Kitchens Road Old Time Family Festival this weekend
Published 5:52 pm Friday, November 2, 2018
- Festival coordinators are hoping that, as their other tagline goes, “All roads lead to Kitchens Road” this weekend for another great turnout.
Remember a time when everyone you saw walking down the street or through the aisles of a store was not looking down at their phones?
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People greeted one another with a smile and a “good morning” even if they were perfect strangers. Those seeking an escape from the hustle and bustle of life today can take a step back in time at this weekend’s Kitchens Road Old Time Family Festival “Where everything old is new again” as the event’s tagline says. Days gone by will be brought into the present for the seventh installment of the local festival that rose out of the ashes of a similar event held on Browns Crossing road in the past. This year’s Kitchens Road Festival is set to take place this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at 370A Kitchens Road in Haddock.
“We want everyone to meet new friends and see others they haven’t seen in a while,” said event promoter Randy Newton. “It’s almost like a family reunion and class reunion all piled together. We really only have two rules: first rule is that you come early, and the second rule is that you stay late. There’s just so much to see.”
Kids of a certain age don’t remember life without having a smartphone within their reach. Whether on purpose or by happy accident, the annual event that touts antiquities of yesteryear allows children 12 and under through the gate for free while anyone older gets in for just $5. As Newton said, there is a lot to do and see at this year’s event that will benefit the Lions Club of Milledgeville and its mission to promote eye health and vision care. So much to do and see in fact, that it all hardly even fits on the event flyer. From the Jones County Cruisers classic car show to the Gordon County Antique Engine and Tractor Club and the Ocmulgee Blacksmith Guild, nearly everything goes with the old-timey feel that takes center stage this weekend. The one seeming anachronism is the offering of short helicopter rides with Atlanta Helicopters, who is coming back to the festival for a third straight year. Although helicopter rides are not exactly on the same level as handmade crafts and bluegrass bands, they are one attraction that crowds cannot get enough of each year.
“They never stop,” Newton said. “Once they get there the people immediately line up. People constantly ask us if the helicopters are coming back because they love it so much.”
A short ride costs $20 for festival-goers, and Atlanta Helicopters is scheduled to be on hand for both days of the event.
But the Kitchens Road Festival isn’t just about getting a look at how things were crafted years ago; the event also looks to promote a healthy lifestyle for children. To help out with that aspect Georgia College health students will be on hand jumping rope and doing other activities to show kids ways to be active.
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The festival is set to kick off at 10 Saturday morning, and among the new additions for this year is a tribute to the nation’s military, both active and former, and the first responders. Festival personnel wants everyone to know that they “Back the Blue” and support the U.S. armed forces. As such, the Georgia Military College color guard will present the colors, sing the national anthem, and lead everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance at 11:30 Saturday morning.
“We really want to honor our veterans and support our troops,” said Newton.
A number of musical and dancing acts will also take to the festival stage, including Newton’s band, The 120/80 Vocal Band, and the Southern Pride Cloggers. A full entertainment schedule can be found on www.kitchensroad.com.
The event has shown tremendous growth since its inception seven years ago. So much in fact that 10 more acres had to be purchased to accommodate the 100 vendors and couple thousand attendees. There will be transportation from and back to the parking area and both transportation and parking are offered at no extra charge.
Putting together the festival each year is a huge undertaking and isn’t quite the cash cow some would think, but neither of those facts has stopped organizers.
“It’s a lot of fun and we love it so much,” Newton said. “You get to meet people. The whole idea is to meet people. Everybody’s on electronic media all the time now. We have a desire to ask people to turn their phones off so you can talk to people face to face.”
Festival coordinators are hoping that, as their other tagline goes, “All roads lead to Kitchens Road” this weekend for another great turnout.