Atlanta Haiku
Festival:
Growing
Gold
April 18, 2026: Celebrate the connection between art and nature through haiku during the Atlanta Haiku Festival at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.
People's Choice Voting
Winners of the Atlanta Haiku Festival poetry competition will be chosen in three categories based on age and level of experience.
Coming soon, we will we need your input! Submit the form below to cast your vote. The People’s Choice Grand Prize will be announced at the festival on April 18.
Why haiku?
The Atlanta Haiku Festival marries the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s connections to nature and Japanese culture through the art of haiku.
The Atlanta Botanical Garden encourages guests to experience nature in many different ways: outdoor walks, gardening classes, plant-based cooking classes, botanical art, and more. Japanese plants and culture are a significant part of these experiences; the Garden features many Japanese plants, as Atlanta and Japan have very similar climates, allowing Japanese plants to thrive here. Our Japanese Garden includes Japanese architecture and a beautiful stone lamp from Kagoshima, Japan.
After all, haiku is rooted in kachou fuugetsu, the Japanese term for experiencing nature – the foundation of the Garden’s mission to connect people with plants.
About the Festival
The Garden comes alive with haiku-inspired activations on April 18, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Write your own haiku at a drop-in Haiku Workshop
- Stroll the Garden on a self-guided haiku scavenger hunt.
- Visit a Forest Bathing Discovery Station, or immerse your senses in the beauty of nature at Tea-themed Discovery Station.
- Little ones can enjoy a special area where they can connect with haiku and nature through interactive stations.
- Enjoy a special performance by the Atlanta Okinawa Kenjin-Kai taiko drum group
Haiku Competition
Feb. 1 – 28: Writers of all ages from around the country are invited to submit up to two original and unpublished haiku to our competition. Winners receive admission to the festival on April 18, and their work will be read aloud and displayed in the Garden.
How-to-Haiku
Feb. 7: Learn the foundations of haiku from poet Tom Painting, then embark on an adventure of relaxation and creativity in the Garden. Register by Feb. 3.
Garden Playtime
Most Tuesdays in April: Celebrate the Garden’s haiku festival with a themed month of Garden Playtime, the popular interactive program for the Garden’s youngest guests, ages 6 months – 5 years. Explore forest scenes in our sensory bins, paint with natural items at our mural station, create your own recycled art mosaic, and more – free with Garden admission.
Storybook Time
April 15, 10 and 10:45 a.m.: Little sprouts ages 1 – 4 years will love a special haiku-themed Storybook Time led by Ms. Ally – free with Garden admission. Littles will hear and engage with the ancient poetry form stemming from Japanese tradition that explores our relationship with nature.
School Visit Guide
Using the handout “Find Your Haiku Moment in the Garden”, take time to notice, observe, and connect with natural phenomena in the Garden. Talk with your students about their observations and anything they find surprising, interesting, or beautiful.