Awards celebration at the 2024 America in Bloom Symposium | America in Bloom
Top honors for the prestigious 2024 America in Bloom National Awards Program were announced at the annual symposium and awards celebration held in Columbus, OH, Sept. 26-28.
All participating communities were evaluated on seven criteria:
- Community vitality
- Floral impact
- Landscaped areas
- Urban forestry
- Environmental initiatives
- Heritage celebration
- Overall impression
America in Bloom is the only national awards program that sends specially trained Advisors to personally visit participants. In addition, each community receives a detailed written evaluation that can be used as a guide to future improvements.
The following awards were announced:
- Population category winners
- Outstanding achievement awards
- Special awards
- Community champion
- YouTube video award
Population Category Winners:
- Booneville, KY: Under 1,500
- Castle Rock, WA: 1,500–3,500
- Lewisburg, WV: 3,500–4,000
- Brewton, AL: 4,000–9,000
- Hawthorn Woods, IL: 9,000–14,000
- Washington, MO: 14,000–22,000
- Calabasas, CA: 22,000–29,000
- Orion Township, MI: 29,000–60,000
- Joliet, IL: Over 60,000
Outstanding Achievement Award Winners:
- Greenwood, SC: Community Vitality
- Castle Rock, WA: Floral Impact
- Brewton, AL: Landscaped Areas
- Hawthorn Woods, IL: Urban Forestry
- Edmonston, MD: Environmental Initiatives
- Lewisburg, WV: Celebrating Heritage
- Lakeside, OH: Overall Impression
- Castle Rock, WA: Community Involvement
Special Award Winners:
- Waterford Township, MI: Youth Involvement Award
- Coshocton, OH: Flower Power – Best Hanging Basket Program
- Tavares, FL: Coolest Place for Kids
- Coshocton, OH: Eye-Popping Pots – Best Use of Containers in the Landscape
- Calabasas, CA: Best Volunteer Recognition Program
- Brewton, AL: Best Youth Gardening Program
- Lakeside, OH: Coolest Downtown
- Castle Rock, WA: Alive with Flowers – Sunbeam Social Media Award
- Highwood, IL: What’s Old is New Again – Best Transformation Project
- Hyattsville, MD: Best Tree Inventory Program
- Edmonston, MD: Protecting the Planet – Best Environmental Garden Program
- Royal Oak, MI: Most Welcoming Community – A Celebration of Community Diversity
- Greenwood, SC: Economic Impact – Best Program for Local Businesses
Dwight Lund Community Champion Award:
- Wayne Dunker, Washington, MO
YouTube Video Award:
To date, more than 360 communities from 43 states have participated in the 2024 America in Bloom National Awards Program and more than 22 million people have been touched by it. Registrations for the 2025 program can be submitted until Feb. 28, 2025. Eligible participants include towns, cities, college and university campuses, business districts, military installations, and recognized neighborhoods of large cities.
