On April 19, 1936, Atlanta invites the world to attend her first Dogwood Festival. Walter Rich, president of ADF and founder of Rich’s department store, seeks to make Atlanta internationally known for the blooming of the dogwood trees during the week-long event. Trees are planted in all parts of Atlanta under the sponsorship of the garden clubs and public spirited citizens interested in the beautification of the city. Pageants, parades and carnivals sponsored by the Junior League, along with performances by the Metropolitan Opera, Philadelphia Symphony, and choruses from local colleges, are featured.

Postcard, ca. 1930–1945: “Dogwood Trees in Bloom, Atlanta, Ga”

The Women’s Chamber of Commerce (WCC) of Atlanta sparks a revival of the Dogwood Festival.

The Festival produces many new events, including the International Dogwood Festival Juried Art Show, Old Fashioned Day in the Park with a hot air balloon race, a regatta at Lake Lanier, and home tours throughout several prominent residential areas

The Atlanta Dogwood Festival, Inc. is created to allow for more community involvement and support. By this time, the Festival is a month-long event with 30 to 50 smaller events.

The Festival becomes an eight-day, three-venue event that includes the Music in the Marketplace lunchtime concert series, the Rock ‘n Run Race, a Volksport, Earth Day events, and the first Christmas Tree Recycling Project.

Leadership for the Atlanta Dogwood Festival becomes involved with the city and the Piedmont Park Conservancy, helping to promote a more conscientious use of the grounds.

An economic impact survey is released announcing that the non-profit Atlanta Dogwood Festival has a whopping economic impact of more than $50 million on the city of Atlanta alone!

More than 220 artists from around the country fill the walkways of Piedmont Park.
Photo by Daniel Mayer

After a 6 month period of uncertainty, it was announced in October that the festival would be allowed to return home to Piedmont Park. A radically new layout was used to stretch the event throughout the entire park. Artist booths were spread out into color coded segments, food vendors were moved to multiple areas and park vistas were used to enhance the aestetics of the festival. An International Performers stage was added to the program, to rave reviews. The changes were well received by the public and there was a special energy as Atlanta celebrated the festival’s return home.

The 75th Annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival proved to be a giant success. With the addition of the 9-story Seattle Wheel and vintage Carousel, the festival attracted hundreds of thousands of excited attendees throughout the special diamond anniversary weekend. The Artist Market, music stages, disc dog competition, International Village & Stage, Atlanta High School Art Exhibition and Friends of Dogwood Pavilion were all in full swing. The perfect weather and array of offerings saw the festival close on Sunday with a park still filled with folks not ready to end the spring’s best event.

Continuing its strong partnership with PNC Bank, the 77th Annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival featured a Saturday night concert from country music sensation Sara Evans. The Meadow became a hot spot with a VIP tent overlooking the Main Stage and carnival and kiddie rides. Competition was high during the Atlanta High School Art Exhibition Art Throwdown and the Museum of Design Atlanta Chair Hack.

The final year of the festival’s 70s, saw the addition of Family Friday, a special day to celebrate families with all-you-can-ride wristbands and discounts on food and beverages. Saturday morning kicked off with the Atlanta Dogwood Festival 5K Run, which led hundreds of participants through the beautiful Midtown neighborhood and finished in Piedmont Park with another great day at the Atlanta Dogwood Festival. And just like the past decades, for the 79th festival, more than 250 fine artists brought the best of their work for festivalgoers to peruse.

In its 81st year, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival kept the party going even when the collapse of the I-85 bridge just days before the festival spelled transportation challenges for Atlanta. With strong encouragement for attendees to take MARTA and doubled shuttle bus runs, the festival continued to attract visitors and experienced a rise in attendance. During the weekend, festival attendees enjoyed the diverse fine arts market and the award-winning Atlanta High School Art Exhibition in addition to a global array of live entertainment on the International Stage; a Main Stage performance from Journey tribute band Departure, as well as a Southern Rock Revival and many other genres; libations after the popular Mimosa 5K; Friday night fireworks; amazing food at Backyard Bites & Brews; and much, much more!

Year 82 welcomed more than 200,000 attendees to Piedmont Park for three days of fine art, live entertainment and family fun. A special dose of excitement was provided by the Saturday night Main Stage headliner Shawn Mullins, a Grammy-nominated artist who kept the audience on their feet with favorites like his big hit “Lullaby.” Guests in the VIP Tent had a great view of the stage while they enjoyed barbecue, brews and private seating. After two days of glorious weather and record crowds, Sunday started off with a drizzle, but that didn’t stop the 260 artists from opening their booths and welcoming buyers who were not going to let a little rain keep them away.