(Photo By Flickr User pixydust8605)
The annual Dogwood Festival will celebrate team work in Quincy, IL!
The theme for the Blessing Health System/GatesAir Dogwood Parade is “#TeamQuincy.” Parade participants will use the theme to show how their businesses and organizations are successful through their teams.
Dogwood events include the Little King and Queen pageant, ABWA Dogwood Dance, a comedy put on by Quincy Community Theatre, and a tour of the Log Cabin Village.
***2018 Dogwood Festival Schedule:
Thursday, May 3rd:
7pm, Little King and Queen of Dogwood Pageant, Quincy Mall Center Court. Registrations are due May 1st. Click here for the registration form.
7:30pm, Quincy Community Theatre presents, “Is He Dead?”, a new comedy by Mark Twain as adapted by David Ives. For tickets and more information, visit 1qct.org
Friday, May 4th:
Noon.-1:15pm, Concert in the Plaza, First Mid-Illinois Bank Plaza next to St. Boniface Church
6pm, Ribbon Cutting to kick off Dogwood, St. James Lutheran Church, enter at 16th and Madison.
7pm-9pm, Flaunting Felines Art Exhibition, Quincy Art Center, 1515 Jersey. For details, click here.
7:30pm, Quincy Community Theatre presents, “Is He Dead?”, a new comedy by Mark Twain as adapted by David Ives. For tickets and more information, visit 1qct.org
Saturday, May 5th:
7am – noon, Quincy Farmer’s Market opens, Washington Park.
8:30am, Breakfast on the Lawn, First Christian Church, 1415 Maine
9:20am Parade, 24th and Maine, proceeds west to 6th St. Golden Bridges will be collecting non-perishable food items along the parade route for local food pantries as part of their partnership with Move for Hunger.
1pm-4pm, Live acoustic concert inside Washington Theater, 425 Hampshire
6pm, Dogwood Dance sponsored by the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA), at The Elks Club, 311 N 2nd Street. Music by Raised on Radio. Tickets are available for $25 a person or $175 for a table of eight from the Elks Club, the Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce office, or from any ABWA member.
1pm – 5pm, Quincy Preserves Spring House Tour and Garden Party, 1617 Hampshire. Tour guides will be inside the home to point out architectural details and give historical information about the house. After touring the home, everyone can attend a garden party in the backyard with snacks, soft drinks, and entertainment. A cash bar is available. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at Arts Quincy on the second floor of The Oakley Lindsay Center, Kirlins at Quincy Mall, Emerald City Jewelers, and from www.quincypreserves.org
3pm – 7pm, QUEST Derby in the Country, 7007 N. 12th St., Quincy, IL 62305. Event includes Derby hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. There will be a Best Hat and Best Dressed contest. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased by calling (217) 242-9319.
7:30pm, Quincy Community Theatre presents, “Is He Dead?”, a new comedy by Mark Twain as adapted by David Ives. For tickets and more information, visit 1qct.org
Sunday, May 6th:
Noon-4pm, Log Cabins Open House, Quinsippi Island. The cabins will be open, self-guided tour sheets will be available and there will be a school display inside a large tent that has been painted to look like a log school house.
2pm, Quincy Community Theatre presents, “Is He Dead?”, a new comedy by Mark Twain as adapted by David Ives. For tickets and more information, visit 1qct.org
2pm – 4pm, YoungLives Little Ladies Tea, Oakley Lindsay Center. Invite your daughters, granddaughters, nieces or even another special little lady in your life to this inspirational event. All proceeds go toward sending teen mothers and their babies to camp at TimberWolf Lake, Michigan this summer for a life changing experience. Click here for more details and tickets.
***The schedule is subject to change and will be updated on this website.
History of the Dogwood Festival”
The Pink Dogwood was adopted as the city tree of Quincy, IL in 1935 by the Quincy Garden Club. The president of the club at that time was Mrs. Ward Best. Periodically since then, the club has planted dogwood trees on public and private grounds as memorials to past presidents and other honored members.
Quincy is the one of the northern-most communities in the nation where Dogwoods can be grown. Following an effort by a local service club in conjunction with the Garden Club, the city boasted of a good number of the beautiful trees and was featured in an article in “Flower and Garden” magazine. Mary Lou Kent, who worked at the Chamber at that time, decided the Chamber should organize a Dogwood Festival to promote Quincy, IL and tourism in the city when those trees were in full bloom. The first Dogwood Festival was in 1969. Mary Lou Kent went on to become a state legislator.
The event is always held the weekend prior to Mother’s Day weekend in May.
Parade participants are encouraged to use the theme to show how their businesses and organizations are connected to their clients/members, connected to Quincy, and connected to the world.
Registration for parade entries can be found on the Chamber’s website, www.quincychamber.org. The cost is $25 for non-profit organizations and $50 for businesses. The amount of entries will be capped at 125.
Annual Dogwood events include the Little King and Queen pageant, Dogwood Dance, and entertainment in Washington Park. For food vendor space and miscellaneous entertainment in Washington Park, contact Theresa Godman at 217-223-4186. For craft and art vendor space, call Bill Wolters at 217-223-1563 or Gale Hill at 217-224-5862.
