The Rhododendron Festival
April 14th, 2023
Starts at 10:00 AM
The Details
The Rhododendron Festival
April 14 – May 14, 2023
Every Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
Operating Hours:
Friday & Saturdays: 10am-5pm
Sunday: 12pm-4pm
Free Admission to the Festival!
Tour Hamilton Gardens: $6 per person
Interested in being a vendor at the Rhododendron Fesitval? Applications can be found HERE.
Spend a day in the most beautiful part of North Georgia - Hiawassee and the stunning Hamilton Gardens. This magical botanical garden is filled with native wildflowers like trilliums, shooting stars, and trout lilies, and more than 1,500 rhododendrons and native azaleas making it the largest collection in the Southeast!
During peak bloom time we will be celebrating our beautiful native flowers with a Rhododendron Festival. Each weekend (April 14-16, April 21-23, April 28-30, May 5-7, & May 12-14) from 10am-5pm on Friday & Saturday and 12pm-4pm on Sunday, enjoy crafters, live music, food, drinks, a plant sale, daily seminars and more!
Live music every Saturday from 12pm - 3pm!
Saturday, April 15 - Matt Royal
A seasoned musician playing the bass for the Riverstones and bringing his sweet harmonies to compliment A. Lee Edwards, Matt Royal is branching out as a solo artist and you are going to be blown away by his talent!
Saturday, April 22 - Austin Coleman
A singer-songwriter born and raised in western North Carolina, Austin Coleman grew up to the sounds of southern rock, classic rock, and folk-country music. His inspirations span from classic artists such as the Eagles, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Bob Seger to a more modern variety such as Jason Isbell, Ryan Adams, and Band of Horses. With expressive melodies that mirror his genuine style of writing, Coleman aspires to move listeners through heartfelt messages with a delivery that appeals to lyrical enthusiasts.
Saturday, April 29 - Wyatt Espalin
Entertaining audiences in his hometown of Hiawassee, Georgia as early as age eight, Wyatt's passion for music was obvious, even from the music barn stage built by his grandfather on the campground where Wyatt was raised. He and his brother Matt were known as “The Fiddling Brothers.” While Matt hung up his fiddle and bow after high school, Wyatt was just getting started. Performing solo or traveling with a revolving set of talented musicians as Trees Leave, Wyatt Espalin has found a way to continue writing and performing these songs that have longed to be free; to be pardoned, like the river
Saturday, May 6 - Alma Russ
Alma (say it like Alamo) is a vocalist, songwriter, and musician out of Western North Carolina. She plays patchwork music: country, folk, and Appalachian roots sewn together to make something unique. When she's not on the road, she lives in Whittier, North Carolina. Songwriting is cheaper than therapy, and old songs make her happy. She started taking fiddle lessons around age 12, practicing old-time tunes outside because of the dying-cat noises, and then she went on to learn clawhammer banjo and guitar. She learned about songwriters like John Prine and Townes Van Zandt, and she fell in love with the art of songwriting. She's played in lots of bands, but she's mostly a solo act these days. She spends a lot of time on the road playing in bars, listening rooms, restaurants, cafes, and the occasional street corner. Her musical influences include country gold, bluegrass, folk, old-time, and americana.
Saturday, May 13th - Daniel Neihoff
The youngest of six siblings, Daniel wrote his first song at 8 years old as he grew up around family fit for country songs – the old kind about struggle and lonesomeness, mistakes among enduring love. The melodies and legends were all around him in his family, and it all seeped in. Over the years, whether it was for paying gigs or for open mics at Paducah's bars, Neihoff turned heads with his voice and rewarded the interest with his lyrics. The world is hearing his range of traditional country to modern pop all with a soulful bend. We are hearing the launch of a voice familiar and unique that feels as if it began quite a while ago.
New for 2023:
Saturday, May 13th - Come join us for our first annual Top of Georgia Plein Aire Festival
Come watch the artists in the largest Plein Aire event in the southeast while they paint in the gardens.
Final judging and showing will begin at 3pm in the Paris Pavilion.
Many of the artists will be offering their completed work for sale – don't miss out!
Artist event details can be found HERE.
Artist registration can be found HERE.
Special Events:
~ Thursday, April 13th at 6pm - Acoustic Sunset Concert Series - FREE!
~ Saturday, May 13th - Hiawassee Highlands Wine Festival
Sponsored By:
The Azalea Farm
Mountain Regional Arts and Crafts Guild
April 14 – May 14, 2023
Every Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
Operating Hours:
Friday & Saturdays: 10am-5pm
Sunday: 12pm-4pm
Free Admission to the Festival!
