Events & Festivals

We invite you to come explore world-renowned flower shows, prowl herb fairs and perennial plant sales for new finds, tickle your tastebuds with Ohio wines, take notes on other people’s gardens on a house and garden tour, experience ancient gardening techniques and enjoy the arts at one of the country’s oldest juried shows set in a botanical garden.

Below is a sampling of Ohio’s numerous and varied garden events and festivals taking place in 2006. To search for additional events, seminars, guest speakers at various sites, exclusive tours and more, click here to explore the DiscoverOhio.com events database.

Trains Across The Valley at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens(April 1 – Dec. 31)
714 N. Portage Path, Akron, OH 44303

Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens hosts "Trains Across The Valley," a special garden-gauge train exhibit in the Corbin Conservatory. Created by renowned train enthusiast Paul G. Busse, "Trains Across The Valley" is an imaginative trainscape, incorporating leaves, twigs, bark, pinecones, and acorns to create familiar and recognizable local landmarks, including the Everett Covered Bridge, the Goodyear World Headquarters Clock Tower and the Goodyear Wingfoot Lake Airship Hangar (Goodyear Airdock). Three garden-gauge trains loop through the exhibit, including a model train version of the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad's signature red and yellow engine that runs through Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Additional Information: http://www.stanhywet.org/ or (330) 836-5533

Adena’s Heirloom Plant Day (April 29 – May 7, 2006)
Ohio Historical Society, Box 831 Adena Rd., Chillicothe, OH 45601

Browse through a wonderful selection of heirloom and modern plants available for sale and grown onsite. A limited number of hanging baskets will be available. Proceeds will go toward maintaining the historic gardens and greenhouse.
Additional Information: http://www.ohiohistory.org/places/adena or (800) 319-7248

International Butterfly Show at Krohn Conservatory (May 6 – June 18, 2006)
Krohn Conservatory in Eden Park, 950 Eden Park Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45202

The 2006 International Butterfly Show will feature more than 10,000 butterflies from all corners of the world. This year’s theme is Butterflies Down Under. Visitors can see butterflies up close and personal as the butterflies fly freely within the conservatory.
Additional Information: http://www.butterflyshow.com or (513) 421-5707

Lakeside Daisy Open House (May 13, 2006)
Located on the east side of Alexander Pike, ½ mile south of State Route 163, Marblehead, OH

The Lakeside Daisy (Hymenoxys herbacea) is the rarest of more than 200 plants currently listed as endangered in Ohio and is a federally threatened plant species. The Lakeside Daisy Preserve on the Marblehead Peninsula opens to the general public for just one day each year. Naturalists will be on hand to guide tours and answer questions. The preserve was established to protect the only U.S. population of the Lakeside Daisy, which grows in only two other sites, both in Canada.
Additional Information: http://www.ohiodnr.com/dnap/location/lakeside_daisy.html or (800) 441-1271

Gazebo Garden Walk (May 13, 2006)
Howk Memorial Park, Intersection of State Route 58 & State Route 18, Wellington, OH 44090

Stroll through displays of unique antiques and gardening items from some of the area's finest crafters and vendors. This annual event is held the Saturday before Mother's Day and features more than 100 dealers offering many one-of-a-kind items for your home or garden.
Additional Information: info@mainstreetwellington.com or (440) 647-3987

Herb & Perennial Sale at Gantz Park (May 13, 2006)
2255 Home Road, Grove City, OH 43123

The focus of the Gardens at Gantz Park is herbs. In that spirit the city of Grove City Parks and Recreation Department sponsors an Herb and Perennial sale at the gardens every year.
Additional Information: http://www.discoverohio.com/search/detail.asp?ID=53641&SearchID=536547 or (614) 871-6323

Annual Spring Plant Exchange (May 20, 2006)
Blue Rock Station, 1190 Virginia Ridge Road, Philo, OH 43771

Bring plants, seeds, gardening publications, decorations...anything for the garden to barter, sell or trade. Reservations are a must. Attend workshops and have great fun learning about gardening or sharing knowledge.
Additional Information:www.bluerockstation.com or (740) 674-4300

Herb Week (May 13-20, 2006)
Gahanna Historical Society Complex, 101 South High St., Gahanna, OH 43230

Celebrate with an entire weeklong extravaganza of herbs in Gahanna, The Herb Capital of Ohio! Join the Herb Education Center and a host of Gahanna businesses as they offer seminars from renowned presenters on how to create the perfect edible garden, how to put a kick in your cocktail reception, create herb-infused cuisine and make your home into an herbal spa. The week of activities and demonstrations ends with the annual Herb Festival on May 20. This premier event features crafts, herbs, tours and demonstrations. Step back in time and visit an historic working log house and Victorian Inn, while learning about the many culinary and medicinal uses for herbs throughout the years.
Additional Information on Herb Week: www.VisitGahanna.orgor (866) 424-2662

