Georgia Marble Festival - Pickens County, Jasper Georgia

Fun for the Whole Family
26th Annual Georgia Marble Festival
By Doug Brooks

In celebrating the history of Georgia Marble, the citizens of Pickens County call attention to a geological wonder that sets it apart from anyplace else on Earth. The pure crystalline stone composed virtually of only one ingredient - calcium carbonate - has allowed Pickens County to prosper for more than 150 years.

Georgia Marble has been used in some of the world’s most decorative structures including the New York Stock Exchange and the Lincoln Memorial.

The Georgia Marble Festival was started to celebrate the history of Georgia Marble and this year marks its 26th anniversary.

The beginning of the crisp autumn weather in the North Georgia mountains signals that the festivities are about to begin. This year’s festival will take place on October 7 & 8. Sponsored by the Pickens County Chamber of Commerce, the two-day event is attended by thousands of people from all over the southeast. Jerrold Young, Chairman-elect of the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors is this year’s Marble Festival chairman. Chamber of Commerce President Scott Evans and his staff, along with dozens of volunteers, are hard at work in planning and executing another successful festival.

This year’s festivities include:

5K Run/Walk Road Race
The weekend activities begin early Saturday morning with a 5K Run/Walk Road Race sponsored by the Jasper United Methodist Women. Proceeds go to fund the ministries of the Dorcas Circle. Call (706) 253-2100 for details and entry forms.

Main Street Parade
The festival theme for 2006 is “Marble - Our History Cast in Stone” will be featured in the parade through downtown Jasper, beginning at 10:30am on Saturday. Paula Rummell and Jeff Bennett are in charge of this year’s parade and it promises to be filled with excitement and fun for all. Prizes will be awarded to the floats that best carry out the theme. Call (706) 692-5600 or log onto www.pickenschamber.com to receive an entry form. All entries must be received by Thursday, October 5, 2006.

Marble Quarry Tours
Pickens County is the site of the world’s largest open pit marble quarry. Join our colorful local guides as they show you a rich slice of our county history. Along with touring the quarries (this is the only time of year the quarry areas are open to the public), you will also visit the Marble Museum in Nelson, Georgia, the Tate Elementary School (the only marble schoolhouse in the nation) and the Tate House (the living monument to Colonel Sam Tate built out of pink marble mined from the local quarries).
Tate, Georgia is the home of the original marble quarrying operations that are now worldwide in scope. In 1836, Henry T. Fitzsimmons, an Irish stonecutter discovered a particularly fine marble deposit on Colonel Tate's property, purchased land from him and began quarrying marble. Later, Colonel Tate opened a quarry and began operations in Nelson, Marble Hill, Tate and Whitestone. From these operations, the Georgia Marble Company was formed. This story will continue on the bus tours. Quarry Tour tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis, so reservations should be made early. Tickets for the tours are $10 (includes festival admission) for adults, children $4, under age 4 free. Call (706) 692-5600 to purchase tickets.

Activities at Lee Newton Park
Following the parade, attention shifts to the festival grounds in Lee Newton Park. General admission is $4 for adults, $3 for students, and children under 12 free. Parking is limited near the festival grounds. A free shuttle service is provided with stops at various parking locations around town and to the automotive venue on the Appalachian Technical College campus. Follow the signs for convenient parking locations.

Arts/Crafts/Food
Over 100 arts and crafts booths will be displaying the works of local artisans. Also on hand will be 20 food vendors serving up a delicious mixture of foods and sweet treats.

Live Music and Entertainment
A wide variety of local and regional acts will be on hand to entertain you at the park pavilion beginning after the parade on Saturday and at 10:00am on Sunday. Nate Morgan of Nate’s Music Room is heading up the entertainment committee. He is still booking acts to perform. Call (706) 692-5600 for details.

Children’s Area
A special area will be set aside for children’s entertainment. Attractions will include a pony carousel, rock wall, obstacle course, giant slide, duck pond/balloons and arts and crafts by the staff of the Pickens County Public Library. Children will have much to do and the Festival experience will be a favorite memory.

Juried Fine Arts Competition
The Chamber of Commerce Community Room will play host to the 26th Annual Georgia Marble Festival Fine Arts Competition. The competition includes marble sculpture, three-dimensional arts, two-dimensional arts and photography. This competition draws the finest artists throughout the region. Cash Awards of Excellence totaling $5,000 will be given for the Jury's top three selections in each category, plus an award for Best of Show.
Part of the fine arts competition is a Sponsors/Artists Reception which will be held Friday evening, October 6 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm in the Chamber of Commerce Community Room. All Marble Festival sponsors and competing artists are invited.

Business EXPO
Local businesses can distribute literature and talk about their products and/or services to the festival crowd through the Business Expo. This event, held on the festival grounds, has grown every year since its inception. New this year, the expo will be held in an climate-controlled 7,200 square foot tent. Space is still available. Call (706) 692-5600 or log onto www.pickenschamber.com to receive an entry form.

Street Dance Downtown Saturday Night
A street dance sponsored by the downtown merchants will begin at 7:00pm Saturday night in front of the marble courthouse on Main Street. The dance will feature a very popular local group, the C. C. Morgan Band. This event is free.

Classic Car and Motorcycle Show and the “Wheels and Deals” Expo
The Optimist Club of Jasper and Appalachian Technical College are sponsoring a classic car and motorcycle show. This venue is moving to its new home at the Appalachian Technical College campus on Burnt Mountain Road, just down from Main Street. It will be held on Saturday from 11:00am until 4:00pm. With the larger space that the campus affords, a much larger group of participants are expected this year. They will include antique cars, sports cars, muscle cars, customs & hot rods, trucks, specialty vehicles, modern cars and a wide array of motorcycles.
Appalachian Tech will also be hosting the “Wheels and Deals” expo in the new Education center, featuring exhibits booths from the vendors of the car and motorcycle industry and also a swap meet for used and reconditioned parts. Call (706) 253-4528 for information on the expo.

Sponsorship
Our list of sponsors continues to grow. Our major sponsors to date include: Polycor Georgia Marble, Imerys, J.M. Huber, Mountainside Village, Community Bank of Pickens County, ETC, Jasper Banking Company, Windstream Telecommunications, Piedmont Mountainside Hospital, and Crescent Bank and Trust Company. Sponsorships are still available. Show your support for this celebration of Pickens County history by becoming a sponsor. Call (706) 692-5600 for details.
Mark the dates on your calendar NOW and begin inviting friends to attend. For information on any or all the activities, visit the Chamber of Commerce office at 500 Stegall Drive, call (706) 692-5600, email info@pickenschamber.com, or log onto the Chamber website at www.pickenschamber.com.