VINTON, Va. (WFXR) — In a small town like Vinton, upholding traditions is an important part of community pride. The 68th annual Dogwood Festival returns on April 28th and 29th.
The Vinton Dogwood Festival is a community event that fosters relationships and highlights local accomplishments. There will be music, food, vendors, an antique car show, and of course the crowning of a new Queen.
Each year, one William Byrd High School student earns the honorable title of Vinton Dogwood Festival Queen. Ten students are nominated by WBHS faculty and staff and are then interviewed for this prestigious honor.
Festivities begin on Friday at 7:00 p.m. with an outdoor concert on the Vinton Farmers’ Market Stage. Tickets for the show are $5 and attendees are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs.
On Saturday, over 100 vendors will sell their handmade crafts while local performers take the stage. There will be entertainment in every direction, as Juggler David Bear Stuart, Magician Mark Fuller, and “The Beat Goes On-Line Dancers” perform on the streets.
There will be a ‘Kids’ Zone’ where children can visit animals at the petting zoo, make crafts, sit in a fire engine, and more. There will also be a ‘Teen Space’ with interactive escape rooms, corn-hole, and other games.
The “Hometown Heroes Parade” will roll through town at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Vinton Fire Department will be honored for their bravery after the devasting fire Downtown last July.
The parade will include musical performances from the William Byrd High School Band, the Virginia Highlands Pipe and Drum Band, and the Island Trio. Fire engines, Miss Kitty’s Cosmonaut Stilt Walkers, a variety of colorful floats, antique vehicles, costumed characters, and clowns will strut the streets of Vinton.
This is a fun-filled event for all! For more information visit their website.
