of Greenwood held the first Festival Of Flowers to showcase the rest of the town. It’s been held annually since, expanding to include over three dozen topiaries in 2008.
Quick follow up on the Park Seed Company: It’s still operating in Greenwood. Park’s family owned and ran the company until 2005. It was most recently acquired five years later for over $12 million.
South Carolina Festival Of Flowers: Frequently Asked Questions
Before we get to the schedule, let’s answer some questions about the festival.
The main weekend of the South Carolina Festival Of Flowers is June 6 to 9.
The South Carolina Festival Of Flowers is held in uptown Greenwood, SC.
There’s a ton of free street parking around uptown Greenwood, SC that’s accessible during the festival.
South Carolina Festival Of Flowers Schedule Of Events
The topiary sculptures will be on display throughout Greenwood from June 1 through July. If you’re coming into town for the SC Festival Of Discovery in July, the majority of the topiaries will still be on display then.
There’s free admission to the festival and its events unless otherwise noted.
Thursday, May 30
Youth Juried Art Show: A juried art show for students in grades 1 to 12 will be held. The artwork will be on display at the Arts Center of Greenwood from May 30 to June 6. Cash prizes will be given to the winners.
Saturday, June 1
Emerald City Car Show: The car show will be held at the Fountain in Uptown Greenwood from 9 am to noon. Trophies will be awarded to the top 20 cars.
Wednesday, June 5
The First Americans: The kid-friendly exhibit opens and will be available for viewing at The Greenwood Museum (106 Main St N.) from 10 am to 5 pm. Admission is free.
Ladies Luncheon: A lunch, featuring speaker comedian Pam Stone, will be held at Family Event Center, Piedmont Technical College (620 S. Emerald Road). Lunch and mimosas will be served. Tickets are required.
Thursday, June 6
Juried Art Show: An adult juried art show will be held. The artwork will be on display at the Arts Center of Greenwood from June 8 to August 4. Cash prizes will be given to the winners.
Ryan Pitts and the Southern Gentlemen: The band will perform from 6:30 pm to 8 pm at Uptown Greenwood at the Fountain (414 Main Street). Food trucks and beer/wine will be available for purchase.
The First Americans: The kid-friendly exhibit is be available for viewing at The Greenwood Museum (106 Main St N.). At 5 pm, the main weekend exhibit reception is being held. Admission is free and open to the public.
Youth Juried Art Show Reception and Awards Ceremony: Prizes for the juried art show will be held at the Arts Center of Greenwood from 5 pm to 6:30 pm.
Friday, June 7
Food Trucks: At Uptown Market Greenwood from 10 am to 6 pm.
Juried Arts & Crafts Show: At Main Street United Methodist Church from 10 am to 6 pm.
Garden Tours: Held from 10 am to 5 pm at the Horticulture Gardens and Greenhouse at Piedmont Technical College (720 South Emerald Road), The John & Elizabeth Holman Community Garden at Wesley Commons (1110 Marshall Road), The Elsley Shade Garden (520 Bryte Street), and Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Gardens at the Gleamns Site (229 N. Hospital Street).
Railroad Historical Center Tours: At the Railroad Historical Center from 10 am to 4 pm. Tickets are required.
SC Festival of Flowers Junior Tournament: The tennis tournament will be held at Greenwood Country Club at 4 pm.
Wizard Of Oz: The play will be performed at the Greenwood Community Theatre (110 Main St North) at 7:30 pm. Tickets are required.
Saturday, June 8
Flower Power Fun Run: The 8K, 5K, and 1 mile runs begin at the Uptown Fountain. Check in begins at 7 am. Prizes will be awarded for the top finishers.
Food Trucks: At Uptown Market Greenwood from 10 am to 6 pm.
Garden Tours: Held from 10 am to 5 pm at the Horticulture Gardens and Greenhouse at Piedmont Technical College (720 South Emerald Road), The John & Elizabeth Holman Community Garden at Wesley Commons (1110 Marshall Road), The Elsley Shade Garden (520 Bryte Street), and Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Gardens at the Gleamns Site (229 N. Hospital Street).
