A Field Guide to the 2026 Dogwood Arts Season 

It’s peak dogwood season and, right on schedule, Knoxville’s favorite blooms are back. As is their patron saint: Dogwood Arts. 

Conceived in 1955, this nonprofit organization powers the extended celebration of three of my favorite things—beautiful outdoor spaces, the arts, and the arrival of spring—and there’s some nostalgia mixed in there too. Having grown up on the Dogwood Trail, I remember the pride our parents took in it: tweaking mulch lines with a rake, deadheading blooms, and stepping back, hands on hips, to make sure everything looked just right for whoever might be driving by next. Then loading up their daughters for a Sunday drive along the pink dotted lines ourselves.

Now I live on a different stretch of Knoxville’s 90 miles of Dogwood Trails. I have my own gardens to fuss over (shout-out to my neighbors/gardening co-conspirators Lisa and Billy!), and our 6-year-old has his own dogwood trees to climb. 

Dogwood Arts, too, has grown up, combining historic tradition with expansive, ever-evolving programming that might be in full bloom during the month of April but extends year-round. 

The 2026 Dogwood Trails officially opened yesterday afternoon with a ribbon-cutting and community celebration at Buzz and Tanya Copeland’s enchanting home and gardens on the Lakemoor Hills Dogwood Trail. Birds sang and at least one Eastern Swallowtail flitted past as speakers thanked the small staff, dedicated board, public servants, and army of volunteers who pull it off each year.

Lil cup of pink bubbly in hand, I enjoyed asking folks about their own Dogwood Arts memories and what keeps them coming back year after year, trying to get at the same question: what is it about one species of spring-flowering tree that so captivates us that we’ve essentially built a whole season around it?

I mean, for one, obvs, they’re just real pretty, their bright bursts of pink and white so welcome after the winter grey. To spot a dogwood blooming in the wild always feels like a special gift. But so does seeing them in neighborhoods, lined up in front yards and along sidewalks—knowing someone decided, at some point, that this exact spot needed a dogwood. That it was worth the effort just to make spring feel a little more like spring.

One thing I only discovered in the last couple of years, after a couple of our own elderly Dogwoods petered out, is that they’re actually relatively short-lived trees. Dogwood Arts’ Bazillion Blooms tree sales program has added over 18,500 dogwoods to our community in just 16 years, providing a steady, critical replenishing and helping sustain Knoxville’s tree canopy.

Aside from the 13 (!) trails, other perennial highlights are the spring featured gardens, which will be open to the public on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19. These include Ross Glen Garden in West Knoxville, GATOP in East Knoxville and Savage Garden in North Knoxville. You can view and download a guide to all the open gardens and camera sites here, welcoming guests daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. throughout the month.

New for this year (which I am super excited about) is Hikes & Blooms, guided walks through Knoxville’s natural spaces and favorite gardens to learn about wildflowers, native plants, trees, birds and more. The first hikes of several take place today at William Hastie Natural Area, with a trout lily theme. All hikes are free, but most require pre-registration and will fill quickly.

The foundation of Dogwood Arts may be its Trails & Gardens program, but it’s just the centerpiece of a whole ecosystem of arts and cultural programming that keeps the nonprofit’s mission in motion year round. The pairing of arts and nature isn’t accidental; both ask you to slow down, to notice, to look a little closer. One just happens to bloom on a branch, the other on a wall, a stage or a sidewalk square.

Here are the signature events you’ll want to hit this month: 

Dogwood Gallery
April 3 + Ongoing | Old City
A rotating gallery of local and regional artists, with monthly First Friday openings that anchor the downtown Art Walk—plus a current solo show by Curtis Glover through April 26, with a First Friday opening reception on April 3. 

Chalk Walk
April 11 | Market Square
Knoxville’s favorite live art competition, where 300+ artists transform Market Square one square at a time.

Dogwood Arts Festival
April 24–26 | World’s Fair Park
A 65-year Knoxville tradition that fills the park with juried artists, live music, maker markets and all-ages activities

A little further down the road …

KnoxWalls Murals & Music Festival
May 30 | Emory Place 
A one-day, open-air art and music fest where muralists paint live, bands keep things moving, and you get a say in Knoxville’s next big public artworks.

Dogwood Regional Exhibition
August 1–29 | Dogwood Gallery & RED Gallery
An annual juried show spotlighting emerging and established artists from across the region, with selected works exhibited downtown and cash awards for standout pieces.

House & Garden Show
February 2027 | Knoxville Convention Center
A winter-to-spring preview featuring grand garden displays, home and design vendors, a maker market and hands-on demos.

Ongoing initiatives:

Maker Exchange
Ongoing | The Tennessean
A curated showcase of Knoxville makers—art, objects and even furnishings—woven throughout the hotel for a fully immersive “Maker City” experience.

Art in Public Places
Ongoing | Throughout Knoxville & Surrounding Areas
Dogwood Arts’ public art program brings murals and sculptures into everyday life, across downtown and beyond turning streets, alleys and trails into an ever-evolving outdoor gallery.

Youth Art Programs
Ongoing | Various Locations
A lineup of hands-on programs and exhibitions, including the Epiphone Guitar Design Contest on exhibit May 1-29, designed to spark creativity and support the next generation of Knoxville artists.

Emerging Maker Program
Ongoing | Various Locations
A newer initiative supporting up-and-coming artists and makers with resources, funding and opportunities to showcase and sell their work.

The amount of ground Dogwood Arts covers is honestly astonishing. Speaking with Dogwood Arts Executive Director Sherry Jenkins after yesterday’s ribbon cutting, she laughed that it’s impossible to give a succinct “elevator pitch” about what the nonprofit does, because it really is so many things. And for that, we are grateful. 

Happy Dogwood Arts-ing, Knoxville! We’ll see you out there. 

Dogwood Arts: Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube