A look back at all that happened in 2006

Christmas is over and everyone is busily finalizing plans for New Year’s Eve as 2006 comes to a close.

Sunday night will have us reminiscing about the year we have just lived as well as resolutions for the year to come.

Concerts, theater productions, fund raisers, parades and more gathered the community together throughout the year to celebrate holidays, to celebrate friends and family and to celebrate life.

2006 got off to a very musical start with the Endowment Committee for the Cultural Arts of Fayette County’s presentation of an Evening of American Song. The program featured the vocal talents of Peachtree City residents Bill Killmeier and Cynthia Van Wert with pianist Bill Callaway of Covington. Appearing with these professional performers was the McIntosh High School Select Girls Chorus.

We broke our New Year’s resolutions to eat healthier and in moderation with the “all-you-can-eat” 14th annual Pancake Saturday, hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Peachtree City at the end of January.

February saw the 10th anniversary Fayette Senior Services benefit concert and the premiere of Senior Idol. Featured musical guests included the popular group, Those Guys, with a special performance by the Fayette County High School Chorus Quartet.

The southside was treated to the opening of a new music venue when Coffee ‘n Cones opened in the Wilshire shopping center in Peachtree City. CnC's line up of live music has included artists such as Micah Dalton, Rob Blackledge, Luke Pilgrim, Chaz Mason, Jen Woodhouse and CnC’s own Scott Ivey. Ivey, the scheduling manager at Coffee n’ Cones, spearheaded the venture to bring regularly scheduled live music from touring and local artists to the coffee shop.

Daddies and daughters dusted off their dancing shoes for the annual Father-Daughter Valentine’s Dance sponsored by the Peachtree City Parks and Recreation Department in February. The dance was expanded to two separate nights this year due to its popularity and the evenings were filled with tender memory making moments for girls ages 6-12 years.

Christian City celebrated 40 years of service to the community in February at the Airport Hilton with a 1940s anniversary gala and banquet. Guests were taken back in time and enjoyed elegant entertainment with a nineteen piece orchestra, Sentimental Journey, who played some of America's most loved and treasured music along with Amy Holloway of channel 11 Alive television as the vocalist.

In March McIntosh students, faculty and parents teamed up in the name of fashion with a consignment sale and fashion show to raise money for the McIntosh football and competition cheerleading programs. The "Brunch at Tiffany's" themed fashion show was held at the Peachtree City United Methodist Church Youth Annex and featured a New York City skyline, a runway, white china, and Tiffany blue decorations.

An exceptional group competed for the second annual “Miss” Relay crown in April at Whitewater High School. The "Miss" Relay Pageant is the annual kick off event for the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life. The pageant is a fun way to raise public awareness of the relay and raise additional monies for the teams who have contestants entered in the pageant.

The Fayette County High School Select Chorus took a bite out of reality television when they presented their 29th annual variety show in April. “Reality Bytes” featured songs and skits centered around popular television shows like “Survivor,” “American Idol” and “The Apprentice.” This year’s performance was Janice Folsom’s last directoral effort with the chorus, who taught for 34 years before her retirement this year.

Community members had a rollicking good time with food and drink a-plenty and rip roaring entertainment this year when the ever-popular Georgia Renaissance Festival opened over Easter weekend.

The Commemorative Air Force Dixie Wing’s “WWII Day: Boots, Wheels and Wings” was a huge success when re-enactors recreated a WWII skirmish at Falcon Field in Peachtree City at the end of April. Vehicles, vintage aircrafts and exhibits from several states made the day fun for the whole family to attend. Attendees were also able to purchase a ride in a vintage aircraft, including Red Nose, the CAF Dixie Wing North American P-51 Mustang.

Despite the rain, residents from all over the southern crescent showed up for the first ever YMCA Family Festival of the Arts. The event took place over two days and featured a host of theatre, dance and music performances, food, exhibit booths, children’s activities and a student art show. Sponsored primarily by the Endowment Committee for the Cultural Arts of Fayette County, it was the first art festival open to all non-profit arts organizations in Fayette County in one place and at one time. Proceeds from the event went to support the YMCA Partner with Youth Scholarships and other YMCA activities.

Landmark Christian School got in the act in May with their spring musical “Oliver!” The cast of 53 included students from Landmark's elementary, middle, and high schools, hailing from Fayette, Coweta, South Fulton, and Douglas counties.

Meanwhile the Starr's Mill High School Choral Music Department performed their final concert of the season in May with “Celebrate the Music,” featuring the ensembles of the Vocal Jazz Choir, Treble Chorus, Men's Chorus, Women's Ensemble, Bella Voce and Chanticleer. The concert was held at the Willie Duke Auditorium.

