Azalea Festival

Student jumps on carnival ride
Landon School Azalea Festival- Celebrating Since 1954

2023 AZALEA FESTIVAL

DATES
Friday, May 5 – Sunday May, 7 

HOURS
Friday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.*
Saturday & Sunday:  10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

LOCATION
6101 Wilson Lane, Bethesda, MD 20817

COST
No cost to enter and parking is free.
Outside food and beverages are not permitted.

*Funland Friday hours: noon - 4 p.m.

Anchor

Why Azalea?

OUR AZALEA STORY

Landon School's Azalea Festival has continued consecutively since 1954 when our School's founders, Paul Landon and Mary Lee Banfield, sold azalea plants to raise scholarship funds for students to attend the school.

Now organized by the Azalea Festival Committee, the tradition continues every year on the first weekend in May.

Please join us for our three-day community festival and bring your family and friends!

Anchor

Activities

Azalea plant

 

AZALEAS & PLANTS

We sell large and diverse assortments of high-quality annuals, perennials, bonsai, herbs, and vegetables to fill landscaping beds and containers.

Jewelry display at azalea festival

 

BOUTIQUES

Shop for apparel, jewelry, accessories, artwork, and more! They make great gifts in time for Mother’s Day, graduations, and birthdays. 

Students enjoy a carnival ride

 

Funland

There are carnival rides, bounce houses, face painters, clowns, and magicians. These activities provide hours of fun for children of all ages!

2023 Festival Vendors

Mostly Monograms Azalea Festival Vendor Logo
Ibhana Boutique Vendor Logo
Isabel Chiotti Designs Logo
Nosetta Vendor Logo
Fornash Vendor Logo
Colorful Azalea Plants

AZALEAS GALORE!

We sell numerous varieties with blooms in many unique shapes and colors, plus azaleas grown on campus in the Heritage Garden.

Early shoppers find the best selection! 

Landon School is home to the Perkins Garden, one of the largest collections of azalea varieties on the East Coast. Take a tour to see this beautiful garden and enjoy the peaceful setting.

 

 

Shoppers check out at Barely Used sale

 

BEARLY USED

Landon has some great finds at bargain prices in our big gym! Bearly Used is a treasure trove of gently used furniture, clothing, home accessories, books, toys, and more.

Hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill

 

FOOD

Enjoy meals and treats from vendors including Bear Bakery, Riddles Griddles, and Bear Beverages plus Potomac Pizza, Five Guys, Ben & Jerry's, Clayboys, Funnel Fare, Smoothie King, Smoking Crab.

Band performs at festival

 

ENTERTAINMENT

Enjoy live music, comedians, and theater performances of Shrek the Musical from Landon and Holton-Arms Upper School students. It's a show you don't want to miss!

2023 Festival Food Vendors

Shoppers browse at boutique
Plants for sale at azalea festival
flowers in a line at the azalea festival
Vendor holds up blanket for sale
Topiary vendor display at azalea festival
purses and bags on display at the azalea festival
Display from Scout and Molly at azalea festival
Jewelry display at azalea festival
cookies at the azalea festival
Azalea plants for sale at azalea festival
azalea plants on display for sale at azalea festival
Shopper at azalea festival holding item

Anchor

Sponsorship

Azalea Festival sponsor signs

BE AN AZALEA SPONSOR

We welcome members of the Landon School community and area businesses to sponsor the Azalea Festival. See your family’s name or company's name/ logo with other sponsorship signs along the campus roadway. Become a sponsor of Funland, Riddles Griddle, Bear Beverages, Bear Bakery, Golf Carts, Bearly Used or ‘Zalea Bash. Key sponsorship opportunities are outlined in the link below.

be a sponsor

 

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS FOR THEIR FINANCIAL SUPPORT!

Anchor

Volunteer

Volunteers at Azlaea Festival

OUR VOLUNTEERS MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE

Thank you to our Azalea Festival Committee and all the volunteers from our Landon School community for offering their time and talent to plan the Azalea Festival and participate in its success.

It's a great way to reconnect with old friends and make new ones. Work a shift or plan an event or both! 

We value our volunteers who make this Festival shine, rain or shine!

Committee Co-Chairs

Azalea Plants
Lynn King P '23 
Karoline Shannon P '21, '26 

Bear Beverages
Kristen Lever P '24 

Bear Bakery
Susan Eagle P '27
Anne Hawkins P '27 

Bearly Used
Jamie Hotchkiss P '23, '27
Alison Schermer-Fuller P '18, '20, '23 
Julie Ray P '23

Bear Boardwalk
Kristen Edma P '25
Eileen Shelton P '24 

Boutiques
Roxanne Haltmeyer P '25 
Danielle Lloyd P '29

Cement Bears
Claire Swift P '24, '26 

Funland
Bridget Maybud P '31

Herbs & Veggies
Paulie Abeles P '21, '22
Gina Baum P '21 
Karen Johnson P '27
Debbie Hannam P '18

Plants
Patti Kelly P '23, '24 

Plant Pick Up
Martha Marmo-Fernandes P '22, '24 

Riddles Griddles Alumni
Cameron Coursen '99 
Andy Goldstein '04 

Riddles Griddles Seniors
Alicia Barahona P '23, '26 

Join us!

Azalea volunteers work the festival
Co-chairs of the bash
Azalea volunteers work the festival
Azalea volunteers work the festival
Azalea volunteers work the festival
Azalea volunteers work the festival
Azalea volunteers work the festival
Azalea volunteers work the festival
Azalea volunteers work the festival
Azalea volunteers work the festival
Azalea volunteers work the festival
Azalea volunteers work the festival
Azalea volunteers work the festival
Azalea volunteers work the festival
Volunteer drives golf cart
Two volunteers smile from golf cart

The Landon Azalea Festival is our signature community event when we open our campus to celebrate spring.  I enjoy driving our visitors around, seeing the delighted children on the carnival rides, and the beauty of the flowers, plants, and trees that make the campus come alive. Above all, I love the sense of connection that this event fosters between us.- jim neill, Head of school

Partygoers smile at the 'Zalea Bash

'Zalea Bash

This evening party on Friday, May 5 for adults includes dinner and cocktails, music and dancing, plus an auction to raise funds for faculty enrichment. It's a great night for our Landon School community!

Live and silent auction items are needed: vacation homes, certificates to unique experiences, tickets to concerts or sporting events, rare bottles of wine or liquor, irresistible accessories, or limited-edition artwork. 

Ticketed event by invitation.

Anchor

Schedule

Please see our tentative schedule for Friday, May 5-Sunday, May 7. Dates and times subject to change.
*Ticketed event

FRIDAY, MAY 5

10 AM: FESTIVAL OPENS

12 PM: FUNLAND OPENS*

12:30 PM: MIDDLE SCHOOL HAND BELLS; LOWER SCHOOL BAND & STRINGS

2 PM: MY REPTILE GUYS*

2-4 PM: FESTIVAL SOUNDS

4 PM: FUNLAND CLOSES

5 PM: FESTIVAL CLOSES

6:30 PM: 'ZALEA BASH*

SATURDAY, MAY 6

10 AM: FESTIVAL OPENS

10 AM: FUNLAND OPENS*

11 AM: MY REPTILE GUYS*

NOON - 3PM: SOL Y RUMBA BAND

1 PM: THE GREAT ZUCCHINI*

2 PM: SHREK THE MUSICAL
PRESENTED BY LANDON & HOLTON-ARMS

2-4 PM: FESTIVAL SOUNDS

4 PM: SORRY - STUDENT ROCK BAND

5 PM: FESTIVAL CLOSES

8 PM: SHREK THE MUSICAL
PRESENTED BY LANDON & HOLTON-ARMS

SUNDAY, MAY 7

10 AM: FESTIVAL OPENS

10 AM: FUNLAND OPENS*

10 AM: JACOBY CUP ALUMNI TENNIS TOURNAMENT

10 AM: DAISY ROAD - CLASSIC ROCK, FUNK, SOUL

11 AM: THE GREAT ZUCCHINI*

1 PM: THE GREAT ZUCCHINI*

2 PM: SHREK THE MUSICAL
PRESENTED BY LANDON & HOLTON-ARMS

2-4 PM: LANDON SYMPHONETTE

5 PM: FESTIVAL CLOSES

Where can I shop and eat?

Food Vendors and Refreshments
Bear Beverages
Bear Boardwalk
Clayboys Shave Ice
Five Guys
Funnel Fare
Potomac Pizza
Riddles Griddle, Landon Alumni
Smoothie King
The Smoking Crab

    Continue Exploring