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Dogwood-Azalea Festival offers many activities, events
CHARLESTON, Mo. — Charleston’s dogwoods and azaleas may be the stars of the annual four-day festival in their honor, but in addition to taking in the town’s sights, there are many activities and events for all ages to enjoy this weekend.
The 54th Annual Dogwood-Azalea Festival is set for Thursday through Sunday in Charleston when visitors can tour the six-mile Dogwood-Azalea Trail and choose from numerous activities to enjoy while in Charleston, according to Karen Teeters, executive director of the Charleston Chambers of Commerce.
“Charleston is always gorgeous and it’s especially gorgeous festival week,” Teeters said. “The residents have really gotten behind the theme of ‘Springtime in Wonderland,’ this year, and they’ve done an outstanding job of using the them in their yard decorations. It’s a community event, a community effort and whole the community is glad for everyone to come and visit.”
Last year — following a hiatus from COVID-19 in 2020 — the festival returned and over 32,000 attended the four-day event, according to traffic estimates, Teeters said.
“Everyone last year was so tired of being cooped up and we had a big crowd,” Teeters recalled. “The town was gorgeous last year and it was close to perfect.”
This year’s event is promising, too, as weather on Friday and Saturday is looking to be beautiful, Teeters said.
“The favorites are returning: pig races, petting zoo, quilt show and home tours and candlelight walk,” Teeters said.
The Molly French Garden Club celebrates its 71st Anniversary this year with the annual plant sale at the corner of Main and Marshall from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday.
Teeters noted the festival began when the members of the club encouraged residents to plant dogwoods and azaleas, Teeters said. Word of the town’s beauty in the springtime spread and people flocked to Charleston to see the pretty views.
“They sat at a card table at the edge of town and sold maps and postcards for visitors,” Teeters said.
“As it grew, the ladies discovered it was more than they could take on and turned it over to the chamber.”
The ladies of the Southside Baptist Church will sell lunches from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday and Friday of the festival at 902 School St. Dine-in and carry-out available. Tickets will be at the Chamber of Commerce or at the door.
There will be Big Truck Parade at dusk Friday when the giant trucks travel down the highway from exit 12 to exit 10 along East Marshall and South Main streets.
The Mississippi County Historical Society will offer tours of the Joseph Hunter Moore Home, 403 N. Main St., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The home is a 17-room house which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and furnished with pieces authentic to the home’s construction period of 1899. Tours are $5, and tickets are available at the Chamber or at the door. The Historical Society planned a wonderland tea and lawn party with lemonade, tea and cookies from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday. A bake sale will be from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday at the home.
The Hearnes Museum, located at 109 S. Main Street, is filled with various items and memorabilia from the 22-year tenure in office of Charleston’s native son and Missouri Governor Warren E. Hearnes’ career. His wife, Betty Hearnes, also served the state for several years as well. Admission is free and the museum is open 9 a.m. to 2p.m. Thursday and Friday of the festival. St. Henry Church, 304 E. Court St., will also be open for tour from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday of the festival.
The Charleston Chamber of Commerce will be open Thursday through Saturday of the festival at 110 S. Main St., where visitors will also find all of the festival information they will need as well as souvenir T-shirts and other goods.
A selection of hand-stitched quilts will be on display from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Clara Drinkwater Newman Library. There will also be a book sale during the same times at the library.
Rolwing Park, the home of the arts and crafts show from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, will host several vendors. There are over 70 spaces rented to vendors from Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas, according to Teeters.
The festival’s carnival provider will once again be Tinsley Amusements of High Hill, Missouri. Carnival tickets are available for sale at the Chamber office now. The carnival is open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
For the last four years, specialty food vendors have made up the “Taste of the Festival” area located at the corner of Tenth and Marshall. This year vendors will open as early as 9 a.m. and stay open as late as 11 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
“We’ve expanded the Taste of the Festival with more food vendors at the corner of 10th and Marshall Streets between the carnival and arts and crafts show,” Teeters said.
The largest springtime parade in Southeast Missouri kicks off at 11 a.m. Saturday and will go from city hall to Commercial Street to 13th Street.
A dog show is scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday on the tennis courts at Rolwing Park.
Teeters described the candlelight walk, which begins at dusk Saturday of the festival, like a step into a fairyland.
The Sound Stage in the Park sponsored by the Charleston McDonald’s will also play performances in the park from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Pig races, petting zoo and pony rides will return for Saturday and Sunday appearances.
Check-in for the annual 5K run is from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with a youth and toddler run at 2 p.m. and 5K at 2 p.m. Sunday at Rolwing Park.
The Charleston’s Got Talent Competition at 6 p.m. Friday at the lot beside the post office; a car show from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Knights of Columbus lot at the corner of South Sixth and Marshall streets; an ice cream social from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church, 301 S. Main.
“The car show is expected to be bigger and better this year because the weather is going to be gorgeous, and we’ve had a good initial response to it,” Teeters said.