Ocoee
Ocoee, TN · Arts & Culture
wlaq1410.com
Spotlight on the 2026 Rome International Film Festival, Slated for This Thursday through Sunday [AUDIO]
It is almost showtime for the 2026 Rome International Film Festival, which will get underway on Thursday and continue through Sunday. Locals and visitors will enjoy film screenings, live music, parties, workshops, networking events, and special guests. Seth Ingram, Executive/Creative Director, says that the festival draws a lot of visitors...
Rome News-Tribune
Costumed kids get hands-on fun at Chieftains Museum
Children dressed in Halloween costumes traded trick-or-treating for science experiments, crafts and other hands-on activities at Chieftains Museum in Rome. The museum is offering STEAM Saturday activities on the last Saturday of each month. With October’s event falling on Halloween, organizers decided to incorporate spooky-themed activities. Children created their own sensory bottles using water, oil and glitter, decorated trick-or-treat bags, made masks and experimented with thaumatropes, which create the illusion of two images combining when spun rapidly. Executive Director Camille McElwee said the activities were designed to introduce children to scientific concepts through projects that feel like play. “So, we like to tailor our crafts to be easier to understand. It’s something where it’s a lot of fun, but they maybe don’t necessarily know that they’re learning something in the process until after the fact,” McElwee said. Jennifer Bagby, president of the Friends of Chieftains board, said the event also provided families with an affordable way to celebrate Halloween before traditional evening festivities began. Admission was discounted to $2 for visitors ages 5 and older, while children 4 and younger were admitted free. “Everyone knows their kids like to be in their Halloween costumes all day long, and there’s not
shabbychicboho.com
fox5atlanta.com
'Skinner Things' Halloween display in Acworth
The Upside Down has taken over an Acworth neighborhood just in time for Halloween! FOX 5's Larry Spruill visits "Skinner Things," an elaborate, handmade Stranger Things-inspired display created by Megan Skinner and her family. From a terrifying Demogorgon and floating Max to Vecna, Eddie playing Metallica and scenes straight out of Hawkins, the decorations have become a neighborhood sensation. It can be found in Parkwood Commons neighborhood off Wade Green Road.
Rome News-Tribune
DeSoto stage renamed for beloved nurse, actor, community volunteer
The Historic DeSoto Theatre Foundation marked two milestones at a donor appreciation night, cutting the ribbon on the newly renovated and renamed stage and celebrating the end of a multi-year capital campaign that raised $3.2 million to preserve the theater. At the event, held Oct. 11, the foundation was joined by members of the community to celebrate not only the millions raised, but to honor a beloved local nurse and actor, Angelique “Kiki” Petropole. The updated stage in one of Broad Street’s most historic structures will now be known as Stage Kiki, after the woman whose love of the DeSoto and stage presence left a lasting impression on longtime theater supporters. “Kiki’s stage presence was renowned in our community. Those who shared a stage with her or sat in these seats and watched her work her magic never forgot it,” Wright Ledbetter said. “Kiki knew, instinctively, how to hold an audience in the palm of her hand.” The Ledbetter family, along with other families and friends of Petropole, led the initiative to name the stage after her and raise funds for the theater. Petropole’s father and uncles were Greek immigrants who owned and operated the Busy Bee Cafe in Rome
takemetotn.com
wlaq1410.com
Schnauzerfest Rome 7 Slated for This Weekend [AUDIO]
Dogs will descend upon downtown for Schnauzerfest Rome 7, slated for this Friday and Saturday, October 30th and 31st. Festivities will culminate with the Schnauzer-ween Night Parade on Saturday night in downtown Rome. Kristi Kent, Director of Communications for the Georgia’s Rome Office Tourism, believes that it is the ‘cutest parade in Rome, GA’.
darlingtonian.com
Actors and Crew Debut Fall Play
On Oct. 16-18 the actors and crew performed their version of Our Town written by Thornton Wilder. Opening night brought nerves and new feelings for the actors. “Opening night is usually the hardest for people, and that wasn’t different for us,” junior Davis Pewitt said. “We were definitely all a little nervous, and there was some tension in the air. However, overall we still did great.’
mymix1041.com
MainStreet Cleveland Christmas Parade announces new staging location and route
The MainStreet Cleveland Christmas Parade will have a new starting location and route, after 37 years of staging at Bradley Central High School. The annual parade returns Saturday, December 5th, at 6 p.m., but construction at Bradley Central means organizers must move to a new staging area. Parade participants will...
everafterinthewoods.com
This Georgia Town Has A Gold Rush History That Started Before California’s
The phrase “There’s gold in them thar hills!” didn’t come from California. It traces back to a mint assayer in north Georgia who begged miners not to leave for the West in 1850. That plea makes total sense once you learn the local gold rush began...
ungathletics.com
No. 7 Nighthawks Sit Eighth After Day One at Fripp Island Invitational
BEAUFORT, S.C. – The No. 7 University of North Georgia (UNG) men's golf team sits eighth in a 15-team field after the opening two rounds of the Golfweek Fripp Island Invitational on Monday. The Nighthawks opened with a 10-over-par 298 before improving by nine strokes in the second round...
fox5atlanta.com
Rome News-Tribune
Good weather drives solid turnout at Chili Fest
There wasn’t a cloud in the sky as crowds of people descended on Ridge Ferry Park for the annual Chili Fest to sample the secret recipes of some of the region’s finest chili cooks. The Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Department hosted the highly anticipated autumn event Saturday with a twist. This year’s event was combined with Truck or Treat and a harvest fair, blending some of Rome’s favorite fall activities. “We had record turnout this year for chili teams as well as visitors,” Special Services Manager Tyler Stinson said. “And, as always, we have to thank Georgia Power and Lowe’s for their support, which is truly appreciated.” The Gawgia3 team claimed the People’s Choice Award and the Simmer Down team took home the Judges’ Choice Award. Winner of the Best Booth Name category was “One and Done,” and Wild Acres Chili Makers won Best Booth Set Up. “We ran out of chili in two hours,” said Nick Phillips with the Gawgia3 team. “That’s 8 gallons of chili. It was just a super busy day.” Phillips and partner Drew Haynes must have done something right, because they claimed the People’s Choice Award in a crowded field. “We had 15 teams this
ungvanguard.org
Local Band Rocks Fright Jam
The University of North Georgia’s Fright Jam brought an unexpected turnout to the Dahlonega campus last Wednesday, Oct. 21, and featured a performance from the student-led band Dogism. The annual festival, hosted by Nighthawks Entertainment, packed the Promenade with over 1,000 students and community members dressed up for Halloween,...
Rome News-Tribune
‘It was a blessing’: Local nonprofit raises thousands through golf tournament
Fishes and Loaves Ministry recently held its first fundraiser in the form of a golf tournament, which raised $12,000. The Christian-based nonprofit, which operates both a thrift store and a food pantry for those in need, held its golf tournament last week at Stonebridge Golf Club. “The tournament went far better than we could have ever expected,” said Dillon Guest, co-founder of the nonprofit. “It was great. We had a lot more golfers than we anticipated, a lot more sponsors, and of course that led to many more funds than we anticipated for the ministry. So, it was a blessing.” The tournament was organized by Jenni Parkman, Guest said, and it drew 72 golfers and 26 businesses as sponsors. Fishes and Loaves will use the money to purchase another space to expand its Lindale food pantry to its own location, if there is a space available, he said. The food pantry is in the same location as the thrift store, 3140 Maple Road SE, and it’s a space they have outgrown. Other possible uses for the funding include covering six months of rent at the facility’s current location or providing roughly 12,000 meals, Guest said. “The most important thing we’re