In the closing hour of the 2025 Atlanta Dogwood Festival, Brian Hill stood alone, watching the last musical performance of the three-day-long festival.
“I’m having an emotional moment,” said Hill, while fighting back tears.
“I love this festival.”
Hill has been executive director of the Atlanta Dogwood Festival for 17 years — steering the event through a pandemic, multiple thunderstorms, droughts, and changing economic and social conditions.
Hill informed the board of the Dogwood Festival that this would be his last year running the event.
The festival, which celebrates the blossoming of Spring in Atlanta, is one of the most popular annual events in the city.
The 2025 festival marked its 89th year in operation.
“How many events do you know have been going for 89 years?” David Shutley, board chair of the Atlanta Dogwood Festival and a senior vice president at Trustmark, said on the opening night.
“We are the longest-running fine arts festival in the South and one of the largest in the country.”
When asked about Hill’s leadership, Shutley said: “Brian is very social, very creative, entrepreneurial and a good leader.
He’s also a good networker.
The festival is very well organized.”
Hill, who plans to leave his position before the end of the year, obviously had mixed emotions.
On Friday night, a Jimmy Hendrix cover band, Gimme Hendrix, played to a small crowd partly because it was a cold, drizzly night.
As the show was ending, Hill went up on stage to thank the band and the people who showed up.
“This has been an incredible performance,” Hill said.
“This isn’t a big audience, but you could have been loved more than you are being loved tonight.
This is the 89th year of the festival, and it’s the most amazing event Atlanta has to offer.”
Hill has had a major impact on Atlanta and Georgia.
Before taking over the Atlanta Dogwood Festival in June 2008, Hill spent 10 years as assistant general manager of Centennial Olympic Park.
He organized a host of public events, concerts and firework displays during his tenure — including the popular annual July 4 celebration.
Over the years as executive director of the Dogwood Festival, Hill has tried to drum up more corporate and government support for the event — one that has been precariously close to having to go out of business during certain difficult years.
But partly because of the tenacity of Hill, the board, and the rest of the event team, the festival has managed to hang on over the years.
“We know how much people love coming here.
But we need more support,” said Shutley, adding that the festival is a critical part of the region’s arts and cultural offerings.
“It draws people from all walks of life, all ages and all races.
When I’m here, I walk around and talk to some of the artists.
They say it is one of the best festivals they go to.”
Shutley was not prepared to talk about who might replace Hill, and he did express a wish that Hill would stay on.
On Saturday and Sunday, the weather improved dramatically so the festival attracted thousands of people who were able to check out the artists, visit the High School Arts exhibit, listen to music, eat and drink while people-watching.
A highlight of the weekend was the performance by Vox Brittania, which played the “Best of British Rock ‘n’ Roll from the “golden era” of British rock.
When the band was playing “London Calling” by the Clash, a full moon rose over Piedmont Park.
Before calling it a weekend, Hill stopped by to visit the iconic bronze Dogwood sculpture that has become a favorite spot for people to take photos with the Midtown skyline as a backdrop.
At the Dogwood Festival, Brian Hill and his wife Jennifer Mauldin gifted the sculpture to the City of Atlanta and Piedmont Park in 2016 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the festival.
Hill also stopped by to visit with vendors who have become dear friends over the years.
One such vendor was Amanda Lagoo-Tarr, a co-owner and co-founder of Jalapeño Corndog Concessions.
“We’re going to miss him,” she said when Hill was out of earshot.
The Atlanta Dogwood Festival has a long tradition.
Hill said the festival was founded in 1936 by Walter Rich, a major Atlanta leader who ran the Rich’s department stores.
He started the festival to help lift up Atlantans during the Great Depression.
Rich and city leaders planted dogwood trees throughout Atlanta to help the city blossom during the Spring.
Note: Brian Hill has been a source, colleague, neighbor and friend going on nearly three decades.
Spending time at the Atlanta Dogwood Festival over the weekend made me appreciate the importance of friendships and relationships — especially when it comes to sharing moments at special events like the Atlanta Dogwood Festival.
I definitely felt sad over the weekend knowing Brian will be stepping down from his role as executive director.
The festival has been our annual opportunity to visit since he and Jennifer moved to Florida almost full-time in 2018.
We do plan to stay in touch and talk about how Atlanta can better support its festivals – an important part of our region’s arts and cultural offerings.
We all have a role to play to make sure the Atlanta Dogwood Festival is around for another 89 years.
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