Downtown Statesboro will be filled with barbecue scents and live music as Celebration South takes place Saturday.
In its second year, the music festival is bigger and better featuring music from 14 groups, a barbecue cook-off and an area with arts activities just for the kids.
Heath Seymour is director of the Downtown Development Authority — the main organizer of Celebration South. He said the goal of the festival is to show off the downtown area, feature local artists, gallery owners and crafts people, as well as attract tourists from the region.
"It's a nice community event," said Seymour. "The more of this that happens the more it makes the quality of life better here in Statesboro."
The main music stage, sponsored by Connect Statesboro, will be located behind
L.A. Waters and R.J. Pope at the corner of West Vine and South Walnut streets. Starting off the stage show at noon will be GSU's Southern Stompers step show. As the day progresses, a wide variety of acts will fill the stage and appeal to a diverse audience.
"We mixed it up during the day," said Seymour. "Some country blues, bluegrass, a step-show and GSU Idol during the day and, after the fashion show, it's college rock for the rest of the night."
Headlining the music stage are The Whigs, starting at 8:50 p.m. In April 2006, Rolling Stone magazine called them one of "10 artists to watch." Since then, the Athens-based band has performed on David Letterman and Conan O'Brien, and have released its first album "Give 'Em All a Fat Lip," which has been hypnotizing listeners with highly crafted songs and edgy power.
The Averitt Center for the Arts was instrumental in obtaining funds to host Celebration South. The grant, written by the Averitt Center's Connie Hayes, was available through the Community Partners Program of the Georgia Council for the Arts.
The barbecue cook-off will be located behind Hugo's restaurant on West Vine Street. While the cook-off participants will be preparing their food early, tasting will be open to the public at 4 p.m.
The Kiddie Corral will also be located on West Vine Street, behind Hugo's and Vandys. Featuring a "make-and-take" crafts area, kids will be able to participate in hands-on arts and crafts, which they will be able to take home with them.
For car enthusiasts, a Classic Car show will take place on West Vine Street between South College and South Walnut streets. Southern Cruisers is sponsoring the event and hopes to get the word out about next month's big car show — to be held at the fairgrounds — while giving folks a chance to check out some cool and painstakingly detailed automobiles.
Various vendors will be located behind Statesboro Brews on South Walnut Street. In addition, a number of the artists will be demonstrating their craft.
The Statesboro Chamber of Commerce and the Statesboro Convention and Visitors Bureau have partnered with the DDA to put on the festival. In addition, they are a number of local businesses who have sponsored various parts of the celebration.
In the event of rain, the music stage will move inside to the warehouse located just south of the post office on South College Street.
For more information and a map of the event locations, pick up a copy of Connect Statesboro at local eating establishments, on Georgia Southern's campus or at newsstands around Statesboro.
In its second year, the music festival is bigger and better featuring music from 14 groups, a barbecue cook-off and an area with arts activities just for the kids.
Heath Seymour is director of the Downtown Development Authority — the main organizer of Celebration South. He said the goal of the festival is to show off the downtown area, feature local artists, gallery owners and crafts people, as well as attract tourists from the region.
"It's a nice community event," said Seymour. "The more of this that happens the more it makes the quality of life better here in Statesboro."
The main music stage, sponsored by Connect Statesboro, will be located behind
L.A. Waters and R.J. Pope at the corner of West Vine and South Walnut streets. Starting off the stage show at noon will be GSU's Southern Stompers step show. As the day progresses, a wide variety of acts will fill the stage and appeal to a diverse audience.
"We mixed it up during the day," said Seymour. "Some country blues, bluegrass, a step-show and GSU Idol during the day and, after the fashion show, it's college rock for the rest of the night."
Headlining the music stage are The Whigs, starting at 8:50 p.m. In April 2006, Rolling Stone magazine called them one of "10 artists to watch." Since then, the Athens-based band has performed on David Letterman and Conan O'Brien, and have released its first album "Give 'Em All a Fat Lip," which has been hypnotizing listeners with highly crafted songs and edgy power.
The Averitt Center for the Arts was instrumental in obtaining funds to host Celebration South. The grant, written by the Averitt Center's Connie Hayes, was available through the Community Partners Program of the Georgia Council for the Arts.
The barbecue cook-off will be located behind Hugo's restaurant on West Vine Street. While the cook-off participants will be preparing their food early, tasting will be open to the public at 4 p.m.
The Kiddie Corral will also be located on West Vine Street, behind Hugo's and Vandys. Featuring a "make-and-take" crafts area, kids will be able to participate in hands-on arts and crafts, which they will be able to take home with them.
For car enthusiasts, a Classic Car show will take place on West Vine Street between South College and South Walnut streets. Southern Cruisers is sponsoring the event and hopes to get the word out about next month's big car show — to be held at the fairgrounds — while giving folks a chance to check out some cool and painstakingly detailed automobiles.
Various vendors will be located behind Statesboro Brews on South Walnut Street. In addition, a number of the artists will be demonstrating their craft.
The Statesboro Chamber of Commerce and the Statesboro Convention and Visitors Bureau have partnered with the DDA to put on the festival. In addition, they are a number of local businesses who have sponsored various parts of the celebration.
In the event of rain, the music stage will move inside to the warehouse located just south of the post office on South College Street.
For more information and a map of the event locations, pick up a copy of Connect Statesboro at local eating establishments, on Georgia Southern's campus or at newsstands around Statesboro.