Bloom Charleston

The the Charleston Parks Conservancy created a brand new garden and design festival for fall 2025, and they're going big.  They haven't announced plans for 2026 so stay tuned, but it looks to become an annual event.  Bloom Charleston’s tagline for this year is: “Celebrate the Unveiling of Charleston’s First Idea Garden.”   They’ve got a fancy Friday garden party gala planned (complete with the Charleston Symphony), some major league talent coming into town, and a family-friendly festival all day Saturday.

Here are the details:

• The location: Colonial Lake downtown, encircled by its lovingly landscaped gardens; 
• Dates: Friday and Saturday, October 17th - 18th, 2025;
• Gardening and design luminaries like Idea Garden designer Molly Hendry, author/designer Ryan McEnaney, Miranda Crowell (Garden Editor at Better Homes & Gardens), Michael Perry and Lucy the Flower Hunter;
• Friday night: Opening Night Garden Party  -   an all-inclusive celebration with chef-curated Lowcountry menu, live performances by the Charleston Symphony, special floral installations and a rare plant auction;
• Saturday: 9:30-4:30, a free public celebration day, with ribbon cutting, expert talks, docent-led garden tours, author book signings, Plants from Your Parks Plant Sale, Children’s Pavilion with hands-on activities, live music, art demonstrations, and interactive workshops.