The McIntosh High School drama students wrapped up their spring semester with an evening of comedies when they performed two original 10 minute plays written and directed by students in the Advanced Drama class, a 10 minute play directed by a junior and a one-act play directed by a senior. The production was the final performance by the drama department in its inaugural season in the new McIntosh auditorium.

May also brought the 38th annual Old Courthouse Art Show in downtown Fayetteville. The two day event featured over 75 artists who gathered at the Courthouse Square with their work. Visitors were treated to a variety of art medias including watercolor, oils, pottery, weaving, jewelry, cast paper, glass, photography, woodworking, clay and metals.

The tale end of spring blooming into the beginning of summer brought the annual summer concert series from The Villages Amphitheatre and The Frederick Brown, Jr. Amphitheater.

Fayetteville’s Villages Amphitheater presented its fourth year of concerts under the stars, and kicked off the summer series with America on May 13. Other shows included Felix Cavaliere’s Rascals & Lovin’ Spoonfuls, Percy Sledge & The Impressions, Blood, Sweat & Tears with Chuck Negron, and Crystal Gayle. Diamond Rio with Danielle Peck wrapped up the series in August.

Peachtree City’s 2006 lineup kicked off in April with ‘70s rock and roll icon Eddie Money. Other performers for the series one line up included Styx, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, The Temptations and Brit rockers Foreigner. The Fred’s series two line up brought Rick Springfield, Little River Band, The Georgia Satellites, Big Bad VooDoo Daddy and closed with REO Speedwagon.

The Fred also presented a comedy night with comedians David Alan Grier and Henry Cho in July.

The Villages also played host to Family Film Nights throughout the summer with films “Dreamer,” “Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat” and “Madagascar.”

In June the Georgia Academy of Dance & the Performing Arts in Peachtree City presented its 16th annual Celebration of Dance series featuring the ballet “Romeo and Juliet,” “A Little Patch of Heaven” and “Dancing Through Time” at the Coweta County Centre for Performing Arts in Newnan.

Community Christian Church in Fayetteville held their inaugural book sale and pancake breakfast to help raise funds for North Fayette Elementary School in June. Residents from all over the county gathered to share a meal of tasty pancakes and sweet rolls, browsed through a collection of gently used books for sale and most importantly, helped a local elementary school.

Idol mania swept the region once again as Fayette Idol took over the stage at The Villages Amphitheatre in July. More than sixty contestants belted out songs for the Fayette Idol competition, and Krysta Nick and Amy Hebel walked away as the 2006 Idols.

Coweta residents got cookin’ with the Coweta Up in Smoke Barbecue Cook-Off in July where categories included ribs, shoulder and brisket cook-offs, as well as dessert competitions.

August brought the 17th annual Kidz Fest (formerly The Last Fling), and the event featured rides and entertainment for kids as well as food vendors and clowns.

Fall also brought the 36th year of the Powers' Crossroads Country Fair and Art Festival. As always thousands flocked to Coweta County to stroll along the pine-straw covered paths beneath the shade providing trees for a weekend of shopping, eating and entertainment.

Once again both Fayetteville and Peachtree City honored Patriot Day with an even to be remembered.

Sonny Purdue was the special guest speaker at Fayetteville Main Street’s annual God & Country Night while 15-year old politically savvy Kierstyn Paulino acted as the guest speaker for the Peachtree City Patriot Day Remembrance. Both celebrations featured musical entertainment to go along with the inspirational speeches from the special guests.

Over 1,000 pounds of charcoal and 750 chickens were just the start of the third annual Chicken-Que co-sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Peachtree City and the Methodist Men of Peachtree City United Methodist Church. The event raised funds for area scouting programs and other Kiwanis community service projects.

Festivals season came crashing in with Fayette and Coweta counties hosting four annual celebrations: the Shakerag Arts and Crafts Festival in Peachtree City, Old Town Sharpsburg’s Fall Festival, the Inman Farm Heritage days, and Tyrone Founders Day. Each celebration brought out the community in droves and provided hours of entertainment for families throughout the region.

For the first time in its 185 years, Fayette County staged a major exhibition of its own award-winning high school marching bands with the inaugural Fayette County Marching Band Exhibition which was held at McIntosh in Peachtree City. The Spirit of McIntosh Marching Band, the Fayette County High School Marching Tigers, the Whitewater High School Wildcat Marching Band and Sandy Creek High School’s Patriot Band were all in attendance. The Starr’s Mill Panthers were unable to participate in this year’s event.

Two big events the region looks forward to each year were the Southern Crescent Alzheimer’s Memory Walk and the Fayette County Fair.

The Memory Walk raised over $200,000 this year, bringing the total amount raised over seven years by the Southern Crescent group to $951,081 for the Georgia Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.

