1) The Atlanta Dogwood Festival returns to Piedmont Park.
2) Comedian Mike Epps performs at the Fox Theatre.
3) Relativity, Morale Hazard, Untitled (Street Performances) and Videos open at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center.
4) Pulitzer Prize winner Leonard Pitts Jr. reads and discusses Before I Forget at Decatur Library.
5) The Nighthawks play Blind Willie’s.
(Photo courtesy Atlanta Dogwood Festival)
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.
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.
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.
After an unfortunate run in the Lenox parking lot earlier this year, Atlanta’s beloved Dogwood Festival returns to Piedmont Park, where they actually have, like, trees, and stuff. From today’s press release:
HOMECOMING
The 73rd Annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival returns home to Piedmont Park to
host the city’s best-loved springtime tradition. Taking place April 17, 18
and 19, 2009, the weekend of fine art, music, and food, offers the ideal
way for families and friends to spend time in the beautiful Atlanta spring
weather.
Keep your fingers crossed that the Peachtree Road Race gets lucky too.
We don’t know how they’ll get blooming dogwood trees onto the pavement at Lenox Square Mall, but that’s where this year’s version of the Dogwood Festival will be held. Organizers made the announcement today that the 72nd annual festival will move to Buckhead from its traditional spot in Piedmont Park, which is off-limits this year because of the drought.
It will be a different kind of atmosphere, for sure. Part of the fun of the festival is going out to Piedmont Park as spring bursts into the air. Will it inspire a one-for-all, all-for-one vibe? Or will it kill the entire vibe of the festival?
The folks who put on the annual Dogwood Festival at Piedmont Park were informed yesterday that the park will host no major events in 2008 because of the drought.
That’s understandable, but the late notice has left organizers scrambling to find a location for the festival, now in its 72nd year.
The festival sent out this press release today:
After the City of Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation’s announcement that no large festivals can be held in Piedmont Park during 2008, the 72nd Annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival must search for a temporary site so that it can present a viable event for its fans. This last-minute notification delivered to festival organizers yesterday will mean major changes are required for one of the South’s oldest and most beloved spring traditions, which is scheduled to open April 4.
“We were disappointed to learn that the City of Atlanta decided to not allow any large park festivals this year,†said Atlanta Dogwood Festival executive director Brian Hill. “In spite of the city’s announcement, we will remain positive and attempt to present the festival at an alternative and suitable location, retaining the very high level of entertainment quality we were planning for Piedmont Park. We understand the severity of the drought conditions and had previously presented an alternative layout to restrict the festival’s activities to the streets within the park. We had hoped the city would allow the festival to proceed as scheduled.â€
For the past 71 years, Atlanta’s “Favorite Festival†(as voted by readers of Atlanta Magazine) has brought hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city, creating a valuable economic impact with a cumulative value of hundreds of millions of dollars. The festival has always taken care to reduce the physical impact of its audience on Piedmont Park and has paid for any minimal damages to the park due to the festival use.
“We share a passion for Piedmont Park,†said Hill “Our goal is to sustain Atlanta’s favorite springtime event for many years to come.â€
An announcement of the festival’s revised plans will be released in the next two weeks.
