Local Peachtree City Businesses participate at Atlanta Dogwood Festival

The PCTA has worked to gather items from local businesses that will showcase Peachtree City in a series of giveaways geared to drive visitors to the Peachtree City booth, located inside the International Village of the Dogwood Festival. Giveaways range in value and include airplane rides, tickets to a concert at “The Fred,” overnight hotel stays, tickets to The Great Georgia Air Show, complete weekend packages, and gift bags and coupons from local businesses. These giveaways will be promoted, throughout the Dogwood Festival, on the PCTA social media sites, including Facebook and Twitter, and on Dogwood radio, a radio station dedicated strictly to the Dogwood Festival that will stream info about the Dogwood Festival all weekend long.
Peachtree City will be the only municipality represented at the 74th Annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival and the Peachtree City booth will offer an interactive way for guests to view Peachtree City. Guests can choose to shoot for a hole-in-one on a 10-foot putting green, watch a streaming video that offers a birds eye view of the 90 miles of golf cart paths, or sign up, on site, for the PCTA social media sites, including Facebook and Twitter. Guests will also be able to vote for their favorite decorated golf cart, the Dogwood Festival’s Mobile Art program, at the Peachtree City booth. In addition, two thousand Peachtree City promotional items and over seven thousand pieces of Peachtree City marketing materials will be distributed among the 200,000 guests in attendance.

“Providing an interactive booth for guests to enjoy was only half the battle, the other half is driving guests to the booth” said Kai Wolter, Vice Chairman of the Board, The Peachtree City Tourism Association. “We had to be creative and immediately thought about getting local business involved to donate items that could be included in a series of giveaways.”
The PCTA would like to recognize and thank the businesses that have contributed to the giveaways, Dolce Atlanta Peachtree, Falcon Field, Hilton Garden Inn, Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites, Wyndham Peachtree Conference Center, Sleep Inn, Sugarfoot Yarns, The Avenue’s, The Frederick Brown, Jr. Amphitheater, The Great Georgia Air Show, The Guide, Air Spruce, Bulldog Supply, Canongate Golf Clubs, Carrabbas, Commemorative Air Force, Georgia Shrimp Company, Partners Pizza, Pascal's Bistro, Peachtree City Golf Cars, Peachtree City Tennis Center, and Yknots.

Peachtree City Mayor will present award at Dogwood Festival

Guests of the 74th Annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival will vote for their favorite decorated golf cart, and Peachtree City’s Mayor Don Haddix has been invited to present an award to the winner.

Golf Carts will again be decorated by local consulates and organizations, and during the festival hours, will be parked throughout the park. Guests will be encouraged to vote for their favorite decorated golf cart at the Peachtree City booth, located inside the International Village. The golf cart receiving the most votes will be honored, and receive an award presented by Peachtree City’s Honorable Mayor Don Haddix, at a ceremony on Sunday April 18, 2010.

“When Brian Hill, Executive Director of the Dogwood Festival, reached out to us to participate, we knew that it would be a perfect match,” said Don Haddix, Mayor of Peachtree City. “Peachtree City is well known across the country for our path system and golf cart use, that and we couldn’t miss this opportunity to be involved in the mobile art program.”

Peachtree City participates in the 74th Annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival

The City of Peachtree City will partner with the Peachtree City Tourism Association (PCTA) and the Development Authority of Peachtree City (DAPC) to showcase Peachtree City during the  74th Annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival beginning April 16, 2010. The Dogwood Festival is a three-day event that April visitors to Atlanta have enjoyed for the past 74 years. The PCTA and the DAPC are both dedicated to spreading awareness and encouraging conventions, groups, and leisure visitors alike to visit Peachtree City.

The 74th Annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival is the third oldest arts festival in the country and will take place on April 16, 17, and 18, 2010 in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park. The three-day event is free to the public and is filled with art, live entertainment ranging from music to comedy, a variety of food offerings and the fantastic Atlanta spring weather. The festival is the only fine arts festival in Georgia to be recognized as being in the top 100 in the nation and is expected to draw close to 200,000 visitors.

