CALENDAR of EVENTS
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Crossroads: Change in Rural America
April 25 - June 6, 2020

​Grand Opening - April 25 at 11am

We offer special group tours to view the exhibitions on display, such as field trips.
All Crossroads programs are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.   
Please note program times and locations may be subject to change. 
​

Saturday
April 25
11am - 2pm
Open to the public

Grand Opening Event & Ribbon Cutting
  *Ribbon Cutting and Exhibit Grand Opening(s) for: 
     - Crossroads: Change in Rural America exhibition
     - Community PhotoStory show
     - Evolution of Rural Economics - a video exhibition by Fannin County
        High School Students; sponsored by BRMAA & the Museums on Main
        Street's Stories:YES grant program 
     - Appalachian Perspectives artist exhibit
     - Artist in Residence: Colleen Sterling  -Glory in the Mundane

  *Special Guest Speakers
  *Interactive Artist Demonstrations
  *Live Music 

Location: The Art Center - 420 West Main Street, Blue Ridge, GA                    

Saturday
May 2
10am
Free to the public

History & Hike
Come hike the trails while learning about our local history.

Sponsored by Blue Ridge Adventure Wear, Benton MacKaye Trail Association, and Appalachian Trail Conservancy, History & Hike events will be led by avid hikers Larry Dumas and Ron Zadroga. Each event begins at 10am and are limited to 15 participants. Pre- REGISTRATION required: closes April 28, 2020. After you have signed up, you will receive more information about where you will be meeting, supply list, etc. 

Location: Long Branch Loop Trail 
Trail Difficulty: EASY - estimated 2.1 miles --- 2-hour hike time
Parking available
Event Registration

Saturday
May 2
11am - 4pm
Free to the public

Spring Book Signing with Local Authors
Come meet and support our local authors and poets.

Sponsored by the Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association and Blue Ridge Poets and Writers' group. 

Location: The Art Center - 420 West Main Street, Blue Ridge, GA

Saturday
May 9
10am
Free to the public

History & Hike
Come hike the trails while learning about our local history.

Sponsored by Blue Ridge Adventure Wear, Benton MacKaye Trail Association, and Appalachian Trail Conservancy, History & Hike events will be led by avid hikers Larry Dumas and Ron Zadroga. Each event begins at 10am and is limited to 15 participants. Pre- REGISTRATION required: closes May 5, 2020. After you have signed up, you will receive more information about where you will be meeting, supply list, etc. ​

Location: Springer Mountain Loop Trail - This trail marks the beginning of the Appalachian Trail and the Benton MacKaye Trail & includes Civilian Conservation Corp Camp history
Trail Difficulty: EASY/ MODERATE - estimated 6 miles (1 mile is uphill) ---  
5-hour hike time
Parking available 
Event Registration

Saturday
May 9
10am- 1:30pm
Free to the public

Communal Pen Writing Workshop
What are the memories, stories, & traditions that make our community home?
   
   In the Communal Pen workshop, Dr. Phillip Mitchell, UNG Assistant Professor of English, will help participants write to celebrate and explore their connections to place and community. Often, it is in our written words that memories live. The writing process can itself help us to awaken and preserve thoughts and traditions, offering insight, understanding and respect to present and future generations. This workshop draws inspiration from the Smithsonian exhibit Crossroads: Change in Rural America as a springboard for igniting our own stories, giving voice to our shared and individual experiences of place.
NO previous experience necessary!

Sponsored by the University of North Georgia and Blue Ridge Mountains Arts
Association. Space is limited to 15 participants. Pre- REGISTRATION is required.​

Location: The Art Center, 420 West Main Street, Blue Ridge, GA

Saturday
May 16
10am
Free to the public

History & Hike
Come hike the trails while learning about our local history.

Sponsored by Blue Ridge Adventure Wear, Benton MacKaye Trail Association, and Appalachian Trail Conservancy, History & Hike events will be led by avid hikers Larry Dumas and Ron Zadroga. Each event begins at 10am and are limited to 15 participants. Pre- REGISTRATION required: closes May 12, 2020. After you have signed up, you will receive more information about where you will be meeting, supply list, etc. 
​
Location: Slaughter Mountain and Lake Winfield Scott Loop – This trail is part of the Appalachian Trail and contains area associated with the Trail of Tears
Trail Difficulty: EASY/ MODERATE -  estimated 6.1 miles --- 5 to 6-hour hike time
Possible $5 parking (TBD)
Event Registration

Saturday
May 16
6pm - 7:30pm
Free to the public

An Evening of Appalachian Stories
Spend an evening with us as we recount true stories about life, customs and traditions of Southern Appalachian life in the North Georgia mountains. This theatrical event is based on the collected interviews, stories, and folk traditions by Foxfire. 
           
Sponsored by the Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association, Foxfire Fund, Inc. and
Beth Inman. Seating is limited, pre- REGISTRATION required.  This event is free to the public but donations are appreciated and all proceeds go to the Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association and Foxfire Fund, Inc. 
​
Location: The Art Center, 420 West Main Street, Blue Ridge, GA
Event Registration

Saturday & Sunday
May 23 & 24
10am - 5pm
$5 adult admission;
Free to kids under 12

44th Annual Spring Arts in the Park Festival
   
​   For 44 years Arts in the Park has provided a unique art experience in the Downtown City Park of Blue Ridge, GA. Located at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, the Arts in the Park festival series draws in excess of 20,000 attendees annually and a wide array of artists and food vendors.  With over 170+ artists, exhibitors, and vendors booths, our visitors enjoy a variety of fine arts and fine crafts, demonstrations, food, and much more during the Arts in the Park festivals.  
   Listed in 2015 as one of the top five Art Towns in Georgia by the Georgia Council of the Arts and recognized the last four years (2016-2019) as one of the top ten fine craft towns in America by American Craft Week, Blue Ridge is a top art destination and features a unique artistic experience for visitors and residents alike.  
         
Sponsored by the Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association and the Fannin County Chamber of Commerce & CVB
                                       ​
Location: Downtown City Park, Blue Ridge, GA

Saturday & Sunday
May 23 & 24
​10am - 5pm
Free to the public

StoryCollector project
   We believe everyone has a story, perspective or personal definition of what 'rural'
means to them.  This project will focus on collecting those stories and perspectives from our rural community either from members who have been here generationally or those who are simply "passing through".  Our goal is to capture those moments with the simple prompt "What does rural mean to you?".  As we collect these stories and perspectives, we hope to shine a light on what unites or divides us within those views of rural life and what 'rural' means to all of us.
​  
Sponsored by the University of North Georgia and the Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association. 

Location: Downtown City Park, Blue Ridge, GA

Saturday
May 30
​Time: TBD
Free to the public

Lunch & Learn: "Tradition & Change in our Rural
                              Community"
Join us in this Lunch & Learn event as we engage in a discussion about rural traditions and how time and change have affected our rural communities. This panel-driven discussion will be facilitated by Dr. Ann McCleary, curator of the Smithsonian Institute's Crossroads: Change in Rural America exhibition and current Co-Director of University of West Georgia's Center for Public History; the University of North Georgia's Appalachian Studies Center, and local community members.
 
Sponsored by the University of North Georgia's Appalachian Studies Center,
Georgia Humanities, University of West Georgia's Center for Public History and the Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association. Seating is limited, pre- REGISTRATION is required.  
​
​Location: The Art Center, 420 West Main Street, Blue Ridge, GA