Smithgall Woods presents BASKET MAKING CLASS

The holidays are officially here but the woods are always here. Take some time out to relax and regroup with these classes and hikes. then bring your kids/grand-kids for the Holi-Day camp for last minute shopping. Here's wishing each of you a magical, safe, and GREEN holiday.

For information and registration for any and all of the listed classes please call 706-878-3087.

BASKET MAKING CLASS
Saturday, December 5, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Make your very own "hipster" basket with all natural materials. Basket maker, Jan
Stansell, of Black Mountain Crafts is the instructor. $20
(This class is currently full but there is a waiting list)

GUIDED HIKES
Fridays, December 11 and 18, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Smooth out those holiday "ruffles" with a relaxing hike through evergreen woodlands. A
van ride to the trailheads makes these hikes easily accessible. $2

NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY
Saturday, December 12, 12:00 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Get the shot you want with guidance from Nature Photoprapher Joel Blacher. A working
knowledge of your camera is required. Register by December 4th. $55

AFTER SCHOOL ENRICHMENT: BEARS IN TIME OUT!
Wednesday, December 16, 3:45 p.m. 4:30 p.m.
What's up with our Black Bears this time of year? Learn cool facts about our bears and
what they are up to this time of year. Help construct a bear den and see how you would like
living in it. $1/child

HOLI-DAY CAMP
Monday - Wednesday, December 21 - 23, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Work off that holiday energy at this action-packed camp while exploring a "winter survival"
theme. For ages 6 - 9. register by December 16. $20/day or $50 for all three.

Serenity Cellars Releases 2009 New Vogh

Serenity Cellars, in conjunction with Yonah Mountain Vineyards, is proud to announce
the release of the very first wine of the 2009 harvest, 2009 Serenity Cellars New Vogh.
The 2009 New Vogh, a limited release of 60 cases, is a medium bodied, deep, dark red
that is the perfect compliment to coming holiday festivities.
The 2009 Serenity Cellars New Vogh will be released at a party held November
28 at the Yonah Mountain Vineyards Tasting Room in Sautee-Nacoochee. Jazz crooner
Monica Spears of Cornelia will be performing from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Appetizers will be
served, and customers will be offered a pour of 4 wines at no charge or a full tasting,
which includes a pour of 8 wines and the Yonah Mountain Vineyards glass, for $10.00.
The 2009 Serenity Cellars New Vogh is the first in the Artist Series of wines, the
labels of which will feature the work of local artists done in the style of Vincent Van
Gogh. The 2009 New Vogh label is the artwork of James Williams and depicts the
Serenity Cellars Vineyards near Cleveland.
The Yonah Mountain Vineyards Tasting Room, located at 2454-B Highway 17,
will be open Wednesday, November 25 from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and closed
Thanksgiving Day, November 26. Regular hours of operation are Monday, Thursday,
Friday and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday, 12:30 - 6:00 p.m. For
more information and directions, call the tasting room at 706/878-5522 or visit the
Yonah Mountain Vineyards website, www.yonahmountainvineyards.com.

Music Concert and Visiting Artist at Unicoi State Park and Lodge

Plan to visit Unicoi State Park and Lodge on Saturday, September 26, to take in a concert at 8:00 p.m. featuring Lisa Baldwin and Dave Haney. The Possum Knockers of Northeast Georgia have five members in their band including guitarist and bass player Ginny Loveland and her husband Keith, an Oklahoma fiddler now living in Nacoochee Valley. Also in the group are Tish and Chip Arnold play the banjo and guitar. This programwill be a “pass-the-hat” donation for the entertainers, as they have volunteered their time to visit Unicoi. Concert will take place in Unicoi Lodge.
Woodworker Robert Hakes will also be in Unicoi Lodge on Saturday, September 26, between 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., and from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. Robert is a woodworker making natural wood objects such as vases, urns and platters that are functional and beautiful.
Unicoi State Park & Lodge is located 2 miles north of Helen, GA on Hwy. 356. For any further information about the weekend activities, call Programming Department at (800) 573-9659, ext. 305.

