2013 Dogwood Arts Festival: Calendar of Events & Trails

For more than 50 years, the Dogwood Arts Festival has celebrated the natural and cultural beauty of East Tennessee. For the entire month of April, the festival will feature a vibrant mix of blooming gardens and trails, visual arts, crafts, theater, dance, music, film, and literary arts.

The main focus of the Dogwood Arts Festival are the region’s spectacular dogwood trees. The Dogwood Trails showcase over 60 miles of breathtaking landscaping, flowers, and blossoming trees. The scenery is available for touring and photography, compliments of the homeowners.

Established in 1955, the Dogwood Arts Festival has become one of our nation's most celebrated events. Dogwood driving trails can be found throughout the entire city of Knoxville, each with it own natural beauty.

The Dogwood Arts Festival not only promotes the natural beauty of our area, the festival promotes, supports, and fosters educational programs, charitable undertakings, historical, horticultural, canine and equestrian societies, arts, music, drama, crafts, tours, lectures, and other related activities. The festival is one of the largest and finest annual festivals in America. The Dogwood Arts Festival manifests the very best of the nature and the people of East Tennessee.

Eight driving trails provide viewers with an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of East Tennessee byways. Trail Information.

Farragut is the 2013 featured trail. The Farragut Dogwood Trail, at the entrance to Fox Den Subdivision, includes beautiful homes with rock gardens, dogwoods, azaleas, tulips and ornamental Japanese maples. The Trail continues through a portion of Country Manor and ends in Village Green. Other Trails

March 25-April 6
NEXUS 2013
As one of the Dogwood Arts Festival’s featured exhibits, NEXUS, showcases national and international artists working in contemporary sculpture and 3D media. Indoor sculptures comprising all styles and genres from emerging and established artists will be selected by nationally recognized juror, Durant Thompson, for exhibition at the University of Tennessee’s Downtown Gallery. This year, the co-chairs of the NEXUS exhibition committee are Jason S. Brown and Brian R. Jobe. U.T. Downtown Gallery, 106 South Gay Street.

April 1-30
Walking Trails
Emphasizing the natural beauty of spring with breathtaking flora along historical architecture and inviting people to take a leisurely stroll through the neighborhood, Dogwood Arts is adding new and revamped walking trails to the 2013 Festival. Focusing on the idea of stepping out into our community, the trails are at least one-mile in length and folks are encouraged to walk, run, or bike these additional trails.

April 3
A Very Special Arts Festival
A Very Special Arts Festival is a unique event that celebrates the artistic endeavors of Knox County school-aged students having diverse abilities. The event is not a competition, but an event that provides an opportunity for students with disabilities to share their talents, works of art, and accomplishments with an interested audience. West High School

April 4-26
Student Art Exhibition
Knoxville’s next generation of artists is on display at our annual Student Art Exhibition. This exhibit features the work of gifted art students from local schools K-12. Awards and scholarships are presented to encourage further development of these art students’ artistic aptitude. Clayton Center for the Arts – 502 E. Lamar Alexander Pkwy, Maryville 37804

April 5, 2013-March 7, 2014
Art in Public Places Knoxville
A world-class exhibition of 19 large-scale outdoor sculptures enlivens downtown Knoxville and the McGhee Tyson Airport. We are honored to have noted sculptor, Kenneth M. Thompson, as the Juror for the 2013-2014 exhibition!

April 5-26
Regional Fine Art Exhibition
The finest progressive artists of our region will showcase their work in the Regional Fine Art Exhibition! Fine art encompassing all styles and genres from both emerging and established artists will be selected by David J. Reyes for exhibition. Emporium Center for the Arts – 100 South Gay Street

April 5-7
Rhythm N’ Blooms
Dogwood Arts is thrilled with the lineup for the 2013 Rhythm N’ Blooms music festival this year! Presented by Blackstone Brewing Company with music programmed by Attack Monkey Productions, Rhythm N’ Blooms will feature a variety of locally-revered and nationally-renowned artists. This year’s music festival is set for Friday, April 5th through Sunday, April 7th, and concerts are held at venues throughout downtown Knoxville. Pass required.

April 6
Chalk Walk
After four very successful years, the Chalk Walk returns! During this street painting festival in Market Square and Krutch Park, downtown sidewalks become the canvas for more than one hundred professional and student artists and families.

April 10-28
Dogwood Trails, Open Gardens, and Camera Sites
At the heart of the Dogwood Arts Festival are the region’s spectacular dogwood trees. The Dogwood Trails showcase this year’s spring spectacle in over 60 miles of breathtaking landscaping, rainbow-hued flowers, and blossoming trees. The scenery is available for touring and photography, compliments of the homeowners. Farragut is the 2013 featured trail.

April 12
Dogwood After Dark
From the minute you walk through the private entrance to the Old World vineyard artfully created in the heart of downtown Knoxville for just one night, you’ll know you’ve arrived somewhere special at this signature fundraiser for the Dogwood Arts Festival. You’ll embark on a wine-tasting journey by seven local distributors plus select importers who will discuss the latest trends in the wine industry and the fine art of wine-making.

April 12-14
Market Square Art Fair
One of Dogwood Arts Festival's most cherished traditions, the Market Square Art Fair, transforms downtown Knoxville into a lively street fair starting Friday, April 12, through Sunday, April 14. The Market Square Art Fair is a juried show with 70 local and regional artists exhibiting and selling their work in Market Square and Krutch Park extension. In addition, a culinary arts experience awaits attendees with cooking demonstrations and delicious wine and beer tastings and pairings.

April 20-21
Bikes & Blooms
Experience the Dogwood Trails the green and lean way on a bicycle by way of an organized or self-guided ride! As one of the Festival’s Covenant Health’s Official Health and Fitness events, Bikes and Blooms is an exciting way to get people of all ages pedaling toward a healthy lifestyle.

April 20-21
Dogwood Art DeTour
When it comes to art, the creative process can be just as interesting as the finished product. Dogwood Art DeTour provides an intimate look into local artists’ working studios. Visitors are invited to watch as the artists produce some of East Tennessee’s spectacular works of art.

For more information on the Dogwood Arts Festival, visit www.dogwoodarts.com.

Published March 25, 2013