Sierra Madre’s historic Wistaria Festival will return on Saturday, April 12, offering an up-close-and-personal public viewing of the world’s largest blossoming plant just three months after the devastating Eaton Fire swept through the region and burned portion of the town.
This spring celebration represents both an annual tradition and a now, a vibrat symbol of community recovery following one of the area’s most destructive wildfires in recent history.
The 2025 Sierra Madre Wistaria Festival will take place on Saturday, April 12, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. throughout downtown Sierra Madre.
The event’s centerpiece is the magnificent wistaria vine, certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest blossoming plant and considered one of the seven horticultural wonders of the world.
This botanical marvel began its remarkable journey in 1894 when it was purchased as a modest one-gallon container plant for 75 cents and planted near the front porch of a home on Carter Avenue. Over the decades, the Chinese Lavender wistaria variety grew so vigorously that it eventually engulfed and destroyed the original house, necessitating the construction of a new residence to accommodate its expanding reach. Today, the vine spans more than an acre across two private properties, weighs approximately 250 tons, and produces up to 1.5 million blossoms at peak bloom.
Sierra Madre deliberately uses the spelling “wistaria” instead of the more common “wisteria,” as a reference to American physician Dr. Caspar Wistar, for whom the plant was named. This distinctive spelling has become part of the local tradition and identity of the festival.
The one-day event transforms downtown Sierra Madre into a vibrant celebration of community and nature. Visitors can explore more than 100 craft and food vendors lining the streets, browse local shops (all of which will be open during the festival), and enjoy the Sierra Madre Auto Show featuring vintage and classic automobiles.
Due to the vine’s location on private property and limited parking in the residential area, a shuttle service will operate from downtown Sierra Madre to the vine throughout the festival day. Shuttle tickets are available at different price points: general admission (ages 13-64) costs $17.85, seniors (65+) pay $15.18, children ages 4-12 are $9.85, and children under 4 ride free. These prices include service fees.
This year’s Wistaria Festival carries special significance as it represents one of the first major community celebrations in Sierra Madre following the destructive Eaton Fire. Sierra Madre itself was under evacuation orders during parts of the fire emergency, with officials implementing a curfew. The fire caused significant damage to public lands, trail systems, roads, and water systems in Sierra Madre, prompting the city to join Los Angeles County and Pasadena in filing lawsuits against Southern California Edison over alleged responsibility for the blaze.
The Wistaria Festival tradition stretches back nearly a century, with various organizations having hosted viewings of the remarkable vine throughout its history. In 1931, when the Sierra Madre Woman’s Club hosted the festival, an admission fee was collected for the first time, and an astonishing 35,000 people visited during the three-week celebration.
Visitors interested in attending this unique event should plan ahead, as the one-day-only nature of the vine viewing typically attracts substantial crowds to this charming foothill community. Previous similar events have drawn up to 10,000 visitors.
