Dahlonega, Georgia

[gilmore]

This just in:

I just found this site for a Celtic music festival in Dahlonega, in north Georgia, on March 8 and 9: http://www.dahlonegacelticmusicfestival.com/

[creativeaccents]

Here in Cartersville we didn't get the snow or the tornado, but still cold and wet feeling outside with a forecast for a high of 34. Anyone planning on going to the Celtic Fest in Dahlonega tomorrow afternoon....when it is supposed to warm to 55? They do have an impressive list of events. Should be a great opportunity to show your colors. We are planning on driving over early afternoon. How many others planning on attending? Some have mentioned a desire to meet others in the area and this would be a great opportunity to spread the word!

[cavscout]

We're still toying with the idea. Won't know for sure till tonight though.

[turpin]

I'll be watching the weather, and maybe go tomorrow. Bummer for the festival. Usually they can count on pretty nice weather this time of year.

[gilmore]

I went today. The weather was indeed chilly, in the 40's or low 50's and windy, but a dry (for Georgia) cold. With the heavy wool kilt and Harris tweed jacket and vest it was comfortable and briskly stimulating...as long as you didn't stand still, as I did to hear the Appalachian St Andrews Pipe and Drum band, a new and small one based in north Georgia.

There wasn't a crowd there at all. The weather must have run people off.

I didn't hear any of the other music. There were demonstrations of Scots and other Celtic crafts and storetelling, etc in the little shops around the square, and since there was hardly anyone there, one could talk to the presenters as long as one wanted.

Other than the pipe band, I didn't listen to any of the music. I was occupied looking for long lost relatives. My ancestors went from south Georgia to Dahlonega and Lumpkin County for the gold rush in 1828. Some stayed there, but the one I descend from returned to south Georgia. My father located some distant cousins there back in the 1960's, but I had no luck, other than coming across a mention in a thin book on local history in the bookstore. In fact the entire afternoon I met only two people who were born in Lumpkin County. Dahlonega has certainly changed over the years. It's full of restaurants doing their best to be colorful, antique stores, shops that sell hand made things that smell good but aren't very useful, etc. I am afraid I prefer it the way it used to be: interestingly run down and homey.

What I found interesting was the ambience. It was as if "furriners" ---and that was what they would have been called not so long ago there--- had come from all parts of the country, bought up the little shops and storefronts, and attempted to recreate a nostalgic yet near total fantasy of life in the rural mountains of a hundred years ago or more, displacing the inconvenient locals with their rather different ways of doing things. Of course, that was only in downtown Dahlonega around the square and courthouse.

[cavscout]

Thanks for the review Gil. We'll be up there today. I agree about the old Dahlonega (Cherokee for yellow by the way), but what ya gonna do? Dahlonega was always our first stop for "fast food" when we came back from camping trips in the Appalachians. Fond memories.

[creativeaccents]

Just got back from the festival in Dahlonega. The promoter of the festival said that they had just gotten the idea to do the festival a few months ago and decided to tie it into an Irish group that was already scheduled for the old theatre that is now used for broadway style shows. My thought, primarily to get people to come to Dahlonega and into the shops around the square. Most of the events were actually inside the stores. A lot of hard work went into their efforts, but it was very lightly attended. There was a lot of interest in my kilt, but that had little to do with the festival. Overall, a beautiful day and a good chance to get out!

[cavscout]

We made it up as well. It really was a gorgeous day to be in the mountains.

Here we are just outside the old Courthouse


The Men in Kilts


The prettiest girls around


After the festival we decided to drive over to a trail in Helen and have a short hike.