This year Atlanta's annual Forest Festival will be held May 29 through June 2.
Organizers are emphasizing the community's benefit.
"Not many towns of 6,000 have a festival of this quality for four nights," said festival committee member Robin Betts, who is also Atlanta's fire chief.
"You have music, picnic on the grounds under the stars, support of local organizations and a high-quality carnival," added Danny and Donny Simmons, committee members who also organize the music show.
Here's a list of the several community benefits:
- Vendors are most always local people.
- Parking by Rotarians raises funds for the club's support of scholarships.
- Masonic Lodge 463 members man the ticket booths for a minimum charge.
- Police reserves provide safety officers for a minimum charge.
- LifeShare Blood Mobile gives free armbands to the first 15 donors on Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m.
- Lions Club fried pie sales go to their support of charity.
- Queen City First Baptist's barbecue will send youth to summer camp.
- The professional-like stage and music features local performers.
- Town leaders have built a highly usable site with all utilities.
- Festival's leadership and promotion committees are all volunteers.
- And new this year, the committee emphasizes, the cost for armbands permitting rides all evening is going down from $25 to $20.
In conjunction with the carnival, this year's festival is having a Tour de Forest bike ride 7 a. m. Saturday starting at fair grounds. Routes are of 19, 36 and 50 miles. New this year is a 10-mile out and return loop. The ride benefits CHRISTUS St. Michael Atlanta Foundation.