Exciting Spring Events in Tallahassee
Spring in Tallahassee comes alive with a robust lineup of open-air concerts, festivals and events surrounded by vibrant arts, culture and natural beauty. Plan your getaway to Florida’s Capital City to experience these wonderful events.
Springtime Tallahassee
April 5-6, 2024
Held the first weekend in April, Springtime Tallahassee is the area’s free flagship spring event and one of the largest and most celebrated parades in the Southeast. Spanning two days, Chris Lane with special guests Walker Montgomery and Temecula Road headlines Friday night’s Music Festival at Kleman Plaza followed by Saturday’s Grand Parade and Jubilee in the Park bringing art, crafts, local cuisine and boutique vendors to downtown Tallahassee.
Tallahassee Bike Fest
April 11-14
As the only city in Florida with rolling hills and canopy roads, the festival offers bikers seeking an extra thrilling and unique biking experience you can’t find anywhere else in the sunshine state. The event features live music, vendors, and a wide array of bikes to dream about.
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Tallahassee Pridefest 24: Pride in the Plaza
April 20
Tallahassee PRIDEFEST is an annual celebration designed to promote peace and understanding among diverse cultures, races, creeds, genders and sexual identities. Come to Kleman Plaza, in the heart of downtown Tallahassee, and join us as we celebrate pride! Entertainment all afternoon on the main stage, food and vendors throughout the park, a Kids Zone, and more! With a family-friendly atmosphere, it’s free and open to everyone!
LeMoyne Chain of Parks Art Festival
April 20-21
LeMoyne Chain of Parks Art Festival turns the city’s iconic downtown Chain of Park into a natural art gallery with one-of-a-kind works of art from all over the United States. As North Florida’s premier outdoor fine arts festival, visitors will find unique pieces from more than 150 artists, as well as chalk art, local food and craft beer vendors, children’s art activities and live entertainment.
Word of South
April 26-28
Word of South, a Festival of Literature and Music returns with a live exploration of writers and musicians at Cascades Park. Set amongst the backdrop of the Capital City skyline at Cascades Park, Word of South features authors who write about music, musicians who also are also authors and everything in between. The family-friendly event also boasts a children’s ‘Literacy Lane’ offering tales from local authors, as well as literary and musical performances on multiple stages.
The Friday night opener for the Word of South festival, GRAMMY® Award-winning The Flaming Lips are known for their brave, frequently brilliant, and obscure eclectic tracks in the world of alternative rock bands. Performing the highly successful album “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots,” the sci-fi-themed quasi-concept album cast The Flaming Lips’ most playful and profound songs to date, in a wondrous swirl of ambient electronics, digital beats, and psychedelic splendor.
Shakespeare in the Park Festival
May 9-12
Spring performances continue with the Southern Shakespeare Festival, May 9-12, at Cascades Park, the theatrical celebration features the works of the timeless playwright of William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, a comedy that charts one royal family’s journey of redemption. On May 11-12, The Bardlings will present an abridged version of The Tempest, Shakespeare’s comedy about the foibles and forgiveness of courtiers set adrift on a remote, magical island.
Soul of Southside Arts & Humanities Festival
May 16-18
Tallahassee honors the past and celebrates the future with the Soul of Southside Arts & Humanities Festival. Celebrating its second year, the intergenerational festival commends the rich and diverse history that exists in Tallahassee’s predominantly African-American Southside. The event’s unique blend of education and entertainment explores the historic influence of the Southside neighborhood and includes history tours, a Youth Entrepreneurship EXPO + Forum, food truck + vendor expo, diverse live music and entertainment.
Freedom’s Eve Emancipation Concert
Friday, May 17 from 8-10 pm
A FREE performance of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, honoring Freedom’s Eve and Florida’s Emancipation Day.
This concert was planned in partnership with the Florida Department of State, the John G. Riley Center & Museum, Soul of Southside, and the Tallahassee Downtown Improvement Authority.
Emancipation Day
May 20
Recognizing Emancipation Day on May 20, Tallahassee holds a weeklong celebration, rejoicing freedom in Florida’s Capital City. While today news of a single event can be transmitted across the planet in seconds, this was not the case in April 1865. More than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, word reached Tallahassee on May 20, 1865, nearly a full month before finally reaching Texas on June 19 (Juneteenth). In partnership with the Knott House Museum and the John G. Riley Museum, each year on May 20, a celebration is held on the steps of the Knott House Museum with performances, speakers, and a historical reenactment of Union General McCook’s reading of the Emancipation Proclamation.
