Mistletoe plans mystery weekend
Someone will die at Mistletoe State Park this weekend, but only figuratively.
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A Murder Mystery Weekend is planned for Friday through Sunday at the park. It will mark the first time an event such as this has been held in a Georgia state park, according to Marilyn Grau, who plans the weekend programs at Mistletoe.
Grau had the idea for the event while brainstorming for the spring. She then searched online and found that Murder Mysteries were being advertised in state parks in several states including Oklahoma, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky.
"I e-mailed the park in West Virginia, and they were most helpful in giving me ideas about how they do theirs," she said. "I also drove to West Virginia for their event on March 3 and used some of their ideas in developing the way ours will flow."
Participants will meet at the Assembly Shelter on Friday evening for a social hour and dinner. Mock margaritas and chips and salsa will be available during the social hour, and a campfire wiener roast will be held for dinner, along with salad and baked beans.
The murder will occur sometime after dinner and the entertainment that night.
A breakfast of casserole, fruit, cereal, milk, rolls, coffee and juice will be served the next morning in the Beach House. There, the park manager, who is the law enforcement officer at the park, will inform the group that he has been in touch with the coroner's office and that it appears to be death by poison, Grau said.
Clues will be given to the participants as they leave the Beach House with their picnic lunches.
"During the day, folks will rest, relax, or attend park activities (including a guided bird walk and a program on herbs and wild edibles), all the time listening for clues," she said. "They may also be interviewing possible suspects."
The participants will once again gather at the Beach House on Saturday evening for another social hour, this time with virgin Bloody Marys and cheese balls. Certain mysteries will be solved at this point, and further clues will be exposed.
After a dinner of grilled steak, potatoes, salad and dessert, participants will be given a chance to interrogate the most likely suspects, Grau said.
Participants can think their verdicts through that night and return Sunday morning with their completed ballots. Each ballot will name the murderer.
Pancakes, bacon, sausage, grits, eggs and fruit are on the Sunday morning breakfast menu. All ballots will be in at that time, and the culprit will be revealed and taken into custody. Prizes will then be awarded to the winners.
The event fee costs $99 and will cover all expenses. Contact Marilyn Grau at (706) 826-4480 or e-mail her at MGrau@SeniorCitizensCouncil.org by today to register.