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Dahlonega celebrates superlative festival season

Music and arts hub fetes newest, oldest, grandest, boldest
 

Dahlonega, GA– January 28, 2008 –Gold’s not the only thing that flourishes in this North Georgia mountain community. Festivals do, too. Dahlonega, a cultural crossroads for music and arts, continues to add to its festival calendar with the addition of its newest, the Celtic Music Festival. This festival joins the oldest, Gold Rush Days; the grandest, a trio of diverse treats that includes Bear on the Square Mountain Festival, the Dahlonega Mountain Flower Art Festival and the Dahlonega Literary Festival; and the boldest—in terms of flavor, that is, with the Seventh Annual Georgia Wine Country Festival. From March through December, visitors have their pick of some of the best fests in North Georgia.
 

Newest festival makes beautiful music

Making its debut March 8 and 9 is the first annual Celtic Music Festival. Presented by the Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Chamber of Commerce and held in Historic Downtown Dahlonega, the festival stages concerts by the traditional Celtic bands Altan, Highland Way, Emerald Rose and Shamrock at Historic Holly Theater. Enjoy bagpipers and storytellers, sign up for  Celtic themed workshops and dance to Celtic music as you shop the art and craft exhibitors displaying and selling Celtic themed items. Concert tickets: 706-864-3759, www.hollytheater.com.
 

Granddaddy of festivals

Gold Rush Days is the oldest, most established mountain festival in Georgia. An Appalachian celebration, it marks Dahlonega’s place in history as the site of the first gold rush in the U.S. Selected as a “Top 20 Event in the Southeast” by the Southeast Tourism Society, this year’s festival is scheduled for October 18 and 19. The fun unfolds on Dahlonega’s Town Square and will include a parade, children's activities, a fashion show, gold panning contest, wheelbarrow race, King and Queen Coronation, hog calling, buck dancing contest, gospel singing and other live entertainment and food booths.
 

First class festival times three

Three grand festivals take place on Dahlonega’s historic Town Square. The 12th annual Bear on the Square Mountain Festival happens April 18 – 20, kicking off with a Pre-Auction with "Greybeard". Hear music legends Norman and Nancy Blake and the dynamic Carolina Chocolate Drops who headline a lineup of regional and national musicians performing old-time and bluegrass music. Shop for Appalachian crafts, from artwork, pottery and handmade baskets to jewelry, jams and jellies at the juried Mountain Marketplace. Other events: a Sunday morning Gospel Jam, day and evening jam sessions by local and visiting musicians, a street dance, children's activities and a variety of food. All outdoor events free. Concert tickets: 706-867-0050, www.BearonTheSquare.org. April showers bring May flowers and they will be on display at the Dahlonega Mountain Flower Art Festival. Celebrating the abundance of North Georgia’s mountain wildflowers, this free event takes place May 17 – 18 and will include artists and skilled craftspeople from the region displaying and selling their handmade products. The summer reading season shines with the Dahlonega Literary Festival and Writers’ Conference, a bash for bibliophiles with a “coffee shop” vibe planned for August 9 – 10.  Highlights: bestselling author Steve Berry, readings in restaurants and galleries, book sales, lectures, workshops, “Lunch with the Stars,” costumed characters for the children’s section and a literary themed Scavenger Hunt. Festival admission is free; registration for the Writer’s Conference is $100. www.literaryfestival.org.   The bold and beautiful: Georgia’s fabulous, full-bodied winesThe 7th Annual Georgia Wine Country Festival will be held June 6 and 7 at Three Sisters Vineyards & Winery in Dahlonega and features live music, folk art and wine tastings in the vineyard. The fun takes place, rain or shine, under the big tent, with samples of Georgia wines from a variety of wineries. Those appearing in the past have been Boutier Winery, Butterducks Winery, Georgia Wines, Montaluce Vineyards, Paulk Vineyards, Still Pond Winery, Chestatee and Three Sisters, to name a few. Sip, sample and savor the flavor of Georgia wines to the strains of bluegrass, folk, Americana and rock & roll music. Take a wagon ride into the vineyard. Shop for Georgia folk art and meet special folk art guest artist, John "Cornbread" Anderson. Enjoy a culinary demonstration presented by Montaluce's Chef Steve Hewins and sample a selection of Georgia cheeses from Sweet Grass Dairy of Thomasville. Admission: $20,  $10/designated drivers and those under 21; free for kids under 12. www.ThreeSistersVineyards.com. Rounding out Dahlonega’s festival season are these annual favorites: Dahlonega Old-Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration, a free event with a light-up-the-sky fireworks show; Shinin' Times Rendezvous, October 17-19, a celebration of yesteryear America; The early November conservation-minded Hemlock Fest with fire dance, music, arts and crafts and family fun activities; and  Dahlonega’s month-long Old Fashioned Christmas celebration. Dahlonega, the site of America’s first major gold rush in 1828, is located just off Georgia 400 in the pristine and picturesque North Georgia Mountains.  Unique shopping opportunities abound in Dahlonega, especially around its historic square that easily earned a coveted spot on the National Register of Historic Places.  Now the center of a thriving music and arts scene, and the heart of the Georgia wine industry, Dahlonega provides much to see and do during every season;  local innkeepers and hotels  offer specials and discounted packages for couples,  families and friends.   For more details, contact the Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Chamber of Commerce, Convention & Visitors Bureau by calling toll-free 1.800.231.5543 or by visiting www.dahlonega.org.                   

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Hal Williams

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