Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival

Kennesaw Pigs and Peaches Barbeque Festival

The City of Kennesaw is hosting the annual Pigs and Peaches BBQ Festival on Friday, August 26 and Saturday, August 27, 2011. The festival features plenty of great barbecued meats as well as great desserts and live entertainment. Kids will enjoy the large Kid Zone, and families can enjoy the numerous vendors and exhibits.

The Festival includes a Georgia State Championship Barbecue Cookoff, including over $14,000 in cash and prizes in an event sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society. There is also a non-sanctioned Backyard BBQ event and a Anything Butt and Peach Dessert Contest. New this year for the kids is the Kid’s Q’ sponsored by EZ Grill.

Also new this year, the Silver Wings Army Paratroopers out of Fort Benning will be parachuting in to the event Saturday, August 27 at 1pm, and they are bringing a Black Hawk helicopter display as well as a flight simulator. The event concludes with a fireworks display on Saturday at 10pm.

Contact Information:
Phone: (770) 422-9714

Dates and Times:
Friday, August 26, 2011 from 5pm – 11pm
Saturday, August 27, 2011 from 10am – 10pm

Entertainment Stage:
Free live entertainment will be offered on two stages – the kids zone stage and the main stage.
On Friday, Toulouse Street (Doobie Brothers tribute band) will headline the main stage at 7:30pm.
On Saturday, the entertainment lineup on the kids stage includes puppet shows, youth dance performances, and cooking demonstrations. Saturday’s main stage lineup includes blues and jazz acts (including Tommy Keys and Martha Ann Brooks) as well as The Stranger (Billy Joel tribute) headlining at 7pm.

The Silver Wings Command Exhibition Parachute Demonstration Team from Fort Benning will jump into the Festival on Saturday, August 27 at 1pm.

Festival Location:
Adams Park and the Ben Robertson Community Center
2753 Watts Drive
Kennesaw, GA 30144

Admission:
Free

Parking:
Parking is available at the First Baptist Church on Main Street, in front of the Teen Center, at the Depot, at City Hall, at Publix and at strip mall immediately behind Publix, as well as some downtown businesses (marked with signage).

For more information, please call (770) 422-9714 or visit www.PigsAndPeaches.com.

Contact Information:
Phone: (770) 422-9714

Backyard BBQ event

Holy Smoked BBQ vendor

Plenty of food at the festival

Great fresh squeezed lemonade

Enjoy the huge kids zone

Kennesaw Pigs and Peaches Barbecue Festival

For more information, please call (770) 422-9714 or visit www.PigsAndPeaches.com.

Contact Information:
Phone: (770) 422-9714

Mommy & Me presented by the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History

Get ready for some family fun at the Southern Museum’s Mommy & Me series. The Mommy & Me pre-school programs are designed for children age children ages 3-5 years old and their parents. The program subjects draw from the museum’s history, themes and exhibits and provide a fun and exciting starting point for educational activities. The programs are free with museum admission, and no reservations are required.

2011 Dates:

  • Down By the Station
    April 14 from 10am – 11am
  • I LOVE Trains!
    April 21 from 10am – 11am
  • A Child’s Day
    April 28 from 10am – 11am
  • This Train – Steam, Diesel, Bullet
    May 5 from 10am – 11am
  • Old-Time Fun
    May 12 from 10am – 11am
  • A-Camping We Will Go
    May 19 from 10am – 11am
  • Medals of Honor
    May 21 from 10am – 11am
  • How Does Your Garden Grow?
    June 2 from 10am– 11am
  • Gears and Machines
    June 9 from 10am – 11am
  • Let’s Paint With Dots!
    June 16 from 10am – 11am
  • How Will We Get to the Beach?
    June 23 from 10am – 11am
  • Travel By Rail
    June 30 from 10am – 11am

Admission:
Free with the cost of admission (Adults $7.50, Seniors 60+ $6.50, Children 4-12 $5.50, Children 3 and under Free).

Address:
The Southern Museum
2829 Cherokee Street
Kennesaw, GA 30144

Parking:
Parking is available behind The Southern Museum or in the grass lot behind the old Community House.

