Dogwood Days Are Here Again!

Dogwood Days Are Here Again!

For Atlantans, one of springtime’s best events has long been it’s world-renowned Dogwood Festival. I first attended the festival when visiting Atlanta in 2006. I think that is exactly the day I fell in love with Georgia in the spring. Nothing compares to the city in full bloom with dogwood and azalea blossoms brightening nearly every street! 

The Atlanta Dogwood Festival has been in existence for 75 years! In April of 1936, the first week-long festival was marked by the planting of dogwood saplings in all parts of Atlanta, as garden clubs, city leaders and public spirited citizens sought to make the city famous for its beautiful blooming trees. Pageants, parades, carnivals and musical performances also marked the event, which was held annually until 1941 when World War II caused the festival to be discontinued.

Amazing Artists! In 1964 the Atlanta Women’s Chamber of Commerce led a revival of the Dogwood Festival, which went on to become one of the largest civic celebrations in the Southeast. Over the ensuing years the festival grew to incorporate the International Dogwood Juried Art Show, home tours, hot air balloon races, home tours,  lighted dogwood walks at Hurt Park, and even a regatta at Lake Lanier. By the late 80’s, the Festival had become a month-long event which included 30-50 smaller events.

In 2000, Atlanta Dogwood Festival leaders began working with the Piedmont Park Conservancy, and over the next few years the event grew to attract crowds of more than 200,000 people.

By the time I attended my first Festival in 2006, the event was celebrating its 70^th birthday. That was the year of the first Annual Rhythm and Blooms party. More than 220 artists from around the country lined the walkways of Piedmont Park, and if you got there while supplies lasted, you could get a complimentary dogwood sapling to plant in your yard. But a few years later, drought conditions forced the event out of Piedmont Park to the forecourt of Lenox Square. Thank goodness, that didn’t last long, and the Festival is back home in Piedmont park, with an expanded layout and an emphasis on green living, sustainability and park conservancy.

If you are fortunate enough to be within day-trip distance of midtown Atlanta, I hope you can treat yourself and your family to a day at the 2012 Dogwood Festival, April 20 – 22 at Piedmont Park.

For information on the line-up of performances and events, visit the Atlanta Dogwood Festival website and start making your plans.