Dogwood Arts parade caps yearly festival

Photo by Adam Brimer // Buy this photo

Kathey Ehinger, left, holds her labradoodle, Rudy, center as Clifford the Big Red Dog Balloon makes its way down Gay Street during the 2010 Dogwood Arts Festival Parade.

April is almost over, taking with it most of the Dogwood Arts Festival.

Knoxville's annual festival celebrating spring in East Tennessee lasts throughout most of April. A couple of other art-type events continue into or start in May. But when April is done, so is the majority of Dogwoody events.

All the more reason to enjoy this weekend.

Start off with the Dogwood Arts Festival's annual parade along downtown Knoxville's Gay Street. The parade begins at 7 p.m. Friday and includes bands, other performing arts groups, floats and some giant helium balloons.

On Saturday, the festival turns eyes to downtown Knoxville sidewalks. It's the third annual Chalk Walk. Sidewalks and public areas in Market Square and Krutch Park turn into chalked works of art.

The artists start around 8 a.m., and the Chalk Walk continues until 5 p.m. Chalk Walk takes its artistic inspiration from historic street painting that is believed to have started during the 16th century in Italy.

While downtown, take a look at some of the contemporary outdoor art on exhibit in the festival's Art in Public Places exhibit. The large-scale sculptures are set up in areas that include Krutch Park and along Gay Street. But if you don't see the art this weekend, the sculptures will remain up through next March.

Another Dogwood Arts Festival related art exhibit opens in May. The Art Source Exhibition displays works created by Knox County Schools art instructors. It will be at the University of Tennessee Downtown Gallery, 106 S. Gay Street, from May 6-27.

© 2011, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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