Lauren Davis, Campus Carrier asst. arts and living editor
As the leaves begin to change, Rome, GA., is gearing up for an array of fall festivals that will bring culture, arts and music to the region. The Coosa Valley Fair, Chiaha Harvest Fair, and downtown Rome’s annual Fiddlin’ Fest occur in October. A few of Berry’s students and staff have participated in these annual festivals and hope to continue over the future years.
The 74th annual Coosa Valley Fair will be held this year from Oct. 3 – 7 at the Coosa Valley Fairgrounds off of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The fair is advertised as marking the beginning of fall with much family fun. The fair has many attractions, including kiddie rides, thrill rides, live performances and local food vendors. The fair also holds annual pageants and livestock competitions.
Junior Summer Vaughn has attended the Coosa Valley Fair several times since attending Berry. Vaughn sees the fair as an opportunity to spend time with friends and family. According to Vaughn, the fair’s environment is similar and different from the Rome community because it brings in locals and outsiders. Vaughn believes that her fellow Berry students would thoroughly enjoy the fair.
“Berry students would enjoy this event because of its hometown feeling as well as the way it seems inclusive like the community at Berry,” Vaughn said. “It could also allow Berry students to connect with others outside the Berry bubble.”
The Chiaha Harvest Fair has been a tradition for the Rome community since 1964. The festival will occur on Oct. 28 and 29 at the Coosa Valley Fairgrounds. Chiaha is known for its arts and crafts exhibits, where local vendors can apply to have their own booth to show and sell their products. In addition to the large variety of arts and crafts, there are also food vendors and live performances. The fair is advertised as having unique arts and crafts, toe-tappin’ entertainment, and finger-lickin’ food.
Berry Student Enterprises will be a part of the Harvest Fair this year. Amanda Murray is the retail manager at the Shipyard. According to Murray, Student Enterprises will have two booths at the fair. One booth will consist of retail student enterprises, including Lavender Mountain Dreams, Sunshine Room Textiles and Viking Furniture. The Berry Farms will put on the second booth, which will include Angus Beef, Blue Hen eggs, Jersey Milk, Berry Bees and Seasons Harvest, all led by students.
“I hope that they have really good sales because markets are opportunities for these enterprises to reach people outside of Berry and to be able to talk about what they make and why they’re proud to make it,” Murray said. “I think students are missing out if they’re not going to see the exhibits and vendors.”
Rome’s historic downtown shuts down Broad Street every year during the autumn months for a day to transform it into one giant free street festival called Fiddlin’ Fest. This year, the festival will occur on Oct. 14 from 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., the same day as mountain day on Broad Street. The festival is advertised as a bluegrass street festival featuring regional and local bluegrass bands who perform on two stages at both ends of Broad Street. In addition to the live music, there are art vendors, food vendors, and a car show. Dogs are also allowed to attend.
Jim Watkins is a professor of English rhetoric and writing. Watkins has a band that has attended and performed at the festival in the past. According to Watkins, his band mainly plays bluegrass-style music but can also play blues, country, folk, and rock. The name of Watkins’s band is The Barbaric Yawps. They will not perform at this year’s Fiddlin’ Fest, but they encourage Berry students to attend.
“The Fiddlin’ Fest is a tourist endeavor,” Watkins said. “They also want to show that Rome has a thriving live music scene, and they want to give some employment to some of us and use that to strengthen the arts community.”
Mark your calendars and enjoy some of Rome’s fall festivals this year. More information can be found on the websites of the events.