VALDOSTA — The Valdosta-Lowndes County Azalea Festival returns Saturday and Sunday this weekend. Featuring local entertainment, vendors and numerous activities for participants of all ages, the Azalea Festival has become an expected March treat for the area for the past decade.
Hard to believe, but it’s true. This will be the 10th Annual Azalea Festival.
In 2000, organizers had an idea of celebrating the community through the blooms of our azaleas. Why not create a festival that celebrates Valdosta-Lowndes County’s community spirit while honoring the region’s abundance of azalea blooms each March? After all, the flower had earned Valdosta the nickname of the Azalea City many years earlier.
In March 2001, the first Azalea Festival was a one-day affair in Drexel Park. It has grown and adapted each year since.
Through the years, hundreds of people have made the Azalea Festival possible and shaped what it has become. The participation of thousands of area residents and visitors have made it an annual success.
The festival is named for the region’s azaleas, a plant that blooms for a brief and beautiful period around this time of year. With a cooler than normal winter, the blooms may not be as abundant this year, but the festival should still shine.
For more than the blooms, the Azalea Festival celebrates the people and things that make Valdosta-Lowndes County a beautiful place to live throughout the year.
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