The Guide 2005 - Newnan Utilities - Covering Coweta & Fayette Counties

Crowds enjoy quality entertainment at the Fayette Villages Amphitheater - Photo courtesy of the Fayette Villages Amphitheater

Inside & Out

By Collin Kelley

The adage "build it and they will come" applies in triplicate to Fayette and Coweta counties. Fayette's two amphitheaters have become known statewide for their summer music series and Coweta's long-awaited performing arts center is bringing an eclectic array of entertainment for all ages.

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Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater

The granddaddy of this trio is the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater in Peachtree City. In 2004, the insanely successful Summer Concert Series celebrated its 10-year anniversary with some of the biggest musical acts ever. While control of the amphitheater has been mired in politics and lawsuits, operations passed to the newly formed Peachtree City Tourism Association (which also oversees the city's tennis center and will add other projects in the future) without any lag in entertainment.

According to spokeswoman Peggy Schnitzer, 2004 was a successful season at The Fred, as the locals call it. The Doobie Brothers, Tony Orlando, Three Dog Night, Credence Clearwater Revival, Beach Boys and country superstar Pam Tillis were just some of the acts that graced the stage of the 2,000 plus seat venue.

"We were 90 percent sold out for the season," Schnitzer says. "We are doing great and the audiences have been super."

During the 2003 season, a survey was handed to patrons listing out all the performers through the previous 10 years and asking them who they would like to see perform again in 2004. "We were able to bring seven of the top ten choices to The Fred," Schnitzer comments.

Another popular program is the Jazz Series, which marked a second season in 2004 including a show by the legendary Manhattan Transfer. In its third year, the Christian Music Festival was another standing room only event.

The Fred's rebirth in 1994 is no minor miracle. Built in the early 1970s to mark Fayette's sesquicentennial celebration, the amphitheater was a primitive wooden structure used to stage historical dramas. In the mid-70s, it had a second rebirth with the Fayette Opry, which saw regular weekend country music shows modeled on Nashville's Grand Ole' Opry.

In the 80s, the amphitheater was home to school productions and rented out for various shows. A fire in the early 90s destroyed the rain shelter. The city rebuilt and decided to take a chance and begin trying to book the venue on a regular basis. Kristi Rapson was hired as the amphitheater's director and is credited with building The Fred's reputation and booking big name acts. From 2000-2002, Donna Romeo continued to build the amphitheater's success, and the tradition continues today.

Fayette Villages Amphitheater

While many believed Fayette County could not support two outdoor concert venues, those naysayers have been proven wrong by the equally successful Fayette Villages Amphitheater in downtown Fayetteville. Former county commissioner Robert Sprayberry first floated the idea of amphitheater in 1995, and it finally came to fruition in 2003.

Operated by the Fayetteville Main Street arm of the city, the Villages second year of operation in 2004 was stellar, according to Main Street Director Nancy Price. "Every concert was sold out," a delighted Price says. "We more than doubled our season ticket holders."

The 1,800 seat venue, which sits next door to and shares parking with Fayette County High School, hit the ground running in 2004 with a performance by rising country superstar Sara Evans. The season continued with Three Dog Night, Ronnie Milsap, Swingin' Medallions and Neal Sedaka. However, nothing could have prepared the amphitheater for the juggernaut that was Fayette Idol.

Based on the hit television show American Idol, the Fayette version was seized upon by the media, and the Atlanta Journal & Constitution gave it almost as much ink as its TV counterpart. "We had no idea how huge this would be," Price laughs. "It turned into a positive event and it was just so much fun."

Like American Idol, there was a panel of judges and the audience voted for its favorite contestants during three weeks of shows. The winner, Taylor Martinez, opened for Neal Sedaka, who just so happened to be one of the guest judges on American Idol. "We will definitely be doing Fayette Idol in 2005," Price says.

While the planned season has been a hit, Price said she receives calls on a weekly basis from groups wanting to rent the facility. The Villages has also been beneficial to Fayette High, which uses it for shows as part of agreement the school board reached with the city to share parking. Other big hits at the amphitheater were Shakespeare In The Park, a performance from the Atlanta Pops and a series of family movie nights.

In 2005, Price says the Villages would actively seek additional sponsors and planned to have season tickets on sale during the Christmas holiday season. Another boon for the Villages is just around the corner as the city recently approved plans for a Hampton Inn hotel on adjacent property. "We're trying to talk the hotel into adding a couple of suites so we can put our musical acts there," Price says.

Price says she's not surprised by the amphitheater's success, and is glad Fayetteville's venue works in concert with Peachtree City's. "I think it speaks well of a community that can support two amphitheaters and both have sold out seasons," she says. "Ninety percent of the audience comes from right here in Fayette."

Coweta Performing Arts Centre

In Newnan, the long-awaited Coweta Performing Arts Centre opened its doors in April 2004 and has been booked ever since with both school and community performances and art shows.

A cooperative effort of the Coweta School System and the city, the Centre sits on 20 acres between Newnan Crossing Elementary and the SummerGrove neighborhood on Lower Fayetteville Road. The state-of-the art facility has 48,000 square feet, a 999-seat performance auditorium complete with a proscenium stage and the latest in lighting and sound technology. It also boasts a gallery area, large meeting room, catering kitchen and storage.

Centre Coordinator Don Nixon says the long wait was worth it. After the opening, Nixon says "there was an event in the Centre every night, particularly high school and middle school productions that had waited for the venue to open." He adds that the school system tried to get as many upperclassmen on the stage as possible before they headed off for college.

