America in Bloom National Award results announced

Top honors for the prestigious 2023 America in Bloom National Awards Program were announced at the annual symposium and awards celebration held in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Sept. 28-30.

All participating communities were evaluated on seven criteria: community vitality, floral impact, landscaped areas, urban forestry, environmental initiatives, heritage celebration and overall impression. America in Bloom is the only national awards program that sends specially trained advisers to personally visit participants. Each community receives a detailed written evaluation that can be used as a guide to future improvements.

The awards categories included population category winners, outstanding achievement awards, special awards, community champion and YouTube video award.

Population category winners are Castle Rock, Washington (under 3,500), Lakeside, Ohio (3,000-6,000), Hawthorn Woods, Illinois (6,000-10,000), Washington, Missouri (10,000-15,000), Portsmouth, Ohio (15,000-20,000), Tavares, Florida (20,000-25,000), Mundelein, Illinois (25,000-33,000), Buffalo Grove, Illinois (33,000-65,000) and Cicero, Illinois (over 65,000).

Outstanding Achievement Award winners are Madison, Mississippi (Community Vitality), Lewisburg, West Virginia (Floral Impact), Groveland, Florida (Landscaped Areas), Washington, Missouri (Urban Forestry), Edmonston, Maryland (Environmental Initiatives), Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania (Overall Impression), Orion Township, Michigan (Celebrating Heritage) and Howard, Wisconsin (Community Involvement).

Special Award winners are Orion Township, Michigan (Coolest Place for Kids), Coshocton, Ohio (Eye-Popping Pots — Best Use of Containers in the Landscape), Castle Rock, Washington (Catching Community Spirit — Digital & Social Media Communications), Carthage, Missouri (Innovation in Action — Most Impressive New Project or Program), Logan, Ohio (Best Volunteer Recognition Program), Mundelein, Illinois (Better Together — Best Example of Public/Private Partnership), Howard, Wisconsin (Best Youth Gardening Program), Brewton, Alabama (Best Community Garden Program), Tavares, Florida (Coolest Downtown), Portsmouth, Ohio (Best Mural Program), Logan, Ohio (What’s Old is New Again — Best Adaptive Reuse Project), Worcester, Massachusetts (Alive with Flowers — Sunbeam Social Media Award) and Castle Rock, Washington (Youth Involvement Award).

The Dwight Lund Community Champion Award went to Tim France of Coshocton, Ohio. Both the YouTube video award and YouTube People’s Choice Award went to Orion Township, Michigan.

To date, more than 330 communities from 43 states have participated in the program, with more than 22 million people touched by it. Registrations for the 2024 program can be submitted until Feb. 28, 2024. Eligible participants include towns, cities, college/university campuses, business districts, military installations and recognized neighborhoods of large cities.