ATL Forest Festival set to kick off May 31

By John Dilmore
john@casscountynow.com

Organizers of the annual Atlanta Forest Festival are hoping this year’s event will be bigger and better than ever after being moved from October to early summer -- a spot on the calendar with fewer scheduling conflicts.
The 2017 festival, which will feature a carnival, vendors and live music, is set for Wednesday, May 31-Saturday, June 3 after being held in October the past two years.
“The Forest Festival is a historic event in Atlanta,” said Miranda Johnson, Atlanta Chamber of Commerce president. “There was about a 15-year gap where the festival went away and we resurrected it in October 2015. So, October was the date in 2015 and 2016.
“This year the festival had conflicts -- basically with school being in mid-band competition season, mid-football season. And kids can’t stay out at the carnival so late on a school night.”
The actual request to reschedule from October to summer was made by the company that puts on the festival carnival, which is essential to the event’s success.
“Our Forest Festival board agrees that attendance will be better that first week of summer,” Johnson said. “It will be the first full week after school is released, so hopefully people will not be on vacation yet and they’ll be ready to do something fun to kick off their summer.”
Wednesday, May 31 will be a free admission night, Johnson said. There will be live local bands the evenings of Thursday, June 1 (Heather Linn & the Deacons) and Friday, June 2 (Dixie Bent). On the evening of Saturday, June 3 the featured entertainment will be a tribute to some of the greats of country music, with The Fever Band backing up Bob Gill (Waylon Jennings tribute) and Lisa Layne (Patsy Kline tribute).
There will also be a Forest Festival Parade this year, on Saturday, June 3 at 11 a.m. The judged parade will feature floats and a golf cart division.
The chamber is still seeking vendors and sponsors for this year’s festival. For information, give them a call at 903-796-3296.