Geoff McBride, made famous on NBC’s The Voice, will be singing at the inaugural 1st Friday in Chickamauga.With the weekend just around the corner, Chickamauga wants to turn Fridays into a celebration to bring the community together. That’s why the city is hosting the inaugural 1st Friday event in downtown Chickamauga April 7, a free event featuring live music, games, giveaways and shopping.
The inaugural event will host R&B and soul singer Geoff McBride, made famous on NBC’s show “The Voice.” Future 1st Fridays will have artists local to the Chickamauga and North Georgia area performing.
“We’re a small town with a community that wants to come together,” said Fanci Moore, Chickamauga’s tourism and events coordinator. “We want to bring people in and show them what’s so great and special about Chickamauga.”
The 1st Fridays will continue through the first Friday of October as part of the city’s Downtown Renaissance Plan, a comprehensive program put together by the Carl Vinson Institute to help revitalize the city and the greater community. Other components of the plan include bringing more business to the area, growing and expanding Crawfish Springs park area, creating signage directing visitors to local landmarks and more.
The need for community engagement has been evident since the Crystal Springs Mill closed down several years ago, Moore said. While that delivered a blow to the local community as dozens of former employees moved away, the city wants to remind residents and visitors the growth and potential of Chickamauga.
And, she added, 1st Fridays, will highlight that. The Downtown Merchants are sponsoring the event, and various local shops will be set up from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. to sell their art, food and more.
For more information, visit the City of Chickamauga’s Facebook page at facebook.com/cityofchickamauga.