Community Calendar

Published 8:15 am Saturday, June 21, 2025

Ongoing
• The swimming pool at Dalton’s John Davis Recreation Center, 904 Civic Drive, will be open an additional hour on Fridays. Pool hours are now Tuesday through Thursday — 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday — 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday — noon to 5 p.m.; and Sunday — 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the pool is $3 per person, including non-swimmers. Proper swim attire is required, including swim diapers with a swimsuit worn over them for infants. The kiddie pool isn’t open due to ongoing construction. While the pool is open, the rest of the John Davis Center is still under construction. There is currently a different way to enter and exit the pool this summer. Park at the Ron Nix Soccer Complex end of James Brown Park and walk through the soccer complex to the pool area.

• The Varnell Farmers Market is open Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the picnic area on Main Street in Varnell through Sept. 30.

• The Downtown Dalton Farmers Market, which is sponsored by the Downtown Dalton Development Authority, takes place on Dalton Green, 117 N. Selvidge St., from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Saturdays through Oct. 6.

Sat. June 21 – Sun. June 22

• Metrotham Con Episode VI Trek Wars will take place at the Dalton Convention Center, 2211 Tony Ingle Parkway, Dalton. Metrotham Con is a multi-fandom pop culture convention that is all inclusive to everyone and features different categories including: Gaming, Cosplay, Livestreaming, Art, Live Music, LARP, Pop Culture, Vendors, Celebrity Guests, Kids Events, Panels, and more. Convention Hours are Saturday 10 a.m. to midnight; Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Vendor Hall hours are Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit metrothamcon.com.

Sat. June 21

• GARTRA: Georgia Recreational Trail Riders Association will hold the first Houston Valley Ohv Park Workday of 2025 at 1033 Capehart Rd, Ringgold. Meet at 9 a.m.  in the parking lot for a safety meeting and work plan. GARTRA will provide lunch and drinks for the volunteers that respond to organizers by Friday afternoon, June 20, Bring liquids to stay hydrated and branch pruning tools. For more info, visit facebook.com/GARTRA1

• Fort Mountain State Park, 181 Fort Mountain Park Road Chatsworth, will host a nature painting program from 9-11:30 a.m. Participants should be prepared to “get messy” as they explore a 1.0 mile hike around the lake and collect fallen objects for a nature-based painting session afterwards. All ages welcome. Begins at the Beach area. $5 parking. (706) 422-1932.

• The Living Bridge Center, the North Georgia Health District’s Ryan White HIV Clinic program, will host a special community event in Dalton from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Mack Gaston Community Center. Free HIV rapid testing will be offered, and the first 20 people to get tested will receive gift bags.

• There will be a fish fry and spades tournament at the Kultur Cigar Lounge, 314 S. Pentz St., Dalton, as part of the Dalton-Whitfield NAACP’s Juneteenth celebration. The fish fry starts at 3 p.m. and the spades tournament at 4. The entry fee for the tournament is $40 per team. The winning team will receive a $200 cash prize and bragging rights for an entire year. To enter a team in the tournament, contact Marisa Kelley at (913) 426-7870 or mekelley@hotmail.com. The signup deadline was June 14.

• Dalton Masonic Lodge #105, 102 N Pentz St, Dalton, will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Masonic Hall from 5-7 p.m. with a Cornerstone Rededication Ceremony, conducted by Grand Master Mark Bradley and some of his Grand Line Officers. The historic occasion will honor a century of Masonic brotherhood, tradition, and service to the community. Dalton Lodge was chartered in 1849. Following the ceremony, attendees are invited for dinner and a special presentation reflecting on the lodge’s past, present, and future. The event is open to the public. You do not have to be a Freemason to attend.

Sun. June 22

• Whitfield Baptist Church will have missionary Josh Sullivan and his family as the church’s guests for Friends and Family Day at 10 a.m. On April 10, Sullivan was taken hostage at gunpoint during his church service in front of his wife and six children. After spending five days in captivity, he was rescued. Sullivan will share his testimony about his rescue in the main sanctuary of the church, 2134 Dug Gap Road, Dalton. He will also preach during the 11 a.m. service. Cofield invites everyone; a nursery and preschool church will be provided for the 11 a.m. service. For more information, call (706) 278-6776 or refer to the church webpage at whitfieldbaptist.com.

• Fort Mountain State Park, 181 Fort Mountain Park Road Chatsworth, will host a Big Rock Falls Hike from 10 a.m. to noon. Participants will join a ranger on a ¾-mile guided hike down the Big Rock Trail. Moderate difficulty rating. Begins at the Big Rock Trailhead. $5 parking. (706) 422-1932.