Grenada is in bloom. The Caribbean island is hosting its first national flower festival from Nov. 8 to 15, 2026, an eight-day program of tropical gardens, waterfalls, spice estates and rum distilleries. 

The festival opened Sunday, Nov. 8, at Myristic Mountain in St. Patrick parish. The opening and family day ran from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It featured a guided waterfall hike, forest walks, local food, live entertainment and an official welcome ceremony. The Grenada Tourism Authority hosts the festival with public and private partners and community groups. 

The opening was attended by Kirl Grant-Hoschtialek, Chief Operating Officer and Acting CEO of the Grenada Tourism Authority, and Randall Dolland, the authority’s chairman, who led the festival’s opening ceremony.

Born from Chelsea success

The festival grew out of the island’s record at the world’s best-known flower show. Grenada won its 19th gold medal at the 2026 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, its ninth in a row. The festival was officially launched in London that week at a reception hosted by the governor general. Organizers describe it as a new annual celebration covering Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. 

Gardens, spices and rum

The program mixes botany with food and drink. On the Gardens & Scents tour, visitors learn how bay leaf, ylang-ylang, allspice, mace and vanilla become perfume, with a bay rum experience and lunch included. Another route links Annandale Waterfall with historic Fort Frederick and its views over St. George’s, while The Living Spice follows the story of nutmeg and local chocolate. 

For rum lovers, Sip & Stir includes a rum factory visit, a cocktail class using garden ingredients and a seaside tasting at sunset. Another tour features what organizers describe as the largest collection of heliconias and gingers in the eastern Caribbean, grown by a Grammy-winning producer. 

The flower show

The main event comes this weekend. The Flower Show & Marketplace runs Nov. 13-15 at the Grenada Trade Centre, with floral displays, local artisans, workshops, panels and awards. Winners of a national beautification contest are to be announced there. Tickets are being released in phases and include a beginners’ flower-arranging workshop, a bee apiary visit and a cocktail gala called “Petals After Dark.” 

Planning a visit

Nonstop flights reach Grenada from Miami, New York, Charlotte, Boston, Toronto and London. Resorts with extensive gardens include Silversands, Spice Island Beach Resort and Six Senses La Sagesse, and November daytime highs are typically in the mid-80s Fahrenheit. Carriacou and Petite Martinique, hit by Hurricane Beryl, are again welcoming visitors. 

The full program and tickets are at grenadaflowerfestival.com.