Powers Crossroads

Saturday, Frank and I attended the Powers’ Crossroads Country Fair and Art Festival which was formed in 1971 by local and well known artist, Tom Powers. I had planned to take pictures with my Nikon but the battery exhausted signal made that impossible.  So with the help of my cell phone camera I was able to catch a few random pics of things that interested me. Back to the festival...the site of the festival was on the beautiful grounds of the Powers Family Plantation. When we parked and entered we found the exhibitors were set up along winding paths under shady trees. It was so pleasant to stroll, smell the wonderful flavors of funnel cakes, polish sausage, bbq, and homemade potato chips wafting through the air. Frank and I ate an apple and blueberry fritter from a bakery in Carrollton, GA. It was fabulous. Next door to that stand was a group cooking fried oreos….ever had one? They are delish. The 4-H was bbqing chickens for chicken plates, a Baptist church was doing southern style vegetable plates cooked outside in huge cast iron pots…and it you are a sensory kind of person….this was overload at its finest. This Festival has been a huge success from its beginning and involves all the communities of Heard and Coweta Counties.

Mr. Powers operated the Festival himself for 3 ½ years with much cooperation and assistance of these communities and their civic and church organizations. For various reasons, health and otherwise, Mr. Powers had to give up the operation of the festival and in the middle of that last year the Festival was under the supervision of the Newnan Coweta Chamber of Commerce. In 1975 Coweta Festivals, Inc., was formed as an umbrella organization of six Non-Profit Civic groups; Newnan Coweta Chamber of Commerce, the Newnan Coweta Art Association, The Newnan Coweta Jaycees, The Pilot Club of Newnan, The Newnan Coweta Chapter of Professional Secretaries International (later changed to International Association of Administrative Professionals) and the 4-H Boys and Girls of Coweta County. These non-profit organizations purchased the Festival site a few years later when the land became available.

The 86 acres now belongs to Coweta Festivals, Inc., and the annual Festival continues to be a success. It has become well known throughout the nation and has been selected several times by the Southeast Tourism Society as one of “The Top Twenty Events” for the month of September. I can believe it. It was great fun to look at the artists creations. I was so impressed with all their work….no two tents alike. There were two hundred and fifty artists and craftsmen displaying their efforts along the path.

At the Powers Crossroads Grist Mill(the original one) you could see a demonstration of how cornmeal is made, sample some corn/wheat/rye mini pancakes, speckled grits, and pilgrims porridge (I bought a bag of that and ate it for supper on Sunday night)....you can buy fresh ground corn meal, grits, porridge and pancake mix! At the Blacksmith’s stable children were given a chance to be a smithy’s assistant and they got a miniature horseshoe after the explanation. This year was the 40th anniversary of the festival and what an awesome experience. Country, gospel, folk and contemporary music was featured at the main stage in the entertainment area….and there were several stage areas located throughout the festival grounds with entertainers voices filling the air. The exhibits are juried and the exhibitor categories include: fiber, folk crafts, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, painting, pottery, mixed media, organic media, needlecrafts, sculpture, wearable fiber, and wood.  If you want to do something different next Labor Day, like arts and crafts...and you are in the Georgia area....I would suggest checking out Powers Crossroads.  It was a lovely day all around.  I am anxiously awaiting my trek to the Gay, GA festival on the first weekend in October.  Who would have ever thought I would become a festival junkie.  Happy Labor Day to all!