Southern Blooms Festival

Rock City Gardens hosts its 10^th annual Southern Blooms Festival and Founder’s Day celebration, set in the natural beauty of Lookout Mountain with breathtaking views and lush plants and flowers lining the Enchanted Trail. Festivities are May 12-13 and 19-20 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and include “Walking in Frieda’s Footsteps” tours, free gardening advice and delicious southern cuisine.

Rock City’s 86^th anniversary is this spring, having opened on May 21, 1932. Southern Blooms honors the legacy of the attraction’s original gardener, Frieda Utermoehlen Carter. Guests can take a guided, historical tour to learn more about the gardens’ rich heritage at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily. The festival also offers gardening advice from Master Gardeners of Hamilton County, fairy garden workshops and interactive planting demonstrations with the horticulture team. Children receive an adventure passport upon entering the park and can participate in “Garden 2 Go” activities, as well as meet southern belles and Rocky the Elf!

Dining options include a one-of-a-kind view from Café 7, open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Try their Lavender-Hibiscus Ice Cream made by Clumpies, or a homemade chicken salad sandwich topped with an edible flower at the Big Rock Grill.

Rock City is also featuring an Enchanted Mother’s Day Lunch on Sunday, May 13 at 1 p.m. Skip the restaurant crowds with a reserved three-course meal set at a beautifully decorated table and a live harp performance. To make a reservation and get additional info on the scheduled Blooms activities, visit www.seerockcity.com/southernblooms.

Rock City’s returning community partner for this event is Partnership for Families, Children and Adults’ (PFCA) Family Connections Supervised Visitation Center. They provide a safe, home-like environment for supervised visitations between children and their non-custodial parent. Partnership is a community impact agency that has been empowering people to build better lives through counseling, crisis intervention, prevention and education programs for 140 years. PFCA operates over 20 programs within four centers of service: Victim Support Services, Elder Services, Stability Services and Mission Driven Enterprises. Last year, Partnership served over 45,000 people in Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama. PFCA is a United Way Member Agency and is accredited by the National Council on Accreditation.

Just six miles from downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, Rock City Gardens is an enchanted, 4,100-foot walking trail showcasing lush gardens, caves and soaring rock formations. Rock City is home to over 400 species of plants and flowers.