| |
| Newsboys perform
at the Frederick Brown Amphitheater for the
annual 4Nights event |
A Makeover from
the Inside Out
By Martha W. Barksdale
With leisure
time opportunities ranging from painting to tree
climbing, from the funky sounds of Kool &
the Gang to the smooth storytelling songs of Kenny
Rogers, hardworking Fayette and Coweta residents
of all ages can recharge their batteries through
a variety of enjoyable activities in their communities
Recreation is of major importance to Fayette
and Coweta residents. All of the area's recreation
departments--run by Tyrone, Peachtree City, Fayette
and Coweta counties--offer a wide range of classes
and programs sure to accommodate almost any interest.
The proximity to outstanding golf courses and
tennis facilities is the reason many residents
move here in the first place.
The Fayette County Recreation Department celebrated
its 30th year in 2005 in the midst of building
its largest recreation area to date. Kenwood Park,
currently under construction in north Fayette,
will be a 172-acre facility with ballfields, walking
trails and picnic areas. Sports programs play
a major role in all the recreation departments'
activities, with Coweta County even offering a
senior softball league, but arts classes are also
popular with all ages.
Forging strong family bonds is the mission of
the Summit Family YMCA in Newnan, says executive
director Buddy Evans. Many parent/child activities
are scheduled, along with the popular Family Night
Out events. The Summit Y, which has 6,300 members,
offers activities for everyone from preschoolers
to senior citizens.
"Tennis is one of our biggest components," Evans
reports, saying the Y's tennis center is constantly
in use. Beginners to ALTA league players participate
in the program. There's even a senior league,
Evans said.
Women's exercise classes are also big, Evans
says, with hundreds of women working out at the
Y each week. In addition, the YMCA offers a large
therapy pool and is proud to host high school
swim teams.
Construction has just begun on a new $16 million
addition to the Summit YMCA. Evans says the 65,000
square foot facility will house a natatorium,
a teen center and a new senior center. It will
also feature a full-court gymnasium surrounded
by an elevated running track.
The Fayette Family YMCA is also expanding. In
a cooperative effort with the Fayette County Board
of Education and local arts groups, funds are
being raised for a $25 million community arts
and aquatics center. The board of
education has donated 12 acres on Lester Road
between Fayetteville and Peachtree City for the
facility, and Fayette Family YMCA Executive Director
Pam Young says construction will begin as soon
as the money is raised.
A 50-meter pool, along with a heated therapy
pool, will comprise the aquatics portion of the
development, giving local high schools a venue
for swim meets, while providing space for classes
and recreational use. The state-of-art performing
and visual arts center will provide space for
local productions and even off-Broadway shows.
A health and wellness center for fitness training,
along with classroom space and a teen center will
round out the more than 115,000 square foot facility.
Just for Fun
Between the Coweta Performing Arts Centre in
Newnan, the Frederick W. Brown Jr. Amphitheater
in Peachtree City and The Villages Amphitheater
in Fayetteville, there's scarcely a week that
goes by without some form of performance. The
Coweta Performing Arts Centre, which opened in
2004, stays nearly constantly booked. School and
community
productions keep the 999 seats in the 48,000 square
foot auditorium full, while art exhibits are held
often in the gallery area. At "The Fred," acts
including Kool & the Gang and .38 Special
performed to sold-out crowds during the summer
concert series. The Villages Amphitheater, operated
by Main Street Fayetteville, saw its best
season ever, according to Main Street Director
Nancy Price.
Each show during the Bill Heard Summer Concert
Series was a sellout, Ms. Price says, with standing
room only crowds for two shows, Kenny Rogers and
the Coaster/Platters concert. The Fayette Idol
competition was once again a huge hit. This year
audience members were able to vote for their favorite
performer thanks to digital technology. The amphitheater
showed a profit of $10,000 this year, even after
money was put back into the coffers for free community
programs such as the annual God and Country Night
and the Memorial Day concert.
