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On Wednesday, Hogansville’s Estate at Elegant Occasions Event Center (EOEC) officially opened its doors with a ribbon cutting hosted by the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce.

Owners Mina and Charles Johnson said they are excited about the venture and look forward to working with the community.

“We are excited to now be open,” Mina said. “We have been waiting for our grand opening for a while, and we are following this up with an open house for the community this coming Sunday.”

Mina said she thinks the EOEC will make a huge impact on the community.

Charles said he feels the estate will generate a lot of revenue for Hogansville’s local community.

“A lot of people don’t really know about Hogansville,” she said. “In opening up Elegant Occasions, it will allow for people in Georgia, Alabama and other states to want to come down to Hogansville and see what we’re all about, get the Hogansville love, and really enjoy themselves, the venue and the local community.”

In planning events, Mina said they are going to open up the EOEC to the community and see what types of events people would like to see happen.

“We do have some stuff in mind like Mother’s Day brunches, Easter egg hunts, Valentine’s Day dinners, Food Truck Tuesdays, Wine Down Wednesdays — just a bunch of community activities to give them something to do,” Mina said. “Often in small towns, there’s not a lot to do, and we seek to change that.”

Historically, the estate was once called the Victoria Belle Mansion, initially built in 1897 during the post-civil war era.

Now, as the Estate at Elegant Occasions, the venue offers users a 5,000 square feet barn-style venue, with seating for up to 250 people, multiple outdoor ceremony sites, and an operating vineyard specially designed to host many diverse special occasions.

The Estate at Elegant Occasions is located at 602 East Main Street in Hogansville and is open Monday – Thursday from 10 a.m. a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Tours are available by appointment Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturdays by appointment.