Wonders of nature take center stage in Callaway Gardens "Spring Celebration"
Full Slate of Activities and Events features Family Fun highlighted by World-class Gardens, Hands on Nature and Art Show, Easter Eggstravaganza and More

PINE MOUNTAIN, GA (3/15/06) – Spring is nature’s ultimate cause for celebration…and this year Callaway Gardens® offers a seemingly endless array of choices to have you celebrating Spring like never before.

   Spring Celebration themed weekends (beginning March 18 and running through April 30) feature a series of activities, workshops, seminars, events and unparalleled family fun…all set against the backdrop of one of the most gorgeous natural settings in America.

   The fun begins on March 18-19 with Nature Fun. Guests can enjoy special activities in celebration of being outdoors including witnessing the acclaimed Birds of Prey shows, fly-casting clinics, rock climbing wall, live music, story reading time, jugglers and more. Throughout the Gardens, signs of spring abound with the first colorful blossoms from bulbs, shrubs and trees, while the Sibley Horticultural Center unveils an Easter topiary display on exhibit throughout the season.

   The last weekend of March and first two weekends of April are all about the azaleas as Callaway Gardens’ world-famous displays move front and center. In addition, the weekend includes Callaway’s horticulturists answering questions about azaleas at various points throughout the weekend; guests finding opportunities to paint right alongside Plein Air artists; experts at the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center answering questions to help guests unravel the mysteries of nature’s most magical transformations; families heading off on fun-filled themed scavenger hunts;…and much more.

   Gardening earns the spotlight from March 30-April 2 when Spring Gardening Weekend offers up the Callaway Plant Fair and Sale (free admission to the Plant Fair only). This popular annual event features select nurserymen from around the Southeast showcasing their specialty plants and vendors selling unique garden-themed items beginning on Thursday (3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.) through the weekend (10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.). Friday marks the return of the Callaway Gardening School, featuring renowned experts Walter Reeves and Joe Lamp’l offering the latest and greatest tips for full-bloom gardening success and what to avoid. Other highlights of the weekend include a working stained glass artist and the Southern Rivers Guild of Artists and Craftsmen art show.

   On April 8-9, the spotlight is on Family Fun, as only Callaway can deliver it. Highlights include a Mediterranean Scavenger Hunt; sessions on how to Make (and Fly) Your Own Kite; Handprint Flowers and Flower Puppets; demonstrations on making flowers with shells; a juggling stilt-walker; and live music; plus more to discover in the Gardens.

   Easter is always “egg-stra special” at Callaway, and this year is certainly no exception. This Easter Weekend, April 15-16, join the Easter Bunny for a fun-filled holiday featuring a variety of activities highlighted by the annual Easter Eggstravaganza Egg Hunt on Saturday from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (don’t forget to bring your basket). On Sunday morning, celebrate the meaning of the day with a soulful nondenominational sunrise service (free admission until 8:00 a.m.) featuring music from the Auburn University Choir and officiated by Matthew Mitchell of the First United Methodist Church of Pine Mountain. Those who want to enjoy the classic tradition of Easter brunch can follow the services with a variety of delicious options from Callaway Gardens’ fine restaurants.

   The next weekend, all eyes are on Mother Earth with an Earth Day celebration April 22-23, featuring a variety of nature-themed events and activities as only Callaway Gardens can offer. In addition to regular activities like fly-tying exhibits, Birds of Prey shows and “Ask a Butterfly Expert,” Callaway guests may enjoy a special Beekeeper Display, Flower Bookmark Making, the Shade Grown Coffee Discovery Table and an art workshop entitled “Capturing the Essence of Flowers and Gardens in Watercolor.” On Saturday April 22 the Coca-Cola Space Science Center of Columbus, GA, presents “Oh My Stars” astronomy program at 9:00 p.m. at the Overlook Pavilion.

   Finally, special spring activities wrap up with a chance to see the forest AND the trees in a special salute to Arbor Day April 29-30. Activities include Recycled Papermaking, a Glassblowing Demonstration, Blacksmith Demonstration, Interactive Mural Painting, Drawing with Scissors (paper artwork) and more. Guests can enjoy a classical guitarist at the trailhead of the Rhododendron Trail and organ concerts in the reverent and beautiful Ida Cason Callaway Memorial Chapel.

   Make your reservations for Callaway Gardens’ Spring Weekends by calling 1-800-CALLAWAY (225-5292). Be sure to ask about the “Spring Celebration Family Package,” beginning at only $99 (per person, per night in the Mountain Creek® Inn, some restrictions apply) including breakfast, a 5x7 family portrait, water bottles and admission to Callaway Gardens…and kids under 12 stay, play and eat breakfast free! For more information, visit www.callawaygardens.com .

   Callaway Gardens is open daily from 9:00 a.m. ET to 6:00 p.m. Callaway Gardens admission is $13/adult; $6.50/child (ages 6-12); and children five and under are admitted for free. Tax is additional. Most activities occur from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sundays. A small fee may be charged for some activities.

   Callaway Gardens®, a premier travel and meeting destination in the South, is owned by the non-profit Ida Cason Callaway Foundation™ (ICCF). Within the 13,000 acres of Callaway Gardens is a resort, preserve, almost 100,000 square feet of meeting space, 784 guest rooms, restaurants, shops, golf, tennis, fishing, gun club, gardens, butterfly conservatory, horticultural center, chapel, inland beach, nature trails, and additional attractions. For more than 50 years Callaway Gardens has provided “a place of relaxation, inspiration and a better understanding of the living world” for millions of visitors. Callaway Gardens is committed to its mission of environmental education and land stewardship for the benefit of future generations.

   Callaway Gardens®, is in Pine Mountain, Ga., 60 minutes southwest of Atlanta and 30 minutes north of Columbus. For additional information, call 1-800-CALLAWAY (225-5292) or visit www.callawaygardens.com .