In addition to musical relaxation, residents
can also unwind through activity. Each spring,
thousands of "lords and ladies" travel back in
time to the Georgia Renaissance Festival in Fairburn
to enjoy turkey legges,
jousting and boisterous fun, along with a variety
of handmade crafts. Dixieland Fun Park is the
perfect location for family fun in south Atlanta
area.
Dixieland Fun Park has activities for the whole
family. There are both indoor and outdoor attractions
so the weather should never be a concern. Outdoor
activities at Dixieland include resort-style miniature
golf complete with water falls and streams, bumper
boats, three go kart tracks, the Giant Swing,
Dixie Zip Line and antique cars.
New for the 2006 season are the Screamin' Swing,
the Free Fall, the Scrambler and the Spider. Indoor
activities include laser tag, Playmaze indoor
playground and the south side's largest arcade.
Dixieland offers a banquet room and a pavilion
built over a 3 acre lake for corporation and small
company outings and family reunions.
Dixieland is open seven days a week during summer
months and weekends only mid-August thru May.
Park information is also available on line at
www.dixielandfunpark.com or by calling 770-460-5862
during normal hours.
Celebrate the New You! Party
Places
Weddings, anniversaries, birthdays all call for
big celebrations, but Coweta and Fayette counties
offer such a variety of venues that even life's
little events can be commemorated in grand style.
Grand elegance with a personal touch is the ongoing
theme at Glendalough Manor, a 15,000 square foot
special events facility on 12 acres in Tyrone.
With its two ballrooms, two conference rooms and
garden spots for wedding ceremonies and receptions,
Glendalough Manor brings an Old World charm to
any special occasion.
Jaylyn Marullo, one of the partners who own and
operate Glendalough Manor, says while weddings
comprise much of their business, corporate meetings
and company banquets also keep them busy, along
with birthday parties, anniversary receptions
and bar and bat mitzvahs. Ms. Marullo said clients
really appreciate the personal attention they
get at Glendalough Manor. "Events coordinators
take care of every facet of the occasion--flowers,
photography, catering," she reports. "It's all
inclusive."
Some people prefer Southern style for their special
affairs. At Fayetteville's Hollingsworth House,
a 4,200 square foot home just west of the Courthouse
Square, weddings are the main event, but showers,
holiday parties, retirement and anniversary celebrations
are also popular.
Susan Burch manages the 1906 home, which is owned
by the Fayetteville Development Authority. Clients
can bring in caterers and musicians and customize
their event to suit their own tastes.
Southern Oaks, a beautifully restored old home
in Fayetteville, provides clients with an elegant,
yet comfortable, location for their special event.
A gazebo in the back garden is a charming spot
for ceremonies.
In addition to weddings and receptions, Southern
Oaks owner Michele Cox also conducts tea parties
for all ages. Her Victorian dress-up parties are
popular for girls' birthdays, and her ladies teas
are perfect for clubs and groups such as the Red
Hatters. Southern Oaks also offers unique bridal
tea/luncheons where guests have the option of
donning Victorian attire.
That's not all--Michele also conducts girls'
history day camps in the summer and field trips
for
elementary students during the school year.
For a wedding reception, birthday party, anniversary
or holiday party, The Major Long House in Newnan
makes a memorable choice. You can stand on the
1846 front porch and look at the lights of downtown
Newnan and the 100-year-old Coweta County courthouse.
You can gather around one of four working fireplaces
in the winter, or under a tent in the garden almost
anytime of year.
"We offer something for everyone," says Georgia
Shapiro, house manager. "Your function can include
dancing in the ballroom, while other guests are
able to visit and talk in other parts of the house.
Our back porch area provides another quiet place
to escape a noisy party."
Besides beauty, the Major Long House offers unparalleled
convenience. It's so close to the downtown Newnan
churches that guests don't even have to move their
cars. And Bob Shapiro's photography studio is
right next door.
"You can rent just the house or we can tailor
a package that includes the caterer, the florist
and even the preacher, if you would like," Georgia
adds.
In Sharpsburg, patrons of Poplar Grove can decorate
the main ballroom with its chandeliers and dramatic
balcony, to their liking. Many weddings are held
in the garden with its ponds and bridges.
