Evening star., 1936-03-22

rate pomp and ceremony by the myth
ical court of the likewise mythical
kingdom of Rhodora. Often the huge
floral parade has unexpected features.
Such as an OK cart, seen only In iso-
lated mountain regions, which last
year excited a great deal Of interest.
One year a novel pickaninny parade
added gayety to the pageant. The
loveliest daughters of the 10 Southern
States, each dressed to represent the
flower of her State. participate in the
weeks events and the many social
functions for which the South Is
famous.
During the latter part of March So
cial customs of the old South also
play an important part in the azalea
festival at Charleston, S. c., when the
late camellias and the early aZaleas
bloom. This years celebration fea-
lures a spectacular historical pageant
with more than a thousand persons
participating. The weeks festivity
includes a float parade, pirates
pageant and water carnival of gayly
decorated boats. Truly typical of life
in this delightful old Southern city
is the contest of the street criers,
those quaint Negro characters, who.
h the early morning chant their sale
songs in the streets.
Miss Azalea Festival is chosen each
year from the beauty queens Of vari-
GUS counties of the State and Is given
a weeks trip to Washington. including
a call at the White House.
4 MEXICAN folklore is featured in
the Dogwood Festival at Hills
boro, N. c. Each Spring, when the
ivory-white dogwood and the gay red
buds cover the hillsides, the extension
department of the University OF North
Carolina sponsors the Dogwood Fes-
tival. This event is unique among the
flower festivals of America, for its
stated purpose is ito give expression
to the life of the people Of the State"
For two days, the modem genera
ton delights in the revival of folk
songs of long ago, plays depicting old
customs. long forgotten dances. games
and contests. Last year Nanny
Jones came down from her mountain
cabin to sing "the white spirituals,"
which, though not generally realized,
were the genesis of the Negro spiritual,
and Dory. mother of 10 children,
played the dulcimer of Biblical fame.
Another attraction was the Indian ball
game, one of the Oldest games of the
Cherokees, which was played Accord
ing to ancient Indian rules, by two
teams of 10 players each from the In
dian reservation.
Lilac time in Rochester, N. Y, fur
nishes delightful get-together for the
people of the city and vicinity. On
Lilac Sunday thousands visit Highland
Park, where $50 varieties of fragrant
lilacs on the terraced hillsides weave a
glamorous tapestry Of white and pur-
| pie blossoms.
The Mountain Laurel Festival near
Pineville, KY, is aptly described as "a
combination garden party, patriotic
celebration, sightseeing excursion and
| 1dlullJ iiC Pu6SoAe 40 GAVIN
in natural amphitheater, hidden
deep in the woods and reached only
by winding fiower-bordered paths,
were arbutus, violets and anemones
grow in fragrant profusion amid pun
gent ferns, walled in by dainty laurel
and lordly rhododendron.
1.-THE rainbow of apple blossorl
left by Peter Pans Springtime visir
to the Columbia River Valley Is thu
mythical legend around which We
natchee, Wash, builds its Apply Blost
som Festival. After the festivitieTS
Peter Pan sweeps the valley before hiA
departure, leaving the people contents
ed and happy in his promise Of mil
lions of bright red apples to fill "the
pot of gold at the rainbow's end"
A BRIEF six months separated the
a birth of the two famous West
Coast Rose Festivals. In the late Spring
of 1889 the Rose Society OF Portland
held its first rose exhibition and the
Valley Hunt Club of Pasadena staged
its first flower carnival on New Year,
1890. The California flower festivals.
with their elaborate parades, have
continued for nearly half a century.
Portland's magnificent floral parade
of today was not added to the rose
exhibition until 1904. In this first pa
rade there were decorated carryallss
surreys, phaetons, bicycles and four
flower-bedecked automobiles, entered
by the "Push Club" One delightfully."-
frank reporter Of the Oregon Journal
| felt that this section of the parade
vas not o great success, because the
spectators chad to went Almost an nour
to see four automobiles 60 by"
This modest beginning paved the
way for the famous Portland Rose Fes-
tival of today, which annually attracts
thousands of visitors from this coun-
try and Canada. Besides the grand
floral parade, miles long, in which
many cities participate, there is again
the mythical kingdom theme. carried
out each year by the queen Of Ro-
saria" and her seven princesses, one
chosen from each of the high schools
in the city. Roses everywhere" and
marine and electrical pageantry con-
tribute to Portland's gay week OF be-
wildering splendor and romance.
Charles Wakefield Cadma- wrote
the scores for "Rosaria," the extrava-
ganza given in 1925, while Dean Col
Inns wrote Where Rolls the Oregon,
presented in 1928. Other annual
features Of recent years are "Aiice IN
| CONTINUED on Third Pass.l