Weekend full of festivals, school pride and fun

Published 12:08 am Saturday, October 21, 2017

This weekend is set to be a time of celebration with festivals, homecomings and athletic events taking place all over the county, leaving locals with the difficult choice of which event to enjoy first.

The Sweetland Craft Beer and Music Festival will take place at Sweetland Amphitheatre from 4 to 9 p.m. The festival will feature more than 35 local, regional and national breweries and more than 100 varieties of beer.

The festival will also feature the bluegrass stylings of the Larry Keel Experience, American folk music by River Whyless, the folk, blues blend of Early James & the Latest and the country, Americana sound of Blackberry Possum.

Tickets are $40 at the gate or $10 for music only. Tickets include a souvenir sampling glass, unlimited sampling of craft beers until 8 p.m., games and live entertainment until 9 p.m. All ages are welcome, but a valid ID is required to participate in the tasting. For more information, visit Sweetland.events.

Hogansville will host the 20th annual Hummingbird Festival in downtown on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. The festival has been recognized as one of the top festivals in Georgia, and the selection of local crafts and food is not to be missed. Festival goers are encouraged to park in designated parking areas around the downtown festival area. Parking shuttles should drive to these areas every 15 minutes. Handicapped parking will be located by the former PNC Bank building near the post office. For more information about this year’s Hummingbird Festival, visit Hummingbirdfestival.com.

LaGrange College is hosting its homecoming this weekend, and a wide variety of activities will come with that celebration including a 5K fun run and one mile walk that will begin in front of Price Theater on Saturday. Both will benefit the Boys and Girls Club of West Georgia. The cost is $10 per person. Registration begins at 7 a.m. and the race starts at 8 a.m.

Alumni and college groups will also tailgate at the college throughout the day on Saturday with the Panthers versus Greensboro College game beginning at Callaway Stadium at 2 p.m. Halftime will feature the announcement of the 2017 homecoming king and queen and Student Government Association Spirit Contest winners. For tickets or game day information, visit Lagrange.edu/football. Tailgating information can be found on the homecoming schedule at Lagrange.edu/alumni/homecoming/schedule.html.

Saturday will also be the closing night for “Little Women the Musical” at Price Theatre with the show beginning at 7:30 p.m. For ticket information, call (706) 880-8080.

Point University will also host its homecoming this weekend with a pep rally in downtown West Point at 10 a.m. and tailgating beginning at Ram Stadium in Valley, Alabama at 11:30 a.m. The football game against St. Andrew’s University will begin at 1:30 p.m.

Point will host an 80th anniversary Celebration Festival at West Point River Park beginning at 5 p.m. For the full homecoming schedule, visit Point.edu/homecoming/.

The Bike MS: Atlanta Peach Ride 2017 will be in town on Saturday and Sunday with the ride starting and ending at 201 Main Street. Registration for the ride is closed, but the community is encouraged to come out and support the cyclists who have raised money for multiple sclerosis research.

The LaGrange Fire Department will also host a Citizen Day on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. at the LaGrange Mall. The free event will offer fire truck rides, a kids’ obstacle course and a fire safety house to help teach fire safety tips courtesy of the LFD. Blood pressure checks and several raffles will also be part of the event.