The Coweta County Fairgrounds & Conference
Center, located at the Moreland exit off I-85,
is a complex built for year round use and has
become a popular facility for hosting varied events.
The facility is not only home to the annual Kiwanis-Coweta
County Fair but is available for functions such
as banquets, wedding receptions, anniversary parties,
birthday and retirement parties.
The Conference Center includes two large meeting
rooms with 6,000-square feet of meeting space.
The rooms can be opened to form a banquet hall
that seats up to 450 comfortably. The Midway area
of the Fairgrounds is home to the many rides and
games that are a part of the Fair and is perfect
for car shows, carnivals, the circus and other
outdoor events.
There's also a 10,000-square foot Agriculture
Building, used for animal shows and other agriculture-related
events, and the Walker Horne Open Air Theater,
which includes a grassy seating area in front
of a multi-use stage--perfect for small concerts,
recitals and even springtime weddings. Also located
on the property are the Jim McGuffey Nature Center
and the W.C. Adamson Equestrian Center, where
horse shows and other eques-trian events are staged.
Guide to Leisure Activity
Websites
Fayette County www.admin.co.fayette.ga.us Fayetteville
www.fayetteville-ga.gov
Peachtree City www.peachtree-city.org
Tyrone www.tyrone.org
Coweta County www.coweta.ga.us,
www.villagesofocoweta.org
Newnan www.ci.newnan.ga.us and
www.newnan.com
Senoia www.senoia.com
Arts & Entertainment
Coweta Centre for the Performing & Visual
Arts www.cowetaschools.org
Fayette Art Center & Gallery
www.fayetteartcenter.com
Fayette-Coweta Family Theatre www.fcft.net
Fayette County Endowment Committee for Cultural
Arts www.fayettecounty-ecca.org
Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater
www.amphitheater.org
Newnan Theatre Company
www.newnantheatre.com
Offshoot Productions www.offshoot.org
Villages Amphitheater
www.villagesamphitheater.com
Other
The African American Alliance
www.africanamericanalliance.net
Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk
www.alz.org/memorywalk
Dixieland Fun Park www.dixielandfunpark.com
Georgia Renaissance Festival
www.georgiarenaissancefestival.com
The Great Georgia Airshow
www.thegreatgeorgiaairshow.com
Peachtree City Running Club
www.ptcrc.com 770-631-7658
Powers Crossroads Festival
www.newnan.com/cowetafestivals/powers
Canongate Locations
Any of the Canongate locations will provide an
ideal location, whether you're planning a wedding,
business meeting, golf tournament or other special
event. They offer private dining and meeting rooms
ready to accommodate from 30 to 60 people, as
well as intimate lounges and private function
rooms for 50 to 350. A professional sales and
events team is on hand to help, so you can be
assured that everything will run smoothly.
Both the White Oak and Flat Creek clubs have
undergone renovations recently. At Flat Creek,
the $2.5 million renovation includes a redesigned
clubhouse, complete with a large banquet facility
and spectacular bar area. White Oak's renovation,
at a cost of $500,000, upgraded the restaurant,
private dining room and pro shop.
Develop Your Artistic Sense
Dance, sculpture, literature, painting, music,
pottery--in fact, all of the fine arts have a
home in the Coweta and Fayette communities.
Kathaleen Brewer says she is bringing a new concept
to Fayetteville, transforming a 1915 bungalow
into a "Home for Creative Minds"--a perfect setting
for bringing people together through the arts.
The Fayette Arts Center and Gallery opened in
September, 2005 and has attracted a lot of interest
with its book signings, classes and exhibits;
it's now a non-profit corporation and run by volunteers.
"It's all about promoting local talent," states
Kathaleen.
| |
| At the Fayette
Art Gallery, Annie Wishnouski and friend enjoy
drawing instruction from artist Tatiana McCoy |
There is a unique Art Library full of videos,
DVDs, books and magazines. Adults tend to check
things out, but the younger generation likes to
watch movies in the Art Center for free. "And
there's always time for discussing art over coffee,"
Ms. Brewer says, pointing to the parlor with its
coffee and tea counter.
