By Maria Saporta

It’s a tale of two festivals. The Atlanta Dogwood Festival is now in its 87th year, and the Atlanta Film Festival is now in its 47th year.

When spring arrives in Atlanta, regional festivals blossom – offering people an opportunity to enjoy the cultural offerings in our community.

Too often, we don’t appreciate how much festivals contribute to our quality of life.

During the difficult COVID years, most festivals went on hiatus, scaled back or experimented with virtual offerings. Now, 2023 has provided an opportunity for all of us to enjoy each other, our city and the arts.

But nothing is guaranteed.

In 2022, the Dogwood Festival wasn’t sure it would be able to hold a festival in 2023.

Organizers were able to cut back some of the festival’s offerings, and the three-day event, from April 14 to 16, enjoyed its best attendance in years. Click here to view Kelly Jordan’s photo gallery of the 2023 festival.

Brian Hill, executive director of the Atlanta Dogwood Festival, at the closing day of the 2023 event. (Photo by Maria Saporta.)

“Some of the vendors gave me a big hug,” said Brian Hill, executive director of the Dogwood Festival for the past 15 years. “Sometimes folks forget how many people depend on the Dogwood Festival for their livelihood.”

Hill then shared good news – with a caveat.

“We will definitely be back next year, but I don’t know what the long-term prospects are for us and for free community festivals,” Hill said. “The costs keep spiraling up – police and security, EMS, staging, sound equipment – all the basic infrastructure costs have increased by 30 percent or more. We can’t keep pace with the rise in prices.”

Hill said it’s not just Atlanta that’s feeling the festival crunch.

“There are many festivals around the country that have gone under or are struggling,” Hill said.

In Atlanta, the Candler Park Music Festival has announced it will not happen in 2023. The Decatur Book…