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Dogwood Festival Celebrating its 60th Anniversary

This year marks the 60th Anniversary of the Dogwood Festival. For those new to town, the festival is hosted by the Phoenxiville Jaycees who describe it best:
The Dogwood Parade and Festival has become part of the rubric of Phoenixville since it first started as a means of celebrating the arrival of spring and Armed Forces day. In fact, the first seven Dogwood queens earned their crowns by selling the most war bonds during World War II and the first Dogwood parades were one-day festivals ceremoniously held on Armed Forces Day. Instead of rides and games, though, the first Dogwood festivals offered only pony rides and homemade food from local residents. Following World War II and the Korean Conflict, the Phoenixville Jaycees continued the tradition by hosting an annual pageant to decide the Dogwood queen. As the years went on, the festival grew from one to four days during the 1970s and ‘80s to a six-day festival in the 1990s. The Dogwood Festival and Parade has come a long way since its humble beginnings and is now the second largest parade in Chester County, attracting more than 10,000 people annually.

This years Dogwood Pageant will be held on Saturday, April 9th at the Samuel K. Barkley Elementary School (320 2nd Ave) beginning at 7pm. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $12 by visiting their site by April 8th. Tickets will also be available at the door for $15 (cash only).

Interested in having your son or daughter be this year's Dogwood Prince or Princess? Entries are due by Friday, April 1st. Click here for more information.

The Jaycees are also reaching out to all former Dogwood Queens to be apart of the 60th Anniversary celebration. If you are interested, please email them at dogwoodpageant@gmail.com or dogwoodpageantalumni@gmail.com.

For more information, visit the Dogwood Festival website at www.phoenixvilledogwoodfestival.org. You can also see them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Phoenixville-Dogwood-Festival/122769261117471.
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