As the new year approaches, these holiday moments find us reminiscing about the previous months and all they brought with them. This year has been no less eventful than years past, and next year promises even more fun and fellowship for Fayette Countians.

The first major community event to kick off 2007 was the third annual Fayette County Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. parade. Sponsored by the Fayette County NAACP, the parade featured church groups, schools and individuals as they marched in remembrance of all that the civil rights leader accomplished during his life.

On the heels of such a momentous event came the 8th annual Bluegrass Blast fund raiser for the Fayette County High School Select Chorus’ trip to New York City. The event featured three top bluegrass bands and was held at the F. A. Sams Auditorium in Fayetteville.

Another January fund raiser was the Kiwanis Club of Peachtree City’s 15th annual Pancake Saturday. This always-anticipated event featured an all-you-can-eat meal served in McIntosh High School’s cafeteria.

February welcomed more school fund raisers including McIntosh High School’s Instant Replay formal wear consignment sale and Fashionata ‘07 runway show. Starr’s Mill High School’s winter fund raiser, the Miss Starr’s Mill High School Scholarship Pageant, was held Feb. 8-10 at the school’s Willie Duke Auditorium. Sandy Creek wasn’t to be left out, and hosted the Miss Sandy Creek Pageant to benefit the Sandy Creek choral department.

The crownings continued in March with the annual Miss Pride of Fayette County Pageant hosted by the Fayette County High School Band Boosters. The pageant gives young women from the age of 3 to seniors in high school the opportunity to prove why they are the pride of Fayette County.

Tyrone stayed busy over St. Patrick’s Day weekend with the inaugural St. Patrick’s Day Festival. The event featured a parade, a dog costume contest and the dedication for Triangle Park.

Broadway aficionados were impressed in March when Sandy Creek High School’s drama and chorus departments performed the beloved musical “West Side Story” at Patriot Hall. The show boasted one of the largest casts to appear in a musical at Sandy Creek.

The fourth annual WWII Heritage Days event heralded the month of April with a weekend of remembrance and history. The annual event featured the sights and sounds of World War II bringing together re-enactors, vehicles, vintage aircraft and exhibits as a living history experience for the entire family.

The 2007 Spring Yard and Garden Show, hosted by the Peachtree City Parks and Recreation Department, was held April 14 at Shakerag Knoll in Peachtree City and included hand made arts and craft from dozens of artists.

Also that weekend, the Twilight Theatre Company kicked off their second season with their production of the southern classic “Steel Magnolias” while The Legacy Theatre continued their first season with the southern premier of the Andrew Lloyd Webber production, “Song & Dance.”

The end of April saw the second annual Fayette Festival of the Arts, the two day, family-friendly event featuring south side artists, performers, master craftsmen, sculptors and arts organizations.

While kids anticipated the end of school, May was a month filled end-of-year celebrations and graduations. It also featured community wide celebrations in honor of Memorial Day. Fayetteville hosted a free evening concert by the Armed Forces Ground Band and a ceremony at the Fayetteville city cemetery. Peachtree City marked the day with a patriotic golf cart procession leading to the City Hall Plaza where a remembrance ceremony was held.

Both The Villages Amphitheater and the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater welcomed audiences once again this summer with performances throughout the summer months.

The Villages’ lineup included Starship starring Mickey Thomas, Lee Greenwood, Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone, Rich Little, Dionne Warwick and Lonestar.

The Fred played host to Paul Rodgers, Survivor, Mary Wilson, Foreigner, Aaron Neville, B.B. King, Rare Earth, Blue Traveler, Tony Orlando and Peter Frampton.

June kicked off the summer reading programs for Fayette County libraries and welcomed Fayette Coweta Family Theatre’s monster musical “Little Shop of Horrors.” Also in June, respected resident Dr. Ferrol Sams released his latest novel, “Down Town.” The Fayette County Public Library honored the beloved Fayetteville medical doctor and nationally known best-selling author with an old-fashion country picnic.

Summer wouldn’t have nearly as much to boast about if not for the annual Fourth of July celebrations. This year’s Independence Day celebrations were as festive as ever, especially in Peachtree City. Parades, food, fun and fireworks marked the annual celebration which saw thousands of residents out and about around the city.

Also in July, Twilight Theatre presented their most praised show yet, “Les Miserables.” The company of 60 talented students thrilled audiences with stellar vocals and classic performances.