Happenings in Towns County

Towns County Tourism Association is hosting the Georgia Mountain Moonshine
Cruiz-In which will be held at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds, 1311 Music
Hall Road in Hiawassee, GA on August 13, 14 & 15, 2009. Hundreds of Hot
Rods will be featured, in addition to Live Mountain Music Shows, Swap Meet,
A Moonshine Run for Cash, Folk Show Exhibits and Mountain Crafts in the
Pioneer Village, Automotive Vendors and lots of Cash & Prizes. Visit
www.gammoonshinecruizin.com

The Northeast Georgia Board of Realtors & Bank of Hiawassee,
Blairsville & Blue Ridge proudly presents the 1st Annual Cruiz-In Classic
Softball Tournament on Saturday, August 15 starting at 9:00 AM at the Towns
County Recreation Fields. Registration fee - $10.00 with all proceeds going
to the local Towns County Food Pantry. Call 706-896-3132 or 706-896-2243
for information.

Dance to the music of Jim Woods and the Georgia Mountain Fair Band on
Friday, August 14 – ticket price is $5.00. Show starts at 7:30 PM. Little
River Band will provide the musical entertainment on Saturday, August 15 in
the Anderson Music Hall. Show starts at 7:30 PM. Level 1 - $30.00, Level 2
- $20.00. Call 706-896-4191 for tickets.

Free Square Dancing and Clogging

The Towns County Historical Society sponsors free square dance and clogging every Monday in Hiawassee at 7 p.m. at the Senior Center. This is the old traditional "Big Circle" calls our great grandpas and grandmas used in our Appalachian Smokey Mountains.
The Senior Center is located 2 blocks behind the town square Main St. Hwy. 76 beside the Towns County Courthouse, 48 River Street, 706-896-1060

Folk Life Traditions Weekend at Unicoi State Park

Helen, GA., July 27, 2009- Unicoi State Park & Lodge will host the
"Folk Life Traditions"from Friday, July 31 - Saturday, August 1,
2009. Folk Life Traditions will begin with a special music concert on Friday,
July 31st at 8:00 p.m. with Mulligan Stew. The free concert will take
place in Logo Rooms A, B, & C on Level 2 of Unicoi Lodge.
The concert and dance will begin at 8:00 p.m. Following the concert there will be an Appalachian style community dance with live music.
Visiting jewelry artist Terrie Allen will be available on Saturday, Aug 1st from 11am - 7pm and Sunday, Aug 2nd from 10am - 2pm. Terrie's artistic journey began with weaving baskets, which soon turned into weaving beads, which evolved inot weaving wire, which has now progressed to working with sheet metal.
Unicoi State Park & Lodge is located 2 miles north of Helen, GA
on Hwy. 356. For any further information about the weekend activities,
call Programming Department at
(800) 573-9659, ext. 305
http://www.unicoistatepark.org/

Music Concert and Visiting Artist at Unicoi State Park and Lodge

Helen, GA., July 18, 2009- Unicoi State Park and Lodge will have a
concert at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, July25, 2009, featuring Joanne Steele.
Watercolor artist, Jeanne Mack will also be in Unicoi Lodge on
Saturday, July25, 2009 and Sunday, July 26, 2009. This program will be a "pass-the-hat" donation for the entertainers, as they have volunteered their time to visit Unicoi. Concert will take place in Unicoi Lodge. Jeanne Mack, a watercolor artist from Elberton, Georgia will be showing her work Saturday between 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., and from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. Unicoi State Park & Lodge is located 2 miles north of Helen, GA on Hwy. 356. For any further information about the weekend activities, call Programming Department at
(800) 573-9659, ext. 305.
http://www.unicoistatepark.org/

Wine, Water, and Fun at Montaluce Winery

DAHLONEGA, GEORGIA--July 13, 2009--Montaluce Winery & Estates is pleased to announce a special partnership with Huck Finn's River Trips for an afternoon of wine tasting, river rafting on the Chestatee River and fine dining. Space is limited and this package will only be offered on Sunday, July 26th, August 9th and August 30th.

Begin the afternoon at 1:30 p.m. with a tour and special tasting in the wine cellar with Montaluce's charming Winery Manager Oliver Asberger. Guests will then be picked up and delivered to the raft launch site, just a short ride from the winery. Each guest will have his or her own Catamaran raft for approximately six miles of floating on the calm, winding river. Guests will then be returned to the winery for a special three-course Sunday Supper in the dining room at Le Vigne. Dinner includes choice of a glass of one of Montaluce's own white wines. Huck Finn Expeditions owner Nicklos Meisberger and Asberger will join the group for rafting and Sunday Supper. The rafting portion of the trip is expected to take about three hours.