Last year, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival celebrated the diversity of the Atlanta community by adding an International stage to its offerings and bringing the city’s international organizations and consulates on board to create mobile art in the form of decorated golf carts. The program was so successful and well received by attendees that this spring the stage will expand into an International Village.

The mobile art will also be repeated this year and guests will be encouraged to vote for their favorite decorated golf cart at the Peachtree City booth, located in the International Village. The golf cart receiving the most votes will be honored and presented an award, by Peachtree City’s Honorable Mayor Don Haddix, at a ceremony to be held Sunday April 18, 2010.

Hi, hi, black birds?

February 3, 2010

I wish the annual Audubon Bird Count was going on in Peachtree City yesterday. The trees around City Hall were aflutter with a veritable cacophony of little black birds migrating somewhere. I tried to get some pics by trailing their chorus through Picnic Park, but they hopped trees, en masse, so quickly that I couldn’t get close enough for an ID or snapshot.

Oh well. Since I was beside Lake Peachtree, a gaggle of coots came to see if I had food to share – the year-round resident Canada geese and mallards were trailing right behind them. The coots posed for my camera, but a lone bluebird streaked by too quickly for the auto focus to catch.

I confess, I’m actually not an avid bird watcher (or I would probably have been able to identify the little black birds by their call). I have a bird feeder, stocked with a variety of tasty treats from our local wild bird store, and I have a small book that helps me identify most of the standard suburban visitors. With that said, Peachtree City is a real birder’s paradise. The entire city is a designated bird sanctuary, and with 30% of our 24 square miles left as some type of natural green or open space, there are a huge variety of birds to be seen on our winding paths and in our nature areas.

I can now recognize with ease the regular red-tailed hawks and great blue herons fishing in our lakes and streams, but had the devil of a time identifying a juvenile green heron a couple of years ago. We’ve even had reports of several bald eagles spending time near the Lake Peachtree dam, but I wasn’t able to spot one.

So, with wet socks – it was a chilly, rainy day -- I waved goodbye to the flock of unidentified little black birds as they passed through our town. They brought a cheery note to what was otherwise a pretty gray Groundhog Day.

Contributed by Betsy Tyler, Public Information Officer/City Clerk

Treasure Hunting with a GPS

It seems everyday that I am learning about the great new things that technology has to offer and I have a long list of things that I want to learn or investigate. I admit I was obsessed with the “Google phone” for a long time and read every bit of news that came out. Though I had heard about it, until recently Geocaching was not one of the things that had been on my list of things to investigate. But when the staff at the Tourism Association began discussing Geocaching, there was an excitement about participating in such a fun activity and we all knew that this was the perfect activity with our recreational paths and environment to do in Peachtree City.


If you haven’t heard about it, Geocaching is the same scavenger or treasure hunt that has fascinated young and old throughout the years but with done with a GPS device. People all over the world have hidden containers outside with everything from notes to prizes that can be discovered by anyone equipped with a GPS device. This has become not only a great activity for people who seek a little adventure but also families who want to spend time together in a fun, out of the ordinary activity.

The Peachtree City staff has also been excited  about getting involved in Geocaching and reached out last month with an informational request to the community “Do you Geocache and would you like an event here in Peachtree City?” They received a great response back, but as we plan a future Geocache event in Peachtree City we would still like more input on what kind of Geocaching activities and events should be held as well as suggestions of new hidden locations. We welcome any comments you may have or e-mail us at info@peachtree-city.org or info@visitpeachtreecity.com.

For hidden locations currently in Peachtree City, GA as well as a lot of other great information, visit http://www.geocaching.com/.

Post by Mary Camburn

Gobble till you wobble..

