EDITORIAL: Deep Roots makes downtown the headlining star

Published 8:00 am Saturday, October 20, 2018

For 15 years, it hasn’t been just the bands taking centerstage at the annual Deep Roots Festival in downtown Milledgeville. 

No, the real headliner the third Saturday in October is the community itself. 

The annual music festival successfully makes downtown the star year after year, elevating the local community to a much higher stage and showcasing local retailers and restaurants to an audience of thousands. 

From the out of town vendors offering their goods in the local community for the first time, to the visitors experiencing the festival live and up close, Deep Roots’ impact on the local community extends beyond music, arts and craft each year.

With Georgia Military College’s Alumni Weekend coinciding with the festival, it presents a huge weekend with boundless potential for tourism and business. 

Deep Roots is not just about one weekend in October, nor is it simply about music or arts and crafts. It represents much more in terms of exposure for the local community, business-generating potential for local retailers and also a celebration of the rich arts and cultural elements that make Milledgeville unique. 

Each year of its existence, new elements have been added to Deep Roots to make this weekend even more special and set it apart from other festivals as a rich and unique event. 

The Deep Roots Festival was established as a means of celebrating downtown, and celebrating arts and culture and this year’s festival is no exception. And through the past 15 years, the festival has garnered numerous awards and recognitions but the biggest reward of all is no doubt the attention it generates for the local community. 

Local residents — appreciate this weekend and this festival for its broader impact on the community. To all the visitors and those returning this weekend — welcome. We hope you enjoy your time and that this weekend makes a lasting impression.