Buggies take center stage as 45th annual festival begins

The venerable Buggy Days Festival got underway over the weekend with a packed out pageant and gets into full swing this week with no hurricanes on the horizon and chamber of commerce weather forecast for the weekend.Clear skies, highs in the upper 80s and lows in the upper 60s along with relatively low humidity are a welcome prediction for the 45th annual festival after organizers dealt with the aftermath of Hurricane Irma last year. ‘We’ve had a lot of calls – a lot of interest. We are expecting a good turnout,’ chamber president Christopher Deraney said Monday. ‘We couldn’t do this without our army of volunteers.’The week’s activities get underway Wednesday with the annual golf tournament at Morgan Dairy Golf Club. Call 770-550-3620 for more information as the field is nearly full.A new event is the Buggy Days kickoff party at Deraney’s Two City Tavern on Thursday, Sept. 20 from 5-7 p.m. featuring live music.Buggy Days will take on a distinct beach music feel on Friday, Sept. 21 when The Swingin’ Medallions headline a concert at Ritz Park. Gates open at 5 p.m. with a DJ spinning tunes. The concert begins at 7 p.m. Admission is $10 in advance and $15 at the gate.The Arts & Crafts Fair begins Saturday morning and runs through Sunday evening downtown. The annual Buggy Days Parade will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday. It will be led by grand marshals Mike and Linda Brutz, the reigning citizens of the year.This year there will reportedly be more vendors, more horses, more fireworks and a gigantic kid’s park and zip line in the heart of historic Barnesville.The annual old fashioned games event will begin at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Rodeo Arena on Roberta Drive. It will feature the pig chase, greased pole climb and a large carnival area with rides for children. Unlimited ride access for the carnival is $10. nnual fireworks display will follow at dark.The Buggy Days worship service will be held downtown Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Sponsored by Barnesville First United Methodist Church, the service will feature performances by the church choir, the Crossroads praise band and a message from Pastor Cyndi McDonald.