Over 100,000 gardening enthusiasts are expected to kick off the summer with Hendersonville’s 23rd annual Garden Jubilee Festival on May 28-29 from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Over 170 vendors will line the city’s historic Main Street, offering a dizzying variety of plants, garden art, tools, outdoor furniture, planters, wind chimes and birdhouses.
Shoppers are advised to bring wagons to transport their purchases, but the Garden Jubilee hospitality tent also offers a secure place to leave plants and other items while continuing to shop. Located in front of the historic courthouse between First and Second avenues, the hospitality tent will also provide a festival map and vendor directory.
Visitors can also shop at downtown Hendersonville’s unique retail stores, while over 30 local restaurants offer a variety of dining options. Event coordinator Michael Arrowood advises that pets should be left at home, since a city ordinance prohibits bringing animals into the event area.
The Lowe’s Expo at the Hendersonville Visitor Center at 201 S. Main St. will feature workshops, plants, patio displays, outdoor furniture and equipment, along with representatives and free samples from several national garden-product companies. The Lowe’s Kids Clinic will offer free hands-on projects for children ages 4-12 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
Southern Living landscape and gardening specialist Bill Slack will host gardening workshops at the Lowe’s Expo. On Saturday, Slack will speak on “Gorgeous Landscape: Maximum Beauty/Minimum Effort” at 11 a.m.; “Annuals & Perennials: Colorful Garden Accessories” at 1 p.m.; and “Help! I don’t have sun in my yard” at 3 p.m. On Sunday, Slack again presents “Gorgeous Landscape: Maximum Beauty/Minimum Effort” at 1 p.m. and “Annuals & Perennials: Colorful Garden Accessories” at 3 p.m.
For more information on the Garden Festival, call the Henderson County Tourism Development Authority at (828) 693-9708 or (800) 828-4244. For information on lodging or dining, go to www.visithendersonvillenc.org.