Juried Arts & Crafts Show: At Main Street United Methodist Chuch from 10 am to 6 pm.
Kidfest: Featuring arts, crafts, demonstrations, and more at Uptown Market Greenwood from 9 am to 12 pm.
Railroad Historical Center Tours: At the Railroad Historical Center from 10 am to 4 pm. Tickets are required.
SC Festival of Flowers Junior Tournament: The tennis tournament will be held at Greenwood Country Club at 8:30 am.
Topiaries, Tastings, and Tunes: There will be live music in the street while you stroll and enjoy beer and wine tastings from local vendors in town. It start at 5:30 pm. Tickets are required and a souvenir wine glass is included.
Wizard of Oz: The play will be performed at the Greenwood Community Theatre (110 Main St North) at 2 pm. Tickets are required.
Sunday, June 9
Ice Cream Social: The whole family is invited to tour Cokesbury College and eat ice cream from 2 pm to 4 pm.
SC Festival of Flowers Junior Tournament: The tennis tournament will be held at Greenwood Country Club at 9 am.
Wizard Of Oz: The play will be performed at the Greenwood Community Theatre (110 Main St North) at 2 pm. Tickets are required.
Saturday, June 15
Bee Buzzin’ Bike Tour: A bike tour with three routes (63 miles, 30 miles, or 20 miles) around Greenwood, ending with lunch at Uptown Greenwood by 2 pm.
Garden Symposium: The symposium will feature keynote speakers, lunch, and more. At Wesley Commons (1110 Marshall Road) from 9 am to 4 pm. Tickets are required.
Sunday, June 16
Flag Day Ceremony: Hosted by the Knights of Columbus at the Flagpole at Howard’s on Main (330 Main Street) at 6 pm.
Thursday, June 20
Pollinator Week Scavenger Hunt: Walk from the Arts Center to the Uptown Farmers Market and the Oak Avenue Pollinator Rain garden on a scavenger hunt to find pollinators and plants from 10 am to 11:30 am. Prizes will be given out.
Where to stay for the South Carolina Festival Of Flowers?
If you’re looking for places to stay in the Greenwood area during the South Carolina Festival Of Flowers, we found a few hotels for you to choose from:
Things To Do in Greenwood, SC:
If you’re heading to Greenwood for the flower festival and you’re looking for some other things to do when you’re in town, we absolutely suggest heading over to Lake Greenwood State Park. The state park has hiking and nature trails (which we hiked last time we were in town), fishing piers, places to camp, and more.
You’re also really close to Abbeville, home of the haunted Belmont Inn. We stayed there last year (and my mom actually got haunted!).
More South Carolina Festivals:
Greenwood also hosts the South Carolina Festival Of Discovery in July, which we went to in 2022 and had such a good time at.
And let me tell you, if you like barbecue, you need to put that festival on your calendar. It’s a great one. And, if you do like barbecue, Abbeville is a short drive from Greenwood and it hosts the Hogs & Hens BBQ Festival in the fall.
And, not too far away in Sumter, SC, there’s the Iris Festival, which is the oldest festival in South Carolina.
Have you been to the South Carolina Festival Of Flowers? Let us know what you thought in the comments.
chickenruby
Friday 30th of June 2023
We have 'open gardens' here and gardening shows held locally we love to visit, this one is a bit too far away for us to visit, sadly, but looks a great.
Linda Primmer
Sunday 18th of June 2023
So pretty and so much fun.
Cara ~ Vintage Style Gal
Tuesday 13th of June 2023
Thanks for sharing the backstory, I bet he never fathomed his business would sell for $12 million dollars all those years ago! Fascinating. I love those small town stories. <3
Patrick Weseman
Friday 9th of June 2023
That looks so very cool.
Sognafaret
Thursday 8th of June 2023
Wow that was realy amazing