Athens Lifestyles

Recreation

The Classic Center is Athens-Clarke County's premier convention and meeting facility. Located in and anchoring the eastern edge of downtown Athens, the facility has hosted everything from Broadway musicals to performances by Bob Dylan. It contains 50,000 square feet of flexible meeting and exhibit space, as well as a 2,100 seat performing arts theatre. Additionally, the Center also holds the offices for the Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB).

The Center today operates as self-supporting while hosting events that make an economic impact on the community. In fiscal year 2002, the facility hosted 575 events with a total attendance of 350,000 people.

There are so many things to Do and Places to Go in Athens! The Convention and Visitors Bureau website provides official information on area hotels, attractions, trivia and a special events calendar with hundreds of listings.

The Morton Theater

The Morton Theater, completed in 1910, is the only remaining vaudeville theater on the National Register of Historic Places that was built, owned, and operated by an African-American, Monroe "Pink" Morton. In its heyday, the Morton featured headliners such as Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Blind Willie McTell, and Duke Ellington. The Morton Theater currently hosts plays and performances such as "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom."

Clarke County has excellent retail shopping facilities, including the ever popular downtown shopping district as well as Georgia Square Mall. It is also convenient to over one million square feet of factory direct retail shopping located in neighboring Jackson County.

A 60 acre natural area on the UGA campus providing recreation, teaching, and research opportunities for the community while preserving its 100-year-old forest.

Nearly 800 acres featuring Lake Chapman surrounded by rolling fields and woods. Offers a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities, including playgrounds, sports areas, swimming, hiking, camping, horse trails, dog runs, and picnic areas.

225 acres of woodland, fields, and wetlands serve as a wildlife sanctuary and environmental education facility. Provides more than 5 miles of nature trails. The ENSAT Center features interactive learning centers which promote understanding of our natural environment.

A series of parks and trails which provide opportunities to experience nature in a variety of ways while linking neighborhoods, points of interest, and activity centers.

Bear Hollow's exhibits of native wildlife such as black bears, bobcats, deer, eagles, owls, and river otters are used to teach about wildlife and the environment.

Located on the UGA campus, Founders Memorial Garden serves as a memorial to the founders of the first garden club in America, organized in Athens in 1891. The 2.5 acre area features two courtyards, a boxwood garden, a perennial garden, and an arboretum.

Highlights medicinal plants of cultural significance in Latin America and focuses attention on the critical need for conservation of this biodiversity.

13 tennis courts. 16 parks. 4 golf courses. 6 swimming pools. 2 country clubs.

Oconee National Forest (15 miles) surrounding Lake Oconee.

Watson Mill Bridge State Park (17 miles) with fishing, picnicking, camping, canoeing, hiking.

Lake Lanier (32 miles) has swimming, fishing, camping, water skiing, motor boating, rowing, kayaking, sailing. Lake Oconee (20 miles) has 374 miles of shoreline on 19,050 acres and offers area water sports, fishing and camping (250 sites) in addition to 5 resorts and 6 championship golf courses.

Major college sports at University of Georgia. Dean Tate Road Race. Downtown 5,000 Road Race. Historic Tour of Homes.

Mental Health Benefit

This yearly festival seeks to spread awareness of mental health issues. Features an art auction, concerts, dance performances, film nights, mental health screenings, and more.

A Taste of Athens

An annual benefit for Community Connection of Northeast Georgia. Features the cuisine of local restaurants and caterers, as well as a silent auction.

BreastFest

BreastFest seeks to raise awareness about breast cancer. Benefits the Loran Smith Center for Cancer Support and the Breast Health Center, both initiatives of the Athens Regional Medical Center.

Boybutante Ball

This annual ball and stage show is northeast Georgia's largest fundraiser for AIDS support services.

Classic City Brew-Fest

Offers samples of over 150 handcrafted beers from around the world, a collector's glass and program book, and live music. Proceeds to benefit local charities.

Athens Greenfest

Scheduled in conjunction with Earth Day, Greenfest is an annual community-wide celebration providing citizens an opportunity to increase their awareness of and interest in improving the environment of their home, yard, business, and community.

International Street Festival

Created by the International Student Organizations at UGA, this festival brings together a community of all nations and cultures to promote international cultural awareness to the Athens community. Features cultural displays, traditional costumes, dances, and music.

Run/Walk for Home 5K

Thousands of runners and walkers participate in this annual fundraising event to help the homeless and hungry in Northeast Georgia.

Twilight Festival and Criterium

Features nationally recognized professional bicycle racing , live music, workshops, and other events held throughout downtown Athens.

Athens Human Rights Festival

Brings together political activists, musicians, and artists to share information about human rights issues across our nation and around the world. Offers a wide range of featured speakers, local music, an art auction, etc.

Clarke-Oconee Relay for Life

The Relay for Life celebrates cancer survivorship and raises money for research and programs of the American Cancer Society.

Hot Corner Festival

This festival, organized by Homer Wilson of Wilson's Soul Food, was designed to celebrate Athens' famed "Hot Corner" - the traditional center of African-American owned and run business in Athens. The festival includes music, crafts, food and fashion shows.

AthFest - The Athens, GA Music and Arts Festival

Annual music and arts summer festival in downtown Athens with over 150 local and regional bands playing outdoor stages and downtown clubs. Also features a juried artists' market, a KidsFest, music business seminars, and more. Kicks off with the Flagpole Athens Music Awards at the Morton Theatre.

Winterville's Annual Marigold Festival

The Winterville Marigold Festival began 30 years ago as a way to beautify and renovate the town and for the purpose of promoting friendship. The festival features arts and crafts, barbecue, food vendors, street dances, entertainment in the park, a 10K road race, the Miss, Junior Miss, and Little Miss Marigold Scholarship pageant and other events.

September

Edward Wright Afrocentric Festival

"A celebration of African-American experience and culture through music, dance, art, food, poetry, story-telling, speech, and fellowship in a family-friendly atmosphere."

Harvest Festival

This annual festival, which draws hundreds of area school children and members of the community is dedicated to educating youngsters about days gone by. Old-time skills such as lye soap making, broom making, chair caning and butter churning are demonstrated. Also, knitting works, a quilting display, a country store, concession stand and entertainment are on hand.

October

North Georgia Folk Festival

Now under the direction of the Athens Folk Music and Dance Society, this festival at Sandy Creek Park features a traditional folk dance, as well as a full day of folk, traditional, blues and bluegrass music. Local and regional performers always highlight the diversity of folk music today. Concessions available.

November - December

Christmas In Athens

Christmas in Athens is a celebration of the holiday season in the Classic City, encompassing events beginning November 1st and ending New Year's Eve.

First Night Athens

December 31. Family-oriented and alcohol free, First Night Athens is a whirlwind kaleidoscope evening of live musical and theatrical entertainment held all over the downtown area, culminating with a midnight fireworks show to bring in the new year.

Antebellum homes. Double-barreled cannon (Civil War). Tree That Owns Itself. University of Georgia campus. Old Mill. Botanical Gardens. Founders Memorial Garden. U.S. Navy Supply Corps Museum. Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall Sports Museum. Georgia Museum of Art.