The House & Garden Show is the largest annual fundraiser for Dogwood Arts, and the backbone of our year-round programming. Your participation makes it all possible. From keeping beloved events like Chalk Walk and the Dogwood Arts Festival free and open to the public, to supporting youth initiatives like Art Kits for Kids, and promoting Knoxville’s historic Dogwood Trails, your involvement fuels creativity across our community.
ELECTRICITY & WIFI
- NEW IN 2026: All wifi and electricity orders will be placed through and managed by the Knoxville Convention Center, not House & Garden Show staff. We recommend purchasing wifi ($49.95 for 3 days) as cellular service is spotty on the Show Floor. If you have devices that need to be charged (cell phones, tablets, square readers, etc.) or display items that require electricity, you must purchase electrical through the Convention Center ($75). You will be able to purchase both wifi and electric on-site; however, we cannot guarantee wait & delivery time, and highly encourage you to pre-purchase booth utilities.
LOAD-IN:
- Wednesday, February 4th: Extensive Builds Only (requires driving onto Show Floor)
- Thursday, February 5th: Moderate/Simple Setup (items can be carted in from Loading Dock)
ALL BOOTHS MUST BE COMPLETELY SET-UP BY 7PM ON THURSDAY, FEB. 5TH - NO FRIDAY SET-UP ALLOWED.
DURING THE SHOW
EXHIBITOR PARKING
Exhibitors may use the Poplar Lot located at 906 Poplar Street, just off Cumberland Avenue across from the Convention Center loading dock. This lot is available on a first-come, first-served basis for our exhibitors and is recommended for those with trailers. Please do not park in the church parking lot adjacent to Poplar! Once Poplar is full, we recommend parking in the Locust Street Garage located at 540 Locust St SW, Knoxville, TN 37902.
*If you need information about ADA parking, please contact the Knoxville Convention Center at (865) 522-5669, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (EST).
EXHIBITOR CHECK-IN
Individuals working in Exhibitor booths must check in at the Volunteer/Exhibitor Check-in area on the Park Concourse to pick up their Exhibitor badges. Badges will not be given out prior to Friday, February 6th at 8AM. Please keep your badge throughout the show and return them to the information desk or Volunteer/Exhibitor Check-In on your way out.
All Exhibitors, team members, and show staff must wear an official show badge to enter and work on the show floor!
FOOD & BEVERAGE
The Knoxville Convention Center is now a cashless concessions venue. They accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, AMEX, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay for purchases. NO CASH will be accepted for payment at the Cafe or Bar.
NO outside food, beverage, or alcohol is allowed in the Convention Center during the event. This is heavily enforced by Convention Center staff. The Convention Center cafe and other food vendors will be open during show hours, offering a variety of beverages, sandwiches, salads, and snacks.
We will have complimentary coffee and a refillable water station (bring your water bottles!) for Exhibitors during show hours in the Exhibitor Lounge.
AFTER THE SHOW
LOAD-OUT
DO NOT BEGIN BREAKDOWN BEFORE 4PM ON SUNDAY
PROCEDURES FOR BREAKDOWN & LOADING DOCK ACCESS
By Sunday night, we know everyone will be tired and ready to get home. We will be too! Please be patient and courteous so we can end the event on a high note.
- All exhibitors must remain set up until the end of the show at 4PM on Sunday
- All exhibitors MUST remove all materials from the show floor on Sunday night unless prior arrangements have been made with Show staff.
- Once the show is closed, you should begin breaking down your booth and preparing all elements for load-out.
- Convention Center staff will begin removing the pipe & drape during this time
**IF YOU DO NOT NEED TO PULL INTO THE LOADING DOCK, you can cart materials upstairs and out the exits at Cumberland or Clinch Avenue – you do not need to check out with show staff.
LOADING DOCK ACCESS: Dock passes will not be given out until approximately 5PM
- When you have completely prepped for load-out, go to the show information desk and ask to be checked out for dock access.
- A staff member will verify that you are ready to load out and provide a dock pass
- Dock passes will be given out in limited groups to minimize the # of vehicles waiting in line and causing traffic issues. As exhibitors leave the dock we will release more passes. PLEASE BE PATIENT during this time — we will move as quickly as possible!
DRIVE-ON ACCESS: No vehicles will be allowed to drive on the show floor until after all pipe & drape has been removed and a reasonable amount of space has opened up on the show floor leaving room for vehicles (approximately 6-6:30PM).
*The show floor MUST be cleared on Sunday to allow the gardens to be disassembled and removed on Monday. These elements take days to build so clearing them out in one day is a major undertaking. We need your cooperation to make sure this happens efficiently, so please do not ask to wait until Monday to remove your materials. We are not responsible for any materials left on the show floor overnight on Sunday night.
By completing this registration, you are agreeing to read and abide by all rules, terms, and conditions of the Dogwood Arts House & Garden Show, as well as those of the KCC and any others that are provided to you in conjunction with the event. Failure to do so may result in the removal of your exhibit from the show floor and render you ineligible to participate in future events.
