Peace, Love & Dogwoods- Three Weekends of Fun & Events
2012 Dogwood Trails Celebration
PALESTINE- The annual Dogwood Trails Celebration began in 1938. This year marks the 74th year of festivities centered around Palestine’s beautiful dogwoods. This year’s theme is “Peace, Love & Dogwoods,” which will be celebrated for three weekends- March 23-25, March 30-April1, and April 6-8. Palestine’s Dogwood Trails were listed in Texas Monthly’s “The Bucket List: 63 Things All Texans Should Do Before They Die at #53. This March, you can mark the Dogwood Trails off your bucket list by visiting Palestine for their annual celebration.
Davey Dogwood Park became the main location of the annual event in 1944, after M.A. Davey, a Palestine oil man, purchased the track of landed and deeded it to Anderson County to be used as a park of natural beauty. The area includes over five and one-half miles of hard-surfaced roads that wind through the beautiful park.
The park is especially beautiful in the spring, when the dogwoods and other native wild flowers are blooming. The rolling hills in the park are dappled with new life, that blooms annual. However, the park is also beautiful during the fall months. Autumn colors flood the park, providing an amazing scenic drive and photographic opportunities.
Picnic areas are provided at Manley mountain, located near the entrance of the park and in the center of the park. Visitors are invited to explore the scenic beauty along walking trails located around picnic areas and enjoy nature.
Dogwood Bloom Watch Report: Due to the drought in Texas this past summer, Davey Dogwood Park did experience some loss of dogwoods. The planting that took place today is just to replace the dogwoods lost this summer and to ensure that the park stays full for years to come. Dogwood lovers shouldn’t fear, because there are still plenty of healthy dogwoods in the park that are getting ready to bloom just in time for the Celebration.
Currently, there is one tree in Davey Dogwood Park that is in full bloom and the others are not far behind! The city’s dogwood expert estimates the dogwoods peak blooming time to be approximately the third weekend of March.
March 23, the Texas Theatre will kick off the three-weekend celebration with the Opening Night of “Sugar,” a musical comedy based on the screenplay “Some Like It Hot. Other show dates include: March 24, 25, 30, 31 and April 1. Friday and Saturday performances begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday performances begin at 2:00 p.m.
Join the City of Palestine Saturday, March 24, for festivities beginning at 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Admission is $1 per person and free to children 12 and under. All proceeds will go to local non-profit organizations.
A parade will begin at 10:00 a.m. The procession will begin at the Anderson County Courthouse and travel down Crawford Street, then left onto Sycamore, right onto Main, right onto Tennessee and finally right onto Lacy .
There will be arts and crafts, live entertainment, a kid zone and food galore in historic downtown Palestine. There will also be a family stage downtown with shows for kids and free live music in Old Town in the Hallow on the Saw Dust Stage.
Join the City of Palestine in celebrating the beauty of the dogwoods this March. For more information visit the Palestine Chamber of Commerce’s website.