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NCAA Practices
The NCAA tourney teams held a practice day open to the public @ Alltel Arena Thursday, March 20.
Music, hiking trails and ice cream – Athens has it all.
The little town is situated about 60 miles north of Chattanooga and is home to the famed Mayfield Dairy Farm, where workers make ice cream, milk and other dairy products and ship them throughout the South.
Athens also offers a chance for visitors to kick back and relax at Sounds of Summer – free, weekly concerts in downtown most Saturday evenings between May and August. Or, if you’re feeling a bit more active, take a hike on one of the many trails that crisscross the area.
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Trails and HikingGrab a water bottle and hit the trails.>Tucked between Athens and Interstate I-75, Regional Park seems like an odd place to hike, but it offers visitors a chance to stretch their legs and experience nature.Some trails at Regional Park are paved, handicap-accessible, and are easy to navigate with strollers or wheelchairs. Other trails wind through wooded areas and near a pond.>A couple miles away, Eagle Trail starts on Redfern Drive in Athens and offers several distinct sections of trail, developed by volunteers on land that was unfit for development. At the trailhead, look for a map of the trails and a calorie counter.Source: City of Athens
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Athens Farmers MarketStock up on fresh produce.Farmers offer a wide variety of wares at the Athens Farmers Market every Tuesday and Thursday between May and October, from 3-6 p.m. at Market Park. Stock up on fruits, vegetables, honey, crafts, eggs, homemade bread and more. The market is also open on summer Saturdays, before the Sounds of Summer concert series. Look for vendors to open around 5 p.m.Source: Athens Parks and Recreation
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Mayfield DairyThis newly renovated facility is worth a second look.>For years, thousands of people have poured into Athens to visit Mayfield Dairy, where gallons and gallons of ice cream and milk are packaged and shipped every year.Tourists can take tours of the manufacturing plant every hour on the hour, starting from the plant’s visitors center, at 4 Mayfield Lane, which was just completely renovated and looks brand-new.>Tours cost $4.50 per adult and $3.50 for kids ages 3 to 12. Kids under age 3 are free. n Tours last about 45 minutes and include a free scoop of ice cream.>The visitors center is open for tours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. It’s open for ice cream only from noon to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays, and for tours from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. >For more information, call 423-745-2151.
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Sounds of SummerBring your own lawn chair for this music extravaganza.>Enjoy a free outdoor concert thanks to this summer concert series, which kicks off in May and offers concerts every Saturday night from 7-10 p.m.>Concerts happen at Market Park in downtown.>At each concert, visitors have the chance to buy a $5 plastic duck to enter into the town’s annual Dueling Duck Race. There are 1,000 ducks for sale, and at the end of the summer, on Aug. 29, all the ducks are dumped into a river for an epic duck showdown. The winning ducks take home big cash: $500 for first place, $100 for second, $75 for third and $50 for fourth.>For more information, call 423-744-2704.Source: Athens Parks and Recreation
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Living Heritage MuseumSet aside a couple hours for this trip back in time.>The Living Heritage Museum offers visitors a way to explore American history, with permanent exhibits on education, childhood, the Civil War, slavery and life in East Tennessee.>The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and closes at 4 p.m. on Saturdays. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students and seniors.Most Saturdays feature a live event or presentation. >For more information, call 423-745-0329.Source: Living Heritage Museum