Space is very limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. Package is subject to cancellation due to inclement weather. Price for the day is $125 per person (including tax and gratuity). Pre-paid reservations are required. Please contact Montaluce at 706-867-4060 for reservations and additional information.

###


ABOUT MONTALUCE
Located on 400 rolling acres situated at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains and adjacent to the Chattahoochee National Forest and the Etowah River, Montaluce is a community based on the Italian ideal of "La Vita Bella," or the beautiful life--centered around community, food, wine and sharing. At the heart of the Estate, and at its highest point, the property boasts a state-of-the-art winery that harvested its first grapes in fall 2008.

On the winery's main floor, the handsome tasting room and beautiful restaurant Le Vigne offer a place to unwind and enjoy seasonally inspired dishes alongside a thoughtful wine list that includes selections from the United States as well as Italy. Primary and secondary homes and home sites are now available.

###


Montaluce Estates and Vineyard is located at 501 Hightower Church Road, Dahlonega, Georgia 30533. Telephone: 866.991.VINO (8466) or 706. 867.4060. http://www.montaluce.com

Music Concert and Visiting Artist at Unicoi State Park and Lodge

Unicoi State Park and Lodge will have aconcert at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, July18, featuring Good News Trio. Jewelers Roy and Dottie Meade will also be in Unicoi Lodge on Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19.
Max New, Marcelene New, and Tanya Kirby are the Good News Trio. Tanya Kirby is the sister-in-law of Steve “Rabbit” Easter, well-known Gospel musician and vocalist. They began singing together since 1996 and have played on television and radio many times. This program will be a “pass-the-hat” donation for the entertainers, as they have volunteered their time to visit Unicoi. Concert will take place in Unicoi Lodge.
Roy and Dottie Meade, owners of their jewelry company R & D Traders, INC, are from Georgia. They both make wire wrapped-lapidary jewelry and have done so for over 20 years. The jewelry includes rings, pendants, earrings, bracelets, pins and necklaces. They will be showing their work Saturday between 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., and from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Unicoi State Park & Lodge is located 2 miles north of Helen, GA on Hwy. 356. For any further information about the weekend activities, call Programming Department at (800) 573-9659, ext. 305.

Headwaters: Birth, Death and Places In-Between

Headwaters: Birth, Death and Places In-Between, the remarkable community story performance at the Sautee Nacoochee Center, opens next Thursday, July 9.

Performances of this home-grown folklife play about the people and places and creatures of our Goodly Portion of Beautiful Northeast Georgia will run Thursdays – Saturdays at 8 and Sundays at 5 pm through July 26. That’s only three weekends, and this show has sold out for the past two years. Dinner is available before each show for only $8. Very affordable tickets and more info at www.snca.org

This year’s Headwaters tells stories of the connections people make with one another, and the families we’re born into or create. The play, written by Jo Carson and Jerry Grillo and directed by Gerard Stropnicky, is animated by original and traditional music, gorgeous movement created by Celeste Miller, and amazing puppets (shadow and 3D) created by Lynn Jeffries, who also designed the set. A cast of 33 local performers and a SNOrchestra of 11 local musicians have worked with these and other professional artists to create a performance of startling authenticity and delicious humor.

We’re guided through the production by the three Fates – the Spinner, who spins the thread of life; the Weaver, who combines those threads in a beautiful tapestry (or sometimes just a tattered blanket, you know?); and the Cutter, who severs our individual threads from the warp and woof of all those we know and relate to.

Angels walk among us saving lives and a mid-wife tells of bringing babies into this world. A man past the end of his life spends some time in Purgatory trying to decide if he was bad, or just stupid (he gets some help from his horse, Cowboy). A woman who has moved to the mountains tells us how she learned to be a "been-here" instead of a "come-here." And a family of moonshiners draws straws to see who among them is going to surrender their still and spend six months in jail, in a concession to the new economic realities of 1959.

For tickets and more information, please visit www.snca.org or call 706 878 3300. For a glimpse behind the scenes, there’s a production journal at www.ArtisticLogistics.org/resources – including video clips from recent rehearsals.