Dogwoods, native to California, are just beginning to bloom at Big Trees State Park. Park staff advise visiting this week and the next to see them put on their flowery show. Jill Bergantz/Calaveras Enterprise
“It’s fun to slow down and just let her do her thing,” Ashley Connell said, watching her youngest, Terah, toddle around the forest floor in her first pair of shoes. California’s winter this year was cold storm after cold storm — a baker’s dozen — and this spring the dogwoods at Big Trees State Park are late bloomers. Most are just budding out, bright green, on the cusp.
But it didn’t put a damper on the joy of the Dogwood Festival at Big Trees State Park by any means as hundreds of visitors celebrated and raised funds on Saturday, May 13.
Underneath a dogwood soon-to-be-in-bloom near Jack Knight Hall, little Terah plopped down and chose a pinecone to inspect, then another, then another, passing everything to Mom. Connell’s three older kids hand painted cards with dogwood blooms on them for her at a craft station provided by the Calaveras Big Trees interpreters and volunteers nearby. “They banished me so the cards can be a surprise tomorrow,” she laughed. The family, visiting from San Jose, was here for Mother’s Day weekend.
Clockwise from top left: A group of visitors enjoy a carriage ride at the Dogwood Festival at Calaveras Big Trees State Park on May 13. Balancing a full plate of jobs as chef for CBTA’s Dogwood Festival and retail manager every other day of the year, Jacob Cole handles both with ease. Dancing away the afternoon to Blind Dog, Cathy Hobson (left) and Vaughn Smith (right) held down the raffle table. Terah Connell, the youngest of Ashley Connell’s four kids, enjoys her first visit to Big Trees State Park. Jill Bergantz/Calaveras Enterprise
On the porch of Jack Knight Hall, Cathy Hobson and Vaughn Smith worked the raffle table, laughing together and pointing out the dogwood blossoms and oriole on Arnold’s own Hinterhaus South Grove Gin — just part of one prize. Inside the hall, ticket holders enjoyed a wine tasting from Indian Rock Vineyards, music from Blind Dog, and a lunch made by CBTA’s own resident chef, Jacob Cole. On days when he’s not making bespoke lunches and celebrating the coming of spring, Cole works as the retail manager for CBTA. The money raised by Calaveras Big Trees Association during the Dogwood Festival funds the coming year’s seminars, events, park positions and more. “The majority of us, as interpreters, are funded through CBTA,” said interpreter Lillie Oravetz.
Nancy and Rob Rutland, Camp Connell residents since ’73, and their lifelong friends Benjamin Beede and Gayle Jansen Beede disembarked from a carriage ride. These carriages looked like a picture from the 1850s; there’s a reason for that. They were “imported” for the day from neighboring Columbia State Park. Hoofbeats receded on the paved road while the Rutlands and the Beedes shared memories and photographs going back 50 years in Big Trees State Park, a place that’s fostered their friendship as it’s grown, strong as a sequoia.
“It’s important for us to have these events for the public. Local public can come, people coming from out of state are delighted, and we rely on our volunteers. We’re so thankful for our volunteers,” interpreter Oravetz said as the festival came to a close. And speaking of the beauty, no matter the season, Joan Allday, Dogwood Festival chairperson, echoed: “Big Trees is the jewel in the crown of the state parks in California. It’s the very first place that giant sequoias were ever discovered. To me, this park has it all.”