For more information, please call the Education Department at (770) 427-2117, ext 3173 or email children@southernmuseum.org.

Big Shanty Festival

Downtown Kennesaw is host to the 35rd annual Big Shanty Festival on April 16 and 17, 2011.  The festival combines the best of the rich heritage of Kennesaw and the Civil War era with today’s fun filled activities. Over 60,000 attendees will enjoy the more than 200 booths with arts & crafts, food vendors, merchants, and live entertainment.

This year’s event offers great entertainment on two stages and a variety of foods to please everyone’s palate. The Kennesaw Big Shanty Festival kicks off with a parade on Saturday, April 16, 2011 at 9:30am. The parade features floats, high school bands, marchers, and over 1,000 youngsters representing every sport association in the area. The Parade will start at Adams Park and continue down Main Street through downtown Kennesaw.

Admission:
Free

Hours:
Saturday, April 16, 2011 from 10am to 6pm
Parade is on Saturday at 9:30am
Sunday, April 17, 2011 from 12pm to 5pm

Location:
Downtown Kennesaw near the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History
Kennesaw, Ga 30144

This fun filled event is co-sponsored by the City of Kennesaw and the Kennesaw Business Association. For more information, call (770) 423-1330.

For more information, please call (770) 423-1330.

Park Day at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield

On Saturday, April 2, 2011, from 9 am – noon, volunteers are needed to help clean the Park’s picnic area and do light building on a new amphitheater. Volunteers need only bring gloves; tools are provided. We suggest that volunteers be no younger than 10 years old. Those interested should sign up by sending an email to Benita Duling at Benita_Duling@nps.gov. Volunteers only need to bring gloves if they are so inclined. Free t-shirts are given to all participants.

Park Day, a volunteer effort to maintain Civil War sites in conjunction with the Civil War Preservation Trust and History (formerly the History Channel), is held annually at state and federal sites across the country. For more information, please call 770-427-4686 x0 between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Date:
April 2, 2011 from 9 am – 12 pm

Admission:
Free

Address:
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
900 Kennesaw Mountain Drive
Kennesaw, Georgia 30152

Parking:
Volunteers will be directed to a Park Day volunteer-only area.

For more information, please call 770-427-4686.

2011 Junior Ranger Day at Kennesaw Mountain

Junior Ranger Day is an annual event that takes place at national parks across the country during National Park Week. This year’s theme at Kennesaw Mountain is “Nature Rocks!”. Kids will be building things with their own hands, can dress up like a real nature worker, visit a display of endangered creatures, learn about fire and meet Captain Planet, the original animated environmental employee. Current and new Junior Rangers alike are invited to the fun!

Date:
April 2, 2011 from 10am-2pm

Admission:
Free

Address:
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
900 Kennesaw Mountain Drive
Kennesaw, Georgia 30152

Parking:
Visitor Center parking and overflow parking (located on Old 41 Highway)

For more information, please call 770-427-4686.

Southern Museum Summer Camps for 2011

The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History is hosting two summer camps this June. The first camp, Workin’ on the Railroad, will teach youngsters about the different jobs on the railroad. The second camp, Civil War Soldier Camp, features drills, skirmishes, and camp activities.

Workin’ on the Railroad
June 14, 2011
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
$35/$25 museum members
Ages 5 to 8

Learn about the different jobs on the railroad through story, song and fun activities. Registration required by June 7, 2011. No refunds will be issued for cancellations after that date. Camp participants will bring their own packed lunch. No peanut products please!

Civil War Soldier Camp
June 15, 2011
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
$35/$25 museum members
Ages 9 to 12

Learn about the everyday life of a Civil War Soldier through drills, skirmishes and camp activities. Registration required by June 8. No refunds will be issued for cancellations after that date. Camp participants will bring their own packed lunch. No peanut products please!

For more information, please visit http://www.southernmuseum.org/2011/03/southern-museum-summer-camps-for-2011/

Cobb County Named Camera Ready Community

Governor Nathan Deal and the Georgia Film, Music & Digital Entertainment Office, a division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), designated Cobb County as a Camera Ready Community at the Georgia State Capitol on March 21. The state’s Camera Ready Community Program was launched as part of the state’s ongoing efforts to bolster Georgia’s growing film and television industry.

