Atlanta, GA - FESTIVALS

The Dogwood Festival

As if Atlanta were not beautiful enough(as you can see throughout this Blog), every April the Dogwoods begin to bloom... and bloom and bloom! To celebrate this and the ever-changing wonder of Springtime in this Southern town,
the city hosts the Annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival. The Atlanta Dogwood Festival officially kicks off the spring season, and for many, it's the first chance to enjoy the outdoors as winter finally draws to a welcomed... close.

The first Dogwood Festival took place in 1936 under the guise of making Atlanta internationally known for its beauty during the blooming of the native dogwood trees, in abundance, thanks to the garden clubs and citizens interested in beautification of the city. Pageants, parades, a carnival, college choruses, opera and symphony performances served as ample entertainment for the event!

Despite the event's growing popularity over the years, the festival was discontinued in 1941, obviously due to World War II. The dogwoods continued to bloom, of course, and it wasn't long before the festival was once more, a springtime reality. In 1964, the Women's Chamber of Commerce initiated renewed interest in the Atlanta Dogwood Festival as part of the "Stay and See Georgia" promotion and eventually produced their first festival in 1968, which featured a formal ball on top of Stone Mountain. Since then, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival has become one of the largest civic celebrations in the Southeast!

In 1987, the WCC Board of Directors elected to incorporate the festival, allowing for broader community involvement and support. This also marked the beginning of hiring a professional staff to shift operations from a total volunteer staff and provide continuity. Every minute detail has remained in place since then, but just exactly when the dogwoods choose to bloom is often anyone's guess… a guess that is often far off the mark! Mother nature, unfortunately, has never become a member of the board!

But everyone loves a party…blooming dogwoods or not…and the great food and music bring out a wonderful mix of people…even DOGS that participate in the Disc Dog Southern Nationals are allowed…but patrons must abide by all leash-related Atlanta City Ordinances! In the past, everyone was allowed to bring their dog, but it is important to note once again, that ONLY dogs participating in the competitions are allowed. So, talented dogs only…WOOF!

Known as an "arts, music and environmental happening", this Atlanta tradition continues to please locals and visitors alike, who enjoy the opportunity to be outdoors and welcome spring in Piedmont Park. The Annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival will once again be held in Piedmont Park.

The festival has something for everyone: 2 stages of music, 250 artists in the artist market, an artist demonstration station, a youth art competition & exhibition, Kid's Village, canine disc dog contest, rock climbing wall, Midtown Tour of Homes presented by ReMax of Georgia, and lots and lots of delicious food!

Bring the entire family to this one and everybody will thank you…there's definitely something for everyone! The "Artist Market" is rated one of the top art shows in the country by Sunshine Artist magazine; it features paintings, sculpture, photography, and handcrafted jewelry and accessories. The youngsters will have a blast in the Kid's Village, designed just for them…plenty of storytelling, puppets and live performances! The Disc Dog US Southern Nationals pits classes of dogs against one another in various competitions for both amateurs and professionals. (Information Source: TripMaster).