Atlanta Dogwood Festival

Photo Credit: Explore Georgia. Photo by Kimie Yates, @kimieyates

Atlanta Dogwood Festival - Piedmont Park in the Spring

The Atlanta Dogwood Festival

Every spring, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival in Piedmont Park honors the warmer weather with performances, art booths, kiddie rides, snacks from local restaurants, and thousands upon thousands upon thousands of cabin-fevered Atlantans.

Atlanta Dogwood Festival 2021 Arts Agenda, Festivals

Friday August 6, 2021 12:00 pm EDT 08/06/2021 12:00 pm

The Dogwood Festival will take place Friday, August 6 – Sunday, August 8. | more...

About the Dogwood Festival

The first Dogwood Festival took place April 19, 1936. The founder of Rich's department store, Walter Rich, was the visionary behind the week-long event.

Atlanta Dogwood Festival Postcard From 1936 (400)

Largely due to the popularity of the festival, the Dogwood Tree is connected to the City of Atlanta in a similar way that the Cherry Blossom is identified with Washington DC. The Dogwood grows mainly in the Southeast US, the Atlantic Seaboard and the MidWest.

Is the Dogwood Worthy of Its Own Festival?

Creative Loafing's Jeff Slate asks residents:

Street Talk 2009 Ric: "Definitely. When something can bring attention to nature, it’s a good thing. And they are beautiful, they’re beautiful trees. They’re kind of like the cherry blossoms in Japan. They only come a certain time of year, so you might as well enjoy them. The white blossom is different and really stands out in the midst of everyday green, pink and yellow. I’m not a botanist, but a beautiful flower is a beautiful flower. I’m new to Georgia and I’ve never seen a dogwood until I came here. It is a gorgeous tree and flower."

Street Talk 2009 Gina: If there was an impressive display of them at Piedmont Park, then yes. But I’m from D.C, and the cherry blossoms are always so breathtaking and beautiful. The park here is lacking dogwood trees. It’s kind of silly to name it the Dogwood Festival when you only have five dogwood trees. In D.C. people go to see the cherry blossoms. It’s impressive. There are cherry blossoms! But here, call it a spring festival or something, so you don’t have any expectations of seeing beautiful dogwoods. Or plant some more dogwood trees.

Street Talk 2009 Rosalyn: Yes. It’s a initial sign of spring. It’s symbolic of Christianity. It was the tree that was used for Jesus to be nailed to the cross, and the flower heavily resembles the cross. My parents and grandparents would always show them to us and explained to us what they meant. It’s the first tree I learned about. There’s a lot of sentimental value, especially for this area because it's the Bible Belt. The white is a symbol of purity. Most people, if they know their history, know what the dogwood symbolizes. And when you see them, they are just so beautiful.

Atlanta Dogwood Festival 2018 Video

News About the Dogwood Festival

2021 Dogwood Festival Artist Market Article

Tuesday June 29, 2021 02:05 pm EDT 06/29/2021 2:05 pm

The Dogwood Festival announced its artists for the 2021 Atlanta Dogwood Festival. The Festival will have over 200 artists participating from around the US. Artist Market Judges this year are: Rick Berman, Ebru Ercan, Anna Hamer, Megan McKendree, Charmaine Minniefield and Ann Fay Rushforth. | more...

Past Coverage

Atlanta Dogwood Festival 2021 Article

Friday August 6, 2021 12:00 pm EDT 08/06/2021 12:00 pm

The Dogwood Festival will take place Friday, August 6 – Sunday, August 8. | more...

2021 Dogwood Festival Artist Market Article

Tuesday June 29, 2021 02:05 pm EDT 06/29/2021 2:05 pm

Atlanta Dogwood Festival 2020 Article

Friday August 7, 2020 12:06 pm EDT 08/07/2020 12:06 pm

This year's Atlanta Dogwood festival has been postponed to August 7 – August 9, 2020 and then cancelled. We'll publish the festival schedule, recommendations and events next Spring when it returns.

| more...

Atlanta Dogwood Festival 2019 Article

Friday April 12, 2019 12:10 pm EDT 04/12/2019 12:10 pm

Atlanta Dogwood Festival Annual Event | more...

SEE & DO: Atlanta Dogwood Festival - Issue Date April 04 2017 Article

Tuesday April 4, 2017 03:09 pm EDT 04/04/2017 3:09 pm

The popular festival is back for its 81st year | more...

Weekend Arts Agenda: Nobody: The Story of Bert Williams comes to Hapeville Performing Arts Center April 07 2016 Article

Thursday April 7, 2016 10:03 am EDT 04/07/2016 10:03 am

Plus, author Desiree Cooper comes to the Hammonds House Museum to discuss her book. | more...

Weekend Arts Agenda: Art & Dialogue at the Contemporary April 09 2015 Article

Thursday April 9, 2015 04:27 pm EDT 04/09/2015 4:27 pm

A weekly roundup of cultural happenings going on from Thursday to Sunday | more...

Dogwood Festival returns this weekend Article

Tuesday April 13, 2010 08:10 pm EDT 04/13/2010 8:10 pm

Atlanta party-funk crew Noot d' Noot will perform, along with local psych-surf dudes the Jaguars, Soulphonics & Ruby Velle and the Forty-Fives | more...