April  2003  Enjoying The Green of Spring!! Mother Nature awakes from a long winter nap...... Spring is here!! The dogwoods are blooming, the trees are filling in with bright green leaves, and the daffodils have already bloomed with rhododendron, azaleas and more wildflowers to come! Day by day we watch a sea of green sweep over the hillsides and up the mountains! Dahlonega's only a short drive from Atlanta and offers the peace, serenity and beauty that only the North Georgia Mountains can provide. Drop us an email for availability or call 706-864-7221. This is a perfect time to get out and enjoy all North Georgia has to offer! Seventh Annual Bear On the Square Festival! Speaking of getting out and doing something, the seventh annual Bear On the Square Festival will be taking place April 26 and 27 featuring bluegrass, old-time music and authentic mountain crafts on the Historic Square of Dahlonega. This year's Bear on the Square Mountain Festival has concerts, workshops, continuous jam sessions, street dance, children's activities, storytelling, country auction, regional foods, and an Appalachian crafts section with demonstrations and sales of traditional mountain crafts. Visit the official Bear On the Square Web site for complete details. A great event! Don't miss it! North Georgia BLOOMS!! Have a green thumb? Or just enjoy viewing the hundreds of beautiful plants and flowers that bloom this time of year? Well if you're like Mary, who's perpetually in her garden, we thought you might like this great Web site: The Georgia Native Plants Society. Its best feature for those planning to travel here is a North Georgia Field Trip page where you will find pictures, descriptions and directions to many of the native plants and flowers in the area. It's a wealth of knowledge and even has a Seasonal Bloom Chart for native North Georgia perennials. Follow the links above or visit www.gnps.org. Enjoy! The Vineyards of Dahlonega.... We want to let you in on a little secret...... Dahlonega is quickly becoming Wine Country! For the next few months we're going to feature local vineyards in the area. A few are already open to the public with tours, wine tasting and other great events and many more vineyards will be opening soon. This month we'd like to introduce you to Three Sister's Vineyards located just up the road from us on 184 beautiful rolling acres. The owners, Doug and Sharon Paul opened the vineyard in 1996 and feature a tasting room open Thursday, Friday & Saturdays from 11am-6pm and Sundays from 12:30pm-6pm. They also host the annual Georgia Wine Festival featuring wine producers from all over Georgia! Visit their Web site at www.threesistersvineyards.com for a co! mplete listing of events. Area Attractions & Happenings Follow the links to get more information on the following North Georgia Attractions & Happenings. April 5: Dahlonega Mountain Music & Medicine Show - Live radio broadcast of mountain music, songs, and stories performed by local talent. For more information visit www.folkwayscenter.org or call 706-867-6710. April 14-19: Spring Fling at Amicalola Falls - Spring is here - come out and play at the park! Amicalola Falls us hosting two fun-filled days of games, crafts, hayrides and more! Kid's carnival games and prizes - tickets only 25 cents each. Spring crafts include make buuny ears, having your face painted and making kites!. Guided hikes, hayrides and cake walks plus some "bunny" special will be visiting! Don't miss the fun! April 26: Tour de Georgia: Stage 4 - World class bicycle racing comes to Dahlonega! Stage four of this grueling 600 mile race across Georgia will fly through Dahlonega on Saturday, April 26th. Exciting, fast and fun! Visit www.tourdegeorgia.com for full details. April 26-27 : Bear on the Square Mountain Music/Folk Art Festival - The seventh annual Bear on the Square Mountain Festival featuring bluegrass and old-time music and authentic mountain crafts takes place April 26-27, 2003 on the Public Square in Dahlonega, GA. with pre-festival events April 25. This years Bear on the Square Mountain Festival features concerts, workshops, continuous jam sessions, street dance, children's activities, storytelling, country auction, regional foods, and an Appalachian crafts section with demonstrations and sales of traditional mountain crafts. Rain or Shine! Contact Folkways Center; Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Chamber of Commerce 800-231-5543 or on the web at www.dahlonega.org/bear. Historic Town Square.