Tour Hamilton Gardens: $6 per person
Interested in being a vendor at the Rhododendron Fesitval? Applications can be found HERE.
Spend a day in the most beautiful part of North Georgia - Hiawassee and the stunning Hamilton Gardens. This magical botanical garden is filled with native wildflowers like trilliums, shooting stars, and trout lilies, and more than 1,500 rhododendrons and native azaleas making it the largest collection in the Southeast!
During peak bloom time we will be celebrating our beautiful native flowers with a Rhododendron Festival. Each weekend (April 14-16, April 21-23, April 28-30, May 5-7, & May 12-14) from 10am-5pm on Friday & Saturday and 12pm-4pm on Sunday, enjoy crafters, live music, food, drinks, a plant sale, daily seminars and more!
Live music every Saturday from 12pm - 3pm!
Saturday, April 15 - Matt Royal
A seasoned musician playing the bass for the Riverstones and bringing his sweet harmonies to compliment A. Lee Edwards, Matt Royal is branching out as a solo artist and you are going to be blown away by his talent!
Saturday, April 22 - Austin Coleman
A singer-songwriter born and raised in western North Carolina, Austin Coleman grew up to the sounds of southern rock, classic rock, and folk-country music. His inspirations span from classic artists such as the Eagles, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Bob Seger to a more modern variety such as Jason Isbell, Ryan Adams, and Band of Horses. With expressive melodies that mirror his genuine style of writing, Coleman aspires to move listeners through heartfelt messages with a delivery that appeals to lyrical enthusiasts.
Saturday, April 29 - Wyatt Espalin
Entertaining audiences in his hometown of Hiawassee, Georgia as early as age eight, Wyatt's passion for music was obvious, even from the music barn stage built by his grandfather on the campground where Wyatt was raised. He and his brother Matt were known as “The Fiddling Brothers.” While Matt hung up his fiddle and bow after high school, Wyatt was just getting started. Performing solo or traveling with a revolving set of talented musicians as Trees Leave, Wyatt Espalin has found a way to continue writing and performing these songs that have longed to be free; to be pardoned, like the river
Saturday, May 6 - Alma Russ
Alma (say it like Alamo) is a vocalist, songwriter, and musician out of Western North Carolina. She plays patchwork music: country, folk, and Appalachian roots sewn together to make something unique. When she's not on the road, she lives in Whittier, North Carolina. Songwriting is cheaper than therapy, and old songs make her happy. She started taking fiddle lessons around age 12, practicing old-time tunes outside because of the dying-cat noises, and then she went on to learn clawhammer banjo and guitar. She learned about songwriters like John Prine and Townes Van Zandt, and she fell in love with the art of songwriting. She's played in lots of bands, but she's mostly a solo act these days. She spends a lot of time on the road playing in bars, listening rooms, restaurants, cafes, and the occasional street corner. Her musical influences include country gold, bluegrass, folk, old-time, and americana.
Saturday, May 13th - Daniel Neihoff
The youngest of six siblings, Daniel wrote his first song at 8 years old as he grew up around family fit for country songs – the old kind about struggle and lonesomeness, mistakes among enduring love. The melodies and legends were all around him in his family, and it all seeped in. Over the years, whether it was for paying gigs or for open mics at Paducah's bars, Neihoff turned heads with his voice and rewarded the interest with his lyrics. The world is hearing his range of traditional country to modern pop all with a soulful bend. We are hearing the launch of a voice familiar and unique that feels as if it began quite a while ago.
New for 2023:
Saturday, May 13th - Come join us for our first annual Top of Georgia Plein Aire Festival
Come watch the artists in the largest Plein Aire event in the southeast while they paint in the gardens.
Final judging and showing will begin at 3pm in the Paris Pavilion.
Many of the artists will be offering their completed work for sale – don't miss out!
Artist event details can be found HERE.
Artist registration can be found HERE.
Special Events:
~ Thursday, April 13th at 6pm - Acoustic Sunset Concert Series - FREE!
~ Saturday, May 13th - Hiawassee Highlands Wine Festival
Sponsored By:
The Azalea Farm
Mountain Regional Arts and Crafts Guild
Hours of Operation
April 14 – May 14, 2023
Every Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
Operating Hours:
Friday & Saturdays: 10am-5pm
Sunday: 12pm-4pm
Every Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
Operating Hours:
Friday & Saturdays: 10am-5pm
Sunday: 12pm-4pm
Ticket Info and Specials
Free Admission to the Festival
Tour Hamilton Gardens: $6 per person
Tour Hamilton Gardens: $6 per person
Custom Directions and Weather
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