Residents and visitors seem to agree that springtime is the best time of year to visit Savannah. Savannah bursts into bloom in the spring and flowering trees, colorful azaleas, and spring flowers are abundant in its beautiful squares, parks and private gardens. Temperatures are ideal (average high in April of 78 degrees with an average low of 53) for strolling and enjoying the outdoors, and many restaurants and cafes offer outdoor dining.
The city also emerges from a quiet winter with a burst of activities. In addition to our Slow Travel Gathering events and activities, we'll have a lot more to enjoy in Savannah the first weekend of April.
Savannah Garden and Antique Exposition
This annual exposition will be held the same weekend as our Gathering, April 4-6, at the Roundhouse Railroad Museum. There will be an “open air market” with over 50 booths of local, regional and national vendors selling plants, gardening accessories, gardening-related antiques, books, and gifts. The show includes demonstrations and speakers, and there are special walking tours of private gardens as well.
Garden Tours
Our group will just miss the Savannah Tour of Homes and Gardens March 28-30 (see Brenda’s post with more information here), but early arrivals can participate. There are also some tours with a garden theme; the Gates and Garden walk is one possibility.
Self-guided walking tours of private gardens are offered as part of the Garden and Antique Expo on Friday and Saturday. See more information here.
Another garden-related tour that’s part of the expo is the Forsyth Park Tree Walk hosted by the Savannah Tree Foundation on Sunday, April 6 from 1:00 - 2:40 p.m. Forty-minute tours leave from the Forsyth Park Fountain every 20 minutes starting at 1 pm. See more information here.
Savannah Music Festival
This annual festival is Georgia’s largest musical arts festival and features a variety of music (often involving renowned artists) in jazz, classical, blues, bluegrass, gospel and other styles of American and international roots music. The 2008 festival runs March 20 to April 5 and will be winding down during our Gathering, so interested Slow Travelers can enjoy some of the musical events that take place around the city. (There have been a couple of posts about this already-- see AppalAnnie's overview here.
Broughton Street International Festival
Each year the Savannah College of Art and Design hosts a free international festival on several blocks of Broughton Street (Savannah’s main downtown commercial street), and this year it will be during our Gathering, on Saturday, April 5 from 11 am to 3 pm. The festival features traditional music, dance, art and food and recognizes the diversity of SCAD’s international arts community. (Read about last year’s festival here.)
Savannah Spring Gem, Jewelry and Bead Show
This is another annual expo some Slow Travelers will want to check out. This show is held at the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center April 4, 5 & 6 and involves over 40 Exhibitors.
First Friday and First Saturday on the River
As luck (or maybe great planning ) will have it, our Savannah weekend is the first weekend of the month, a time of celebration in the warmer months. There will be fireworks on Friday night down on the waterfront and a street festival all along River Street on Saturday (9 am to 6 pm) featuring arts, crafts, fine foods, and entertainment.
It's cold in many parts of the USA, and I can't wait till spring. And what better place to be than Savannah this spring! (photo courtesy of the Savannah Area Convention and Visitors Bureau)
Join us for the Great Slow Travel Gathering in Savannah, Georgia, on April 4, 5, and 6, 2008.
Kathy
This message has been edited. Last edited by: kaydee,
Oh, those azaleas! How I miss them! Thank you! Thank you! The rhododendrons here in the mountains are lovely also, but the growing season in these parts is too short for those delightful spring blooms. And they didn't do well in the KC soil or climate either.
Our family home in New Jersey had azalea bushes all across the front of the house, and many neighbors had them also. When we lived in Greensboro (NC), we had azaleas in many different colors all over our property. The last time I spent any time in Georgia, which was a while ago, a friend and I drove down from Atlanta to Callaway Gardens for the azalea festival. I was in heaven!
Kaydee, I have been trying to book garden tour tickets for the Savannah Garden and Antique Exposition for a week now. I can't get anyone to answer the phone. I finally left a message on Friday afternoon. And I kept trying to phone them today. Then I realized that it is Martin Luther King Day in the USA and they are probably enjoying the day off.
I am so looking forward to getting tickets for this tour. I have my fingers crossed that it;s possible!
Marion, I wondered if you had gotten in touch with someone about the garden tour. Are you looking to do one of the walking tours? Maybe it's a one-person office and the person is on vacation or sick... who knows? But I know it's frustrating. These tours sound like a really special opportunity. Too many choices for the weekend, aren't there?!
I noticed they had an e-mail form on their site also-- did you try that?
Keep us posted in case others are looking for info too...
Kaydee, on Tuesday afternoon, they returned my call and I am now booked for the self-guided tour on Friday and Saturday! I paid with VISA. Having the tickets mailed to me cost an additional $2.
There are about 7-8 houses on each tour -- one day east of the park; one day west of the park -- and you can tour anytime you want between 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. I'm an early morning riser and intend to be there on the dot of 10!
I was told that they are still finalizing details of which gardens will be participating this year, and my tickets, along with a detailed map for each tour, will be sent to me by mail in mid- to late-February.
I am so much looking forward to seeing spring blossoms! Can't wait!
In yesterday's mail, I received a small envelope containing two tickets for the garden tour (Friday and Saturday).
Alas, they did not (as promised) enclose a map indicating the location of the gardens. When I booked the tickets, they had not finalized which gardens would be included.
I am going to contact them and find out where I need to go to pick up this vital information.
Slow Travel Talk 
) will have it, our Savannah weekend is the 
