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Fort Yargo for the Fourth weekend
Fort Yargo State Park Naturalist Sara Kohl has put together an Independence Day weekend of fun-filled activities. Kohl lead two weeks of Junior Ranger Camp at Yargo in June.
On tap for July 3:
Noon to 1 p.m. – Disc Golf – Meet across the street from the beach area playground for a chance to learn to play disc golf for free. Recommended for kids age 9 and up.
2-4 p.m. – Nature Center Open – Drop by the nature center and make nature crafts.
5:3-7:30 p.m. – Reptile Show – Meet at the campground #1 amphitheatre for an hour-long presentation about Fort Yargo’s reptiles. Stay after to give kids a chance to handle animals and ask questions.
9-9:30 p.m. – Night Hike – Learn about and observe nocturnal sights and sounds during this late evening hike. Meet at the boat ramp at the campground #2 boat ramp. Wear close-toed shoes.
Set for July 4:
10-11 a.m. – Bird Watching – Grab your binoculars and meet by the nature center for a morning bird-watching hike. No binoculars? No problem! Learn to observe birds by listening.
Noon to 1 p.m. – Arts and Crafts – Meet by the nature center for a chance to make some animal and plant crafts.
1:3-2:30 p.m. – Water Explorer – Wear your water shoes and dirty clothes and meet by the Bird Berry trail head for a chance to explore Fort Yargo’s aquatic friends – fish, amphibians, and insects! Nets will be provided.
3:30-4:30 p.m. – Games for Kids – Grab the kids and meet at the field by the tennis courts for some kid-friendly games. Come prepared to get a little wet.
Enjoy July 5:
9-11 a.m. – Fishing at the Nature Center – Meet at the nature center for a morning of fishing at the dock – poles and bait provided.
Noon to 1 p.m. – Scavenger Hunt Hike – Join us at the Bird Berry Trail by the nature center for a hike that’s also a scavenger hunt – learn how to look for and identify nature Georgia plants and animals.
2-5 p.m. – Old Fort Open – Historic Fort Yargo’s doors will be open for three hours. Come by for a tour and some colonial games and crafts.
RED, WHITE & BREWGRASS FESTIVAL IN ATHENS
ATHENS, GA—The first annual RED, WHITE & BREWGRASS FESTIVAL hosted by Packway Handle Band and The Melting Point will be held on Saturday, July 4, from noon until midnight at THE MELTING POINT in Athens,.
Located in The Foundry Park Inn & Spa at 295 East Dougherty St., The Melting Point is one of the premiere music venues in the country, listed in the "Top 40 Best Music Venues in the U.S." by Paste Magazine.
The festival will feature 14 acts across two intimate stages for a full day of some of the region’s best bluegrass and Americana bands. Doors open at noon and the music begins at 1:00 P.M on the patio stage, continuing on rotating stages until midnight. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 day of show. Admission for UGA Students (with I.D.) is only $10. The festival is open to all-ages (children 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult). A variety of food and beverage options will be provided by the award winning culinary team at the Melting Point. No coolers allowed. The event will be held rain or shine.
The line-up includes the following groups: Mountain Heart; Packway Handle Band; The Dappled Grays; The Corduroy Road; Bob Hay & The Jolly Beggars; Curley Maple; Johnny Roquemore & The Apostles of Bluegrass; Jumpin’ Jesus Christers; Mayhem String Band; North Georgia Bluegrass Band; Peachtree Station; Solstice Sisters; String Theory; and Hawk Proof Rooster.
The Foundry Park Inn & Spa is offering a discounted room rate of only $74 per night for the Red, White & Brewgrass festival available for July 3-4. There will also be packaged travel deals for the weekend. Room reservations are available online at www.foundryparkinn.com or by calling (706) 254-6909 or (866) 928-4367. The code for booking is "brewgrass."
Barrow County News
The approaching holiday weekend offers a variety of happenings so close that families don’t have to venture far from home for Independence Day adventure.
Above the skies of Auburn and Braselton, fireworks will light up the sky for the Fourth of July. Thunderstorms are also predcited so Mother Nature may be bringing her own fireworks display.
For the Fourth of July, the City of Auburn has not taken preparation lightly as it readies for the coming holiday.
This year, the city will continue its tradition of celebration with craft vendors, food vendors, entertainment and of course, fireworks.
Festivities will begin at 3 p.m. and include inflatables, a rock-climbing wall, face painting, pony rides, puppets, glow-in-the-dark items, handbags, T-shirts, birdhouses, a bash car, a dunk tank and more.
