After a stellar diamond anniversary earlier this year, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival will take no time to rest on its laurels as organizers are already hard at work planning the 2012 spring event. Next April will bring back more fine art, live music, international performances, casual and gourmet food, kids activities, high school artists, competing dogs and … everyone’s new favorite, the Seattle Ferris Wheel.
There is no better way to celebrate spring and the blooming of the city’s favorite trees than at the 2012 Atlanta Dogwood Festival.
AT A GLANCE The 76th Annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival takes place in Atlanta’s beautiful Piedmont Park on April 20, 21 and 22, 2012. Festival attendance is free, although a few of the areas are ticketed. www.dogwood.org
ARTS The 2012 Atlanta Dogwood Festival Artist Market welcomes fine artists from throughout the country and includes a special section featuring Georgia artists. Selected from nearly a thousand entries, the juried Artist Market presents a variety of media, from oil painting to jewelry to sculpture and fiber. It’s an entire weekend worth of art.
Each year, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival is thrilled to sponsor the Atlanta High School Art Exhibition (AHSAE), which last year brought in almost 600 entries from talented young artists throughout Atlanta and Georgia. Providing winners with $40,000 in scholarships and supplies, the AHSAE is community-oriented feature of the festival that fills a growing gap in creative opportunities for youth. Held in the Community Center in Piedmont Park during the festival, the AHSAE highlights the variety and breadth of young Atlanta artistic talent and has received national recognition for its impact on young artists.
HOTELS Atlanta visitors and residents looking for a great spring “staycation” can get special Atlanta Dogwood Festival rates at these nearby Midtown hotels:
Hotel Midtown – $89 per night
Renaissance Hotel - $129 per night
Courtyard Marriott - $109 per night
Marriott Suites Hotel - $129 per night
* reservations required; check www.dogwood.org for more information
GLOBAL To celebrate the diverse international communities in Atlanta, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival features the International Village and Stage. With more than 500 performers on the International Stage representing over 20 countries as well as local community organizations, and an interactive edutainment area, the International Village is an inspiring recent addition to the festival. This area also includes a culturally decorated golf cart competition, and it kicks off on Friday night with La Fête, a ticketed international food and wine tasting.
SPECTATORS Each year, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival offers entertainment throughout the weekend. As always, two live music stages feature performers from a variety of musical genres. Festival attendees can also enjoy the popular live disc dog competition and street performances.
FOR FOODIES The “Friends of Dogwood Pavilion,” a ticketed event that has become a popular feature of the Atlanta Dogwood Festival, is open Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The Pavilion pairs delicacies from top local restaurants with wines in a comfortable, exclusive setting. Tickets to Friends of Dogwood can be purchased in advance at www.dogwood.org.
BEING GREEN The Atlanta Dogwood Festival works in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council – Atlanta Chapter to include a Green Festival Initiative that diverts tons of waste from landfills, recycles cooking oil, runs stages on bio-diesel generators and allows vendors to use only compostable flatware, cups and serving plates. This initiative has been so successful, it has won national recognition and created a model other festivals are working to follow.
KIDS Designed just for the younger festival visitors, the Kid’s Village is always a festival favorite for families. This interactive zone comes complete with hands-on art projects, special kid-friendly displays and hours of entertainment for children. With anything from rock climbing to the popular spider jump, parents will find this area the ideal place for their children to let out some energy and have some fun.
ENTRANCE Just as it has been for the past 75 years, the 76th Annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival is free!
FUNDRAISING As a registered 501-C3, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival thanks Friends of the Dogwood and our sponsors who help keep this great event free and open to the public.
Additional neighborhood and community-oriented features will be part of the 76th Atlanta Dogwood Festival – details coming soon!
ABOUT THE ATLANTA DOGWOOD FESTIVAL
The city’s longest-running festival, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to providing the annual springtime celebration of arts and entertainment. The 76th Annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival will take place April 20 – 22, 2012. The festival offices are located at 887 West Marietta Street, Studio S-105, Atlanta, Georgia 30318. The Atlanta Dogwood Festival can be reached at 404-817-6642 or visited online at www.dogwood.org.
Like the Atlanta Dogwood Festival on Facebook - www.facebook.com/atlantadogwoodfestival and follow us on Twitter – www.twitter.com/dogwoodfestival.
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