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Visitors at this year’s festival can enjoy a downtown full of carefully selected arts and crafts displays, the Wine & Beer Garden at the South end of Hancock Park, as well as jazz, blues, salsa and many other musical groups.
Special to The Nugget ----------- The 7th Dahlonega Arts & Wine Festival, May 21 and 22 is a great local event for lovers of art, wine, and jazz.
Chestatee Artists, a 501c3 organization, will present this exciting event in historic downtown Dahlonega and adjacent Hancock Park.
“The focus is on featuring quality arts and crafts, fine local and regional wines and craft beers, and free jazz performances to entertain our visitors for this truly cultural event,” said festival director, Letty Rayneri.
The festival is the main fundraiser that provides donations to local visual and performing arts programs, as well as to local school art departments.
More than 64 carefully selected artists and crafters will display creative products during the two-day event in downtown Dahlonega.
Visitors will be able to select from paintings in a variety of media, as well as creative photography.
Quality crafts accepted will include ceramics, jewelry, wood arts and sculpture, glass and metal arts, custom knives, leather and fiber arts, and other handcrafted creations and several gourmet specialty foods.
There will also be a food court for hungry visitors in the parking lot next to St. Luke Catholic Church Parish Hall.
WINE & BEER
Inside the Wine & Beer Garden, located at the South end of Hancock Park, patrons will enjoy a wide variety of wine from local and regional wineries. Craft beers will also be featured from Dahlonega Brewery.
All tickets for wine or beer can be purchased at the venue.
“Clothed tables are provided for patrons of the Wine and Beer Garden so folks can ‘sip’ and listen to the cool sounds of jazz,” added Volunteer Coordinator, Pattie Pirone.
Participating wineries will include Etowah Meadery, Habersham Winery & Vineyards, Three Sisters Vineyards & Winery, Kaya Vineyard & Winery.
Wine tasters will receive a commemorative festival wine glass with eight tastings tickets for $25.
Wine can also be ordered by the glass for $10, or by the bottle based on winery prices.
The Wine & Beer Garden opens Saturday at 11 a.m. and Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
Tasting tickets can be purchased at the Garden on the day of the event.
MUSIC
On the Hancock Park Pavilion Stage, amazing jazz performers will entertain festival goers who are in the wine venue or in Hancock Park in their own lawn chairs.
Musical groups will feature great jazz, blues, salsa and many other genres to keep fingers snapping.
Performers from the region and Atlanta will rock the festival. The free performances begin at 1 p.m. and continue during festival hours.
Joe Gransden, one of the top names in Atlanta music scene, will bring his group to the jazz venue.
Other featured groups include Tommie Macon and the Gentle Men of Jazz, Curtis & Kim Jones, Carolyn Ross & Retro Gumbo, Susana Butler & Easy Listening, and more!
Visit the Dahlonega Arts & Wine Festival Facebook page often to see postings of the artists/crafters, sponsors, wineries, and the musical groups who will be participating in this event.
Free parking is available in the University of North Georgia’s parking deck, as well as other parking locations off the square. No parking will be available around the Square.
Hours for the festival are Saturday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on and Sunday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.