Additional Information on the Herb Festival: (614) 475-3342

Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens Plant Sale (May 27)
714 North Portage Path, Akron, OH 44303

The plant sale features sixty-five varieties of perennials and annuals, including Lisianthus, an unusual annual and Stan Hywet’s signature plant. All perennials are from divisions of plants from Stan Hywet's Great Garden. The plant sale takes place at the lower end of the parking lot. There is no charge for the plant sale; regular admission fees apply for guests who would like to tour the estate.
Additional Information : http://www.stanhywet.org/ or 888-836-5533

National City Ohio WineFest(June 2-3)
2nd Street Public Market, 600 E. 2 nd St. (corner of 2 nd & Webster), Dayton, OH 45414

Meet award-winning winemakers from across Ohio pouring their finest vintages. Tantalize your senses in an historic market setting featuring local growers, bakers and artists. Savor the experience with take-home bottles of your favorite wine. Friday, June 2, from 5 - 10:00 p.m., enjoy live music, wine sampling, great food from market vendors and an array of art, flowers, spices, soaps, yarn, home and garden decor and other items from locally-run shops. Saturday, June 3 is a free, family-friendly, fun day. Don’t miss culinary demonstrations, children’s activities, live musical entertainment and more.
Additional Information:http://www.2ndstreetpublicmarket.com/ or (937) 275-PARK

SunWatch Family Day: Gardening(June 3)
SunWatch Indian Village/Archaeological Park, 2301 West River Rd., Dayton, OH 45418

SunWatch is an archaeological site and reconstructed Fort Ancient Indian village that was inhabited 800 years ago. Tour reconstructed homes, and see the native garden and prairie . Come learn about prehistoric gardening techniques while helping to plant a reconstructed Native American garden.
Additional Information:www.sunwatch.org or (937) 268-8199

Quailcrest Farm Spring Garden Fair(June 10 – 11)
Quailcrest Farm, 2810 Armstrong Rd., Wooster, OH 44691

The garden-themed arts and crafts fair will include painters, wood carvers, blacksmith, jewelry, pottery, tole painting, antiques, furniture, dolls and clothing.
Additional Information:www.quailcrest.com or (330) 345-6722

Columbus Rose Festival (June 10-11)
3923 N. High Street, Columbus, OH 43214

The Columbus Rose Festival celebrates beauty, nature and the environment with a rose show, educational exhibits and workshops on plant care and floral design.
Additional Information: www.recparks.columbus.gov or (614) 645-3350

16th Annual Lebanon Garden Tour (June 24-25)
198 S. Broadway, Lebanon, OH 45036

Come see the beautiful gardens located in Historic Lebanon. All gardens are within walking distance of the Lebanon Train Station. This is a great way to spend a summer weekend!
Additional Information: http://www.cedarcitygardenclub.org or (513) 932-3430

A Summer’s Eve in the Gardens of Adena (June 24)
Ohio Historical Society, Box 831 Adena Rd., Chillicothe, OH 45601

Enjoy a pleasant summer evening in one of early Ohio’s loveliest gardens on the grounds of Adena State Memorial, the estate of Thomas Worthington, one of Ohio’s first senators and the state’s sixth Governor. It is widely believed that the view from Adena inspired Ohio’s state seal. The recently restored mansion and new education center are open for tours. Also included is a sumptuous champagne and dessert buffet and a concert in the garden by The Ohio Village Singers. Reservations are required.
Additional Information:http://www.ohiohistory.org/places/adena/ or (800) 319-7248

Crosby Festival of the Arts (June 24 - 25)
Toledo Botanical Garden, 5403 Elmer Dr., Toledo, OH 43615

Each year during the last weekend in June, the Toledo Botanical Garden hosts the Crosby Festival of the Arts – the oldest outdoor juried art festival in Ohio. The Botanical Garden provides a lush living color gallery for the fine art and professional artists that convene upon its grounds. Each year, a jury carefully selects approximately 225 artists from more than 800 applications. Artists and buyers alike appreciate the high quality of the exhibitions.
Additional Information: http://www.toledogarden.org or (419) 936-2986

German Village Haus und Garten Tour (June 25)
588 South Third St., Columbus, OH 43206

Visitors are cordially invited for this daylong celebration of innovative design and award winning restorations. Guests may meander through 12 homes and gardens at their own pace, while stopping to enjoy gardening demonstrations, unique shopping opportunities and a wide array of dining available throughout the Village. German Village consists of 233 acres of living history where the old meets the new in a revitalized community. More than 1,600 buildings have been renewed since 1960. The Village is one of the premier historic restorations in the world, and is the largest privately funded historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.
Additional Information: http://www.germanvillage.com or (614) 221-8888

