Callaway Resort & Gardens’ New Celebrate SPRING! Festival Presented by Humana Features the Sights, Sounds, and Flavors of the Season

[Pine Mountain, GA – February 27, 2024] — As the days grow longer and the temperatures rise, Callaway Resort & Gardens invites guests to the eagerly awaited two-month-long festival, “Celebrate SPRING!” This immersive experience includes hundreds of thousands of bright blooms, live music, delicious new flavors, and activities for all ages. The event marks the debut of Colors of Callaway, a limited-time art installation of nearly 150 floating umbrellas, Tulip Days at Cason’s Garden in March, Acoustic Sunset Hour on Fridays in the garden, and a new St. Patrick’s Day weekend festival called Irish Bloom Weekend. Beloved Callaway traditions, including a lakeside Easter Egg Hunt and Symphony on the Sand, also return for Celebrate SPRING! From March 1 to April 28, Celebrate SPRING! showcases the season’s beauty in a family-friendly and festive atmosphere.

“With our worldwide famous azaleas, 150,000 breathtaking tulips at Cason’s Garden, nature-inspired crafts and workshops, live music by the lake and in the gardens, and enticing food options like a Farm-to-Table Earth Day dinner, our Celebrate SPRING! Festival truly provides visitors uplifting reasons to get outside and play during this season of renewal,” says Chris Lutz, Callaway Resort & Gardens vice president and general manager. “We’re also thrilled to add the new, family-friendly Irish Bloom Weekend, where everyone has the luck of the Irish!”

Debuting at Cason's Garden, Colors of Callaway mosaic sky is a new, enchanting art installation featuring a vibrant kaleidoscope of umbrellas. This captivating display transforms the garden into a rainbow wonderland, creating a unique and striking picture moment for visitors.

For even more color, guests can witness one of the world’s largest azalea blooms, wander through a field of more than 150,000 colorful tulips during Tulip Days, and explore garden-themed topiaries covered in fragrant flowers.

During Acoustic Sunset Hours every Friday, visitors can find a spot in the gardens and soak in the sunset views while enjoying live music, wine, and a picnic dinner. On Saturdays and Sundays, a dynamic blend of live music performances takes place in Cason’s Garden so guests can immerse themselves in the harmonious beauty of spring. Visitors can also indulge in the season’s flavors with delicious wines, brews, and bites such as BBQ brisket sandwiches, bourbon glazed pork belly skewers, and sweet grilled corn on the cob.

A range of special events take place on prime days during the Celebrate SPRING! Festival. During St. Patrick’s Day, all ages celebrate with the first annual Irish Bloom Weekend - where the lush beauty of spring combines with the vibrant spirit of Ireland to offer a variety of activities, including live music, Irish-themed entertainment, kids’ workshops, a beer garden, and delicious food. Later in the season, visitors are encouraged to gather their baskets and hop to Callaway to enjoy Easter Weekend with the annual egg hunts on Robin Lake Beach, Sunrise Service, and a delicious Easter Brunch. The Celebrate SPRING! Festival concludes with a stirring performance by Columbus State University’s Orchestra at Symphony on the Sand, creating an enchanting night where the symphony's melodic beauty meets Mother Nature’s breathtaking backdrop on Robin Lake Beach.

Spring comes naturally at Callaway Resort & Gardens. From March 1 to April 28, the 2,500-acre garden paradise comes alive during the Celebrate SPRING! Festival with the sights, sounds, and flavors of the season, offering an array of activities for day visitors and those seeking an overnight escape.

Celebrate SPRING!

SIGHTS

• Colors of Callaway

  • Daily, 3/1 – 4/28
  • Making its debut at Cason's Garden, the Colors of Callaway art installation presents a colorful mosaic sky of umbrellas and streamers.

• Tulip Days

  • Daily, 3/1 – 3/17
  • In Cason's Garden, a field of over 150,000 vibrant tulips blooms, creating an unforgettable floral display.

• Irish Bloom Weekend

  • 3/16 – 3/17
  • All ages come together to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at the first annual Irish Bloom Weekend, where the lush beauty of spring combines with the vibrant spirit of Ireland including live music, Irish-themed entertainment, kids’ workshops, a beer garden, and delicious food.

• Annual Plant Fair & Sale

  • 3/22 – 3/24
  • Spring kicks off with an exceptional shopping opportunity featuring a wide variety of plants and garden items from more than a dozen local and regional vendors.

• Easter Weekend

  • 3/29 – 3/31
  • Visitors are encouraged to gather their baskets and hop to Callaway to enjoy Easter fun all weekend long. It is an eggs-tra special time of year with annual egg hunts on the shores of Robin Lake Beach, Sunrise Church Service, and a delicious Easter Brunch buffet* in the Piedmont Dining Room. *Reservations and additional purchase required

• Birdfest

  • 4/7
  • The one-day festival features bird walks, nature-based workshops, arts and crafts, live bird shows, kids’ games, and guest speakers.

• Earth Day Skies: Stargazing in the Gardens

  • 4/19
  • Guests celebrate Earth Day with a night under the stars with the Coca-Cola Space & Science Center. Attendees can look through telescopes and identify stars, planets, and constellations in the night sky.

• Nature Workshops

  • Select weekdays, 3/1 – 4/28
  • Participants engage in hands-on learning with workshops such as gardening, painting, flower pressing, herbal tea making, smudge bundling, and wellness.

