Fall Festivals, Beautiful Days, Happy Families.
by: Carol Frey
As the summer heat abates and we note a crispness in the evening air, our thoughts move toward all that is autumn: bright blue skies highlighting burnished leaves, hayrides punctuated by peels of laughter, toes tapping to a fiddler’s tune, pumpkins ripe for carving and apples galore to share. High on my list of fond memories of autumn days are festivals celebrating the arts and entertainment of the South. There is no better place than right here in the cities of Gwinnett County to enjoy fall festivals at their finest.
Hopefully you got a chance to enjoy the season’s first event with a visit to the 24th Annual Suwanee Day Festival at Town Center Park. The day’s festivities kicked off with a parade and signed off with spectacular fireworks. Among the tasty treats was a Greek tavern for your baklavian pleasure. The kids enjoyed unlimited rides, and many music lovers took to their chairs and blankets to enjoy a performance by the Average White Band.
On Saturday, October 20 you’re going to have a challenge: “Which way do I go, which way do I go?” Why not head north and hit both festivals in Auburn and Sugar Hill? Auburn Fest will be held from 10 am until 6 pm. You’ll see cloggers, square dancers and bands galore on two different stages. Many arts and crafts, good eats and children’s activities will be the order of the day.
If you enjoy being more than an observer then don’t miss the 7th Annual Sugar Hill Fall Festival where you can participate in the Big Chili Cook-off. As we all know, here in the South, one of the most highly contested foods is chili. The Hatfields and the McCoys couldn’t become any hotter under the collar than some folks are about their chili recipes. The choices are endless: beans or no beans, tomatoes or no tomatoes, beef chunks, ground beef, sausage or no meat at all. These days they’re even making chili with chicken for crying out loud. Those are just the primary ingredients, but secret ingredients abound as well. I’d delve into to that more but as you know, it’s a secret. This may be your launching pad into chili cooking stardom, or you might at least prove to Uncle Larry that your chili recipe is right up there with some of the best. From 11 am to 6 pm over 100 volunteers will be working to make this Sugar Hill festival one of the best. There will be a judged car show, a rock climbing wall and lots of fun activities and games for the children. For details on participating in the Chili Cook-off and the car show go to the city’s website.
On October 13 the city of Lilburn has the honor of hosting the longest running Gwinnett fall festival with the 34th Annual Lilburn Daze. At this event the children can enjoy some of the good old-fashioned rides of days gone by. You remember, hayrides, pony rides, a fishpond and flu shots…oh wait a minute, the shots are in the health tent and probably not high on the kids list of all-time favorites. Also in the “good ‘ole days” vein is a bake sale. Delicious homemade baked goods all prepared by the Lilburn Woman’s Club will be for sale. How do those ladies do it? Not only do they organize and run this event along with the city of Lilburn, but they also hold other events throughout the year, raising money to fund projects such as the Dream House for Medically Fragile Children, Gwinnett Battered Women’s Shelter, and Hope Lodge for cancer patients. This group of dedicated women volunteers countless hours to serve the needs of others, and they can bake, too.
For the last few years the Norcross Art Fest has been a fall festival with a whole new slant. Under the direction of Frances Schube, a local artist herself, the Art Fest brings an in-town flair to this Gwinnett County city. Featuring 100 artisans from around the Southeast, the 2007 Art Fest on October 6 and 7, promises a blend of creative, colorful and sometimes whimsical artwork that you’ll love to see and probably take home (after paying, of course). Frances finds Norcross to be “a charming, historical and magical downtown district. A perfect backdrop for this art show and festival.” You name the art form and it’s probably there. Silver jewelry and handmade glass beads, metal sculpture, mixed media art, pottery, photography and paintings are just a few of the offerings. One painter who enjoys appearing at the Arts Fest is Joanne Gossman. Inspired by our country’s eastern coastline where she spent most of her youth, Joanne uses her own brand of expressionism to bring these scenes to life. Be sure to stop and see her bold and bright renderings. In a blend of realism and fantasy she combines landscapes and colors in a new and vibrant way. Joanne commented that of all of the shows of which she’s a part, Norcross is her favorite. She says that because of the way it’s run, this festival is a dream for the exhibitors. That explains why there is a waiting list of artists for this event.