Also showing off their talent were the 50 contestants who battled it out in the fourth annual Fayette Idol competition. Contestants were split into two age categories and performed for judges in two rounds. Teria Litman and Callie Routon shined brighter than the rest to become the new Fayette Idols.

Perhaps the biggest theater performance of the year, The Legacy Theatre’s production of “Disney’s High School Musical” was forced to add more performances to the schedule due to the overwhelming demand for tickets. With 18 performances, the show thrilled audiences with its production of the hit television movie.

Peachtree City welcomed the new school year with the 18th annual Kidz Fest at the end of August. The family event was free and included activities, rides and games for all of the children in attendance.

As summer turned into fall, Fayette County welcomed autumn with the 56th annual Fayette County Kiwanis Fair. This was the last year for the event to be held at the the old Kiwanis Fair Complex since the grounds were sold to the Fayette County School System last year. Approximately 30,000 attendees flocked to the 10-day fair.

Also this fall, the Georgia Heartland Humane Society (GHHS) and the Peachtree City Dog Park joined together once again for the fifth annual 5K Doggie Dash. Pet lovers came out with their canine friends to participate in the event which benefited animals in need of a good home.

This October marked the eighth annual Southern Crescent Memory Walk to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. This year’s event featured entertainment from the Peachtree Jazz Edition band as well as clowns from New Hope Baptist Church in Fayetteville. A balloon release with tags attached with the names of loved ones was a new feature for the event, and over $190,000 was raised as a result of this year’s walk.

Another premier event this fall featured was the tenth edition of The Great Georgia Airshow at Peachtree City’s Falcon Field. Also commemorated at the event was a celebration for the U.S. Air Force’s 60th anniversary. The event featured an array of entertainment and air-born performances to the delight of enthusiastic audiences below.

The end of October brought a plethora of spooky and fun activities for Halloween, including Main Street Fayetteville’s annual Great Pumpkin Festival. The event kicked off with the Main Street Pumpkin Walk and continued the next day with fun at Stonewall Village. Food and music were on-hand as kids enjoyed games, hay-rides and a costume contest.

Other events that kids enjoyed for the holiday were the Great Georgia Ghosts Storytelling Tours at the Holliday-Dorsey-Fife Museum, Peachtree City Fire Department’s annual Halloween Haunted House and Peeples Elementary School’s second Pumpkin Run among other activities and events.

Offshoot Productions brought back their annual coffee house, the Celtic Christmas Festival, in November. The event featured new talent and returning favorites over a weekend at the Tyrone Depot. One new addition to the festival this year was a performance of “Fairy Tales for Grownups” by the company’s improv troupe.

The Southern Crescent Chorale opened their sixth season and welcomed the holiday season with their holiday performance, Christmas with the Southern Crescent Chorale. Accompanied by a professional orchestra, the chorale performed a variety of scared, traditional and secular favorites at Harp’s Crossing Baptist Church.

This month has seen plenty of entertainment for the masses, kicking off with the annual tree lightings and Christmas celebrations around the county. Fayetteville’s tree lighting featured characters from Dickens Village once again with this year’s Tiny Tim, Caleb Feather, lighting the tree.

Peachtree City’s third annual Hometown Holiday event featured local musicians, dancers and actors from Dogwood Church. After the concert, Santa Claus led the way in the Trail of Lights golf cart procession over to city hall for the tree lighting ceremony.

Tyrone kicked off their Christmas celebration with their second annual Christmas parade on Dec. 13. The parade featured marching bands, the winner of the annual scholarship pageant and, of course, Santa Claus.

Not to be forgotten were the annual performances by local dance companies. While many stuck to the traditional, beloved “Nutcracker Ballet,” a couple took a new twist on the original or took on something new entirely.

Evolving Pointe Ensemble, in conjunction with Dance Contempra, took stage this year with their original holiday production, “Babes in Toyland,” delighting audiences with the unique production.

Southeastern Ballet Company (SBC), a new and emerging non-profit, professional dance company, presented their “Holiday Concert with Le Petit Nutcracker” this past weekend. This production is just the beginning of many performances that will charm audiences from SBC.

Peachtree City Civic Ballet Company and The Georgia Youth Ballet both stuck with the traditional performance and impressed audiences with their skill and grace.

All in all 2007 has seen a remarkable number of events designed with local residents in mind. Next year promises more good things, so keep reading The Citizen to see what’s coming up.

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