Update, March 11: This event has been postponed to a later date. New dates will be announced soon.

A four-day festival of art and flowers, Art in Bloom is one of the can't-miss events of the year at the North Carolina Museum of Art (and it's happening soon!). 

From March 19-22, more than 50 floral arrangements inspired by the museum's galleries—some more than 10 feet tall—are created on-site by world-class designers and showcased throughout the museum's West Building (have your cameras ready!).

Each floral designer is assigned a work of art within the museum collection and invited to interpret it as a one-of-a-kind floral arrangement. In 2019, more than 21,000 people attended the highly-anticipated event.

The event also includes floral workshops, lectures and tours, as well as special extended hours and expanded food options. Learn a thing or two by watching demonstrations by master floral designers. Attend a workshop to discover the fascinating symbolism of flowers in art. You can also make a reservation for the Iris restaurant to enjoy the unique flower-themed offerings on the menu.

Note: Some of these extra events sell out quickly. See the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) website for details. 

Tickets for Art in Bloom

Tickets for Art in Bloom can be purchased online here (note that tickets are for a specific day and entry time).

• $16 for museum members
• $20 for non-members
• Free for children 6 and under 

Art in Bloom tickets are also good for same-day admission to the NCMA’s spring exhibitions: Front Burner: Highlights in Contemporary North Carolina Painting; Art in Translation: Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook; and Christopher Holt: Contemporary Frescoes/Faith and Community. 

Related events are ticketed separately. Additional fees apply for select workshops, presentations and other events.

Hours

• Thurs., March 19, 9am-5pm; last entry 4pm
• Fri., March 20, 9am-9pm; last entry 8pm
• Sat., March 21, 9am-9pm; last entry 8pm
• Sun., March 22, 9am-5pm; last entry 4pm

Tours

Private tours of Art in Bloom

• Fri., March 20, 7:30pm
• Sat., March 21, 9:15am, 2:30pm, 3:30pm, 6:30pm and 7:30pm
• Sun., March 22, 9:15am, 2:30pm and 3:30pm

Tours are $50 plus tax and fees for each group of up to 10 participants. Schedule multiple docents for larger groups. Paid tickets are required for this event. To schedule, call 919.664.6890. For more information, email toursforadults@ncartmuseum.org.
 

“Ask Me” docents

Thurs.-Sun., March 19-22, noon-2pm
Docents are available in the galleries to answer questions, share inside stories about the works on display or talk with you about the interaction between the floral designs and the art that inspired them.
 

Museum Park tours during Art in Bloom

Thurs.-Sun., March 19-22, 11:30am
Free; no ticket required. Hats and comfortable shoes recommended for this 45-minute tour. Meet your guide in the Plaza between the two buildings.

Parking

During this popular event, visitors are encouraged to carpool or take public transportation via the GoRaleigh bus route 27 to the NCMA. Information about the bus is available on GoRaleigh’s website. The NCMA is also home to a Citrix Cycle bike station.

Free off-site parking with shuttle service is available Thurs.-Sun., 9:30am-5:30pm. The park-and-ride lot is located at the southwest corner of the intersection of Edwards Mill and Reedy Creek Rds.

Limited free parking is available on the NCMA campus. For visitors who need assistance, NCMA golf carts will be circling the parking lots during Art in Bloom.
 

More upcoming events in Raleigh, N.C.

• North Carolina Theatre presents Memphis, March 24-29, 2020
• Casks on Fools, March 30
• Raleigh Little Theatre presents A Raisin in the Sun, April 10-26, 2020
• Carolina Ballet presents Macbeth, April 16-19, 2020
• HerbFest, April 17-19 and 24-26, 2020
• Mid-Town Square Spring Festival, April 18, 2020
• Live and Local: Spring Fest on Hillsborough St., April 18, 2020
• North Carolina 'Cuegrass Festival, April 18, 2020
• French Market & Seafood Festival, April 18, 2020
• Spring Daze Arts and Crafts Festival, April 25, 2020
• Brewgaloo, April 24-25, 2020