Bloom Town

Southern Living, Apr 2004 by Vanhooser, Cassandra M

Spring sparkles during Knoxville's dogwood festival.

Along, narrow row of dogwoods lines the median on Cherokee Boulevard in the Sequoyah Hills neighborhood of Knoxville. Standing thus, the trees resemble shy Victorian ladies, their faces hidden behind cascading pink-and-white parasols. Those who witness this seasonal display can't help but smile.

"It's an incredible sight, isn't it?" asks Margaret Lie, as she stops under a canopy of the lovely pastel petals. The Australia native who now lives in Davis, California, came to Tennessee to see her son. She timed the visit to coincide with the advent of spring and the festival.

"These trees are absolutely beautiful, even more beautiful than I had anticipated," she exclaims, a smile beaming on her face. "The thing that is so spectacular is that at this point the dogwoods are in full bloom and most of the other trees are not even fully leafed out yet."

A Season of Splendor

Welcome to Knoxville in the springtime. The city rests in the heart of the Tennessee Valley, embraced by mountains and blessed with abundant natural beauty. Some say this college town is most beautiful in the fall, awash in a sea of orange, russet, and gold.

In truth, Knoxville boasts four spectacular seasons, and it's hard to say which is most welcome. Still, spring ushers in a time of profound joy and splendor. Gentle breezes warm the earth and coax the flowers from their secret hiding places.

While beauty abounds in the plant world this month, few displays rival the dogwood tree whose abundance in these parts is a miracle of nature. Dogwoods just seem to have a natural affinity for the red clay hills of East Tennessee. Not only will you find them growing wild in the woods and along creek banks, but the state also produces a whopping 75% of the country's nursery-raised dogwoods.

When these beloved trees unfurl their gossamer petals, the city finds new life as well. Local leaders stage the Dogwood Arts Festival, a 20-day celebration that encompasses a host of special events, from a downtown parade to arts and crafts shows. Each year, more than 100,000 visitors from around the world travel to the area to celebrate the blossoming of the dogwoods. It's a party to remember.

Happy Trails

While there's plenty to entertain visitors during the festival, the neighborhood trails truly provide the cornerstone for the citywide celebration. Residents in the most picturesque, flower-laden neighborhoods snip and sow, plant and paint for months in preparation for this garden tour on wheels.

"Most people take a lot of pride in their homes if they're on the trail because hundreds and hundreds of cars are driving by for about a month," says trail chairperson Zane Conner.

Visitors can plot their route from seven primary trails that cover more than 60 miles. Participating neighborhoods include Chapman Highway, Holston Hills, Fort Loudoun Lake, Fountain City, Sequoyah Hills, Westermoreland, and Farragut. Five more communities are designated garden byways-Halls, Deane Hill, Island Home, Morningside, and North Hills. There's also a special Granddaddy Dogwood Trail that guides visitors to Knoxville's oldest and largest dogwood trees.

"In the springtime, there's this blaze of glory that bursts forth," Zane muses. "We just pray that it doesn't frost. We've had good and bad years. It makes us nervous, but that doesn't bend anyone's enthusiasm. We go on with it anyway. The trees will bloom somehow before it's all over."

Tennessee Pride

Knoxville residents take a great deal of pride in showing off their city during the Dogwood Arts Festival, especially when they remember how the event was born.

"It all goes back to that book," says the festival's very first chairperson, Jim Talley II. "John Gunther wrote Inside U.S.A. in 1947 and referred to Knoxville as a scruffy little town on the Tennessee River; he called it the ugliest city in the United States. That comment kind of hurt and angered everyone around here."

A group of civic leaders convened a summit in the early 1960s to address the writer's insult. The annual Dogwood Arts Festival grew out of that meeting. Zane Conner believes that anyone who comes here now will see that Mr. Gunther was clearly addled when he penned those words nearly 60 years ago.

"It's so beautiful here," she says. "You just don't see dogwoods like this everywhere. Once you see this place in the spring-with all the dogwoods and the daffodils and the little crocus peeking their heads up-you won't ever forget it. You'll want to come back."

Jim says he never wanted to leave in the first place. "I was bom and raised here, so I'm slightly prejudiced, but I think its the most wonderful place in the world," the octogenarian admits. "I've had opportunities to go other places, and I have chosen without any hesitation to live in Knoxville."

Dogwood Arts Festival: 601 West Summit Hill Drive, Suite 200, Knoxville, TN 37902; (865) 637-4561 or www.dogwoodarts.com. Where to eat: Try Calhoun's on the River for the ribs and the view. Stop by Litton's Market and Restaurant when you tour the Fountain City trail for burgers and sandwiches. Where to stay: If you plan to stay downtown, be sure to make your reservation early. Try the Radisson Summit Hill. Rates start at $129; (865) 522-2600.