BBQ, Boogie & Blues schedule
Festival central is 109 S. King St., Calhoun, Ga. Harris Arts Center is at 212 S. Wall St.Friday, April 295 p.m. Velo Vineyard beer/wine garden opens; $10 barbecue buffet available6 p.m. Vendors open on Court Street and Park Avenue; Kids Zone opens in City Park7-10 p.m. Music on Court Street by Kurt Thomas7 p.m. Georgia String Band Festival at Harris Arts Center featuring the Appalachian Ensemble from Davis & Elkins College ($15 admission)Saturday, April 3010 a.m.-5 p.m. Vendors and Kids Zone open10 a.m. Music on Court Street by Joseph Evans and Russell Cook with the Georgia String Band Festival10 a.m. Amazing Race starts11 a.m.-3 p.m. Music on Court Street by Live Exchange Band11 a.m.-2 p.m. People’s Choice barbecue sampling outside the library ($10)11 a.m.-5 p.m. Velo Vineyard beer/wine garden open11 a.m. March of Dimes March for Babies starts at City Park (register at marchforbabies.org)11 a.m. Appalachian Song & Dance free interactive workshop at Harris Arts CenterNoon. Registration for Gordon County Fiddlers Convention contests opens at Harris Arts Center1 p.m. Gordon County Fiddlers Convention starts at Harris Arts Center ($10 admission ages 13 and up)1 p.m. Bike Safety Rodeo for kids in dentist Larry Tilley’s parking lot4 p.m. Barbecue competition awards presentation
Residents of Calhoun, Ga., are celebrating BBQ, Boogie & Blues this weekend with a nationally sanctioned barbecue contest, the Georgia String Band Festival and the Gordon County Fiddlers Convention taking place during the fifth annual festival.
Events start Friday evening, April 29, with arts-and-crafts vendors, Kids Zone and live music at various locations in downtown Calhoun.
At Harris Arts Center nearby, the Georgia String Band Festival will get underway with the Appalachian Ensemble, a student performance group from Davis & Elkins College in West Virginia that showcases traditional music and dance. For the festival's opening concert, they'll focus on old-time music, flatfooting and traditional songs and tunes. Tickets for their show are $15 and may be purchased online at www.harrisartscenter.com or reserved by calling 706-629-2599.
Saturday, April 30, offers a full day of fun, with an Amazing Race through Calhoun, a bike safety rodeo for kids, live entertainment and an awards presentation by Kansas City Barbeque Society judges.
Registration for the Gordon County Fiddlers Convention, also at Harris Arts Center, 212 S. Wall St., starts at noon Saturday, April 30, with competition beginning at 1 p.m. Some of the finest musicians in the tri-state area are expected to compete in five categories (fiddle, banjo, buck dance, string band and traditional singing) for a portion of $1,900 in prize money.
Musicians must be at least 15 years old to compete. Tickets are $10, free to children 12 and under, and there's no additional charge to compete. Ticketholders may come and go as they please between the Fiddlers Convention and BBQ, Boogie & Blues.
BBQ, Boogie & Blues events are centered at 109 S. King St. Parking is available at Calhoun First Baptist Church, 411 College St.; Calhoun First United Methodist Church, 205 Line St.; Calhoun City Schools on River Street; and Calhoun-Gordon County Library, 100 N. Park Ave. Find out more at www.bbqboogieblues.com, or call 706-625-3200.