Tempe Blooms Flourishes with National Recognition 🌼🌸

Tempe Blooms has gone from a creative idea to an award-winning, widely recognized celebration in just two short years. We’re incredibly proud to watch this one-of-a-kind event grow into something that represents the best of Downtown Tempe.

This year, Tempe Blooms received multiple prestigious awards that honor excellence in festivals, events, creativity, and community impact. Following the 2025 event, Downtown Tempe Authority and our presenting partner, Arizona Flower Market, earned a Gold Pinnacle Award for Best Sponsor Partner at the 30th Annual IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards. We also received a 2025 Downtown Achievement Award of Excellence from the International Downtown Association (IDA).

Tempe Blooms was additionally recognized as part of why Downtown Tempe Authority earned the Culture Impactor Award at the 2025 Tempe Arts & Culture Awards, and it received an Impact Award for Best Downtown Event at the State of Downtown annual event. Rounding out the accolades, Tempe Blooms also earned a Public Awareness Award from the Arizona State Floral Association.

These organizations represent the highest levels of excellence in the event, floral, and urban place-management industries. To be recognized across so many categories—locally and nationally—is an extraordinary honor that reinforces our commitment to creating experiences that connect people to this place and highlight what makes Downtown Tempe so special.

While Tempe Blooms is one of many events we produce, it holds a unique place in our hearts and in our community. It remains the only event of its kind in the Southwest, bringing together art, flowers, music, workshops, and local creativity in a way that could only happen here. The two-day celebration transforms the district into a vibrant, immersive floral experience filled with 21 floral installations, 10 live mural curations, live music on 10 stages, and a floral-inspired market featuring more than 45 local vendors. Guests can also enjoy floral design workshops, a build-your-own bouquet area, food and drinks, floral specials at downtown businesses, and a kids’ area designed to spark creativity.

Tempe Blooms began in 2024 after our team was inspired by a floral event in New York. With support from a $100,000 grant from the Arizona Office of Tourism’s Visit Arizona Initiative, we brought that inspiration to life—infused with Tempe’s vibrant personality and creative spirit. Our presenting partner, Arizona Flower Market, has been instrumental in helping us bring this vision to life in both 2024 and 2025, along with dozens of collaborators, artists, and organizations who helped this idea bloom.

To give you a sense of scale, here’s what our small (but mighty) team accomplishes each year:

• Our events team is just four people.
• DTA produces 12 annual events that collectively generate more than $30 million in economic impact.
• Between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day, our team produces six major community events in just 11 weeks.
• In 2024, 2.5 million people made 15 million visits to Downtown Tempe.

Most of these events span multiple blocks, attract thousands of visitors, and require hands-on support from nearly every DTA staff member. Though awards are wonderful, what truly matters is the way these events bring people together, support local businesses, and help Downtown Tempe shine.

It’s hard to believe that 2025 was only our second year of Tempe Blooms—because it already feels like a beloved local tradition. These awards belong to our entire community and to everyone who has helped Tempe Blooms (both literally and figuratively). Thank you for helping us make Downtown Tempe flourish year after year.

📅 Mark your calendars, friends, because Tempe Blooms returns January 24–25, 2026!

For more information about Tempe Blooms, check out the event website.