Festivals

All communities have historical events, cultural heritages, beliefs and socioeconomic structures that interact to create symbols of that community. These symbols are the backbone of community celebrations and appear in the form of festivals, county fairs, parades, holiday tree lightings, community walks and /runs, school events, local sporting events and much more.

These celebrations are an avenue to share the local histories and cultures of the community and act as a socializing agent for everyone involved, but especially children. Macon County is fortunate to play host to a number of well known festivals each year, including a month long celebration with national prominence.

Camellia Festival

Every day in February acres of camellias burst into bloom at Massee Lane Gardens and their beauty is celebrated during the annual Festival of Camellias, a tradition of the American Camellia Society.

The festival encompasses the entire month of February when camellia blooms are at their peak. Blooms begin to show color in October and continue through March.

Festival events include Senior Citizen Days with box lunches, camellia plant sales, a spring fashion show and luncheon and camellia workshops.

Two galleries of porcelain art showcase the world's largest public display of Edward Marshall Boehm porcelains. Other featured artists are Cybis, Connoisseur, and Bronn. New porcelains have been added to our extensive collection.

A landscaped greenhouse is always a delightful place to enjoy camellia blossoms as is the tea house in the Abendroth Japanese Garden. A charming gift shop offers camellia accessories and camellia plants.

For more information visit the The American Camellia Society website.

Beaver Creek Festival and Duck Race

For a splashing good time makes plans to attend the Beaver Creek Festival and Duck Race, Historic Downtown Montezuma's annual heritage observation.

Initially called the "Flood Festival," this event was established by the Montezuma Merchants Association after the 1994 "Flood of the Century" to help raise capital to support the rehabilitation of historic downtown and the Railroad Depot.

The festival is centered in Charlie Jackson Unity Park, a once-thriving city block reduced to rubble by fire. The fountain and park symbolize the community's commitment to historic preservation and revitalization.

More than 3,000 visitors attend the festival annually. The grand finale is a duck race hosted to rekindle the spirit of revival required to recover from disaster. A flock of colorful ducks is launched by the Montezuma Fire Department into Beaver Creek to race downstream to the finish line at the South Dooly Street Bridge.

For details and dates of this year's festival, visit the The Montezuma Downtown Development Authority website.

Oglethorpe's Wild Turkey Day and Deer Day

Oglethorpe hosts the Turkey Day Festival the fourth Saturday in March and the Deer Day Festival on the third Saturday in October.

A group of guys got together back in 1987 to cook breakfast for hunters visiting Oglethorpe to hunt wild turkeys. The tradition turned into an annual event, and before too long the group was cooking two meals for the hunters. Born out of those meals, Georgia’s one and only Wild Turkey Festival takes over Oglethorpe on the fourth Saturday in March each year.

The festival is organized by the Oglethorpe Better Hometown/Main Street Program. The festival is a celebration of the first day of turkey season, which brings hunters from surrounding areas to Macon County to enjoy the hunt. All proceeds raised from this event go toward downtown revitalization.

The event features rides, games for children, live music, vendors and a version of cow patty bingo known as "The Turkey Splatter" in which the winner receives a $500 prize.

If you would like more information about the event, call Oglethorpe City Hall at 478-472-6485 or the Oglethorpe Police Department at 478-472-7538.

The annual Deer Day Festival is a day of fun for deer hunters and families alike offering prizes for the first deer, largest deer and youngest hunter. Drawings are held throughout the day for a deer rifle and other prizes. The festival features live music and venders selling food, crafts and other items. There are activities for adults and children including the always popular cake walk. Join the fun at Lois Payne Park in Oglethorpe. Sponsored by the Oglethorpe Better Hometown Program/Main Street Program.

Vendors are asked to contact Shelly Greer at 478-472-6485 to reserve booths.

Crape Myrtle Festival

Enjoy arts and crafts, music, historical home tour, classic vehicles, great food and 5K run in Marshallville during the annual Crape Myrtle Festival.

Each summer Marshallville celebrates the blooming of the Crape Myrtle trees that line the highways in this historical home of the Elberta Peach. Located on the Andersonville Trail, Marshallville is 12 miles west of Perry, two miles south of Massee Lane (Camellia Gardens) and 25 miles south of Macon.