• Lakeside Yoga

  • Sundays, 3/3 – 4/28
  • Individuals start their week on a positive note by participating in rejuvenating Lakeside Yoga on Sunday mornings in the Gardens.

• Kids Crafts

  • Saturdays & Sundays, 3/2 – 4/28
  • Kids enjoy an hour of nature-based crafts surrounded by the gorgeous tulips in Cason’s Garden.

• Overlook Azalea Gardens

  • Daily, 3/1 – 4/28
  • Guests witness the breathtaking beauty of one of the world's largest azalea blooms.

• Callaway Brothers Azalea Bowl

  • Daily, 3/1 – 4/28
  • This 40-acre garden houses more than 3,000 native and hybrid azaleas, exploding into a colorful palette of pink, red, lavender, and white blooms.

• Garden Topiaries

  • Daily, 3/1 – 4/28
  • Visitors explore garden-themed topiaries throughout Callaway Gardens, including towering butterflies, a larger-than-life owl, and a proud peacock – all crafted from beautiful blooms.

• Gardens Recreation

  • Daily, 3/1 – 4/28
  • In the fresh Pine Mountain air, individuals enjoy a stroll or bike through a blanket of blossoms, and the more adventurous can even zipline over the lake.

SOUNDS

• Acoustic Sunset Hour

  • Fridays, 3/1 – 4/26
  • Every Friday, visitors can find a spot on the picturesque grounds and soak in the views of the sunset, while enjoying relaxing live music, wine, and a perfect picnic dinner.

• Cason’s Garden Live Music

  • Saturdays & Sundays, 3/2 – 4/28
  • Guests are invited to immerse themselves in the harmonious beauty of spring with a dynamic blend of live acoustic music performances in the afternoon every Saturday and Sunday.

• Chapel Organ Concerts

  • Daily, 3/1 – 4/28
  • Nestled in a serene forest surrounding Falls Creek Lake, the Ida Cason Callaway Memorial Chapel, inspired by 16th-century Gothic chapels, features a custom-built Möller pipe organ which rings majestically during daily spring concerts.

• Symphony on the Sand

  • 4/27
  • The beauty of the symphony meets Mother Nature's breathtaking backdrop as the season concludes with a stirring performance by Columbus State University's Orchestra at Symphony on the Sand, taking place on the shores of Robin Lake Beach.

FLAVORS

• Picnics at Acoustic Sunset Hour

  • Fridays, 3/1 – 4/26
  • Guests bring their own picnic or purchase one at while watching the brilliant sunset colors lakeside while listening to live music.

• Cason’s Beer & Wine Garden

  • Saturdays & Sundays, 3/2 – 4/28
  • Visitors indulge in the flavors of spring with delicious bites, brews, and wines in Cason's Beer & Wine Garden. The menu features items such as BBQ brisket sandwich, pickled Vidalia onion slaw, bourbon glazed pork belly skewers, pimento mac & cheese, and sweet grilled corn on the cob.

• Spring Harvest & Vine

  • 4/20
  • Attendees celebrate Earth Day outdoors in Cason’s Garden by indulging in a five-course Farm-to-Table dinner highlighting farms located near Callaway Gardens. *Reservations and additional purchase required

Guests can extend the spring celebration with an overnight stay at Callaway Resort & Gardens. Choices include luxurious lodge accommodations, cozy cottages, or private villas nestled within the natural beauty of the Gardens. More information and packages at: Packages | Callaway Resort & Gardens (callawaygardens.com)

Tickets include one-day admission to all Celebrate SPRING! Festival activities, Callaway Gardens, the tropical Cecil B. Day Butterfly Conservatory, educational Callaway Discovery Center, live Birds of Prey Shows, miles of nature trails, the Discovery Bicycle Trail, peaceful Ida Cason Callaway Memorial Chapel, Robin Lake Beach, and Cason’s Garden. Tickets can also be purchased on-site. Tickets are available at Celebrate Spring! | Callaway Resort & Gardens (callawaygardens.com). Advance purchase is highly recommended.

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ABOUT CALLAWAY RESORT & GARDENS

Imagined and created by Cason and Virginia Callaway more than seven decades ago, Callaway Resort & Gardens is a refuge from everyday stresses for millions of visitors. Callaway Resort & Gardens is an ever-changing 2,500-acre historic woodland garden with miles of nature trails designed to celebrate the area’s natural beauty and native species, encouraging families to get outdoors and naturally connect with each other and with nature. Located just over an hour from Atlanta, the resort is tucked away in picturesque Pine Mountain, Georgia, recently named by Southern Living as one of the “15 Best Places to Travel in the South in March” and by Forbes as “the best place to travel for families in 2024.” Activities and recreation include biking, hiking, golfing, birdwatching, swimming, ziplining, canoeing, fishing, or simply unwinding at the spa. With a tropical butterfly conservatory, a lakeside white sand beach, and special events, every season offers different things to experience. Resort accommodations include 300 guest rooms at a full-service lodge or family-friendly cottages and villas with living rooms, full-size kitchens, screened patios, fireplaces, and barbecues all included. Resort amenities include a world-class spa, thirty-six holes of golf, and a variety of restaurants. More information and reservations are available at www.callawaygardens.com or 1-800-CALLAWAY.

Note to editors:

Hi-res images and videos are available for download at the following link (credit Callaway Resort & Gardens):

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/cemihu3ib88tqanrnzllr/h?rlkey=ch0v5q0fngxxij4kb7bsbvq2f&dl=0

Celebrate SPRING! Festival (March 1 - April 28) - Dropbox