By Debbie Adams
The Vinton Dogwood Festival is preparing to celebrate its 70th anniversary on the weekend of
April 25 and 26. The festival will include the traditional crowning of the Dogwood Queen, a
downtown parade, bands, the antique car show, and streets filled with vendors and spectators.
The first Dogwood Festival was held in 1956 as a fundraiser to replace the band uniforms at
William Byrd High School. The town’s enthusiasm for the festival grew each year as they
decided to turn Vinton into the Dogwood Capital of Virginia. Attendance grew as well.
In 1975, the Dogwood Festival celebrated the 20 th anniversary from April 11-19. Jim
Musselwhite was the president of the festival that year. Judi Stowers from Galax was the
reigning queen, selected during the 1974 Dogwood Festival. She would crown her successor,
Bridgett Neece of Halifax, at the Coronation Ball.
Prior to the festival, area businesses, clubs, organizations, schools, and youth groups competed in
the “Vinton Clean-Up Day” to spruce up the town. Cash prizes were awarded to those bagging
the most trash. Bob Lewis of the Vinton McDonald’s gave a certificate for a free hamburger and
french fries to every child who participated. He also drove around town providing free
refreshments during the clean-up. Lewis also recruited the Ronald McDonald clown and his
antique car for the parade.
There were three grand marshals leading the parade that year: football players Mike Bass and
Jerry Smith from what were then known as the Washington Redskins; and Miss Dominion of
Canada Sandra Campbell. She was from Ontario and known as “Canada’s most beautiful
representative.”
from the Washington Redskins.
A Dogwood Festival Bridge Tournament started on March 28 and continued through April 17 as
part of the festival. The first official day of the Dogwood Festival in 1975 kicked off on April 11
with an Arts and Crafts Show at Lake Drive Shopping Center. There was a Chess Tournament on
April 12 at the War Memorial and an All-Western Horse Show at Pine Spur Hunt Club.
Sunday, April 13, featured a Bicycle Rally at William Byrd High School (Jim Cunningham was
in charge). There was a Skating Party at the Olympic Skate Rink on Route 24 on April 14.
One of the main events of the Dogwood Festival took place on April 15 with the Miss William
Byrd Pageant at WBHS.
Wednesday’s special event was an “Ole Timers Basketball Game” at the high school (Paul
Bernard was the chairman), followed on Thursday, April 17, by the Senior Citizens Square
Dance at the Vinton Recreation Center.
The Lions Club Minstrel was performed at William Byrd on April 18 by local celebrities
including Bootie Chewning and Jim Reynolds. It had been a staple of the festival until 1965. In
its return there were some changes from previous pageants– no more blackface, the end-men
were to appear au naturel– and women became end-men.
Saturday was a fun-filled day with the annual Antique Car Show, the Corvette Show (their fourth
year in the festival; the club also provided convertibles for the Dogwood princesses and
officials), the Honor Band Concert (by last year’s winner Woodrow Wilson Jr. High School
directed by Bill Carr), and a luncheon for the Dogwood Queen and Court with the judges, Mrs.
Don Moses, Artie Levin, and Don Tipton.
The host band for the parade was the Tootin’ Terriers led by Steve King. Band awards were
presented after the parade. The judges were Bennett Lentczner, Director of Bands at Radford
College, and Roger Heath, Director of Bands at VPI.
There were 142 units in the parade in 1975, including 32 marching bands.
The grand finale of the festival was the Dogwood Queen’s Coronation Ball at the Vinton
Recreation Center with reigning queen Judi Stowers, who crowned new 1976 Queen Bridgett
Neece.