Turkey day staycation or vacation…that is the question. This is the time of year that begins to get a bit crazy with soirée after soiree, family get togethers and if you’re like me- STRESS! People are pinching pennies more then ever and that is definitely reflected in travel plans….including my own. Thankfully the majority of my family lives in Orlando…semi driving distance (6 hours)…BUT STILL…it would be much easier to board the three (yes three) dogs, take a week or so off work, hire someone to clean the house and do the laundry while we are gone and purchase a plane ticket with the perk of being there in an hour and a half. Ahhhh wouldn’t that be dreamy! I don’t know about you but my thanksgiving isn’t complete without my mom’s turkey and dressing, staying in “comfy clothes,” stuffing myself and some good sleep. It was interesting to see that AAA just reported more Americans, and Georgians, will travel for the Thanksgiving holiday. AAA projects 38.4 million Americans will travel a distance of 50 miles or more away from home throughout Thanksgiving weekend. Hmmmmm….will the trend continue through the holidays? Well…I will be one of those who travels more then 50 miles to get my fill of turkey…

I mean….who could pass this up!

Contributed by Lauren Yawn, Executive Director

Peachtree City Tourism Board Member Recognition

The Peachtree City Tourism Association (PCTA) would like to congratulate Dave Ring, PCTA Board Member, for receiving the distinguished award of “State Volunteer of the Year” by the Georgia Recreation & Park Association (GRPA). This award is given to individuals for their outstanding volunteer efforts throughout the year.

Dave has been a long time volunteer in Peachtree City (PTC) and member of the Peachtree City Recreation Commission. Also, he has served on the PCTA Board of Directors since it’s inception in 2004.

Dave is a tremendous resource to the PCTA Board of Directors and staff. He has contributed not only time and leadership but has helped build bridges in other tourism areas of interest, such as recreation. Dave is always contributing in the promotion of PTC and Tourism. Through his travels, Dave has been known to wear his PTC baseball cap and deliver the message to many, Peachtree City- “Plan to Stay.” We are proud to have Dave Ring as a member of our organization.

A Fall Day in Peachtree City

One of highlights of the fall season has always been taking walks, bike rides and just being outside enjoying the fall colors and cooler weather. In Peachtree City, we have two nature areas that are perfect for enjoying these fall days. If you are planning a day trip to Peachtree City, the day should definitely include visiting these two nature areas.

Line Creek Nature Area
Located on the Coweta/Fayette County line, this 70 acre preserve on Line Creek has a picnic area and fishing pond with gazebo and pier, perfect for an afternoon picnic getaway for the family. The nature area also features two trails offering picturesque views for both the casual walker enjoying the scenery and the adventurous hiker.

Flat Creek Nature Area

This 513 Acre wetland includes a mulch trail, 1200 foot boardwalk and two viewing platforms with benches. The Southern Conservation Trust who manages these two nature areas offers a description of “a walk on the boardwalk in the Flat Creek Nature Area that reveals trees and plants typical of a Piedmont forested wetland, including red maples, chestnut oak, American hornbeam and other native plants like turtlehead ferns and cardinal flower.”

For residents and visitors alike, both of these nature areas offer a great option for a sunny cool day to enjoy nature and the fall colors. For more information on Peachtree City, go to http://www.visitpeachtreecity.com/ and the nature areas, go to http://www.sctlandtrust.org./

Creative businesses and products in Georgia

     The Peachtree City Tourism Association, Inc. is encouraging local artisans, entertainers, festival planners and theaters to join and participate in the website www.GaMadeGaGrownProducts.org from the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) and the Georgia Tourism Foundation to assist them in gaining exposure and forming useful partnerships.

     The association also encourages Peachtree City businesses, residents and visitors to check out the www.GaMadeGaGrownProducts.org website, a detailed creative industries database, as the best way to search for Georgia’s arts-centric businesses: from handmade jewelry to local festivals, pick-your-own farms to performers. This growing directory connects buyers and sellers, corporations and corporate suppliers, locals and visitors to Georgia's cultural assets and creative small businesses.

     Listings on the website are free, so artists, producers and retailers selling authentic Georgia Made Georgia Grown products and productions are eligible to be part of this marketing tool. It is never too late to sign up; simply visit www.GaMadeGaGrownProducts.org to register.
     The Peachtree City Tourism Association also welcomes those businesses who participate in the GaMadeGaGrownProducts.org to display their information on a short term rotating basis at the Visitors Center. Please contact the staff at info@visitpeachtreecity.com or at the Visitors Center located at 10 Planterra Way, Peachtree City, GA 678-216-0282 for more information.