Vintage Ohio Wine Festival (Aug. 4 – 5)
Lake Metroparks Farmpark, 8800 Chardon Rd., Kirtland, OH 44094

Vintage Ohio is held annually during the first full weekend in August at Lake Farmpark, an outdoor living science museum, just 25 miles east of Cleveland. Vintage Ohio presents three stages of live music, a spectacular Friday night fireworks display, a juried fine arts and crafts show, a designer lifestyles showcase, cooking demonstrations, a wine store, wine sampling from some of Ohio’s more than 90 wineries and several of the state’s finest restaurants and caterers.
Additional Information: http://www.ohiowines.org or (800) 227-6972

Autumn Harvest Fair (Aug. 9)
Blue Rock Station, 1190 Virginia Ridge Road, Philo, OH 43771

Bring plants, seeds, gardening publications, decorations...anything for the garden to barter, sell or trade. Reservations a must. Attend workshops on garden-variety insecticides, and Weeds Are Good. Enjoy a cup of tea and spend the entire day in the gardens at Blue Rock Station including the fabulous sunflower house where the songbirds never stop providing a concert. Then spend the night in a local B&B to enjoy the local history and quaint town of McConnelsville - a great way to spend the weekend.
Additional Information: http://www.bluerockstation.com or Reservations - (740) 674-4300

Tipp City Mum Festival (Sept. 22 – 24)
Downtown and Community Park, Tipp City, OH 45371

Tipp City has long been known for growing a large variety of mums. Today, the Tipp City Mum Festival celebrates this heritage. A parade strolls down historic Main Street and directly into City Park, where arts, crafts, games and entertainment are abundant. A full day can be enjoyed among this welcoming festival and its people.
Additional Information: http://www.tippcitymumfestival.org/

Fall Harvest Festival at Lake Farmpark (Sept. 23 – 24)
8800 Chardon Rd., Kirtland OH, 44094

Take a wagon ride to Festival Field, where you can taste fresh harvest soup, sample a variety of apples, watch apple butter being made and help press some apple cider. Venture on to the Plant Science Center and learn about honey harvesting, try some fresh picked veggies, enjoy browsing through the crafts or see the parade of antique tractors that helped revolutionize farming.
Additional Information: http://www.lakemetroparks.com/HTML/LFP/farmpark.html or (800)-366-3276

Barberton Mum Fest (Sept. 24 – 25)
576 W. Park Ave., Barberton, OH 44203

The Mum Festival sprang from a local business, Yoder Brothers Greenhouses. The enterprise began as a partnership of two hardworking Mennonite brothers, Menno and Ira Yoder. Today, more than 75 years since its founding, G. Ramsey Yoder, Menno’s grandson, heads Yoder Brothers, Inc., a company of 1,600 employees. Although the growing operations have moved south, the headquarters remain in Barberton and the company has grown to be a world leader in flower research and breeding as well as the third largest producer of mums in the world! Each year, more than one million mums are planted around Lake Anna for the Mum Festival weekend. Each guest will receive a potted mum. Dates may vary based on weather conditions.
Additional Information: http://www.cityofbarberton.com

African Violets Take a Ride (Sept. 29-30, 2006) 900 Park Avenue West, Mansfield, OH 44906

Please join the Ohio State African Violet Society in seeing hundreds of beautiful African violets, Gesneriads and designs in our annual show and sale. Vendors and Violet Society members will have plants, leaves and African violet related items for sale.
Consumer Information: http://www.avsa.org or (614) 444-6315

Cincinnati Flower and Farm Fest (Oct. 7 & 8 and 14 &15)
Coney Island, 6201 Kellogg Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45228

This wonderful event is fun for the entire family and is held annually during the first two weekends in October. Children are invited to dress in their most imaginative Halloween costumes and venture down the “Trick or Treat Trail” to receive treats from local sponsors each day. Adults enjoy flower and vegetable markets, inspirational fiber art, decorative pottery, bountiful exhibits and live music.
Additional Information: http://www.cincyflowershow.com or (513) 232-8230

Olde Thyme Herb Fair (Oct. 14 – 15)
2345 State Route 247, Manchester, OH 45144

Picture rows of white tents set amidst outdoor gardens; the scent of herbs and everlastings in the air. This festive event features live music, storytelling, herbal cooking classes, more than 175 artisans, basket making, wood carving and tons of plant material for sale. The Herb Fair occurs annually during the second weekend in October.
Additional Information: (800) 71-HERBS or (937) 549-2484