Friday, October 17, 2014

Fall Festivals: Explore the World in Your Own Community

By Jeff Burns

Cooler weather, leaves turning.  That means it’s time for the fall festivals that abound at this time of year.  Every weekend, you can find something fun to take in.  Schools, churches, and communities have their annual fairs and festivals.  There are arts and crafts festivals, quilt shows, ethnic festivals, and Native American powwows everywhere.
Recently, we went to Greece and Romania in the same day, about an hour from our home.  First up was the 39th Atlanta Greek Festival held at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation.  There were vendors selling jewelry and fashion, and Greek music and dancing on stage all day long.  The big attraction, of course, was the fantastic food:  souvlaki, moussaka, baklava, salads, Greek coffee, Greek potatoes, gyros, etc.  There was even a market where you could buy Greek pastries to take home along with any ingredient you needed to cook Greek at home.

The Cathedral was also open for tours and brief lectures by parishioners about the history of the Greek Orthodox Church and its rituals.  The cathedral was built in the 1960s and is the home of beautiful one of a kind mosaic icons and scenes, like the figure of Christ on the dome interior on the left and the resurrection in the center, created by a gifted Italian artist.

Then, twenty minutes later, we were in Romania for the Atlanta Fall Romanian Festival, which had a different feel.  It was much smaller, and there were no vendors except for food. Here, the focus was on food and performance.  Romanian was the language of the day.  The emcees spoke Romanian and looked as if they were Eastern European television news presenters.   There was food (like the stuffed cabbage and polenta in the photo), dance, and music, and the church operated a small Romanian museum, with mostly examples of national costumes.

It was a fun and delicious whirlwind tour of southeastern Europe.  Take your own tour this weekend!

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Over Here and Over There: Travel across Georgia to enjoy World War II History

By Nina Kendall

Traveling exhibits and special events at local and state institutions are great opportunities to enjoy a little history. This fall you can immerse yourselves in World War II history. The University of West Georgia, and the 6th Cavalry Museum are hosting events this fall that commemorate the contribution of Georgia and Georgians to the fight to win World War II.  

The events at the University of West Georgia are built around the display of the traveling panel exhibit, “Over Here and Over There: Georgia and Georgians in World War II” that opens October 13, 2014. This exhibit focuses on how Georgians on the home front and the battle field made contributions to fighting World War II. Over Here and Over There is free and open to the public and will be on display through December 7 in the University of West Georgia’s Ingram Library. This exhibit is presented by the Ingram Library’s Penelope Melson Society with the support of the Georgia Humanities Council will also include displays of artifacts from local collectors of World War II memorabilia. While the exhibit is open, the University of West Georgia will host events and lectures to complement the display and engage the public.

The 6th Calvary Museum will host the 5th Annual Remembering Our Heroes - School Day Program on October 24, 2014 from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Bring your students the Museum to experience World War II program presented by living historians. Thanks to a grant from the Georgia Humanities Council, Georgia students are admitted for free. Students from Tennessee are just $2 each. All teachers, chaperones and bus drivers are free. School groups must register in advance. Call the museum at 706-861-2860 to schedule your school group.

The 5th Annual Remembering Our Heroes will take place on October 25, 2014, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. and be open to the public.  The 6th Cavalry Museum and community volunteers present a day of living history and remembrance of our Armed Forces.  The event will be held on the former parade ground of the Army Post at Fort Oglethorpe. Come to the museum and experience World War II history in a brand new way.
 



Events
 
Over Here and There: Georgia and Georgians in World War II
University of West Georgia/Ingram Library
1601 Maple St., Carrollton 30118
October 13, 2014 9:00 AM to December 07, 2014 5:00 PM
The exhibit, on display at the University of West Georgia/Ingram Library, will focus on WWII and the home front.

Swing Time: An Extravaganza of Big Band Music from the World War II Era
University of West Georgia Campus Center Ballroom
1601 Maple St., Carrollton 30118
October 17, 2014 7:00 PM to October 17, 2014 9:00 PM
The event features live music and dance of the WWII era, led by Dr. Dan Bakos, Director of Jazz Studies at the University of W. Georgia.

Remembering Our Heroes School Day
6th Cavalry Museum
6 Barnhardt Circle, Ft. Oglethorpe 30742
October 24, 2014 9:00 AM to October 24, 2014 1:00 PM
This will be a day of living World War II history at the 6th Cavalry Museum at Ft. Oglethorpe.

Remembering Our Heroes  
6th Cavalry Museum
6 Barnhardt Circle, Ft. Oglethorpe 30742
October 25, 2014 10:00 AM to October 25, 2014 4:00 PM
This will be a day of living World War II history at the 6th Cavalry Museum at Ft. Oglethorpe.

Mobilizing the Arsenal of Democracy: How Georgia was Transformed During WWII
University of West Georgia/Ingram Library
1601 Maple St., Carrollton 30118
October 28, 2014 11:00 AM to October 28, 2014 12:00 PM
Dr. Charles Chamberlain will speak on the economic impact of WWII in Georgia and the South.

Rationing for Victory: Food as a Weapon on the Home Front in World War II
University of West Georgia/Ingram Library
1601 Maple St., Carrollton 30118
November 11, 2014 11:00 AM to November 11, 2014 12:00 PM
Dr. Jennifer Jensen Wallach of the University of N. Texas and author of, "How America Eats: A Social History of U.S. Food and Culture" discusses food rationing during WWII.