A writer, photographer and painter, Ms. Brewer
is a former California art commissioner who moved
here from Ojai, an artists' enclave between Los
Angeles and Santa Barbara. She was used to streets
full of galleries and felt compelled to start
an Art Center and Gallery in Fayette County.
Kathaleen has a long list of goals, the first
being the transformation of a shed into a ceramic
studio. She also wants to set up tours of art
events throughout Georgia and bring in professional
well-known artists for workshops and lectures.
Membership in the Fayette Arts Center is $35
a year or $45 a year with one free Art Lesson.
The memberships are tax deductible. "Gift certificates
for art lessons are also very popular," Ms. Brewer
adds.
In Newnan, Jan Buchwald and Alana Ennis saw a
void in the community and opened The Pottery Wheel
two years ago. Pottery classes are taught to people
of all ages, and general art classes in a variety
of media are offered to children school age and
up. Homeschoolers also take classes at The Pottery
Wheel.
| |
| Learn the art
of throwing pots at the Pottery Wheel in Newnan.
|
Potting is for real at The Pottery Wheel. "We
start with a lump of wet clay," Ms. Buchwald says,
"We teach the wheel as well as handbuilding."
The studio also sells work of all kinds from local
artists.
The arts are well represented on local recreation
department schedules also. Painting and drawing
classes for all ages are offered, and dance classes
are perennial favorites.
Dancers come from miles away to learn standards
such as The Swing and the Salsa from ballroom
teachers James Stone and Charlene Harms at the
Peachtree City Recreation Department.
The Coweta County Visitor Center
Come by the Center and see what exciting things
are happening in the Newnan/Coweta area as well
as the great State of Georgia. The Center is open
MondaySaturday, 9am5pm, and Sunday
1-5pm. The Center is also the home of the Coweta
Sports Hall of Fall, Coweta County Wall of Fame
and exhibits from area artists. Call 770-254-2627
or
770-254/2629 or visit
www.villagesofocoweta.org.
The Peachtree
City Visitor Center
For business, family fun or outdoor
adventures, Peachtree City is the place to stay
and play. With its unique mix of Southern charm
and hospitality, Peachtree City is a memorable
visitors' destination.
Make the Visitors' Center your first
stop. It is conveniently located at the nationally
acclaimed Peachtree City Tennis Center, 10 Planterra
Way in Peachtree City. Contact them at 678-216-0282
or
www.visitpeachtreecity.com.
Calendar of Events for 2006
January
Jan 21 Atlanta Track Race - Glenloch,
PTC, 7am
February
Feb 11 Kedron Elementary Heart Race, PTC,
7am
March
Mar 17 & 18 Senoia Area Historical
Society Progressive Dinner, 6pm
Oak Grove 5K Run, Oak Grove School, PTC
April
Apr 1 & 2 Newnan Kennel Club Show,
Coweta County Fairgrounds, 9am
Apr 15 Newnan Coweta Historical Society
Annual Tour of Homes, 10am
Apr 15 Spring Yard & Garden Show,
Shakerag Knoll, PTC
Apr 15 Run for Alex Huddleston Hustle
5K Fun Run, Huddleston Elementary, PTC, 7am
Apr 15 Optimist Club Easter Egg Hunt,
Shakerag Knoll, PTC, 9:30am
Apr 15 & 16 22nd Annual Old Town Sharpsburg
