For more information, visit LCLC website at www.lumpkinliteracy.org or call Sharon Kridel at (706) 864-4906.

Access to the deck is available 3 ways. From South Chestatee Street you can enter the parking deck from the intersection of South Church Street (by the Flower Mart florist) and from the intersection of Choice Street (by the Smith House). From West Main Street you can enter the parking deck from College Circle in front of the gold steepled Price Memorial building.

The 14th Annual Bear on the Square Mountain Festival’s Live Country Auction, which will be held Friday, April 16, will have an earlier starting time this year. Festival officials also announced that the highly-popular opening night event has obtained a sponsor.

The event will take place in the MainStage Tent in Dahlonega’s Hancock Park adjacent to the Historic Public Square. A preview of auction items will begin at 5 p.m. with BlueBilly Grit, a premier bluegrass band from North Georgia, providing music. There will also be food available for preview attendees with catering by Shenanigan’s Irish Pub and Bourbon Street Grille of Dahlonega. Then, starting at 6 p.m.,the spirited bidding will get underway with professional auctioneer Sam Williamson running the show.

Auction Sponsor is North Georgia Wealth Management Group (www.ngwmg.com) of Dahlonega. Founded by Laura J. LaTourette, CFP®, the independent financial planning practice specializes in serving pre-retirees and retirees with fee-based and hourly financial planning and fee-based wealth management services, including wealth transfer and preservation through wealth structuring, estate planning, investment management and trust services.

The Live Country Auction is one of the most eagerly-awaited events of Bear on the Square weekend each year. It takes place in the large MainStage Tent in Hancock Park on the opening night of the festival.

Each year, the auction features the work of area folk artist Billy Roper, along with the work of other talented local artists and juried artists taking part in Bear on the Square’s Mountain Marketplace, including artists from the John C. Campbell Folk School, the marketplace sponsor. Among the items will be a painting by artist/musician Patsy Kline of the Appalachian Jam which takes place on the lawn of the Gold Museum in Dahlonega. There will also be bidding on gift baskets, services and other products from the local business community.

Melanie Pruitt, who is auction chair once again this year, said, “As in the past, we need the support of our local merchants, businesses, and community to make this auction a success.  We will begin accepting donations and contributions any time between now and the [preferred] deadline date of Thursday, April 15.” Pruitt urged those planning to provide items for the auction to contact her prior to the deadline so she can get them on the auction log sheet. ”If donations are brought in late, it’s unlikely we’ll be able to get your name and donation on the log sheet for auction attendees and we don’t want to leave anyone out, if possible.”

Pruitt, who noted that contributors will receive a receipt for tax purposes, said she can be reached at 706-864-0374 or by email at melanie.pruitt@windstream.net This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  ”We can pick up your donation or you can drop it off at Cranberry Corners, our donation headquarters, and we ask that you include a brief description of the item and its approximate retail value.  She also expressed appreciation to the community for its continued support of the event. “This is what keeps this festival going year after year, and we want to thank you in advance.”

Bear on the Square Mountain Festival, Inc., which stages the festival each year, is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit cultural arts organization whose mission is to preserve and celebrate the culture of the Southern Appalachians through the presentation of music, traditional craft, and folkways. Tax deductible donations are welcome and can be sent to P.O. Box 338, Dahlonega, GA 30533. More details about the 2010 Bear on the Square Mountain Festival, including information about music performances, the juried artists marketplace, workshops, and other activities can be found at www.bearonthesquare.org.

Again Offers Mountain Crafts, Campbell School Demonstrators

An impressive lineup of Appalachian artists, as well as demonstrators and dance teams from the John C. Campbell Folk School, will highlight the Saturday and Sunday activities at the 2010 Bear on the Square festival’s Mountain Marketplace.

The upcoming 14th annual festival, scheduled Friday through Sunday, April 16-18, in Dahlonega, will benefit from having the John C. Campbell Folk School as Marketplace sponsor for the second consecutive year. Open on Saturday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., the marketplace will have a John C. Campbell Folk School section along North Park Street. In this area will be a tent where the work of the the folk school’s demonstrating artists as well as work from the school’s Craft Gallery will be available for purchase. Those artists from the folk school who will be demonstrating their work include Jan Stansell, basketry; Helen Gibson and Carolyn Anderson, woodcarving; Mike Lalone, clay; Paul Garrett, blacksmithing; Joe Kilmer, chairmaking; and Nancy Jones, gourd art.

In addition, several Campbell Folk School dance teams will perform from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturday only at the plaza in front of the Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Visitors Center on South Park Street. Dance teams will include the Stiz in the Mud Border Morris, Rural Felicity Garland, and Dames Rocket Northwest Clog Morris.

The John C. Campbell Folk School, located in Brasstown, N. C., offers week-long and weekend classes year round in traditional and contemporary arts and crafts, music, dance, cooking, gardening, writing, and photography. Visitors are encouraged to stop by the 300-acre campus to visit the studios, tour the History Center where 20th Century Appalachia is on display, and browse through the Craft Shop, which features the juried work of over 300 artists. The campus also hosts a concert series with some of the finest regional and national acts performing old-time, bluegrass, folk and Celtic music, as well as community Contra dances. More information is available at www.folkschool.org.

