Time to Celebrate Spring! at Callaway Gardens - Dates and Special Events Announced

March 7, 2012 - PRLog -- PINE MOUNTAIN, GA – It is time to celebrate the arrival of Spring. Callaway Gardens offers a seemingly endless array of choices to celebrate the beauty of the season with Celebrate Spring!  

Theme weekends March 22 and through April 22 feature a series of family activities, workshops, seminars, events and unparalleled family fun…all set against the backdrop of one of the most gorgeous natural settings in America.  Callaway Gardens’ world-famous azalea displays move front and center.  Home of the world’s largest azalea garden, the Callaway Brothers Azalea Bowl, Callaway Gardens is a site to behold during Springtime.

Gardening earns the spotlight from March 22 through March 25, when Gardening in the Gardens weekend is highlighted by the Callaway Gardens Annual Plant Fair and Sale.  Admission to the Plant Fair is free.  (Guests can pay gate admission to visit the Gardens and its many attractions.)  This popular annual event features select nurserymen from around the Southeast showcasing their specialty plants and vendors selling unique garden-themed items beginning on Thursday (3 p.m. to 7 p.m.); Friday and Saturday (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and Sunday (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.).  Friday marks the return of the Callaway Gardening School, featuring author and TV personality Erica Glasener offering the latest and greatest tips for full-bloom gardening success.  To register for the school, call 706-663-5153 or email education@callawaygardens.com.

Flavors of the Gardens will be the theme for March 30 through April 1.  Those wanting to learn to grow their own flavors will want to attend “Vegetable Gardening A to Z” with Walter Reeves and Chris Jackson of Jenny Jack Sun Farms on Friday, March 30, 2012.  Guests can participate in a Wine Tasting ($15 per person) at the Mountain Creek Inn on March 30.  The Callaway Gardens Culinary Team will offer a unique opportunity on Saturday evening to watch our chef prepare his delectable open-faced pork sliders, then savor an Alfresco Dinner on Mountain Creek Lake featuring local, sustainable and organic foods. The dinner is $65 per person. To make reservations, call 1-800-CALLAWAY (225-5292) and ask for ext. 6832 or 706-663-6832.  A Spring Market will feature produce, meats and crafts for the local region.  Throughout the weekend, visitors will have the opportunity to sample Callaway Gardens’ signature items, as well as a few surprises.
Easter is always a perfect time for Renewal in the Gardens, especially at Callaway, and this year is certainly no exception.  Easter Weekend, April 7 and 8, join the Easter Bunny for a fun-filled holiday showcasing a variety of activities highlighted by the annual Easter Egg Hunts on Saturday from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (don’t forget to bring your Easter basket).  Easter floral displays at the Sibley Horticultural Center always add to the beauty.  The traditional topiary exhibit includes chicks, bunnies, eggs and more.  Guests will be awed by one of the Southeast’s largest display of Easter Lilies.  On Sunday morning, celebrate the meaning of the day with a moving lakeside sunrise service led by Reverend Max McCord beginning at 7:30 a.m.  Admission is free of charge until 8 a.m.  Following the service, attendees may want to enjoy a traditional Easter brunch featuring a variety of delicious options from Callaway Gardens’ culinary team.  To make reservations, call 1-800-CALLAWAY (225-5292) ext. 6832 or 706-663-6832.  For details, visit www.callawaygardens.com/easter.

Sounds of the Gardens will be the theme April 12 through 15, when guests can explore the Gardens searching for the natural sounds of birds, water and more.  Music wafting through the trees will add to the experience of visiting on a beautiful Spring day. And, returning for the fifth year, Symphony on the Sand featuring the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will be on Friday, April 13, with a concert under the stars on Robin Lake Beach.  Tickets, tables of eight and picnic baskets are available for reservation at www.callawaygardens.com/aso.  There is savings to purchase online tickets in advance.

Colors of the Gardens takes center stage April 20 through 22 as the third annual Plein Air Paint Out, Art Show and Sale finishes up with an exhibit available to guests.  Thirty-nine juried artists from throughout the United States will be on hand to capture the beauty of Spring in their works of art.  Throughout the weekend, guests will be able to view and purchase these works so new that the paint may still be wet.  For more details on Plein Air, visit www.callawaygardens.com/pleinair.   

In addition, guests can enjoy the year-round attraction favorites including TreeTop Adventure, an aerial course of 25 obstacles and ziplines in the trees, the acclaimed Birds of Prey shows, butterflies in free flight at the Day Butterfly Center, touring the Gardens on the 10-mile Discovery Bicycle Trail, newly planted gardens in Mr. Cason’s Vegetable Garden, quiet moments at the Ida Cason Callaway Memorial Chapel and more.  

Callaway Gardens is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Callaway Gardens special event admission for Celebrate Spring! is $25/adult; $12.50/child (ages 6-12); and children 5 and under are admitted for free.  Tax is included.  Most activities occur from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.   A small fee may be charged for some activities. An Annual Pass is a great way to enjoy Callaway Gardens’ many events and seasons.  For more information, visit www.callawaygardens.com/annualpass.

Make your reservations for Callaway Gardens’ Celebrate Spring! Weekends by calling 1-800-CALLAWAY (225-5292).  Overnight lodging is available for those interested in a quick getaway.  For more information, visit www.callawaygardens.com.  For news, special offers and more, click “like” at www.facebook.com/callawaygardens.com.

*Details subject to change

About Callaway Gardens
For 60 years, Callaway Gardens has provided “a place of relaxation, inspiration and a better understanding of the living world” for millions of visitors.  Owned and operated by the non-profit Ida Cason Callaway Foundation, Callaway Gardens includes a garden, resort, preserve and residential community on 13,000 acres in Pine Mountain, Georgia.  Highlights include a butterfly conservatory, horticultural center, discovery center, chapel, inland beach, nature trails and special events throughout the year.

In addition, Callaway Gardens offers nearly 80,000 square feet of meeting space, 685 guest rooms, restaurants, shops, golf, tennis, fishing and more.

Five unique, close-knit residential communities--with custom home sites, lakefront properties and cottages on the golf course – offer an ideal home away from home or full-time residence.

Callaway Gardens is home to a 4,610-acre forest preserve which is under conservation easement.  This conserved, sustainably-managed land is used for biological studies and environmental education programs.

Note to Editors:  Images, interviews and visits to the event can be arranged.  Thank you.

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A gardens, resort, preserve and community, owned and operated by the non-profit Ida Cason Callaway Foundation, offering "So Much to See and Do" while "Connecting Man and Nature in a way that Benefits Both." Located in Pine Mountain, Georgia.