Savannah in the Spring is a unique time of year. When the azaleas bloom, the sun shines, the cool breezes blow and the tourists come out in numbers.Â
From St. Patrick's Day to Easter, Spring Break to peak azalea blooming time, tourists come from all over to experience this beautiful city at its finest.Â

Spring in Savannah is pretty short in comparison to other areas of the country, but not as short as the winter. From mid February when the winter starts to thaw and the temperatures start to fluctuate to April when the summer storms start brewing and the 90 degree days begin to make their appearances, you can tell the city and it’s visitors know this is a special time and take full advantage of all the gifts it brings.

Azaleas peak blooming time is roughly the week before St. Patrick’s Day and people from all over the world schedule their vacations just to see these beautiful flowers at their best.Â
The famous Bonaventure Cemetery draws crowds to tour the grounds and see the flowers blooming between the rows and rows of Savannah families and historical figures buried amongst the flowers and live oak trees with the iconic hanging Spanish moss. Some well known graves that are frequently visited include, Johnny Mercer and Little Gracie Watson.Â

The cemetery is just one of the many locations around Savannah that shines bright during spring time. The Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum downtown also has beautiful, meticulously maintained gardens and are free and open to the public. There are so many beautiful varieties of plants and flowers that bloom, Savannah really puts on a show. This makes it an extremely popular time of year to get married. People from all over come to Savannah just to get married with the historical landscapes and fairytale-like atmosphere.

There are a lot of events, festivals, and activities happening all over Savannah at any given moment, especially during Spring time. Just this past weekend was SCAD’s (Savannah College of Art and Design) annual Sidewalk Arts Festival at Forsyth Park, the weekly Farmer’s Market, and the annual Blessing of the Fleet in Thunderbolt - all just on Saturday. The Sidewalk Arts Festival is a great community event that draws large crowds and talented students and alumni from all over the world. It’s a beautiful way to display the students' talents and it is always amazing to see what they come up with. There are different categories and prizes for each. The event starts at 10am when the artists pick up their chalk packs and make their way over to their designated sidewalk square. They may not begin until 11am so if you’re looking to see more of an end product and not the process, I suggest coming in the afternoon. The judges make their rounds between 1-3pm and at 4:30pm the winners are announced. Sometimes student clubs use the squares as advertisements and others do more of their own thing. There are food vendors and SCAD swag, there are places for alumni to meet up and get updated on what’s new at Savannah College of Art and Design and there are musical performances on the stage that take this event to another level. SCAD definitely knows how to put on a show and will make sure it's a blast.

Having food vendors around Forsyth Park makes it easy to set up a picnic in the fields while listening to the musical performances or just enjoying the beautiful Savannah Spring breezes. If you are looking for a sit down meal, Collins Quarter Forsyth Park has some of the best brunch around and is located right behind the Forsyth stage. The restaurant bathrooms are also open to the public so don’t expect there to be less of a line because you are dining there. There are also port-a-potties out in the fields, usually along the side, so sometimes that’s a quicker option. But like St. Patrick’s Day, don’t wait till the last minute to get in line.Â

When the day is over you can view all the winners on their website and see the amazing work again. If you are exploring the area around Forsyth Park and the talent and brilliance of these artists peaks your interest in what Savannah College of Art and Design is and you want to learn more, take a short walk over to Madison Square. There you will find SCADstory, a detailed and interactive experience that gives the history of Savannah College of Art and Design, how it was started and what it’s all about. It’s best to reserve tickets, especially during busy seasons. I highly recommend it to anyone considering Savannah College of Art and Design as a potential school choice. The journey ends in shopSCAD, a store that sells student and alumni work and some SCAD swag as well. Across the street is Arts, a Savannah College of Art and Design coffee shop where you can get really good sandwiches and coffee and even more SCAD swag. It also uniquely has one of the old Savannah College of Art and Design double decker buses inside and you can sit at tables and enjoy your treats on the second level. If you are looking for a less casual environment, look no further than the Gryphon just next door. Also run by Savannah College of Art and Design, the Gryphon is a beautiful cafe restaurant with wood detailing, stained glass and art deco decor. It’s great for lunch or brunch and they even have a tea service. After spending time around Madison Square you are sure to have an idea of what Savannah College of Art and Design is all about and if not, I’m sure you will have found more ways to learn more.

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