The 55th annual Fayette County Kiwanis Fair was held over two weekends for the second consecutive year. Proceeds from the fair are donated back to the community each year.

Mid-October also brought the ninth annual Great Georgia Airshow to Falcon Field in Peachtree City. The airshow spotlighted breathtaking aerobatic performers, a jet truck and modern military aircraft, as well as a squadron of vintage World War II aircraft. The United States Air Force provided a dramatic performance of the Heritage Flight, which combines an F-16 Viper and WWII P-51 Mustang in a tribute to America’s veterans.

Bluegrass on the Green, a benefit for Southern Conservation Trust, was deemed a success as attendees gathered on the lawn of historic Catalpa Plantation in rural Coweta County. The event raised money for public nature preserves, community programs and the Trust’s work with local landowners who wish to permanently protect their land.

Man’s best friend took over the Peachtree City cart paths in mid-fall for the fourth annual 5K Doggie Dash. Sponsored by the Georgia Heartland Humane Society and the Peachtree City Dog Park, the event was held to benefit animals who need a good home.

Also held at Shakerag Knoll in Peachtree City, was the always anticipated Line Creek Civitan Club’s 2006 Great Chili Challenge.

Attendees had over 30 chili entries to taste this year, including entrants from both professional and novice community businesses, civic organizations and clubs, restaurants and various other groups as well as individuals.

To open the holiday season up, Southern Crescent Chorale presented the tuneful, charming Christmas classic, “Amahl and the Night Visitors.” A treat for adults and children alike, “Amahl” was an excellent way to introduce opera, as a genre, to children.

Fayetteville First United Methodist Church once again sponsored the Christmas Tour of Homes. The event featured beautiful homes and rounded out with the recently renovated Travis House in Fayetteville.

The year would not be complete without a plethora of “Nutcracker” performances, and no one was left disappointed this year. This year featured four dance companies putting on their own individualized performances. While each kept with the theme of the original “Nutcracker” audiences were pleased to see that each company had something unique to offer.

Theatre troupes throughout the region brought plenty of laughs, tears and musical moments into the year with a wide variety of stories and formats.

Southside Theatre Guild in Fairburn started out the year with sensational run of “The King and I” and continued with one hit after another including “The Odd Couple,” “Godspell,” “Count Dracula” and the hilarious “Nuncrackers,” directed by The Citizen’s own Michael Boylan.

Offshoot Productions, the professional theatre group based out of Fayette County and now in its 13th season, held a host of workshops and performed many shows throughout the year including “The Pied Piper” and “The Frog Prince.” The highlight of the season came with the collaboration of Offshoot’s mother-daugher team, Susan M. Steadman, Ph. D. and Paige Steadman on the original audience participation murder-mystery “Audition for Murder.” The company’s final performance of the season was their annual Celtic Christmas Coffeehouse featuring Three Quarter Ale among other performers.

Newnan Theatre Company had a busy year as well, producing Popcorn Series shows for children, Artist Series shows and Main Stage shows. Some of the year’s highlights include “Sylvia,” “Treasure Island,” “Folktales for Fun” and the season closer, the ever-popular Christmas classic, “A Christmas Carol.”

In its inaugural season, the Twilight Theatre Troupe enjoyed success with beloved shows. The troupe performed two musicals, “Annie” in May and “Oklahoma!” in October, and a play, “A Few Good Men” in July. The company looks to bring more audience favorites in the coming year.

Fayette Coweta Family Theatre didn’t miss a beat this year. The theatre group started strong with their dinner and a show production of “On Golden Pond” in March 2006. The troupe’s other shows included “Disney’s 101 Dalmatians,” “Seussical the Musical” and “Disney’s Aladdin, Jr.” FCFT wrapped up their season with a variety show themed “An Evening of Broadway” featuring songs from “Godspell,” “Oklahoma!” “Beauty and the Beast” and more.

The Fayette Players had a Neil Simon themed year with three plays by the famous playwright. The season began with Simon’s classic comedy “Barefoot in the Park” at the Fayette YMCA lodge. Next up was the troupe’s performance of “The Odd Couple” which ran in conjunction with the first ever YMCA Family Festival of the Arts in April. Rounding up the year was the Tony Award winning play “Lost in Yonkers.” Directed by Eileen Baldwin, the show ran at the end of October.

This year a new theatre opened to area residents. In November, The Legacy Theatre swung open its doors in Tyrone with their production of “A Christmas Survival Guide,” just in time for the holidays. The Legacy’s schedule is filling up fast and will continue to play to sold out crowds next year.

There was a lot that happened in the Southern Crescent this year, and a lot more to look forward to next year. Be sure to read The Citizen each week in order to not miss what’s coming up in the area.

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