Georgia Magazine - August 2012 - (Page 24)

There’s no place like home! Small-town homecoming celebrations CARVY SNELL BY JUDY WOODWARD BATES W hen Dorothy clicked her ruby slippers and declared, “There’s no place like home,” it was a timeless sentiment shared by millions. No matter where you hang your hat or how many years you’ve been away, for most, the place where you spent your childhood is still home. Others look fondly back on the town where they raised their kids or started their married lives. And then there are some who simply visit a spot and wish they could have called it home. Quite a few small towns in Georgia acknowledge this yearning-forhome feeling and honor it yearly in special celebrations that visitors are also welcome to take part in. Like these places, for example: Roopville About 10 miles southwest of Carrollton, the tiny village of Roopville (founded in 1885 by Martin and Elizabeth Roop, population 200) will hold its 27th annual Roopville Homecoming Festival Sept. 15. Barry Huff, festival chairman, estimates 3,000 people will be in attendance. “We’ll have between 70 and 90 booths with arts, crafts and food,” Huff says. “And there’ll be a children’s play area and live entertainment in Downtown Park. We’ll also have an antique car show with about 50 entries.” Homecoming begins with a parade traveling from one end of town to the other—“about a mile and half,” guesstimates Huff, “with Central High School’s marching band in the lead. Roopville has a great family atmosphere, and I’m proud to have been born here.” Maxine Riggins, of Clayton, grew up in Roopville. “I have so many great 24 Above top: Metter’s “Another Bloomin’ Festival” brings out the kid in everyone. Young and old look forward to this annual celebration. Above: Roopville’s Homecoming Festival kicks off with a parade including a marching band and antique cars. memories of Roopville. It’s what’s home to me. My whole family comes to homecoming with me, with my son driving in from Huntsville, Ala., to attend. My grandkids love the moon walk and all the other children’s activities, and I love to see the people. I still know everybody there,” she says. “My dad, Render Caswell, was the principal at Roopville School, and my mom, Gladys, was a teacher there. Both coached basketball, and to this day, my mom still holds the record as the winningest women’s high school basketball coach in the state of Georgia. The last year Roopville School was open, 1959, their teams both won the state tournament.” Another of Roopville’s wellknown citizens is sportscaster Keith Jackson. To find out more about the Roopville Homecoming Festival, go to www.visitcarrollton.com, or phone the Roopville Historical Society Museum at (770) 854-7977. More online at www.georgiamagazine.org Odum Clear across the state and roughly midway between Macon and Jacksonville, Fla., Odum is in Wayne County and about an hour’s drive from the coast. For such a small spot in the road (population about 400), the Odum Homecoming is quite an extravaganza, with crowd estimates of 4,000 usually in attendance. Robbin Manners, the assistant city clerk and an Odum resident since age 2, co-chairs the homecoming with city clerk and lifelong resident Karen Howard. “Just before the homecoming,” says Manners, “a committee chooses a grand marshal for the parade and a family or citizen of the year.” This year marks the 37th homecoming, set for Oct. 1, and kicking off with a 10 a.m. parade that includes antique cars and trucks, tractors, wagons and horses. Add to that clowns, Shriners, Boy Scouts, the GEORGIA MAGAZINE BARRY HUFF http://www.visitcarrollton.com http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - August 2012

Georgia Magazine - August 2012
Contents
Viewpoint
Mailbox
Liberty Notes
Georgia News
Festival Guide
Calendar of Events
Currents
Ready, Set, Get Prepared
Georgia Farmers Return to Their Roots
Around Georgia
Picture This?
My Georgia
Georgia Gardens
Georgia Cooks
Snapshot

Georgia Magazine - August 2012

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