Cherry Blossom Festival
The 27th Annual Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off on Saturday with entertainment, food and arts and crafts for the entire family.
For two days, Saturday and Sunday, the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers will play host to hundreds of festival goers from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
The festival, started in 1981 by the Maxell Corporation, features 300 arts and crafts exhibitors from across the Southeast as well as an interactive children's area, an international food court, two stages of continuous entertainment and cultural demonstrations from around the world.
Admission to the festival is free but parking is $5.
The festival also features free craft activities for kids at the arts and crafts tent, T-shirts, an ATM machine, wheelchair rentals and appearances by several local radio stations.
For more information about the Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival call the Conyers Welcome Center at (770) 602-2606 or visit their Web site at http://www.conyerscherryblossomfest.com.
Charlie Elliot public fishing day
The first Public Kid's Fishing Event of the 2008 season at Charlie Elliot Wildlife Center is slated for Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at Clubhouse Lake. The event is open to children 16 and under, and the fishing is catch and release. All children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.
Pre-registration is not required for the event, and each participant must provide their own bait and tackle (minnows are not allowed).
For more information call Charlie Elliot's Fisheries Office at (770) 784-3121.
Greek Connections at GPC
Georgia Perimeter College will host Greek Connections at the Newton Atrium. The event is centered on the culture and history of Greece.
The day begins at noon Thursday with a welcome followed by presentations on various Greek traditions.
A one mile fun run is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Prizes will be awarded to random participants in the event. Also at 1:30 p.m., a Surprise Contest is on the agenda.
In the afternoon, an art show featuring themes from "The Odyssey" will be on display beginning at 2:10.
The day will end with performances of Greek folk music and dancing at 4 p.m.
For more information call (770) 278-1200.
Gaither's Civil War reenactment
Gaither's Plantation will be the site of a Civil War reenactment on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The staging of a Civil War-type battle will be open to students only on Friday, but the public is invited to attend on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the skirmish set to begin at 2 p.m.
Members of the Phillips Legion will be on hand to stage the battle and to present living history exhibits before and after the battle.
Admission to the battle reenactment is $5 per car. Organizers suggest bringing lawn chairs along for the day.
The reenactment marks the first of such events at Gaither Plantation in more than 10 years.
A food vendor will be on the grounds selling drinks and food, and tours of the plantation house will also be giving during the day. Tours are $3 for adults, $2 for senior citizens and $1 for students.
For more information about the event contact Jerry Love at (770) 385-1298.
Ride for the Cure
The Fourth Annual Ride for the Cure drives out on Saturday at 10 a.m. Riders are asked to begin registration that morning at 9:30 a.m.
The price of the ride is $10 per person, and all proceeds go to Relay for Life, an event that raises money and awareness for breast cancer.
Turn out for the event has varied during its four-year history with as many as 200 bikes making the trek, which winds through Jasper County, Monticello, Social Circle, Monroe and back to the starting point in Covington on Brown Bridge Road.
For more information about the run contact Kay Strickland at (770) 385-2848 or Jimmy Smith at (770) 385-2815.
