55 Years of Petunia Festival Fun in Dixon

By Peggy Werner

The 55th annual Petunia Festival, always celebrated in conjunction with the Fourth of July, has grown into a major musical venue with a long list of other activities to mark the occasion.

This year’s event will take place Tuesday through Sunday, July 2-7 in downtown Dixon and along the riverfront.

Jenna Dempsey, vice president of marketing for the Dixon Petunia Festival, has worked with the festival for 14 years, serving as its president in 2012. Many of her childhood memories are related to Petunia Festival.

“I always remember the festival as being very family friendly and that hasn’t changed,” says Dempsey. “We have just grown through the years, mainly in our ability to bring more and better entertainment to our community.”

At least 24 artists will perform at this year’s event on two stages; the Bud Light Stage on the corner of River Street and Galena Avenue; and the Slain Construction Stage, in front of the President Ronald Reagan statue on River Street and Hennepin Avenue.

Headliners this year include American singer/songwriter Marc Broussard, who combines his southern style with a mix of funk, blues, rhythm & blues, rock and pop music, performing at 8 p.m. Wednesday. The popular Two White Crew of Chicago is unlike any other group, with its six-piece band, it’s own Master of Ceremonies, and dancers that pay tribute to the hip hop and party anthems of the ’80s, ’90s, and '00s. They will perform at 9:30 p.m. Thursday and are sponsored by Ken Nelson.

Friday is Country Night, sponsored by River Country 101.7, and will spotlight North Carolina’s Chris Lane singing his brand of modern country songs at 8:30 p.m. Lane launched his career as one of Nashville’s new artists in 2016 with his album, “Girl Problems,” and is on a national tour promoting his second album, “Laps Around the Sun,” which reflects his quest for self discovery through song.

Fifteen-year-old guitarist Brandon “Taz” Niederauer has played with some of the country’s most prominent musicians and has built up his own reputation in the music world. He will perform at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, sponsored by Sky 95.7. Classic Country star Lyle Grobe, performing for more than 50 years, will be back with his Rhythm Ramblers at 5:30 p.m. Sunday followed by the seven-piece ensemble, Downtown Rhythm Kings, one of the area’s premier Rhythm & Blues bands, performing at 6:30 Sunday. All headliners will be at the Bud Light Stage. Arthur’s Garden Deli is also a music sponsor Wednesday and Sunday.

Traditional features of Petunia Festival will include tours of the late President Ronald Reagan’s boyhood home; Pancakes in the Park; the 35 th annual KSB Tennis Classic; Ultimate Air Dogs Show presented by Quality Inn and Suites; Cruise in Style Car Show presented by Ken Nelson Auto Group; a food tent, bags tournament, games, and amusement rides by North American Midway Entertainment Carnival.

The Dixon Dish presented by Dennis Electric will feature pizza, tacos, corn dogs, elephant ears, and more along the riverfront from 5 to 11 p.m. Wednesday and Friday; and from noon to 11 p.m. Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.

The Dixon High School Athletic Boosters will open the festival Wednesday through Sunday with “Pancakes in the Park,” serving up pancakes and sausage from 6 to 11 a.m. Cost is $7 for adults and $3 for children.

“Follow the Yellow Brick Road” is the theme of this year’s parade, sponsored by ComEd, honoring the “emerald” year of the festival with floats, bands, dancers, clowns, jugglers and local businesses at 1 p.m. Sunday. Fireworks presented by KSB Hospital will be launched near the ComEd site on Second Street and people can tune into River Country 101.7 to hear the synchronized music during the display at 9:30 p.m.

The festival began as a carnival and beer garden in a store parking lot in 1964, in conjunction with the planting of petunias to beautify the city after Dutch Elm Disease destroyed most of the tree canopy over Galena Avenue. The Dixon in Bloom Committee was formed and hung 20 flowering baskets on the Peoria and Galena bridges, as it was becoming more difficult to maintain the ground petunias due to soil issues. Today, there are about 300 hanging petunia baskets lining the two bridges, downtown streets and the riverfront.

The Dixon In Bloom Committee plans and plants the baskets. The Rock River Garden Club assists with the plantings, which get their start at Nichols Greenhouse in April.

On Memorial Day weekend, the baskets are hung and routinely watered by the city. The baskets cost about $17,000 each year, with funding provided by Rock River Garden Club, the Dixon Area Garden Club and individual donations. Anyone wanting to contribute to the project can send donations to Dixon in Bloom, P. O. Box 127, Dixon, IL 61021.

Festival tickets are $8 per day for those 13 and older. Children under 12 are admitted free. A five-day ticket can be purchased for $25 at the Dixon Welcome Center on Main Street, the Chamber of Commerce, or online at petuniafestival. org. Go to the website for a complete lineup of events and entertainment.