After a year off, the Dogwood Festival is returning this spring, Siloam Springs Chamber of Commerce announced on Friday.
The 46th annual festival is scheduled for April 23 through 25 in downtown Siloam Springs, according to Arthur Hulbert, Chamber president and CEO.
"We're overjoyed to be hosting the Dogwood Festival this year and expect it to be very successful and a great time for all in a safe environment," Hulbert said. "We're fired up. It's a lot of work, but we are excited and think it will be a lot of fun for all."
Last year's festival was postponed several times and ultimately canceled because of the covid-19 pandemic. This year's festival will have multiple safety measures in place.
The Chamber has received permits from the Arkansas Department of Health and the city for the event, Hulbert said. The festival is still awaiting approval from the city for street closures, he said.
The ADH has limited the event to 66 percent capacity, Hulbert said. The Chamber worked with Fire Marshall Dustin Kindall to determine the occupancy rate for the festival and calculated that 8,563 people will be able to attend the festival at any given point in time.
In order to help monitor the occupancy rates, Nabholz Construction is donating a half-mile fence perimeter to go around the festival, Hulbert said. The festival will have two entry and exit points where volunteers will use color-coded stickers to track the number of people inside, he said.
"I am very thankful and appreciative for Michael Parker, the president of Nabholz, agreeing to provide a fencing perimeter and the people to help set it up and take it down for the Dogwood Festival," Hulbert said.
Other safety measures will include requiring masks; temperature checks and covid-19 screening questions for volunteers and vendors; shifting vendor booths six to 10 feet apart to allow more room for social distancing; safety signage; hand sanitizing stations; sanitizing of frequently touched surfaces, such as the tables in the food area; and keeping performers at least 12 feet away from the audience when they are not wearing masks.
The same festival everyone knows and loves
Even though it will be a bit different this year, the event will still be the same Dogwood Festival everyone knows and loves, according to Lindsey Taylor, Chamber director of community development.
"I think the Dogwood Festival is really a staple of our community," Taylor said. "It has been going on for 46 years and people look forward to it. There have been so many things that have been canceled. If we can have the Dogwood Festival and have it in a safe way, it's not only a win for the community, it's taking a step forward having some normalcy back in our lives."
This years event will include many of the familiar events and attractions, such as vendors who have been there for years, staples such as funnel cakes, kettle corn and root beer, and the kid's fun zone, Taylor said. New this year will be a car show on Saturday, planned by Legacy Jewelry, she said. There will be no vendors indoors at the community building this year due to safety concerns, she said.
Several bands are already lined up for the festival, Taylor said. The Arcadian Wild will be the headliner on Saturday night. Randall Shreve and The Butler Creek Boys will also be performing throughout the festival, she said.
The Chamber has already received a lot of positive feedback from the community and from vendors, Hulbert said. The event does a lot of the region, by facilitating a positive culture, encouraging economic development and creating a lot of fun, said.
"I am very thankful for the Dogwood Committee and the many volunteers who are making this Dogwood Festival possible," Hulbert said.