Tourism Staff attends the Sunbelt Ag Expo

The Peachtree City Staff again attended the Sunbelt Ag Expo last week with another great experience promoting Peachtree City.

“The Expo allows Peachtree City Tourism to target vacationers and inform people on what, where and why Peachtree City is a great place to visit and live. There are not many trade shows that you can reach almost 100 thousand attendees at one time and sell your product.”


The expo showcases a diverse array of labor-saving products, cutting edge technology and interactive educational exhibits for visitors who attend the 32nd anniversary Sunbelt Ag Expo, October 20-22, 2009, in Moultrie, Georgia. As North America's Premier Farm Show™, the Expo attracts more than 1,200 exhibitors and 100,000 attendees.

From farm to market, garden to field, classroom to home, the Expo truly has something for everyone. The Expo’s permanent home is Spence Field, a former airbase on 1,680 acres. The Expo is located four miles southeast of U.S. Hwy. 319 on Georgia Hwy. 133.

Ambassador Program in Peachtree City.

The Peachtree City Tourism Association has started a new program this fall called "The Tourism Ambassador Program".

Tourism Ambassadors will offer a warm welcome to visitors as they visit and stay in our community and attend community events. Ambassadors will also be assisting visitors who come into the Peachtree City Visitors Center. The Tourism Staff is excited to be working with these wonderful ambassadors for Peachtree City and are always looking for more volunteers!

The Tourism Ambassadors have already been out promoting Peachtree City and assisting visitors at this year's Great Georgia Air Show. Two of our great Ambassadors can be seen in the picture above. Stay tuned for updates on the many activities the Ambassadors have planned for the future and remember to look for them at the next Peachtree City event.

If you would like more information about the Ambassador Program and how you can volunteer, contact Jeremy Hogan at jhogan@visitpeachtreecity.com.

Halloween Fun this weekend!

Here are some great ways to spend the weekend in Peachtree City.

Find your perfect pumpkin at the Peachtree City Volunteer Firefighter's Association Pumpkin Sale.  Purchase can be made at Weber Station (481 South Peachtree Parkway) and Leach Station (110 Paschall Road).

If you enjoy a fun and frightful Halloween, check out the Peachtree City Fire Department Haunted House and Haunted Trail on Friday, October 23rd and Saturday, October 24th (Also on October 30th and 31st) at Leach Station (110 Paschall Rd).

Finally, for the whole family don't forget the "Not So Frightful Storytelling Halloween Party" on Saturday, October 24th at the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheather from 4:00 p.m to 7:00 p.m.  There will be storytelling, a costume contest, trick-or-treating and more....

For more information on any of these events, check out http://www.peachtree-city.org/ or http://www.amphitheater.org/.

WWII Heritage Days April 24 - 25, 2010

The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Dixie Wing has announced that they will be hosting the seventh edition of "WWII Heritage Days" on April 24-25, 2010 in Peachtree City, GA. Highlights for the 2010 event include:

• Opening Ceremony honoring The Greatest Generation.
• Vintage aircraft, including a p-51 Mustang, SBD Dauntless, and Japanese Zero and Kate.
• Military vehicles, canteen shows, and educational displays and demonstrations.
• "Keep 'em Flying" WWII-theme hangar dance, complete with 21-piece band, singers, and BBQ dinner.

WWII Heritage Days is an annual program that promotes historic preservation, education and citizenship through a celebration for the entire family. Last years event included living history displays and demonstrations, vintage aircraft, and vehicles. Reenactors came from all over the southeast to create mock battles set in Europe and the the Pacific. Pictures from the 2009 WWII Heritage Days can be seen at the following link, http://http://pwoodellis.zenfolio.com/p1033771695. Also, for more details on the 2009 event, please visit www.wwiidays.org.

