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 in April 2026. Since 2020, the nonprofit organization that produces the festival has had to cope with ongoing serious financial losses due to the impact of COVID-19, reduced sponsorship and increased costs. Unless urgent support is secured, the city’s beloved tradition—its official welcome to spring—will come to an end.

As with other major festivals and events throughout the country, and especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival’s Board of Directors has confronted  significant budget challenges. Production costs have risen by 25% to 30% over the past few years. This increase is primarily driven by heightened expenses in areas such as security, equipment rental, and required support services that are essential to produce a safe, secure and high-quality event. 

In addition to rising production costs, event sponsorship of live events has evolved, and now many companies have prioritized other marketing initiatives rather than sponsorships. The Board is in conversation with the Mayor’s Office to gain support from the City of Atlanta, which is experiencing its own budget challenges.  Sustaining the festival will ultimately depend on support from multiple sectors of the community. 

“We are committed to producing a high-caliber event year after year,” said Brian Hill, Atlanta Dogwood Festival executive director. “Unfortunately, the cost of doing so has increased exponentially while support and revenue have not kept pace.”

The Atlanta Dogwood Festival was founded in 1936 by Walter Rich, founder of Rich’s department store, in an effort to bring cheer to residents in the midst of the Depression and to highlight the blooming of the dogwood tree. Since then, it has continued each year (with breaks during World War II and one year during the COVID-19 pandemic), celebrating the beginning of spring, the beauty of the dogwoods and the gorgeous Atlanta weather.

The city’s largest and longest-running fine arts festival, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival regularly welcomes 250+ fine artists from across the country, supports youth art with the Atlanta High School Art Exhibition, hosts the International Stage with hundreds of performers representing Atlanta’s global communities, offers a platform for local and nationally recognized bands, and features creative activities for children.

All of this is provided to attendees for free. 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. Additionally, a number of Atlanta-based businesses and contractors work year-round to plan and produce the large undertaking—essentially building a small city in Piedmont Park for a week, then quickly deconstructing it.

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, as well as collecting donations at the entrance gates.  Despite these concerted efforts, the “free event” comes at a cost – and that cost has become too high.

To meet the increased expenses, the festival needs  to raise $250,000 by Nov. 1, 2025 to cover the 25% budget shortfall. Without this level of support and funding, there will be no 90th annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival in 2026.

Festival organizers are asking corporations, local businesses, philanthropic organizations, past attendees and participants to sponsor and donate. Media organizations can help spread the word to bring this appeal to as many metro-area residents as possible. 

There is still time to save the Atlanta Dogwood Festival, but time is running out.