CHARLESTON BLOOMS WITH PRIDE & FLOWERS DURING ANNUAL FESTIVAL

CHARLESTON -- In no small way, Charleston's 29-year-old Dogwood-Azalea Festival held over the weekend began with a woman named Molly French.

You see, Molly loved azaleas.

"Molly told me I couldn't live on this street unless I planted azaleas," said 85-year-old Mary Sullenger, who lived next to Molly for many years. "She was kidding, but I took her at her word."

Molly, now deceased, told many people about her passion for azaleas, Sullenger said, and most people followed suit by planting the flowering shrubs in their yards.

"People began to try to outdo each other and more and more azaleas began popping up all over town," Sullenger said.

Linda Banta, a member of the Molly French Garden Club and a co-organizer of this year's festival, said azaleas now are all over town thanks in part to Molly's efforts.

"They're not just in the front yards, they're in the back yards, they're not just on the main streets, they're on the back streets, too," Banta said. "You can't walk around Charleston anywhere without seeing all kinds of azaleas."

Charleston's many azaleas are the main attractions that bring thousands of visitors to festival each year.

But azaleas aren't the only thing at the festival. People lined the streets at Saturday night's candlelight walk on Main Street or stopped by the Mississippi County Historical Society's open house on Sunday.

Some opted to stroll by the state champion dogwood in Charleston. It is 5 feet, 7 inches in circumference and 37 feet tall.

Rolwing Park, the center of Dogwood-Azalea Festival activities, was full of people Sunday afternoon. Some ran in the Run for Fun, others rode carnival rides and most stopped off for traditional festival food -- lemon shake-ups, snow cones, hot dogs and shish kabob.

"We like a lot of the events but we came because of all the lovely blossoming azaleas," said Jeane Lawson of Poplar Bluff. "We love all the pink and white flowers and the beautiful homes. People seem so proud of their town."

"The town blooms with pride," added Jean's husband, Tom. "It's very dignified, the whole affair. It's a class act. I'm not a prude, but this is not a beer-drinking, raucous event. I can see why people come here."

The Lawsons visited the festival for the first time this year but added that they would be back next year.

Forty years after Molly gave Sullenger that playful ultimatum of planting azaleas or moving away, Sullenger still plants azaleas in her yard.

In fact, nearly everyone on Hunter Street has planted azaleas, so many that it is nicknamed Azalea Street.

At this year's festival, which features a drive-by tour of homes with azaleas in the yards, Sullenger's yard has been named Yard of the Month.

Ironically, Sullenger's yard was honored by the Molly French Garden Club.

And Sullenger said she thinks Molly would appreciate the festival.

"The bigger it gets the prettier it gets and the more azaleas there are," Sullenger said. "Molly would have liked that."