During the Norcross festival, Thrasher Park will be just the place to get some food, sit, relax and listen to some live entertainment. Bucky Johnson, who was instrumental, literally, in organizing the music for the 1996 Olympics here in Atlanta, is in charge of the music for the Norcross Arts Fest. With all of the jazz, oldies, light rock and instrumentals he’s arranged for, you will have lots of tunes to tickle your eardrums.
Following the artistic theme the Kidz Zone will bring out the best of our children’s creativity. At no charge there will be a participatory arts and crafts pavilion and a Young Chef’s Academy with cooking projects for children. For a small fee you’ll find such activities as CreHativity with big, fun hats to make and wear, Stuff-a- Bear and also Claytime Mobiles which are shaped plaster items to
paint, glaze and then take home.
To be a part of Gwinnett county’s biggest fall festival, show up in downtown Duluth on September 29 and 30 to enjoy the 25th Annual Duluth Fall Festival. They’re pulling out all of the stops for this grand occasion. You’ll love the bands, floats and clowns in the big parade at 10 am on Saturday morning. For those who are well disciplined and exercise oriented (masochistic as I look at it) there is a 5k race at 8 am on Sunday morning. Kathryn Willis, a life long resident of Duluth and one of the main architects of this festival, remembers that as a girl she always wished Duluth had a downtown city park. Now, with the proceeds of the many fall festivals, along with the help of the Taylor family and the City of Duluth, the town boasts the lovely Taylor Park where the festival is centered. Kathryn says, “The Duluth Fall Festival has kept the town spirit of Duluth alive.”
One of the ways that Duluth best displays this spirit is by its support of our military forces. On a drive through town during any major national holiday you will see flags lining the highways along with crosses commemorating the fallen soldiers from Duluth. No matter the political persuasion of each individual, this community comes together to support and honor our military families, the soldiers who serve in the line of duty and their families who bear the burden of being without their loved one while he or she is away. In particular, Duluth has adopted the Army’s 2-69 Armored Division as they now serve in their third tour of duty in Iraq. This year, since the soldiers are away again, many of their spouses and children will be special guests at the fall festival. One officer who is working hard at Fort Benning is Lt. Joe Walker, the rear detachment commander for the 2-69. He is in charge of serving the needs of the families of the 960 soldiers in the division along with around 120 other soldiers who are stateside for a variety of reasons. Lt. Walker remarked that, “The Duluth Fall Festival provides care packages, events for families and a variety of monetary contributions which give the soldiers things above and beyond what is normally there for them. It also allows the wounded and their families to see from the public some positive support which is an incredible morale builder.” He ended by saying, “There are not enough thanks for what the Duluth Fall Festival has done for us.” Now it’s time…time for hayrides and funnel cakes, bands and balloons, Georgia pride and family fun. It’s time for the festivals of fall in Gwinnett County.
25th Annual Duluth Fall Festival
September 29-30
Saturday 9am-8pm
Sunday 8am 5k race,
Festival 9am-5pm
Taylor Park, Downtown Duluth
www.duluthfallfestival.com
Norcross Art Fest
October 6-7
Saturday 10am-6pm
Sunday noon-5pm
Thrasher Park, Downtown Norcross
www.norcrossartfest.com
34th Annual Lilburn Daze
Saturday, October 13
Lilburn City Park, Downtown Lilburn
www.cityoflilburn.com
Auburn Fest
Saturday, October 20
10am-6pm
4th Ave., Downtown Auburn
www.cityofauburn-ga.org
7th Annual SugarHill Fall Festival
Saturday, October 20
11am-6pm
E.E. Robinson Park, Downtown Sugar Hill
www.cityofsugarhill.com
Home | Partnership Gwinnett | Green & Clean | Business | Fall Festivals | Happy Birthday | Fall Hikes | Family | Recipes | Book Review Last Word | Haunting Gwinnett | Community
|
