A longtime Atlanta festival is asking its supporters to help raise over $250,000 to ensure its return for another year.
Organizers of the Atlanta Dogwood Festival announced on Tuesday that, due to ongoing financial losses stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and reduced funding, operating the annual event has become increasingly challenging to maintain.
Further difficulties include heightened production costs in recent years, which organizers say have gone towards security, equipment rental and other “required support” services.
“We are committed to producing a high-caliber event year after year,” said Brian Hill, Atlanta Dogwood Festival executive director, in a Tuesday press release. “Unfortunately, the cost of doing so has increased exponentially while support and revenue have not kept pace.”
Founded in 1936 by Walter Rich, the founder of Rich’s department store, the festival originally began as an effort to bring residents together amid the effects of the Great Depression and to celebrate the blooming of the dogwood tree.
Over the course of nearly nine decades, the festival has evolved into an annual celebration for metro Atlanta residents to mark the start of spring. Next year’s festival, also its 90th anniversary, is scheduled to take place April 10 – 12 in Piedmont Park
As of 2025, the organization notes that it is Atlanta’s largest and longest-running fine arts festival, offering spots to over 250 artists nationwide for no admission cost.
“But what many festival visitors, Atlanta residents and business owners do not realize is that the Atlanta Dogwood Festival has always been a self-supporting nonprofit organization led by a volunteer board of directors and a staff of just two,” the press release notes.
“To offset the rising costs of producing this massive public event each year, the organization has added fundraising efforts, such as the Mimosa 5K Run, a VIP ticketed event, midway rides, and merchandise and dogwood saplings sales … Despite these concerted efforts, the ‘free event’ comes at a cost.”
And while Board members have reached out to the Atlanta Mayor’s Office for support, Dogwood officials believe that the festival’s future lies primarily in the hands of the community.
For the festival to continue into 2026, it must raise $250,000 by Nov.1, which they say will cover the 25% shortfall within the event’s budget.
Organizers state that they are hoping for the support of businesses, past attendees and participants for assistance in donating funds and spreading word of mouth before the deadline passes.
“Although it continues to draw impressive crowds and earn national awards for its programming, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival is now at grave risk of not reaching its 90th anniversary,” the release said. “There is still time to save the Atlanta Dogwood Festival, but time is running out.”