At the beginning of the 2004-05 school year, Nixon says the Centre was totally booked until May 2005 by both school and community productions. He emphasizes that the Centre would be used as an extension of the classrooms in Coweta. To that end, legendary artist Françoise Gilot, a contemporary painter of Picasso and Matisse, is expected to come to Coweta for a series of lectures for students and the public. Also on the bill are workshops by local business leaders for students who want to learn the "art of business."

Master classes in music with the Atlanta Pops Orchestra and a visit by Don Neuen of UCLA Berkley are also on the schedule. In addition, there are plans to host a concert and lecture by winners of the George London Foundation competition; the foundation was set up in honor of London, the late baritone of New York's Metropolitan Opera.

"This house was designed to be house of excellence," Nixon says of the Centre. "We don't want to be predictable; we want to provide wide spectrum of events--country music to opera and traditional visual arts to the avant garde."

Calendar of Events for 2005

January

"Bring One for the Chipper" Christmas trees recycling program

February

Feb 12 - Fayette Endowment Committee for Cultural Arts annual Valentine's Ball and Auction

Feb 12 - Coweta Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet at Coweta Fairgrounds

Also in Feb -- Blended Heritage Festival at the Fayette County Library

March

Mar 19 - Annual Coweta County Easter Egg Hunt at Coweta Fairgrounds

Also in March -- The Country Music Concert to benefit Fayette Senior Services in Fayetteville

April

Apr 2-3 - Newnan Kennel Club Show at Coweta Fairgrounds

Apr 16-17 - Shakerag Arts and Crafts Festival in Peachtree City

Apr 16-June 5 - GA Renaissance Festival

Apr 21 - Annual Taste of Newnan

Apr 29 - American Cancer Society Relay for Life at Coweta Fairgrounds

Apr 30 - March of Dimes Walk America in Peachtree City

Apr-Oct - Frederick Brown Amphitheater in Peachtree City Concert Series

May

May 13-14 - Cruisin' for Charity Car Show at Coweta Fairgrounds

May 20-21 - Coweta Cattleman's Assoc. Rodeo at Coweta Fairgrounds

May 21-22 - Old Courthouse Art Show in Fayetteville

May 22 - Taste of Fayette

May 28 - Atlanta Pops Orchestra Free Concert in Fayetteville

May-Sept - Villages Amphitheater Summer Concert Series in Fayetteville

May-Oct - Box Lunch Series on the Square (last Weds each month starting 12noon) in Newnan

Also in May -- Brooks Day Festival and PTC Memorial Day Golf Cart Parade

June

June-Aug - Dixieland Fun Park open through the week in Fayetteville

June-Aug - Free Family Fun Film Nights in Fayetteville

Also in June - Shakespeare in the Park in Fayetteville

July

July 4 - Fourth of July Parade in PTC

July 4 - Fourth of July Parade and Rotary Celebration in Newnan

July 4 - Fourth of July Celebration with the Swingin Medallions at Frederick Brown Jr Amphitheater in PTC

July 8 - Fayette Idol Contest in Fytvl

July 9 - July Jam Festival and Free Concert featuring the Swingin Medallions in Fayetteville

August

Aug 20 - "Family Fling" in PTC

Aug-May - Dixieland Fun Park open on

weekends in Fayetteville

Also in Aug - Fayette County Library's

Back to School Carnival in Fayetteville

September

Sept 2-3 - Labor Day Weekend's Festival Days in Newnan; Powers Crossroads Festival

Sept 17-18 - Shakerag Arts and Crafts Festival in Peachtree City

Sept 20-24 - Kiwanis Coweta County Fair at Coweta Fairgrounds

Also in Sept - Tyrone Founders Day, The Great Georgia Airshow at Falcon Field in Peachtree City, the Inman Farm Heritage Days and Old Town Sharpsburg Festival

October

Oct 1 - Alzheimer's Assoc. Memory Walk

Oct 6 - Fall Taste of Newnan

Oct 7-9 - BRAG Bike Ride and Georgia

BikeFest in Newnan

Oct 15 - PTC Classic Road Race

Oct 22 - Pumpkin Walk and Trick or Treat on Main Street in Fayetteville

Oct 31 - Downtown Trick or Treat in Newnan

November

Nov 13 - Holiday Open House in Newnan

Nov 25 - Santa's Arrival to Newnan

December

Dec 3 - Dickens Old Fashioned Christmas Tree Lighting and Carriage Rides with Santa in Fayetteville

Dec 4 - Annual Christmas Parade with Santa in Newnan

Note: All events are subject to change and should be confirmed with area organizations.

To include info about your organization's events in the Guide to Coweta and Fayette counties 2006, send the information to Print Graphics, the Guide, 101 Tivoli Gardens Road, Peachtree City, GA 30269 or email to kathy@printgraphics.net.

Peachtree Dive Center Provides Fun All Year Long

Whether you want to learn to Scuba, take snorkeling lessons or teach your children to swim, you don't have to go any further than the Peachtree Dive Center located on Hwy 54, just east of the Peachtree City line.

Professional Scuba instruction from PADI certified instructors is available year-round for ages 8 through adult. Their Dive Travel Packages include visits to premier diving locationsboth local and international. Monthly trips are also offered. You'll always have the opportunity to enjoy your new skill.

If you just want to "drown proof" your children, the Peachtree Dive Center offers a regular swimming instruction program year-round for parents and children. The cost of these programs is nominal and well worth the time to have the peace of mind of knowing that your child can swim.

The shop also offers a complete line of scuba equipment and swim accessories, including swim wear, training paddles, goggles and training fins from such quality manufacturers as Aqualung, Henderson, SeaQuest, ScubaPro and Sherwood.

Peachtree Dive Center is the place to celebrate special occasions with a "pool party." Their indoor, heated pool means you can plan your party for any season.