This weekend millions of Americans will be celebrating the fourth of July. To many, it is a holiday and a day for relaxation and vacations but to most, it is also the birthday of this great land we know as America. With her birth and freedom beginning on the 4th of July we can expect the usual fireworks bursting in their red, white and blue as firework displays will be set off in most every county here in Georgia as well as the rest of the country. Many of the traditions we celebrate have not changed much over the past two hundred years as we gather with family and friends to celebrate the birth of this great country.

Some fun facts related to the 4th of July include that with the many cookouts going on over 150 million hot dogs will be consumed, one of the very popular and traditional foods for the holiday! Did you know that over one billion dollars will be spent on fireworks this year with only 10% of those fireworks being set off professionally? It is no wonder then why about 13,000 injuries and visits to the local emergency rooms will also take place. Maybe you didn’t know either that even though the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776 that Independence Day wasn’t deemed a federal holiday until almost 100 years later in 1870! Also; my how we have grown as a country because back in 1776 there were only 2.5 million people in this great nation and now our population has grown to over 325 million! So as we celebrate this year with our family and friends please stop and take a moment just to appreciate the freedom our forefathers who fought for us to obtain this freedom and just how fortunate we all are!

So if you are looking for some fun things to do on this July 4th weekend you don’t have to travel far as right here in Pickens County and also in Ellijay there is a variety of things to do! The Jasper Lions’ Club will be kicking off a celebration of fun for the whole family beginning with a local carnival and rides in Lee Newton Park. On Saturday, July 3rd a parade begins at 1:00 pm behind the Jasper UMC followed by stage entertainment and bingo also at the park. On Sunday, July 4th carnival rides will run from 3:00 pm to 11:00 pm and entertainment by the Roman Festival Brass at 6:00 pm followed by the High Ridge Band from 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm and ending in a beautiful display of fireworks!

For the more mature crowds, you might just want to check out some of the local wineries like the ‘Fainting Goat Winery’ which are also having some live entertainment and libations as well.   I recently learned that a new winery “Buckley Winery” recently opened in Talking Rock will also have its own fireworks display on July 3rd for its customers to enjoy. For more information on the Jasper Lion’s fireworks please check out their FaceBook page at http://e-clubhouse.org/sites/jasper_ga/. No matter what you choose to do this weekend please be safe and remember the reason that we celebrate!