Woodstock Notes

Presented by VisitWoodstockGa.com, this first annual festival will feature a convergence of bacon-flavored food and the downhome sounds of bluegrass music all in one event.

Focusing on the music of north Georgia favorites such as Cedar Hill, Curtis Jones and Primal Roots, The Wiseman Brothers, Frances Mooney and Fontana Sunset, Honeywood, and Blue Road will take to the main stage throughout the day. Festival-goers can browse food and restaurant vendors that will be selling their best bacon creations. These creations will also be sampled by a panel of judges for Bacon & Banjos accolades.

To give the citizens of Woodstock a fun, musical alternative to the Monday “blues,” Woodstock Parks and Recreation Department has created a leisure activity at the Northside Hospital-Cherokee Amphitheater.Music Mondays in May will build on the established and successful Woodstock Summer Concert Series (occurring May through September) and the Brown Bag Concert Series (occurring every Thursday in September).

“Woodstock has demonstrated its love for music any time of day or year,” said Director of Parks and Recreation Preston Pooser. “We already have a beautiful venue, and we felt like a spring picnic with great music would be just the thing for Woodstock.”

Every Monday, 11:00am-1:00pm, the tunes at the Northside Hospital-Cherokee Amphitheater will be cranked up, and all are encouraged to bring their picnic lunch and join in on the fun. Each Monday will feature a D.J. providing music from a different decade.

The City of Woodstock believes that excellent, open communication is essential in encouraging civic engagement. Excellent communication provides a better understanding of each party’s purpose, views, and goals. By fostering an environment where citizens are informed and involved, the City of Woodstock will continue to excel as an ideal city in which to live, work, and play.

We encourage our residents and businesses to “Stay Connected,” and here are some ways you can do just that:

Recently, the City of Woodstock has started “marketing” the fire department. Why would we need to do that? Who benefits from this marketing? Obviously, serving the Woodstock community is a high priority. However, how citizens are served has changed over the years. Of course, emergency calls are still handled, but the list of how the Woodstock Fire Department (WFD) serves in addition to emergency situations has expanded. Here are some examples of how the WFD is now marketed:

In the Fall of 2017, City officials, together with Greenprints Alliance, announced plans for a new park in Woodstock. The yet unnamed park will be located off Trickum Road, on the east side of the city, where limited park and recreation opportunities exist.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! And Woodstock traditions and events make this time of year even more special for our community. Kick off the Christmas season with Christmas in Downtown on December 1, 6:00-9:00pm. Do some Christmas shopping in downtown Woodstock, as stores stay open late.

There are many veterans who now serve our great city. Their service and sacrifice for the City of Woodstock as well as our country is greatly appreciated. Meet a few of our City of Woodstock veterans:

On Tuesday, October 31, the City of Woodstock is celebrating Halloween with all our younger ghouls and goblins in the Park at City Center, 101 Arnold Mill Road, from 3:00-8:00pm. As a safe alternative to trick-or-treating, bring the family, and enjoy activities for children of all ages. Activities such as a moonwalk, DJ Ronnie playing some spooky tunes, Tim the Magician, Adam the Juggler, festive games, and the ever-popular stringed apple and pumpkin bowling, this event is sure to be a hauntingly good time.A costume contest will take place at 6:00pm. Trophies and prizes will be awarded in the following categories: funniest, scariest, cutest, and best costume.

As the air cools and fall makes its way into the south, it’s a great time to be outside, and enjoy all that Woodstock has to offer its citizens, visitors and guests.

The last concert of this year’s Summer Concert Series will take place on Saturday, September 9, at Northside Hospital-Cherokee Amphitheater as Runaway June takes the stage to close out the series. A country music trio, they bring to the stage a sound that has not been heard by country music fans since the days of the Dixie Chicks. With songs such as “Lipstick,” their music speaks to the modern woman. The show begins at 7:30pm. More information can be found at WoodstockConcertSeries.com/.

The Woodstock Police and Fire Departments are now accepting applications for the fall 2017 Citizens’ Public Safety Academy, which is scheduled to begin on Thursday, August 31.

Many of us enjoy spending most of our summer days outside. While you are enjoying camping with friends, vacationing with loved ones, family picnics or cookouts, please be mindful of the following summer burn safety tips, which are provided by the U.S. Fire Administration:

Washing the car can be lots of fun! But did you know it can benefit your lawn, too? It’s true!

Just pull your car onto the grass, and wash it there. Your lawn will gladly soak up the water. Plus, the grass will break down the soap and absorb the phosphates as fertilizer.

On Saturday, May 20th, the Woodstock Public Safety Foundation will host events in recognition of National Police Memorial Week. The day’s events will start off with the Hustle for Heroes 5k run, followed by the 6th Annual Spring Festival.

The 5th Annual Hustle for Heroes 5k run/walk will start the day at 7:30am, at First Baptist Church of Woodstock, 11905 Highway 92 in Woodstock. Participants can run alongside local SWAT teams in what has quickly been deemed, “The only place in Georgia to legally attempt to outrun the cops.” The one-mile run will follow at 8:30am. All participants will receive a t-shirt and race packet. Award recipients will include: Best Overall Male/Female, Top Hero (Police/Fire/EMT) and age-group awards.

Join the City of Woodstock’s efforts to continue its commitment to “go green” on Saturday, April 22nd. The day will begin with a recycling event at Woodstock Elementary School, 230 Rope Mill Road, from 9:00am-1:00pm. Drive through and City staff and volunteers will unload your recycling for you!

2016 continued to build on the successes we have had as a city over the past decade. Our downtown continues to be recognized as a model across the state of Georgia and the southeast. We continue to be recognized as a great place to “live, work and play.”

February is the month of love. So, this month in Woodstock, City staff members are hard at work putting together a team for Cherokee County’s annual March of Dimes’ March for Babies event taking place on April 28th, at 7:00pm, at Etowah River Park in Canton. It is our hope that Woodstock pours its love into this worthy cause by joining the team, Team City of Woodstock (Team C.O.W.).

The 2017 team captains are Sgt. George Williams with the Fire Department, Patti Behrend with the Police Department and Venis Ponce with the Community Development Department. Together, they are looking for residents, businesses, families, friends, visitors and staff to join Team C.O.W.

If your New Year’s resolution is to get off the couch, lose weight or explore, Woodstock has a lot to offer to assist you with your goals.

As you deck the halls this holiday season, be smart about potential fire hazards! A small fire that spreads to a Christmas tree can quickly become large and out-of-control.

The month of November is a time of giving thanks. It is also a time to recognize and remember our veterans on Veterans’ Day.

This November is also a time to celebrate the grand opening of downtown Woodstock’s new music amphitheater. As a way to show our gratitude to our servicemen and servicewomen, Woodstock will host a candlelight vigil, and then, the grand opening of the amphitheater will serve as a salute to our veterans.

Eleven years ago, the downtown merchants in the city of Woodstock decided to host a trick-or-treating event in the City Park. Their goal was to provide a safe and secure Halloween alternative to door-to-door trick-or-treating. What started out as a quaint and casual evening has blossomed into one of the Woodstock’s most favorite parties of the year … KidsFest!