Blooming flowers are a welcome sign of spring. Celebrate spring at the Providence Foundation's 31st Festival of Flowers.

The award-winning festival will fill Mobile's Cathedral Square with life-sized living flower sculptures created by florists, artists and garden designers from the region.

This year's Festival of Flowers theme is "Make Your Mark." Artists will vie for visitor votes to win bragging rights as the Festival of Flowers People's Choice Award. Votes can view the elaborate plant creations in Cathedral Square and cast their vote using a QR code or weblink.

The Festival of Flowers is produced by the Providence Foundation and the proceeds of this year's festival will be used to purchase advance electrocardiogram (EKG) equipment for the USA Health Providence Cardiac Care Unit.

Special events at this year's festival include an Exotic Car Show, Buds and Brews and self-guided tours of area gardens on Saturday. On Sunday, visitors can bring their four-legged family members to enjoy the show during Welcome All Wags from 3-5 p.m.

The entertainment lineup for this year's festival includes Brandon Green and Band, The Wrong Terns, Symone French, Grant Skinner, Ben Tuberville and Mobile's Singing Children.

Festival Schedule:

Friday, March 8

• 6-9 p.m. – ArtWalk, donation required for entry

Saturday, March 9

• 9-11 a.m. – Exotic Car Show (rain date: Sunday, March 10, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.)
• 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. – Buds and Brews (tickets required)

Sunday, March 10

• 3-5 p.m. – Welcome All Wags

The Festival of Flowers runs from Friday, March 8 at 10 a.m. to Sunday, March 10. The festival is open from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. A donation is required for entry. For more information on the festival and the seminars and demonstrations offered, visit www.usahealthsystems.com/festival-of-flowers.