EVENTS IN APRIL : The Blossoming of Expo ’92 and a Flower Show

April showers may bring May flowers, but this year April will also bring a world’s fair and an international flower show.

On Easter Monday, April 20, Spain’s world’s fair officially opens. Expo ’92 in Seville will continue through Oct. 12, another significant date: the arrival of Columbus in the New World, 500 years ago. Some 110 countries, 23 international organizations and various corporations will be represented in 88 pavilions. Site of the fair is on the 538-acre historic island of La Cartuja in the Guadalquivir River. The theme of Expo ’92 is “The Age of Discoveries.”

Approximately 55,000 shows will be performed in 16 entertainment areas. The fair will have 96 restaurants, 70 bars and cafes, 51 shops, 10 banks and 10 tourist information offices.

Daily admission is $40 per adult, $15 for senior citizens and children ages 5 to 14. Children younger than 5 get in free. Season tickets cost $300 per adult, $150 per senior citizen or child, ages 5 to 14. A three-day pass will also be available for $100 per adult. Special Family Day tickets cost $20 per adult, $7.50 per senior citizen and per child. A $10 nighttime entry entitles you stay from 8 p.m. through 4 a.m.

For more details, contact the National Tourist Office of Spain, San Vicente Plaza Building, 8383 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 960, Beverly Hills 90211, (213) 658-7188.

While in Europe, you might want to visit the Netherlands to view “Floriade 1992” in The Hague, April 10 through Oct. 11. This is virtually a world’s fair of flowers, held once every 10 years in different European countries. This exhibition will be at the 230-acre park, Zoetermeer.

The Floriade exhibits flowers, trees, fruits and vegetables from around the world. The Floriade will have 4,500 trees, half a million tulips, 70,000 shrubs, 20,000 perennials and 6,000 roses.

There will be both permanent and rotating exhibits, art shows, cultural performances and special events. Fair themes will deal with the environment, recreation and transportation. Fair hours will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with longer hours during summer. Admission is $12 per ticket and may be obtained in advance--though it’s not required--from the Netherlands Board of Tourism, 90 New Montgomery St., Suite 305, San Francisco 94105, (213) 678-8802 or (415) 543-6772.

In keeping with the floral motif of celebrations and fairs, the 59th Historic Garden Week, statewide in Virginia, will be held April 18-26. About 200 owners of the state’s outstanding homes and gardens will hold open house, and 50 historic landmarks will also be open to visitors.

Homes and gardens in 37 areas of the state will be featured in these annual tours. Many can only be visited at this time of year. Some of the areas will hold special programs. In Charlottesville, for example, there will be a “Flowers Interpret Art” show at the Bayly Art Museum, April 21, and a candlelight tour of the lawn every 15 minutes from the Rotunda of the University of Virginia.

The events vary and so do the costs. Proceeds from this annual event go toward the preservation of historic landmarks and gardens. A special guidebook, published by The Garden Club of Virginia, sponsors of Historic Garden Week, is available for $2. For guidebook and details, contact The Garden Club of Virginia, 12 E. Franklin St., Richmond, Va. 23219. For more information, call (804) 644-7776 or (804) 643-7141.

Preceding this special week is the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C., next Sunday through April 12. Dates can vary since weather conditions may can alter the blossoming of the Japanese cherry trees. More than 6,000 cherry trees provide the floral setting for this festival that which includes the Cherry Blossom Parade April 11, plus fireworks, a fashion show, free concerts in downtown parks, the Japanese Lantern Lighting Ceremony, the Cherry Blossom Ball and the annual marathon race.

Parade ticket information is available by calling the D.C. Downtown Jaycees at (202) 728-1137.5. For a complete festival schedule, contact the National Cherry Blossom Festival Committee at (202) 737-2599 or the Washington D.C. Convention & Visitors Assn., 1212 New York Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005, (202) 789-7000.

For a complete change of pace and locale, there’s Seoul’s Nori Madang, traditional outdoor theater. The season officially begins in April. Performances are held Saturdays and Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m. at Sokchonhosu Lake, at Lotti World in the Chamshil District. It’s free. Highlight of the performances is the Mask Dance, a combination drama and vocal concert. Each performer wears an ornately carved mask.

For more details, contact the Korea National Tourism Corp., 3435 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 350, Los Angeles 90010, (213) 382-3435.