‘Dog’ days of summer: Vestavia Hills expands Dogwood Festival

The state of Alabama’s oldest dogwood festival and trail is getting a new look.

The festival, which has long been a staple in the community, has been expanded for 2022 and will take place over the course of two months, and will envelop events both old and new all across the city, giving residents a chance to enjoy all Vestavia Hills has to offer.

Cinnamon McCulley, communications director for the city of Vestavia Hills, said the festival, which was started by the city’s Beautification Board, needed to be revamped for a new generation of Vestavia residents.

Planning for this year’s festival began in September and included leaders across the city’s three main areas: Cahaba Heights, Liberty Park and the area commonly referred to as “old Vestavia” along U.S. 31, McCulley said.

“It’ll be everywhere in the city,” she said.

Anne Boston of the Beautification Board said while the festival never went away entirely, leaders realized it could be expanded. The older iterations of the festival included not only the luncheon and Dogwood tree yard judging, but a Dogwood Trail that people could walk or drive to see different dogwoods in the city. But that sometimes created a “bottleneck,” Boston said.

Boston said she thinks the expansion plans for this year will be really good for the city.

Karen Odle, executive director of the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce, said the new festival will be really exciting for Vestavia and create exciting new events.

New events include a concert at Wald Park on March 4, which will also serve as the kickoff for spring sports. The Peacocks, a rock band, will play at 7:30 that evening. Another concert will follow April 22, also at Wald Park, where musical artist Sean Michael Ray will perform.

Merchants will also have the chance to create their own way to celebrate, whether through sales or events, during “Dogwood Days,” one day in each part of the city that will focus on promoting that area. March 12 is Dogwood Day in Cahaba Heights, while Rocky Ridge and Liberty Park will be celebrated April 16 and 21, respectively.

The list of events also includes the annual Wing Ding Festival, set for April 23, a Spring Break Staycation beginning March 27, and other events like Party in the Park and Battle of the Bands. Residents across the city will have a litany of options, McCulley said.

“It’s a chance to enjoy the city they live in,” she said.

Combining annual events and adding new ones sends a message that residents don’t have to go downtown or to another locale to find fun things to do, McCulley said.

“Don’t leave here,” McCulley said. “We’ve got great stuff here.”

It also serves as a way to bring in people from outside Vestavia to enjoy what the city has to offer, she said.

“We want people in surrounding communities to come see how great it is,” McCulley said. “We could do a much better job of attracting people from outside the city to come to Vestavia Hills.”

Katherine McRee, owner of The Lili Pad and Gigi’s in Cahaba Heights, said it will give her business and others in Cahaba Heights the chance to showcase their work, and said Cahaba Heights Dogwood Day should be especially fun.

The plan is to have a dog parade down Crosshaven Drive, probably around 9 a.m., she said. The hope is that having a fun event will encourage people to shop local businesses, she said.

“I think it shows … the people who live here how much the city cares for its businesses and residents,” McRee said.

It’s a chance as well to showcase new amenities like the recently renovated Wald Park, McRee said. Having events as part of a two-month long festival helps put Vestavia on equal footing for fun, family-friendly events with Mountain Brook and Homewood, she said.

Laura Witherington with the Liberty Park Social Committee said her group is planning a “Party in the Park” on March 13 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex to “showcase the awesome facilities there and the newly finished dog park and tunnel connecting it to the Liberty Park neighborhood.” The event will feature music, food trucks, bounce houses, cornhole games, pickleball and face painting.

There also will be a Liberty Park Farmer’s Market on April 21 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. that will include face painters, local food vendors and store owners with original items. Music will be provided by Robert Abernathy.

“We hope to show off our beautiful neighborhood and encourage people to come this way when thinking of family and fun places to live,” Witherington said.

Bob Barker will host the Battle of the Bands in Rocky Ridge, the third time the event has been held in Vestavia.

“Everything that can bring so many kinds of people together at once in support of young people is going to qualify as important,” Barker said. “Music is a universal language that has the power to do that. It really has a great energy and, quite frankly, these young musicians are really very talented.”

Barker recalled previous Battle of the Band events, where a brass band from Vestavia Hills High School performed. It was such a good time, with kids gathering near the stage and bouncing around, he said.

“I believe music improves the quality of everyone’s life, particularly live music,” Barker said. “I think this event is special, however, because that music is being rehearsed and performed by kids in high school and middle school. Much is made of teamwork in sports and academic clubs, but I believe those same lessons of cooperation and hard work can be learned by being in a band together. I think this event is just another way we can celebrate the effort and talents of those young people in our communities.”

The Vestavia City Center will feature two events: Live After 5 on March 17 from 5 to 7 p.m. will have live music, activities and local vendors, and Mastering Happy Hour is set for April 7 from 2 to 6:30 p.m. with a big screen playing The Masters golf tournament.

“The city of Vestavia Hills has been so supportive with all of the events that we have had over the past year and a half, so it was a no-brainer to get involved in this year’s festival,” said April Godsey with Crawford Square, which oversees the City Center. “It’s so exciting to be part of a community that really strives to provide family-friendly activities while promoting local businesses.”

The full list can be found online at vhal.org/community/dogwood-festival, and the list will be updated as needed, McCulley said. The QR code below can also be used to access events.