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America in Bloom announced its 2026 national award winners at its September 24–26 symposium in the Washington, D.C., area. Awards recognized population-category winners, achievements in eight program criteria and community projects ranging from native-plant use to youth involvement.
America in Bloom announced its 2026 national award winners during its annual Symposium & Awards Celebration in the Washington, D.C., area, held September 24–26. The awards recognize participating communities across population categories and for work in areas including floral displays, urban forestry, environmental initiatives and community involvement.
The population-category winners range from Shawnee Hills, Ohio, in the category for communities under 1,350 people, to College Park, Maryland, in the category for communities over 33,000. Other category winners include Castle Rock, Washington; Lakeside and Lewes, Ohio and Delaware, respectively; Lewisburg and Logan; Hawthorn Woods, Illinois; Washington, Missouri; and Foley, Alabama.
Eight communities received outstanding achievement awards tied to the program’s evaluation criteria. Orion Township, Michigan, was recognized for community vitality; Whitehouse, Ohio, for floral impact; Lewes for landscaped areas; and Edmonston, Maryland, for urban forestry. Tavares, Florida, received the environmental initiatives award, Holly, Michigan, was recognized for celebrating heritage, Eustis, Florida, for overall impression, and Bay View, Michigan, for community involvement.
The special awards highlighted specific projects and approaches. They included Castle Rock’s hanging-basket program, Edmonston’s use of native plants, Washington’s container landscaping and Tavares’ gateways. Other honorees included College Park for a collaborative project, Havre de Grace, Maryland, for youth involvement, and East Canfield Village, Michigan, for art in the landscape. Warren Golde of Lewes received the Dwight Lund Community Champion Award; Traci Anderson of Tavares received the Cheerleader Award; and Logan, Ohio, won the YouTube Video Award.
Recognition Spans Community Projects
The awards show how America in Bloom evaluates local efforts across eight distinct criteria, rather than recognizing floral displays alone. The categories also cover community vitality, heritage, environmental initiatives, urban forestry and resident participation, giving communities several ways to demonstrate local work.
For the participating places, the awards offer national recognition for projects that can involve public spaces, cleanup efforts, health-focused design or partnerships. America in Bloom says each participating community receives a detailed written evaluation that can guide future improvements. The program’s announcement does not report individual scores or explain how award decisions were ranked.
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How America in Bloom Evaluates Communities
America in Bloom is an independent nonprofit organization that promotes beautification programs and personal and community involvement through flowers, plants, trees and other environmental and lifestyle enhancements. It offers educational resources and a friendly competition among participating communities.
The organization describes its model as involving specially trained Advisors who visit participants in person. Communities are evaluated on community vitality, floral impact, landscaped areas, urban forestry, environmental initiatives, heritage celebration, overall impression and community involvement. The awards were presented at the organization’s annual symposium and celebration in September 2026.
According to the source report, more than 440 communities across 44 states have participated to date, and the program has touched more than 24 million people. Those figures are cumulative program totals; the report does not specify the measurement method for people “touched.”
““each community receives a detailed written evaluation that can be used as a guide to future improvements.””
— America in Bloom, as described in the Greenhouse Grower report
Award Scores Were Not Published
The announcement lists winners but does not provide judges’ scores, selection explanations or comparisons among participants. It also does not detail the projects behind every award, so the award names alone do not establish the scale or measured impact of each effort.
The report gives cumulative participation and reach figures but does not define how the organization calculates the number of people touched. No further details about the evaluation process or individual community assessments were included in the source material.
Applications Open Through February
Registrations for the 2027 America in Bloom national program may be submitted through February 28, 2027. Eligible participants include towns, cities, college and university campuses, business districts, military installations and recognized neighborhoods within large cities.
The organization has not provided additional 2027 event dates in the source report. Communities considering participation can use the announced eligibility categories and eight evaluation criteria to determine whether the program fits their local projects.
Key Questions
When and where were the 2026 America in Bloom awards announced?
The awards were announced at the annual America in Bloom Symposium & Awards Celebration in the Washington, D.C., area, held September 24–26, 2026.
Which communities won the population categories?
The winners were Shawnee Hills, Ohio; Castle Rock, Washington; Lakeside, Ohio; Lewes, Delaware; Lewisburg and Logan; Hawthorn Woods, Illinois; Washington, Missouri; Foley, Alabama; and College Park, Maryland. The categories were based on population ranges, from under 1,350 to over 33,000.
What criteria did America in Bloom use?
Participants were evaluated on community vitality, floral impact, landscaped areas, urban forestry, environmental initiatives, heritage celebration, overall impression and community involvement.
Who received the individual awards?
Warren Golde of Lewes, Delaware, received the Dwight Lund Community Champion Award. Traci Anderson of Tavares, Florida, received the Cheerleader Award, and Logan, Ohio, won the YouTube Video Award.
When is the deadline to register for the 2027 program?
Registrations for the 2027 national program can be submitted through February 28, 2027. Eligible participants include communities, campuses, business districts, military installations and recognized urban neighborhoods.
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