Forget about hot dogs on the grill; why do that when you can feast on Cuban food, barbecue, fried green tomatoes, fried okra, grilled chicken, funnel cakes, fried oreos, snow cones, cotton candy, boiled peanuts, pastries, candy and homemade pork rinds?
From 3-5 p.m. the whole family can enjoy entertainment from country singers Jordan Rager, Rachel Little, Jordan Humphrey and David Leon.
At 5 p.m. is a magic show with Mick Stone and leading up to the fireworks finale folks can enjoy performances by the Yargo Community Band, Full Circle Gospel, Pro-wrestlers from Atlanta will hold a match behind City Hall and also be available for photographs and autographs, Ashley Rivera and Blackjack Ketchum-Variety and street dancers.
The fireworks are set to shoot off at 9:30 p.m.
The annual car show will be all day and trophies and plaques will be awarded and the Auburn Museum will be open to visitors.
A shuttle bus will be provided until 8:30 p.m.
Braselton plans
Vendors from far and wide will also be descending upon Braselton Park for the annual Celebrate Braselton festival with food, crafts, toys, jewelry and other items in tow.The event kicks off at 10 a.m. Saturday with a parade on Ga. 53, but those setting up booths in the park begin preparing for the event days or weeks in advance.
Braselton resident Heather Steeb and her mother-in-law, Karen, will set up a booth offering a combination of homemade gifts and jewelry you can order from a catalog.
Steeb said her mother-in-law creates her items all year long, but the preparations for specific festivals can take a while.
She said she decided to have a booth on Saturday after doing well at the Hoschton Fall Festival last year, and wanting to connect with community members.
"I love Braselton. I mean, I know that sounds corny, but we came from Duluth when it was still a small town and we came to Braselton because of the small-town feel," she said. "I live in Braselton, my kids go to school in Braselton...and anything I can do to support Braselton, I will. It makes me feel like a part of the community."
Pack or park
Last summer’s high fuel prices found many discovering stay-cations, taking advantage of activities and venues closer to home. Some are continuing the trend this year, opting for day trips or a couple of days around Atlanta to take in Six Flags, Whitewater, the Aquarium and other sites.
Driving may see a boost with declining gas prices. The national average price of gasoline fell by 5-cents per gallon in the past week, and the price was down 4 cents in Georgia.
"Last year at this time, we saw the national average price of gasoline increase from $4.07 to $4.10 on July 4," said Gregg Laskoski, managing director of public relations, AAA Auto Club South. "Fortunately, it’s a much different story this year. All the indicators reflect that the peak price is behind us and we can now expect retail gasoline prices to edge downward, even as we approach the Independence Day weekend."
However, the he number of Americans expected to travel this Fourth of July Weekend is projected to decrease by 1.9 percent largely because of consumer concerns over personal finances, rising unemployment, and the sluggish economy.
Fort Yargo State Park will likely be a popular spot with its large lake and surrounding woodlands providing an oasis from the summer heat.
"We are expecting large crowds on Saturday for the 4th," said Park Manager Eric Bentley. "Come early to get a picnic table. All of our shelters are rented as with most weekends, but we still have some available for rental on Sunday."
Bentley said he expects Sunday should be like a normal Sunday – a busy day for Fort Yargo.
"Visitors should realize that we have stepped up law enforcement lately in traffic control," reminds Bentley.
The Winder Police Department contninues to assist with traffic enforcement officers on the park property. Speeders beware as officers are attempting to slow drivers down for safety reasons.
"The effort will continue through the weekend and everyone should be reminded to slow down because of the walkers and bikers we see along the roads inside the park," said Bentley. "Take your time once you are inside the park and enjoy the scenery instead of speeding to your destination."
Bentley said if you want to escape the heat at the beach area, visit earlier in the day or opt for a weekday visit when the park is less crowded.
"Come early and enjoy the park before we get busy," said Bentley, who also reminds the daily ParkPass has gone to $5 but Friends annual memberships remain a bargain with added incentives provided. See the visitor’s center for details.
You can also visit a public library and check out a ParkPass for use.
At Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine and its facilities on Tucker Road, Saturday will bring the first games of the new soccer league.
"We have eight team so far in this new Mexican league and games will begin at 11 a.m.," said Mike Clark, who has envisioned a sports complex along with the outreach for Catholics.
In addition, dancers who have entertained at previous holiday events will return and at 11 a.m. the Rosario and fiesta will follow the games. Fireworks will be enjoyed as night falls.
Claire Miller, Editor of The Paper, also contributed to this story.
