86th Palestine Dogwood Festival fills the streets with art, vendors

PALESTINE, Texas ( KETK ) – Saturday afternoon was the perfect time for the Palestine Dogwood Festival to return for its 86th year in East Texas.

“It’s just kind of a hometown celebration,” said Angela Fields, Executive Director, Palestine Area Chamber of Commerce.

Music, art, vendors and food are stables of Texas’ longest running dogwood festival that resides in Palestine.

“What we just wanted to do was keep it organized and smooth for the patrons that are coming downtown and from out of town,” added Fields.

The festival kicks off the first of three weekends of the dogwood celebration over the dogwood blooms of East Texas.

95 vendors filled the streets and one thing leaders who help put on the event each year have been emphasizing is art.

They said it’s quickly becoming a big part of the overall experience.

‘’We’ve had big crowds,” said organizer Celia Campbell Bolster.

Art has been included in the festival for only a small number of years but it continues to attract people who love the craft.

“We want to be that art town,” said Bolster. “That’s our whole thing. We want to be an art town. “

Bolster has been a key person helping bring that desire to life.

“I love every bit of it,” she said. “I get to talk to the artists and meet them and support them and we really pamper our artists.”

They aim to make the festival grow bigger each year.

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