There's a festival that takes place every year to celebrate Indiana's state flower, and it's as beautiful as you'd imagine.

The Peony

In 1957 the peony was officially recognized as Indiana's state flower, and one drive around the Hoosier State in May or June and it's easy to see why the peony was chosen to represent Indiana.  According to the Indiana Historical Bureau, before the peony became the state flower, the zinnia was the state flower.

The peony (Paeonia) was adopted as the state flower by the 1957 General Assembly (Indiana Code 1-2-7). From 1931 to 1957 the zinnia was the state flower. The peony blooms the last of May and early June in various shades of red and pink and also in white; it occurs in single and double forms. No particular variety or color was designated by the General Assembly. It is cultivated widely throughout the state and is extremely popular for decorating gravesites for Memorial Day.

Peonies are one of my favorite flowers because they're hardy, and the blooms they produce are stunning every year. I have two peony plants in my yard and every year they grow massive and beautiful. Below is a photo of a bouquet I made of some of my blooms from this year.

Indiana Peony Festival

With the peony being Indiana's state flower it makes sense that the Hoosier state would be home to a festival celebrating the peony. This might just be the most beautiful festival in the entire state.  There will be plenty of activities, floral displays, food, and of course thousands of peonies.

Meet us in Noblesville’s historic Seminary Park bursting with peony blooms to honor the Indiana state flower at the 2024 Indiana Peony Festival. There will be peony plants, peony growers, artisans, kids activities, horticulture classes, floral displays, food and spirit trucks and much more.

The Indiana Peony Festival will take place on May 18th from 10 AM to 4 PM.  You can find more information, here.