The 86th Annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival will be held at Piedmont Park – Charles Allen Dr. and 10th Street, Atlanta on Friday, April 8 through Sunday, April 10, 2022.
Since the pandemic began, the festival Board of Directors struggled to strike a balance between safety and financial viability, and after multiple date changes and a cancellation in 2020, the nonprofit is asking for support. This has become necessary to ensure the event may remain financially viable in the future. Donations may be made on the festival website at www.dogwood.org.
That’s the good news and the difficult news from the city’s largest and longest-running fine arts festival and the third oldest in the country — now here are the exciting details for April:
ARTIST MARKET
Welcoming approximately 260 artists selected by a jury of esteemed visual arts professionals, the fine art Artist Market raises the bar on outdoor arts festivals in the city. The Artist Market features works in 12 types of media and even more genres. The diverse range of art and artists means there is something to suit a variety of tastes, including those who are just looking for inspiration.
ENTERTAINMENT
The Coca-Cola Main Stage is the place to be to enjoy a wide variety of live entertainment throughout the weekend. By day, the home to international performers like dance troupes, folklore theater and signing groups, the stage rocks out in the evening with local bands playing music from indie rock to jazz. While there is plenty of lawn seating, adults can also take a break to enjoy the show while kicking back in the Corona Light Beer Garden.
FOOD EVENTS
There is so much to do at the festival, and for attendees interested in upping their experience, the festival offers several ticketed culinary events under a spacious VIP Tent overlooking the Main Stage. At these all-inclusive affairs, guests enjoy fare from local restaurants and chefs, comfortable seating, private bathrooms, a dedicated bar and a great view of the stage. Tickets for Friday and Saturday night VIP events and for Saturday and Sunday afternoon tasting events go on sale in February 2022.
MIMOSA 5K
On festival Saturday morning, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival Mimosa 5K provides runners, walkers and rollers the chance to hit the pavement through Midtown’s beautiful, historic neighborhoods. The race culminates with an OJ & bubbly toast in Piedmont Park just in time to begin a fun day at the festival.
HIGH SCHOOL ART
Not only does the festival celebrate professional and established artists, it offers young artists the opportunity to participate in a juried art show too. Typically receiving more than 700 submissions each year, the award-winning Atlanta High School Art Exhibition (AHSAE) displays the top pieces selected by a panel of professional artist judges during festival weekend in the Piedmont Park Community Center.
And that’s not all! On Saturday afternoon, the festival hosts the Art Throwdown, a timed art competition that pits teams of high school artists against each other in a creative tournament in front of a live audience.
Sponsored and supported by the Atlanta Dogwood Festival, the AHSAE and Art Throwdown provide prizes and scholarships for top submissions and winners.
FOR KIDS
Families love the Atlanta Dogwood Festival because there are multiple options for kids to be kids. The Kids Village offers a variety of hands-on activities.
DISC DOGS
There is no “dog” in “dogwood,” but there is a canine competition at the festival, and it’s a crowd favorite. For nearly 30 years, the festival has welcomed the AWI and Skyhoundz World Qualifier, hosted by The Greater Atlanta Dog & Disc Club. The competition and Freestyle and Toss-and-Fetch disc dog demonstrations have been a long-time crowd favorite activity and are sure to amaze and astound again in 2022. *Only registered competing dogs are permitted at Piedmont Park (outside the dog park) during the festival per a City of Atlanta ordinance.
HOTELS
For anyone wanting to get away but not wanting to go far, the festival weekend can be the ultimate staycation thanks to discounted rates with the Atlanta Dogwood Festival hotel partners – W Atlanta Midtown and Atlanta Marriott Suites Midtown. Hotel rates will be updated in early 2022 at https://dogwood.org/about/hotels/.
ABOUT THE ATLANTA DOGWOOD FESTIVAL
The city’s longest-running festival and the third-oldest fine arts festival in the country, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the arts and presenting the popular annual springtime event. Through its community programs, including the Atlanta High School Art Exhibition, the festival provides art supplies and scholarships to high school art teachers and students in the metro area. The Atlanta Dogwood Festival has won awards and been recognized by the Society of American Travel Writers, “Sunshine Artist” magazine, the International Festivals and Events Association and the Southeast Festival & Events Association for its overall quality and excellent programs.
Visit www.dogwood.org for more informatio and follow Atlanta Dogwood Festival at:.
www.facebook.com/atlantadogwoodfestival
https://www.instagram.com/dogwoodfestival/
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