From an overall standpoint, the Bear on the Square Mountain Marketplace will once again be made up of a remarkable collection of one-of-a-kind, handmade art and crafts. Held around the Historic Public Square in Dahlonega, it will continue its tradition of presenting the juried work from an impressive group of top quality artists.

Returning to the Marketplace this year is North Georgia folk artist Billy Roper, Heritage Sponsor for the festival, who plans to both exhibit and demonstrate his work. In all, there will be some 30 artists, including 10 who are new to the Bear on the Square Marketplace and 20 returning artists. There will also be a booth from the SouthEastern Bluegrass Association (SEBA).

Other booths will contain a wide selection of work from painters, including several folk artists, a blacksmith, crochet artists, a broom maker, furniture makers, a gourd artist, honey and soap makers, mixed media artists, a musical instrument maker, a pencil drawing artist, a photographer, potters, quilt makers, a stained glass artist, wood carvers, and exhibits from major sponsors of the festival.

A description of other Bear on the Square major events; schedules of things to see and do including Mainstage Tent music performances, the popular Gospel Jam, the old-time Mountain Dance, the Live Country Auction, family activities, and music workshops; biographical information and photos of the music headliners, and listings of all participating artists and festival sponsors can be found at www.bearonthesquare.org.

This year’s Bear on the Square festivities will kick off with the first session of Master Class Workshops at 10 a.m. Friday morning. Later that day, jamming around the Historic Public Square by local and visiting musicians will begin and will continue day and night throughout the weekend.

Friday night, the annual Live Country Auction, featuring extensive Appalachian folk art and crafts from many of the Marketplace artists and specialty items from Dahlonega shops and restaurants, will be held in a large tent in Hancock Park. Folk artist Billy Roper is donating four paintings and a wood carving to this year’s auction. Attendees will enjoy music from BlueBilly Grit prior to the start of bidding.

Performances by the Mainstage music headliners will take place on Saturday and Sunday at the MainStage Tent in Hancock Park with the lineup including Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper, Jesse McReynolds and the Virginia Boys, The Dixie Bee-Liners, Ginny Hawker and Tracy Schwarz with Kari Sickenberger, Curtis Jones & Mountain Gypsy Project, and John Lilly, as well as other acts.

Bear on the Square Mountain Festival, Inc., which stages the festival each year, is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit cultural arts organization with the mission of preserving and celebrating the culture of the Southern Appalachians through the presentation of music, traditional craft, and folkways. Tax deductible donations are welcome and can be sent to P.O. Box 338, Dahlonega, GA 30533.

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HemlockFest will be held at Starbridge . This is a beautiful 40 acre camping venue with small lake for canoeing, fishing, etc. 100% of donations/proceeds from the festival will go toward advancing the hemlocks defense against the woolly adelgid. Fire dance as well as music from such genres as singer songwriter, blue/newgrass, blues, Celtic rock, and jam band will be performed. Family and children’s activities will take place. Arts and Craft vendors will be present and food, drink, t-shirts and other festival paraphernalia will be available for purchase. Silent auction will take place. For directions or further information (on the hemlock/woolly adelgid issue, the bands, ticketing, where to make donations, how you can help, etc.) please visit our website.

For more information on this festival, visit HemlockFes.

· A conference for aspiring writers held at North Georgia College and State University. The fee to attend the conference is only $75 and speakers will include a literary agent, a successful fiction writer and Steve Savage, a top marketing expert and author of Gorilla Marketing Secrets. To register for the writer’s conference, contact Sharon Bacek (sgbacek@windstream.net).
· A literary IQ quiz, a scavenger hunt, book signings and readings by some of today’s top authors, including Catherine Coulter, ShereeBykofsky, Steve Savage, Williams Rawlings, Jr., Philip Lee Williams, River Jordan, Lynda Fitzgerald, Gregory Watkins, and Raymond Atkins (no charge for attending these events).
· A Literary Trade Show, featuring products such as books, publishing and various products related to the literary field. The fee to register a booth is $50 and forms may be obtained from Barbara Weltzien (jlw1530@yahoo.com).

You can enter the chili cook-off for $25 and compete against others to become the Chili Champion! Back by popular request will be the professional class for local chefs and restaurants to compete for Dahlonega’s Best Chili! Awards will be presented to the top three chili recipes as well as the favorite professional chili recipe. Come out and vote for your favorite! Returning from last year are Tom and Julie, musicians made famous at Dahlonega’s own Crimson Moon. There will be a special area for sponsors to showcase their products and for attendees to browse and enjoy. All proceeds from the event will go to the NOA domestic violence center which offers emergency shelter and support services to victims of family violence in Lumpkin and Dawson counties. You may purchase tickets or register for the event through NOA (706-864-1306 x6) or at the Visitor Center at the Chamber of Commerce. You may also purchase tickets or register as a contestant online at www.noonealone.org. Sponsorships are still available. To become a sponsor please contact Nicole Alvarez (NOA) at 706-864-1306 ext 6. Applications also available at www.dahlonega.org.

Come out and have a Howling Halloween; trick-or-treating and a special movie night at Hancock Park will take place after the Chili Festival. For more information, contact the Dahlonega – Lumpkin County Visitors Center at 706-864-3711 or 800-231-5543.