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South Carolina Festival Of Flowers 2023: Details & Full Schedule

The annual South Carolina Festival Of Flowers is taking place in Greenwood, SC from June 8 to 11, 2023. Get all the details about the festival in this post.

For more help planning your trip, check out all of our travel posts.

A topiary shaped like a mermaid with the words "South Carolina Festival Of Flowers (Details & Full Schedule)" digitally written above it.

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 8 to 11 and we have all the details below.

Four scenes from Greenwood, SC with the words "24 Hours In Greenwood, SC" digitally written over them.

​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.

What are the dates for the South Carolina Festival Of Flowers in Greenwood, South Carolina?

The main weekend of the South Carolina Festival Of Flowers is June 8 to 11.

Where is the South Carolina Festival Of Flowers held?

The South Carolina Festival Of Flowers is held in uptown Greenwood, SC.

Is there parking at the South Carolina Festival Of Flowers?

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, June 1

Celestial Bodies – Exploring Our Galaxy: 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.

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 June 1 to 10. Cash prizes will be given to the winners.

Wednesday, June 7

Ladies Luncheon: A lunch, featuring speaker Chakisse Newton, 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 8 

Celestial Bodies – Exploring Our Galaxy: 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.

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.

The WannaBeatles: The Beatles cover band will perform at 5:30 pm at Uptown Greenwood at the Fountain (414 Main Street). Food trucks and beer/wine will be available for purchase.

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 9

Food Trucks: At Uptown Market Greenwood from 10 am to 6 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.

Guys And Dolls: The play will be performed at the Greenwood Community Theatre (110 Main St North) at 7:30 pm. Tickets are required.

Juried Arts & Crafts Show: At Uptown Market Greenwood from 10 am to 6 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 4 pm.

Upstate Brass Band: The band will perform at Uptown Market Greenwood (220 Maxwell Avenue) from 2 pm to 4 pm.

Saturday, June 10

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.

Flower Power 5K: The road race will take place at the South Main Baptist Church (1000 S Main Street) at 8 am. Pre-registration is required.

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), Greenwood Extension Rain Garden (105 N University Street), and Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Gardens at the Gleamns Site (229 N. Hospital Street).

Guys And Dolls: The play will be performed at the Greenwood Community Theatre (110 Main St North) at 7:30 pm. Tickets are required.

Kidfest: Featuring arts, crafts, demonstrations, and more at Uptown Market Greenwood from 9 am to 12 pm.

Juried Arts & Crafts Show: At Uptown Market Greenwood from 10 am to 6 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.

Sunday, June 11

Flag Day Ceremony: Hosted by the Knights of Columbus at the Flagpole at Howard’s on Main (330 Main Street) at 6:30 pm.

Guys And Dolls: The play will be performed at the Greenwood Community Theatre (110 Main St North) at 2 pm. Tickets are required.

Ice Cream Social: The whole family is invited to tour Cokesbury College and eat ice cream from 2 pm to 5 pm.

SC Festival of Flowers Junior Tournament: The tennis tournament will be held at Greenwood Country Club at 9 am.

A woman checking into a hotel room.

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:

A fishing pier at Lake Greenwood State Park.

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!).

A woman buying food at a vendor tent at the South Carolina Festival Of Discovery.

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