“We have experienced a significant increase in jobs, investment, infrastructure and film induced tourism, making Georgia’s entertainment industries among the state’s fastest growing sectors,” said GDEcD commissioner Chris Cummiskey. “The statewide response has been tremendous from Georgia counties that want to become Camera Ready in order to help bring jobs and investments to their local communities.”

Camera Ready is a designation put in place by the state to offer film and television production companies easier, faster and better access to local resources and information. Cobb CVB CEO Holly Bass is Cobb’s Camera Ready Community designated liaison to assist film and television production companies on a local level.

The 2008 Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act helped the state’s entertainment industry achieve record numbers. The economic impact of production activity increased 440 percent between fiscal years 2007 and 2010, surging to $1.4 billion. Georgia is now among the top five states in the nation for film and TV production with more than 335 productions shot in Georgia in FY2010 bringing in more than $759.3 million in investment to Georgia.

To learn more about Georgia’s Camera Ready Community Program, please visit www.georgia.org/cameraready.

American Red Cross Blood Drive

The City of Kennesaw is hosting an American Red Cross Blood Drive on Tuesday, March 8, 2011 from 2-7 pm at the Ben Robertson Community Center, 2753 Watts Drive.

Your donation is important in helping to ensure that the blood supply in our community remains at an adequate level. Blood donors must be at least 17 years of age (or 16 with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in good health. If you previously donated blood, a 56 day gap since your last donation is required.

Prospective donors are strongly encouraged to make an appointment, although walk-ins are also welcome. Visit www.kennesaw-ga.gov/pkrec and click on the “American Red Cross Blood Drive” calendar entry to schedule an appointment online, or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Hours:
Tuesday, March 8, 2011 from 2-7 pm

Address:
Ben Robertson Community Center
2753 Watts Drive
Kennesaw Ga

For more information call the City of Kennesaw Parks & Recreation Department at (770) 422-9714.

Meet Miss America at American Signature Furniture

Newly crowned Miss America, Teresa Scanlan, will visit American Signature Furniture to promote the Miss America Youth Collection. In addition to signing autographs and taking photographs with attendees, Scanlan will be hosting a canned food drive to support the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Admission is free and families are encouraged to bring nonperishable food items for donation.

Date:
Saturday, March 12, 2011
1 – 4 p.m.

Admission:
FREE

Address:
American Signature Furniture
840 Barrett Pkwy NW
Kennesaw, GA 30144

For more information, please call (678) 460-0290.

Free Electronics Recycling Event

Credit Union of Georgia to Host Free Electronics Recycling Event at Kennesaw State University Branch

With Identity Theft on the rise, Credit Union of Georgia has partnered with Green2LiveClean to host the Credit Union’s first ever Electronics Recycling Event. This effort is being offered to give the community a safe way to destroy their computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices they no longer need.

On Saturday, January 29th 2011, a recycling unit will be available at the Credit Union’s KSU Branch, located at 3333 Busbee Drive in Kennesaw from 9am to 1pm.

Credit Union of Georgia will be offering the recycling services to the community free of charge.

Date:
Saturday January 29th, 2011
9 AM- 1 PM

Items Accepted:

  • Cell Phones
  • Computers/Laptops
  • Rechargeable Batteries
  • Printers
  • Fax Machines
  • Scanners
  • Copiers
  • Game Systems
  • Remote Controls
  • DVD/VCR Players
  • Satellite/Cable Boxes
  • Chargers/Adapters
  • LCD/Plasma TVs
  • Computer Monitors
  • Stereo Equipment
  • MP3 Player
  • Home/Office Telephones
  • Cables/Wires/Cords
  • Small Appliances: Coffeemakers, Hair equipment etc.
  • CRT TV’s – $10 Fee Applies Per TV

Address:
Credit Union of Georgia
3333 Busbee Drive
Kennesaw, GA 30144

For more information, please call (678) 486-1111.