Hold onto your hats folks because it's going to be a weekend in Columbus, GA that we won't soon forget! All the right components are coming together...great weather, the unofficial beginning of Summer, tons of old favorite and new things to do...for an epic holiday weekend.
Memorial Day Weekend is always jam-packed but this Memorial Day weekend is going to be something extra special because there is an event this Saturday morning that kicks off something brand new to Columbus and it’s something that’s been several decadesin the making! Whitewater Columbus, GA will officially be up and running this Saturday and there is a grand opening celebration at 10:00am on the RiverWalk Island (by the Powerhouse at Eagle & Phenix) so you can see what all the hoopla is about. And if you’re ready to take the plunge, there are still a few spaces left on Saturday and Sunday to take a raft trip with the guides from Whitewater Express. If you haven't been down to see the whitewater course, I think you'll be really impressed!
Something else happening along the river for the first time ever is an event called a Dragon Boat Festival. There will be all the usual fun festival stuff, but what sets this apart are the dragon boats! These are long, skinny boats that contain a team of 20 paddlers and one drummer. Teams consist of local folks (corporations, family, friends) who have practiced & are ready to race! What’s cool about this is that part of the proceeds will be given to the Children’s Miracle Network at Cols Regional Children’s Hospital. Each team will race in three heats to establish the champion. Dragon boat races are held in about 70 communities in the US and more than 60 million people worldwide have participated. This being the first year, organizers had a goal of 20 teams to race but they’ve been blown away with the enthusiasm of Columbus as they have 32 teams ready to race! Everything kicks off on the river behind the Coca-Cola Space Science Center at 11:00am. Free to watch!
A great way to kick off this long weekend is heading to Uptown for Classic Addict in concert tonight on Broadway. Scott Ressmeyer and his gang of motorcycle buddies will make their return to Columbus tonight at the concert after traveling thru all 48 lower states on their fundraiser for the Children’s Miracle Network. Great music and fun and it’s all FREE!
If you want to do a quick road trip, load the car and head to Callaway Gardens for the 54th Masters Water Ski and Wake Board Tournament--they've got wall-to-wall activities going on thru Monday; or head over the the Little White House and get ready to relax because they are filling up the historic pools with that 88-degree mineral water...talk about making you feel good all over; and if you want to head south, the 1850's Village of Westville is doing a reenactment of a couple of the battles from the Creek Indian War--plus they'll have other activities like story telling, dancing and handicrafts to enjoy.
Hope you have a safe and happy Memorial Day Weekend!
Now, go have some fun...
shelby
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