The Commemorative Air Force is a non-profit organization dedicated to flying and restoring World War II Aircraft. www.commemorativeairforce.org.

Stay Tuned for more information as we get closer to the event.

Peachtree City in the News!

Check out the October addition of Southern Living. In the Georgia Living: People and Places section, there is a great article about a local Peachtree City company, Smart Energy Stuff, that sells Solar Golf Carts and other solar products. The article also compliments Peachtree City 's energy savings "conscience" in establishing 90-miles of receational paths with golf carts being an integral part of transportation in the City. If you would like to read more about Peachtree City, check out http://www.blogger.com/www.visitpeachtreecity.com or http://www.peachtree-city.org/.

The LEGO Experience Tour in Peachtree City

LEGO Systems, Inc. announced this week that they will bring their nationwide tour, The LEGO Experience, to Peachtree City, GA at The Great Georgia Airshow on October 10th and 11th.

The LEGO experience lets children and adults enjoy hands-on, minds-on fun from family building games and challenges to video games and inspiration models.

The Lego Experience features the following activity tents

• The Welcome Experience: families start their LEGO Experience with an overview of the activities, LEGO trivia and are given their event passport to explore the fun,
• The Model Mash-Up: a celebration of the creative minds of children, LEGO Master Builders drew inspiration from every LEGO theme and play set available today to create a stunning centerpiece landscape of a LEGO CITY full of hidden surprises, humorous moments, creative models and building ideas to showcase how, in a child’s mind, nothing is impossible.
• The Family Challenge Experience: every member of the family is invited to step up to the podium and go head-to-head with other families in fun games and timed building challenges that get everyone in on the LEGO fun.
• The Construction Experience: families are invited to get hands-on, minds-on with the LEGO brand by exploring their imaginations and challenging their inner builders to create custom models to add to a LEGO Cityscape.
• The Bricks & Beyond Experience: families step into a showcase of the best of the rest of what the LEGO brand has to offer. Interactive game stations let families plug into blockbuster LEGO video games. They can take in fan-generated LEGO movies, explore the rich online activities at LEGO.com or sign up to become members of the LEGO Club.

For more information, http://www.TheLegoExperienceTour.blogspot.com or The Great Georgia Airshow website http://s249195248.onlinehome.us/FAQS.aspx

The Great Georgia Air Show

For the 12th year, Falcon Field in Peachtree City will be host to The Great Georgia Air Show on Saturday, October 10 and Sunday October 11. Named as one of Southeast Tourism Society's Top 20 Events, http://www.southeasttourism.org/, this aviation festival showcases modern and historic military aircraft, thrilling aerobatics, and activities for the whole family. Some of the highlights of the air show include:

• Marine AV-8B Harrier II and Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt Demonstrations Teams.
• The Golden Knights, U.S. Army's precision parachute team.
• Red Show Air Show Team, performing aerobatics in Russian and Chinese made trainers.
• Daredevil teams, Red Eagle Air Sports, Kent Gordon and Greg Koontz.
• Aircraft and helicopters from all military branches will be on display.

For more information, visit www.thegreatgeorgiaairshow.com.

Peachtree City's 50th Anniversary Celebration

Peachtree City caps a summer of 50th anniversary events with the a celebration on the City Hall Plaza tomorrow evening September 25, 2009 with music, cake, inflatables, and ground level pyrotechnics. Also, during the evening, the Promise Place will have it's "Run from Domestic Violence" 5k Run starting at 6:00 p.m. The celebration continues on Saturday with the Dragon Boat Races and International Festival starting at 9:00 a.m at Drake Field. There will be great international food, entertainment and activities and the highlight of the day, teams from all over Peachtree City in dragon boats racing on Lake Peachtree.

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For more information on all of these events, please visit www.peachtree-city.org, the dragon boat website, http://www.ptcdragonboats.org/, and the promise place website, http://www.promiseplace.org/

Promise Place 5K "Run From Domestic Violence"

Promise Place will sponsor its annual 5K “Run from Domestic Violence” on Friday September 25, 2009 at City Hall in Peachtree City. All funds raised from this event will go towards the Emergency Shelter and Home, where victims of domestic violence can go for safety, protection and to begin to repair and rebuild their lives.

