Busy times ahead with events coming soon to Cedartown
September is going to be a busy month for Polk County locals thanks to cooler weather and new events, and whether you’re a Disney fanatic or interested in learning about Native American culture, there’s something for everyone.
The fun begins as early as this Saturday, Sept. 7 when the City of Cedartown will host their inaugural Holloway Hunny Pot Festival. The event is inspired by the late Sterling Holloway — a Cedartown local who rose to stardom as the voice of Disney’s Winnie-the-Pooh – and will serve as a one stop shop for honey, pottery, jewelry, fine art, outdoor decorations, and much more.
Admission into the festival is free, and those who aren’t looking to shop can still look forward to a day of unique, Winnie-the-Pooh themed events.
Aimee Madden, who serves as the director of the economic development and tourism department and heads up the Cedartown events committee, mentioned ideas for the festival had been tossed around for years.
“This year, we decided to put all of the talk into action and create the Holloway Hunny Pot Festival,” Madden said. “Winnie-the-Pooh is famously known for always having his trusty hunny pot within reach. We felt that organizing a festival that pays homage to Holloway and his contributions to animated film and traditional film would not only bring folks together, but also help Cedartown bring Holloway’s legacy into the limelight. Plus, as an added ‘sweetener,’ the festival will promote local honey harvesters and bee keepers, bringing more awareness to the vital role that honey bees have in our everyday lives.”
At 11 a.m., the Lil’ Miss and Lil’ Mister Hunny Pot Pageant will take place on the lawn behind the park’s famous rock bridge (behind the Woman’s Building.) Those ages 6 months to 3 years old will be giving it their all in the show, but locals should note the deadline to enter concluded on August 28.
At noon, locals are invited to the head of the Big Spring where a rotund little yellow bear will make an appearance for the “Pooh Stick Race.” The event is similar to the Polk County Rotary Club’s annual rubber duck race where locals cheer for their duck as it races down the water.
“If you are familiar with Winnie-the-Pooh books, you will know that the game of Pooh Stick racing is an actual thing that Winnie and his friends enjoyed while playing in the Hundred Acre Woods,” Madden explained. “We’re kinda piggybacking on that idea and will be racing our own Pooh Sticks – which are miniature wooden honey dippers — down the Big Spring.”
As with any good race, there is a prize for the winner. Tickets for Pooh Sticks are available at Cedartown City Hall for a donation of $1 each. Each ticket has a corresponding Pooh Stick. The first stick to cross the finish line wins a $200 Visa gift card compliments of local business Madden Consulting. Tickets will also be offered at the event.
The festival even has support from local Holloway memorabilia collector and historian Donnie Jarrell who plans to host an exhibit inside the Woman’s Building.
“Donnie has graciously agreed to assist with a traveling exhibit that will feature special Holloway selections from his own personal collection,” Madden said.
The Ferst Readers, a local literacy promotion group, will also have an activity area inside the Woman’s Building. They plan to host a “story time” room so children can experience the joy of being read aloud to by a Ferst volunteer. For those interested, officials will also be registering children under the age of five to the organization’s Ferst Readers literacy program.
Children enrolled in the free program receive a bookstore-quality, agespecific book and resources mailed to them at home every month until their fifth birthday.
Attendees are respectfully asked to park in the large lots surrounding First Baptist Church. No parking will be allowed curbside on Essex Street. Those wanting more information about the event can contact Aimee Madden at amadden@cedartowngeorgia.gov or by calling 770-748-3220.
The event is sponsored by Peach State Ford and Polk/Floyd Medical Center. If you would like to sponsor this event, and others like it, contact Madden via email at the address listed above. Since the beginning of 2019, the Cedartown events committee has hosted the Trailhead Art Gallery along the Silver Comet Trail and the Peek Park Summer Concert Series.
In addition to the upcoming Holloway Hunny Pot Festival, the committee will also host Spooky Spokes Bike Ride and Halloween Village on Oct. 12 at Bert Wood Park in Cedartown. Information on these events can be found on the City of Cedartown’s website at www.cedartowngeorgia.gov and by following their Facebook page (City of Cedartown).
Then, later on Sept. 20 through Sept. 22, locals can take part in what the Polk County Historical Society and Director Spivey McIntosh have dubbed the “Gathering of the People; Pow Wow.” The event will be Polk County’s first ever inter-tribal pow wow.
Those interested in attending can visit the Polk County Fairgrounds at 79 Fairground Loop, Cedartown on Friday from 4 through 8 p.m., Saturday from 9 through 6 p.m., and Sunday from 9 through 6 p.m. There is a $5 parking fee, and the entrance fees are $5 for adults and $3 for children. Children 5 and under get in free. Tickets can be purchased at the gate, and all proceeds will go to benefit the Polk County Historical Society.
The event’s mission is designed to showcase the county’s rich Native American history and heritage. There will be food trucks, kid stations, music, local and native vendors, arts and crafts, dancing, drumming, grand entry, Native American Museums, chances to learn about Native American traditions, raffle prizes, and various other events.
The group also plans to read a proclamation by the City of Cedartown, host the Trail of Tears memorial walk at the Big Spring Park, and present a petition of sincere regret from the citizens of Polk County.
Modern pow-wows feature dancing, singing, socializing, and much more, and various officials have been recruited to help guide the event. Names locals might recognize include Bill Buffalo Truax, Jason Collins, Annie Truax, and Drum of the Descendants.
For more Information on how to participate in the Pow Wow, consider visiting PolkGathering.com. The Gathering’s Committee includes Spivey McIntosh; Greg Gray; Arleigh Ordoyne; Paula Astin; Kaaren Tramonte; Ellen Hester.