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 officials
decided to turn Vinton into the Dogwood Capital of Virginia.
By the 10th Vinton Dogwood Festival, the event had grown from a weekend celebration to a
five-day event, held in 1965 from April 20-24. On the opening night (Tuesday) the William Byrd
Junior Class presented the one-act play “Lute Song” at the high school. The band (65 members
directed by James Sims) and choir (150 voices directed by Viola Painter) presented a combined
concert on Wednesday.
There was a teenage dance plus a square dance on Thursday night. About 350 youth showed up
for the teenage dance at the high school, doing the “modern twist and twirl dances.” The square
dance started an hour later at the junior high school for the “middle-aged and oldsters.” The
oldest dancer was Archer Williams, age 87.
Friday night’s events included a concert by the Dogwood Honor Band for 1965 from
Christiansburg High School and a variety show featuring singer Jimmie Davis and his quartet at
the Vinton War Memorial, followed by fireworks.
competition in 1964.
Davis was also the grand marshal for the Dogwood Festival Parade, as well as being a recording
star, composer, farmer, and former governor of Louisiana. During his musical career he wrote
over 350 hillbilly and popular songs, including “You Are My Sunshine.”
Saturday was a full festival day starting with the Antique Automobile Meet at the War Memorial
with over 50 cars entered. Thomas Hill of the Briarcliff subdivision entered his 1915 Ford, “Old
Lizzie.”
Each school that entered a band in the festival was also invited to send a princess to compete for
Dogwood Queen. Usually, the princesses were selected by their entire student body.
Each princess was interviewed by a panel of judges on Saturday morning, followed by a
luncheon where they were observed by the judges, who then sat in a reviewing stand along the
parade route to make their final decision. The princesses were judged on poise, personality,
scholastic achievement and “beauty.”
The 1965 Dogwood Parade kicked off at 2:45 p.m. made up of 120 units including 27 bands,
floats, and more. The grand marshal led the parade, along with reigning Dogwood Queen Judy
Pratt, the William Byrd High School Band, the Strut-a-Twirls majorettes, Twinkle Twirlers, Cub
Scouts, Smokey Bear, the Briarcliff Hillbillies float, and many more. “Tired” Joe Stout, a Kazim
Temple clown, and his rooster were some of the first festival street performers. He handed out
sunflower seeds along the parade route for the children to plant.
- One of the floats in the 1965 Dogwood Festival Parade
Winners in the band contest were Class A Andrew Lewis High School (over 750 students
enrolled), Class B Cave Spring High School (500-749 students), Class C Graham High School
(250-499 students), and Class D Altavista High School (less than 250 students). All bands in the
festival received $50 and a plaque.
The new queen, Linda Price, was announced at 10 p.m. Saturday night at the Coronation Ball.
She would reign as queen the following year during the festivities before relinquishing her crown.
Dogwood Festival Committee President Hildrey Pollard said that the 1965 festival was “the best
festival ever staged,” with over 15,000 spectators for the parade on a cold, damp day.
The highlight, in his opinion, was when Price was crowned at William Byrd High School, chosen
from among 19 princesses on the court. The master of ceremonies at the Coronation Ball was
Roanoke County Schools Assistant Superintendent Arnold R. Burton. Actually, the new queen
was announced by Jimmie Davis, at Burton’s request. Davis declared that he had “never seen a
better festival than the 1965 Dogwood Festival.”
The 10th Dogwood Festival was also considered to be extra special because the dogwood trees
bloomed in full force a few days earlier than expected due to warmer weather, just in time for the
parade.
