Chickamauga, Ga., celebrates its past and present this weekend at two large events held on nearby properties.
The annual Blue & Gray barbecue contest and festival takes place at historic Gordon-Lee Mansion on Saturday, Sept. 19. The barbecue is a nod to the mansion’s history as the site of a barbecue held in 1889 that reunited Union and Confederate veterans of the Battle of Chickamauga. Their meeting resulted in a pact to found the national military park in Chickamauga.
Bragging rights are what teams battle for at Saturday’s barbecue. Visitors can purchase plates of food from them, browse craft vendors’ booths or tour the circa-1840s home. Adding to the antebellum atmosphere will be Civil War reenactors demonstrating artillery firing, soldiers’ weapons and gear.
The festival, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., is free. Tours of the mansion are offered 10 a.m-4 p.m. with a fee of $5 adults, $1 children 12 and younger. All proceeds benefit the preservation of the mansion.
Just 22 miles down Cove Road from the mansion is Mountain Cove Farms, where the Walker County Fair is offering three days of music, amusement rides, contests and crafts.