Grovetown celebrates heritage
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Civil War re-enactors Brian Martin (right) of Grovetown talks with Jeff Stevens of Appling in their Confederate Army uniforms at the first Grovetown Heritage Festival.
Photo by Donnie Fetter
If you want attention, throw a party.
That was the reasoning by Grovetown officials and residents Saturday when they held the first annual Grovetown Heritage Festival.
"Grovetown is a great community and I really wanted to do something that would draw attention to that," said Rosa Lee Owens, organizer of the festival and a Grovetown resident for nearly 50 years.
"The great thing about it is that it is working," said Owens, who is also a member of the Columbia County Greenspace Committee. "I've had people as far away as North Carolina find out about the heritage festival, call me, and ask where Grovetown is."
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The event was held near Grovetown City Hall and Grove Baptist Church. The festival featured live music, an Elvis impersonator, a clown, a classic car show sponsored by the CSRA Road Angels, Civil and Revolutionary War re-enactments, face painting, Boy Scout demonstrations and more than 50 vendors.
Gary Feenstra
of North Augusta works on
his 1962 Corvette convertible while talking to Stan Maciaszek of Martinez at the first Grovetown Heritage Festival.
Photo by Donnie Fetter
"I'm a resident of Grovetown and I love it here. That's part of the reason why I wanted to participate in the festival," said Jean Parker, who also goes by the American Indian name Chander and ran a booth selling handmade American Indian jewelry and other items. "The other reason I wanted to participate is to show other people that live here that we have a rich Native American population right here in our own community."
Based on the success of the festival, Owens said she intends to annually showcase the city she loves as long as people want to keep coming.
"I've been very pleased by how so many people have come together to help put this on," Owens said. "People in the community, our city council, businesses have been very supportive and have made this work."