Domestic abuse occurs at all levels in our society. The victims flee and need immediate shelter and protection. It usually isn’t during an 8 to 5 workday. In most cases, the abused victims have escaped with little or no possessions. Lives must be repaired and rebuilt. That is the business of Promise Place.

In 2008 Promise Place provided service to the Griffin Judicial District which includes Fayette, Spalding, Upson, and Pike Counties to a total of 1,572 victims: 848 women, 709 children and 15 men. Our Teen Dating Violence Prevention Program reaches over 1,500 high school students and our Domestic Violence Awareness talks are presented to over 1,400 community members.

Promise Place is a 501c-3 non-profit organization, which depends almost entirely on community support and donations. We provide legal advocacy, crisis hot line help, counseling for victims, and their children, a food pantry, Safe Teen Dating Education in Fayette County schools, law enforcement education and Christmas presents for children.

Please join us for a good time and a great cause on Friday September 25, at 5:00pm.

We welcome your support in any capacity for this important fundraising event. All donations are tax deductible.

On behalf of Executive Directors Sonja Strickland and Vanessa Mottley and the Board of Directors for Promise Place, thank you for your generous support.

For information please call 770 632 8733 or email: aplatlanta@bellsouth.net

Registration and sponsor information on-line at http://bit.ly/18FQFF

Falcon Field Airport is developing a special place to honor our active military, veterans, and their families of all Services who have served and sacrificed for our country.

The Falcon Field Veterans Memorial will be located prominently at the entrance to Falcon Field Airport and will be highlighted by a mounted Air Force F-16 "Fighting Falcon" jet fighter. The Veterans Memorial area will be nicely landscaped, include night lighting, and feature a Military Walk of Honor and a brick paver recognition area dedicated to permanently recognizing those that have contributed to preserving our freedom.

The dedication of the Falcon Field Veterans Memorial is the opening milestone event of the renaissance of Falcon Field as the aviation gateway to Peachtree City and Fayette County. Falcon Field has many new and exciting developments underway that will firmly establish the airport as the premiere regional airport serving the southern metropolitan Atlanta area.

Freedom is not Free !
Thank those who have served and sacrificed.

For mor information, please go to http://bit.ly/602M4

Georgia Dream Pass Program

Peachtree City is the newest participant in the Georgia Dream Pass program

The Peachtree City Tourism Association (PCTA) is the newest participant in The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) Dream Pass Program. The Georgia Dream Pass is a free consumer “membership rewards” affinity program that gives members access to special offers and benefits that are exclusive to cardholders and these benefits are now available at the Peachtree City Visitor’s Center.

The PCTA is working closely with local hotels to offer a number of incentives for Dream Pass members to visit Peachtree City. These incentives include a hand painted Peachtree City ornament, a $25.00 Gift Certificate to Outback Steakhouse with a qualifying stay at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites, and a Complimentary Breakfast with a qualifying stay at Dolce Atlanta-Peachtree as well as 10% discount at their Lakeview Dining Restaurant.

“The goal of the program is to increase the number of visitors to Georgia, while encouraging residents to discover what is in their own backyard,” said GDEcD's Deputy Commissioner for Tourism and Marketing, Charlie Gatlin. “We are the first state to develop a membership rewards program of this scope that will in turn provide us measurable results.”

The program has already seen success beginning with the launch of its first phase, “Georgia is Big on Golf,” in March 2007. The wallet-sized card is currently offering rewards and incentives at more than 35 participating golf courses and resorts, including Cuscowilla, Barnsley Gardens and Callaway Gardens, to name just a few. To date, more than 5,000 members are taking advantage of rewards that include special member rates on green fees, discounted rates at resorts, restaurants and attractions as well as many other exceptional offers.

To learn more about the Georgia Dream Pass program, become a member or participating partner, visit www.visitpeachtreecity.com and/or www.GAdreampass.com or call the Peachtree City Visitor’s Center at 678-216-0282