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America in Bloom announced its 2026 national award winners at its Symposium & Awards Celebration near Washington, D.C., on September 24–26, 2026. Ten communities won population category awards, eight received Outstanding Achievement awards, and more than 20 special awards, individual honors, and a video prize were presented.
America in Bloom (AIB) announced the winners of its 2026 national awards program at the organization’s annual Symposium & Awards Celebration, held in the Washington, D.C. area from September 24–26, 2026. Ten communities were named population category winners, led by College Park, Maryland in the over-33,000 bracket, while Eustis, Florida and Orion Township, Michigan each collected multiple honors across the special awards lineup.
All participating communities were evaluated on eight criteria, according to the organization: community vitality, floral impact, landscaped areas, urban forestry, environmental initiatives, heritage celebration, overall impression, and community involvement. America in Bloom describes itself as the only national awards program that sends specially trained Advisors to personally visit participants, and each community receives a detailed written evaluation that the organization says can serve as a guide for future improvements.
In the population categories, the winners were: Shawnee Hills, OH (under 1,350), Castle Rock, WA (1,350–2,500), Lakeside, OH (2,500–3,300), Lewes, DE (3,330–3,800), Lewisburg, WV (3,800–5,800), Logan, OH (5,800–7,700), Hawthorn Woods, IL (7,700–15,500), Washington, MO (15,500–23,000), Foley, AL (23,000–33,000), and College Park, MD (over 33,000).
Eight Outstanding Achievement awards recognized single criteria: Orion Township, MI (Community Vitality), Whitehouse, OH (Floral Impact), Lewes, DE (Landscaped Area), Edmonston, MD (Urban Forestry), Tavares, FL (Environmental Initiatives), Holly, MI (Celebrating Heritage), Eustis, FL (Overall Impression), and Bay View, MI (Community Involvement). Special awards spanned categories from Flower Power – Best Hanging Basket Program (Castle Rock, WA) to the America in Bloom Progress Award: Most Improved (Colmar Manor, MD). Individual honors went to Warren Golde of Lewes, DE, who received the Dwight Lund Community Champion Award, and Traci Anderson of Tavares, FL, who won the Cheerleader Award. Logan, OH took the YouTube Video Award.
What the Awards Mean for Towns
For the winning communities, the awards function as more than recognition. Because AIB Advisors visit each participant in person and deliver a written evaluation, the program doubles as an assessment tool that municipalities can use to plan beautification projects, refine landscaping budgets, and rally volunteers around visible civic goals. Several communities used the 2026 results to build multi-award profiles — Eustis, FL won Outstanding Achievement for Overall Impression plus the Stars & Stripes Celebration special award, and Orion Township, MI won for Community Vitality, Best Pocket Park, and a healthy-living-through-design award — a pattern that reflects broad-based local programs rather than single showcase projects.
The program’s reach also gives the awards weight beyond the winning towns. According to AIB, more than 440 communities from 44 states have participated to date, and the organization says more than 24 million people have been touched by the program. For the horticulture industry, which covers the announcements through trade outlets such as Greenhouse Grower, the awards highlight demand for flowers, trees, and landscaping services driven by municipal and volunteer spending.
How the AIB Competition Works
America in Bloom is an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that promotes nationwide beautification and community involvement through flowers, plants, trees, and other environmental and lifestyle enhancements. The group provides educational programs and resources and frames the competition as a friendly contest among participating communities, with entrants grouped into population brackets so that small villages and large cities compete against similarly sized peers.
The awards announced at the September 2026 symposium covered five groups of honors: population category winners, Outstanding Achievement awards, special awards, the Community Champion and Cheerleader individual awards, and the YouTube Video Award. Special award titles ranged from practical categories — best clean-up program, best containers in the landscape, best use of native plants — to themed recognitions such as Hidden Gem, Rural Impact, and Therapeutic Gardening.
“America in Bloom is the only national awards program that sends specially trained Advisors to personally visit participants.”
— America in Bloom, program description
Details Not Included in the Announcement
The award announcement, as reported by Greenhouse Grower, lists winners by category but does not include scoring details, the number of communities that participated in the 2026 cycle, or judges’ written comments on individual winners. The announcement also does not say how the total participant count of more than 440 communities breaks down by year. AIB’s claim that it is the only national awards program with in-person Advisor visits is the organization’s own characterization and has not been independently verified.
Registration for the 2027 Cycle
Registrations for the 2027 national America in Bloom program can be submitted until February 28, 2027, according to the organization. Eligible participants include towns, cities, college and university campuses, business districts, military installations, and recognized neighborhoods of large cities. Communities interested in the detailed evaluations that accompany participation would register through AIB before the deadline; the organization has not yet announced dates or a location for the 2027 symposium.
Key Questions
When and where were the 2026 America in Bloom winners announced?
The winners were announced at the annual AIB Symposium & Awards Celebration, held in the Washington, D.C. area from September 24–26, 2026.
Which community won the largest population category?
College Park, Maryland won the award for communities with populations over 33,000.
How are communities evaluated in the program?
Participants are judged on eight criteria: community vitality, floral impact, landscaped areas, urban forestry, environmental initiatives, heritage celebration, overall impression, and community involvement. Trained Advisors visit each community in person, and every participant receives a written evaluation.
Who can participate in America in Bloom?
Towns, cities, college and university campuses, business districts, military installations, and recognized neighborhoods of large cities are eligible. Registrations for the 2027 program are open until February 28, 2027.
How large is the program?
According to America in Bloom, more than 440 communities from 44 states have participated to date, and more than 24 million people have been touched by the program.
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