Page 18 - 2024 Dogwood Program

DOGWOOD HISTORY
The roots of the Dogwood Festival date to 1936, set on a card
table in front of the church. Members of the historic church's
Women's Guild sold handmade pot holders, aprons, and pickles,
to townspeople who came to see the beauty of the flowering
dogwood trees.
The festival has grown significantly over time. Over the years we
have welcomed large crowds to not only buy homemade goods,
but to enjoy arts-and-crafts vendors, antiques and plants, plus
indulge in luncheons and dinner parties, children’s events, art
shows and we even had a road race/fun run.
Perhaps the most famous visitor to the festival was in 1938,
when then-First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt came to view the
flowering spectacle. She described the dogwood blossoms in
her syndicated newspaper column "My Day," which she wrote
faithfully six days a week for nearly 30 years.
"I hardly know where to begin in telling you about our trip into
Connecticut yesterday," her column began on May 7, 1938. She
described "an avenue of pink and white dogwood on Greenfield
Hill such as I have never seen anywhere else in this country."
Roosevelt apparently visited Greenfield Hill the week before the
actual festival that year. "They tell me next Sunday will be
Dogwood Sunday and every road will be blocked with cars
bringing people from far and near to enjoy the beauty of the road
and of others near the hill," the column continued.
Although there was a forced hiatus in 2020 and 2021 due to
Covid-19 the festival is back and will again be held each year on
the grounds of the Greenfield Hill Congregational Church -- 1045
Old Academy Road. This year’s festival will be held on May
13-14, 2023. The church was founded in 1725.