This Weekend in Georgia

Music lovers, this weekend the Madison Chamber Music Festival will be wrapping up its seventh season with exciting programs that feature the famed Julliard String Quartet and other notable musicians. On Friday, June 26, the Julliard String Quartet will be performing a concert of works by Beethoven, Haydn, and Mendelssohn at 8 PM. French composer Camille Saint-Saens will be featured in a concert on Saturday, June 27 at 5 PM. Finally, the Atlanta Wind Quintet will be finishing off the season on Sunday, June 28 with a concert called "The Color of Wind." The concert begins at 5 PM, with a pre-concert lecture at 4. For locations and ticket information, visit the Madison Chamber Music Festival's website. Georgia Traveler was shooting in Madison this week, and had a chance to witness one of these concerts; we don't think you'll be disappointed!


Continuing with our musical theme, Summer Music Weekends at Rock
City in Lookout Mountain, Georgia continues with toe-tapping music and barbecue with a view! The old-time band, the New Binkley Brothers, will be strumming and picking, and some great food will be served. After listening to the music, visitors can also take an opportunity to "See Rock City"! It's all happening from 12 to 4 every Saturday and Sunday through Labor Day. Visit seerockcity.com for details.



Cowboys and cowgirls, it's time once again for the Annual Mountain Top Rodeo at the R-Ranch in Dahlonega. This world-class event is doubly exciting because it's held in the beautiful North Georgia Mountains. It's all going on Friday, June 26, and Saturday, June 27 beginning at 8 PM both nights. There'll be good food, hilarious fun, and rip-roarin' rodeo action!




And those are just a few of the great ways to explore Georgia this weekend. For more information, check out the Explore Georgia website operated by Georgia Traveler's production partners at the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

This Weekend in Georgia

Looks like the rain is moving out and mild temperatures for most of the Empire State of the South this weekend. Here are a few ways you could explore Georgia:

First, we'd be remiss if we didn't remind you about the ongoing Oktoberfest festivities in Alpine Helen. For more information about events for this weekend, check out the Greater Helen Area Chamber of Commerce website. Georgia Traveler's Gerald Bryant and Phil Proctor visited the festivities of Oktoberfest in our first season. To see that segment, click here.

The folks up at Rocky City Gardens urge you to get in touch with Rock City’s German heritage at Rocktoberfest. Rock City Square will be transformed for a celebration of harvests and fall foliage. Visitors can stroll through an atmosphere of German music and food, enjoy a Bratwurst, Knackwurst or Polish Sausage along with German Sauerkraut. Specialty beer will be on tap in the Beer Garden. Work off dinner with a “chicken dance” at the polka stage. The event is free with Rock City admission: $15.95 adults/$8.95 child. You can find out more by visiting the Rock City website. To watch the Georgia Traveler segment about Rock City, which was featured in the first season, click here.


Organizers of the Okefenokee Festival in Folkston tell us 5000 to 10,000 people attend this event annually. People from Southeast Georgia and parts all around travel to the Festival to enjoy the arts, crafts, food, the parade, live entertainment, and activities. In our first season, Keely Muse visited the festival during a segment about the Okefenokee Swamp. Click here to watch that segment online! The festival is from 9AM-5PM this Saturday, October 11. For more information, check out the City of Folkston's website. Folkston is also well known for the Folkston Funnel where train watchers from across the country come to spend some time. Find out more about train watching in Folkston by watching our Georgia Traveler segment. Click here to watch that segment online!

And in the Capitol city, it's Taste of Atlanta. This 2-day outdoor food festival held in the streets of Atlantic Station on Saturday, October 11 & Sunday, October 12, 2008. The event will feature more than 70 of the city's best restaurants, live cooking demonstrations from national and local celebrity chefs and live entertainment. But just a heads up, general admission tickets are $25. There are also VIP tickets available for $75. For tickets or more information, visit the Taste of Atlanta website.

And those are just a few of this weekend's highlights. For more information, check out the new
www.exploregeorgia.org website!