Spring Festival, 10am-5pm
Apr 15-June 4 Georgia Renaisssance Festival,
Fairburn, Saturdays, Sundays & Memorial Day
Apr 20 Taste of Newnan, Courthouse Square,
5pm
Apr 22 March of Dimes/Walk America, Shakerag
Knoll, PTC, 7am
Apr 22 Crabapple Fun Run, Crabapple Elementary,
PTC, 8:15am
Apr 22 Newnan Coweta Art Association Annual
Spring Show, Downtown Newnan, 10am
May
May 6-Oct 30 Market Days in Newnan, Saturdays
May 13 Cruisin' for Charity Car Show,
Newnan, 10am
May 19 & 20 Coweta Cattleman's Association
Rodeo, Newnan, 8pm
May 20 & 21 Old Courthouse Art Show,
Fayetteville
May 21 Taste of Fayette, Fayetteville
May 27 Atlanta Pops Orchestra Free Concert,
Villages Amphitheater, Fayetteville
May 29 Memorial Day Celebration &
Golf Cart Procession, Gathering Place, PTC, 7:30am
May-Sept Villages Amphitheater Summer
Concert Series
May Touch a Truck & Health Fair, Shakerag
Knoll, PTC
Kids Fun Run Shakerag Knoll & Amphitheater,
PTC, Tot Trot at 9am
Japanese American Friendship Festival, Shakerag
Knoll, PTC, 12:30
June
June Youth Triathlon, Glenloch, PTC, 7:30am
June 10 Grantville Day, 10am
June-Aug Free Family Fun Film Nights,
Villages Amphitheater, Fayetteville
July
July 4 PTC Parade & Fireworks
July 4 Moreland Independence Day, 9am
July 4 Fourth of July Parade & Rotary
Celebration, Newnan
July 7 Fayette Idol Contest, Villages
Amphitheater, Fayetteville
July 15 The 7th Annual Old Town Sharpsburg
Watermelon Festival, 10am
July 21 & 22 2nd Annual Coweta Up
in Smoke BBQ Cook-Off, Coweta County Fairgrounds,
10am
August
Aug 19 Turin Old Fashion Tractor Parade
& Pull, 10am
Aug 19 Kidz Fest, Shakerag Knoll, PTC,
11am
Aug 26 PTC Adult Triathlon, PTC City Hall,
4am
September
Sept 1 Labor Day Sidewalk Sale, Homemade
Ice Cream Festival & Road Race, Newnan, 10am
Sept 2-4 Moss Oak Plantation Country Crafts
Festival, Newnan, 9am
Sept 2-4 Powers' Crossroads Country Fair
& Art Festival, Newnan, 9am
Sept 16 & 17 22nd Annual Old Town
Sharpsburg Fall Festival, 10am
Sept 16 & 17 Shakerag Arts Fest, Shakerag
Knoll, PTC
Third weekend in Sept Tyrone Founders
Day
Sept 19-23 Coweta County Fair
Sept Diabetes Walk, Shakerag Knoll, PTC,
7am
Domestic Violence Walk, Partners Pizza, PTC,
6pm
Fiesta in the Park, Picnic Park, PTC, 2-5pm
October
Oct 5 Fall Taste of Newnan & Wing
Cook Off, 5pm
Oct 7 Alzheimer's Memory Walk, Shakerag
Knoll, PTC, 8am
Oct 7-9 BRAG (Bike Ride Across Georgia),
Newnan
Oct 7, 14, 21 & 28 Spirit Strolls,
Newnan, 7-9pm
Oct 14 & 15 Air Show, Falcon Field
Airport, PTC, 9am
Oct 21 PTC Classic Road Race, Shakerag
Knoll, PTC, 8:50am
Oct 28 Pumpkin Walk & Trick or Treat
on Main Street, Fayetteville
Oct 31 Downtown Newnan Trick or Treat,
10am
November
Nov 24 Santa's Arrival in Newnan, 6-8pm
Nov 25 Newnan Holiday Open House, 9am
Also in Nov Line Creek Chili Cookoff,
Shakerag Knoll, PTC, 10am
GA Heartland Dog Walk, Shakerag Knoll, PTC
Pulmonary Walk, Shakerag Knoll, PTC, 8am
Darkside Run Club Race, Huddleston Elem, PTC,
6am
December
Dec 2 Dickens Old Fashioned Tree Lighting
& Free Carriage Rides with Santa, Fayetteville
Dec 2 Light Up Senoia, 6-8pm
Dec 3 Annual Christmas Parade with Santa,
Newnan, 3-5pm
Dec 10 Holiday Tour of Historic Grantville,
2-6pm
