Sweetwater continues tradition
While the Sweetwater Festival and the Milledgeville’s Mainstreet Downtown Development Authority undergo positive and internal modifications, the Sweetwater lawsuit remains unresolved.
The Atlanta-based Sweetwater Brewery filed a lawsuit against the Sweetwater Festival, Milledgeville Mainstreet, and sister organization Milledgeville in Motion, and organizers of the annual event for alleged misuse of the name. Sweetwater Brewery claims that the name came from when the brewery co-sponsored the festival a few years ago.
According to the festival organizers, the name “Sweetwater” originates from a few commissioners who came upon Jarrett Springs in search for a new capital city. They mixed whisky with the water and because of its sweetness; they called it “sweet water.”
Meanwhile, MMDDA, a public private entity that promotes the annual Sweetwater Festival, is still preserving Milledgeville’s history and the downtown area. They base activities off of the Main Street Four Point Approach: design, organization, promotion, and economic restructuring. Originally located the GCSU’s Campus Theatre, MMDDA moved to the City Hall annex on Hancock Street parallel from the post office.
“We are still in negotiation,” said Lindsey Hornsby, MMDDA’s temporary holding director.
In addition to internal changes within the MMDDA, festival chairman Frank Pendergast continues to make improvements to the festival. Statistics show that in 2004, the festival had 15 vendors and a budget of $11,000; as of last year the $157,000 budgeted festival had 35 additional vendors. More than 13,000 people from all over Middle Georgia and neighboring states attended to experience the food, fun, and entertainment last year. This year’s festival has an even larger layout and expansion of the Music Mainstage.
The Bellamy Music Mainstage lineup, announced last Wednesday. It includes artists: Robert Randolph and The Family Band, Bomb Chewey, The Blackout Farmers, the GCSU’s Jazz Band, and the Milledgeville 2008 Idol Winners: Brenda Tollison, Joe Simmons, and Tristan Tollison.
The festival, originally called Fest-of-Ville, will be held on October 25th 2008. Starting at 10 a.m., the festival is home to KidsZone, the artist market, the antique car show, the EndZone-complete with recliners for those sports fanatics- and the People’s Choice Award Memphis BBQ Network Cook Off. This year the townspeople can eat famous barbeque and vote for the best tasting barbeque samples. The People’s Choice winner will receive $ 750.
Tickets are available on www.sweetwaterfestival.com/. Volunteer applications are also available online.
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Sep 5 2008. Filed under News.
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