Community Calendar – Aug. 5, 2025

Published 8:30 am Tuesday, August 5, 2025

Tomorrow

• Georgia Mountain Chapter 1125 NARFE quarterly meeting / Wed., Aug. 6 / 11:30 a.m. / Double L Restaurant in Ellijay / All federal employees, retired or active, are invited to attend the National Active and Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) meeting. A guest speaker will discuss benefits and what NARFE has done and is doing to help members. For more information, call Willard or Mary Jones at (706) 276-2728 or Ray Hanson at (706) 528-4672.

Thursday

• Highland Rivers Foundation Board of Directors / Thurs., Aug. 7 / 2:30 p.m. / Northside Hospital Cherokee – board room, 450 Northside Cherokee Blvd., Canton / The meeting is open to the public. For more information or directions, please call (706) 270-5000.

Friday

• The Air Force Jazz Band (Off the Rails Summer Concert Series) / Fri., Aug. 8 / Music starts around 6:30 p.m. / Burr Performing Arts Park, downtown Dalton.

Saturday

• Dunagan Cemetery Work Day / Sat., Aug. 9 / 8 to 10 a.m. / For more information, contact Kim Pickens at (706) 270-3301.

• Second Saturday events in Murray County / Sat., Aug. 9 / 1 to 4 p.m. / various locations / Highlighting the history of the Chatsworth Depot, the Caboose and the Wright Hotel. There is no admission charge but donations are always encouraged as the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society continues to maintain these sites. The Depot will run a couple of model trains and will show a “train movie” at 2 p.m. Popcorn and soft drinks will be available for purchase. Second Saturday will also be the last opportunity to see the Murray County High School history display at the Wright Hotel, commemorating the school’s 90th anniversary.

• Carpet Capital Chapter of the Berry Alumni Association meeting / Sat., Aug. 9 / 4 p.m. / the Old Chatsworth Depot / The meeting will feature the presentation of four scholarships to local students attending Berry College near Rome. All alumni, current students, parents and friends are invited. All are also encouraged to attend the various activities taking place in Chatsworth that day: Second Saturday events, shopping at Crown Crafts Shops and the Cruise-in at City Park. For more information about the chapter and its activities, contact President Sue Killcreas at skillcreas@optilink.us or Vice President Tim Howard at (706) 280-5535.

• Grand opening ceremony for Varnell’s new Clyde Williams Pavilion / Sat., Aug. 9 / 6 p.m. /  City Park, 422 Ruritan Drive, Varnell. Hosted by the City of Varnell, with a ribbon cutting, pizza, drinks and music. The public is invited. There will also be a mayor and council meeting. For more information, call (706) 694-8800.

Saturday & Sunday

• 2025 Cherokee Cultural Celebration / Aug. 9-10 (Sat-Sun) / 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day / Red Clay State Historic Park, 1140 Red Clay Park Road S.W. in Cleveland, Tenn. / The history and culture of the Cherokee people will be featured through demonstrations, dancing, music and more. $5 per vehicle per day cash at gate. Handicap-accessible parking will be available through the main park gate.  For more information, call (423) 478-0339.

Upcoming 

• Goodwill Opportunity Center in Dalton hosts free insurance resource event / Mon., Aug. 11 / 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. / 1001 Market St., Dalton, inside the Goodwill store / Attendees will have the opportunity to receive one-on-one, personalized guidance at no charge from a representative from Southeast Health and Life on how to navigate Medicare Advantage (Part C), Prescription Drug Plans (Part D), Medicare Supplemental Insurance (Medigap), Medicaid and other programs designed to lower healthcare costs and enhance support services. Attendees will also have the opportunity to learn more about additional free services offered at Goodwill Opportunity Centers. Visit goodwillchatt.org to learn more. For questions, call the Goodwill Opportunity Center – Dalton at (706) 609-5647.

• Powerpop band Jason Lyles and the Legitimizers  (Off the Rails Summer Concert Series) / Fri.. Aug. 15 / Music starts around 6:30 p.m. / Burr Performing Arts Park, downtown Dalton. Opening acts: Ben Van Winkle and Andrew Witherspoon.

• 28th annual Spring Place Community Festival “Treasured Memories” / Sat., Aug. 16 / beginning at 8 a.m. / Old Spring Place Methodist Church. Highlighting the day is the 10 a.m. auction including artist prints, collectibles and historical memorabilia, furniture, rugs, antiques and gift cards donated by area businesses. The festival is co-sponsored by the Spring Place Ruritan Club and commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Ruritan Club and the 150th anniversary of this particular Methodist Church building. Proceeds from the festival will go to the church preservation fund of the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society. Other festival events include a used book sale, breakfast biscuits, a bake sale, an indoor flea market, a raffle and more. For more information, contact (706) 280-5535 or (706) 264-3968.

• First National Community Bank 50th anniversary /  Mon., Aug. 18 / 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. / All 11 branches, including two in Dalton. The celebration will include food, refreshments and giveaways at the branches and a commemorative ceremony at the founding Chatsworth office featuring a tribute to the bank, which opened for business on Aug. 18, 1975.

• “State of Healthcare” / Thurs., Aug. 21 / 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. / Dalton Convention Center / Presented by the Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce. Local representatives from the area’s “healthcare system” will “share key updates, provide insight into ongoing initiatives and discuss the challenges and opportunities shaping care in our community.” The cost is $35 for chamber members and $50 for non-members. To register, visit business.daltonchamber.org/events/.

• Atlanta singer-songwriter Suzy Jones (Off the Rails Summer Concert Series) / Fri., Aug. 22 / Music starts around 6:30 p.m. / Burr Performing Arts Park, downtown Dalton. Opening acts: Austin McBryar and Atlanta blues group The Jesse Williams Band.

• North Carolina musicians The Shed Bugs (Off the Rails Summer Concert Series) / Fri., Aug. 29 / Music starts around 6:30 p.m. / Burr Performing Arts Park, downtown Dalton. Opening acts: singer-songwriter McKinney and local artist Charlsey Etheridge.

• Music City Stones, a Rolling Stones tribute act, and ZZ Top Notch, a ZZ Top tribute band (Off the Rails Summer Concert Series) / Fri., Sept. 5 / Music starts around 6:30 p.m. / Burr Performing Arts Park, downtown Dalton.