Dahlonega Celtic Music Festival 3/8-3/9/2008

Come and stay at Cedar House Inn and Yurts in Dahlonega and attend the festival. Accomodations are filling up fast.

Visit http://www.dahlonegacelticmusicfestival.com/index.html for more information.

Dahlonega Hosts First-Ever Celtic Music Festival March 8 – 9, 2008
Traditional and well-known Irish bands such as Emerald Rose, Shamrock, and Altan (the # 2 rated band in Ireland) perform at the Historic Holly Theatre.

Dahlonega, GA – January 21, 2008 - The Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Chamber of Commerce presents the first annual Celtic Music Festival with performances at the Historic Holly Theatre. Highlights of the festival are concerts by the traditional Irish bands Altan, Highland Way, Emerald Rose and Shamrock. Festival goers will also be entertained with Celtic-themed workshops, bagpipers, storytellers and arts and crafts vendors set up throughout downtown Dahlonega and around the historic town square. To learn more about the festival, call 706-864-3711; or go to www.dahlonega.org; to purchase concert tickets, call 706-864-3759, or on-line at www.hollytheater.com

Accolades for these top bands include Altan as the #2 band in Ireland, Irish Echo in New York says “They’re poised for greatness and under no circumstances should they be missed in concert”. The Boston Globe says Altan is “The hottest group in the Celtic realm these days”; Highland Way,under the direction of Brian Caldwell of Glasgow, Scotland. from San Diego has received rave reviews for their blend of traditional Scottish music, both instrumental and vocal, from the San Diego and Seaside Scottish Highland Games, with their superb blend of vocals, instrumentation, and unique arrangements, Highland Way is one of the most acclaimed on the southern California circuit; North Georgia’s Emerald Rose is a four-man Celtic / American folk rock group with a strong original sound; Shamrock is the traditional Celtic band from the talented Norgaard Jones Project started with the meeting of two world class musicians, Guitar Virtuoso Curtis Jones, and Fiddle Wizard Martin Norgaard.

Adding to the fun of the festival are Celtic-themed workshops, bagpipers, storytellers and arts and crafts exhibitors displaying and selling Celtic themed items.

Dahlonega Celtic Music FestivalMarch 8 & 9, 2008Location: Historic Downtown DahlonegaHours: Saturday, 11:00am, concluding with Highland Way Concert at 8:00pm Sunday, 1:00pm, concluding with Altan Concert at 7:00pm

Wine Highway Weekend Events 3/29-3/30/2008

Stay with Cedar House Inn & Yurts in Dahlonega for the Wine Highway Weekend 3/29 and 3/20/2008 and for Sunday morning breakfast receive a complimentary mimosa and special fruit in red wine sauce along with Quiche Lorraine, blueberry muffins, and sautÈed vegetables.

WINE HIGHWAY WEEKEND EVENTS

The Winegrowers Association of Georgia is sponsoring its third annual Wine Highway Weekend on Saturday, March 29thst, and Sunday, March 30, 2008.

There will be a $20.00 fee for each participant which will be collected at the first winery visited. Travelers will receive a "Wine Highway Weekend" collectors’ glass which will give them admission to ALL participating wineries at no additional charge. Normal tasting fees will not be charged to anyone participating in traveling the Wine Highway.

Member wineries and Affiliate Members will each provide their own unique open-house format, with many offering food and wine pairings, music, barrel and library wine tastings, discounts, drawings and other special attractions.

Hours vary from location to location and travelers should check individual websites for current hours and directions. Additional information and website listings are available at http://www.georgiawine.com/

THE WINEGROWERS ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA REMINDS EVERYONE TO DRINK RESPONSIBLY AND TO USE DESIGNATED DRIVERS WHILE TRAVELING THE WINE HIGHWAY. THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR DESIGNATED DRIVERS TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY SPECIAL EVENTS.

Special attractions and discounts at Affiliate Member locations are available to travelers presenting their Wine Highway collectors’ glass and include:

BLACKSTOCK VINEYARDS AND WINERY will offer a complimentary 4-wine tasting to visitors with live jazz music and lunch fare on our 2,000 s.f. deck. The lunch menu will feature beef brisket smoked on site, as well as a smoked chicken option. Deck seating will also feature discounted wine-by-the-glass to enjoy with the hot lunch and the cool jazz. http://www.BSVW.com (706) 219-2789

BURTON GALLERY AND EMPORIUM celebrates the Third Annual Wine Highway Weekend with mountain vineyard paintings in oil by Bill Davidson and David Horton, watercolor wine bottles filled with flowers by Dianne Isakson, and wine bottles by Chery Cratty in her unique pulp painting style. The gallery will also feature a special sale on selected pottery. www.burtongallery.net (706) 947-1351

CHATEAU ELAN will discount Wine Market purchases by 10% and will also offer Wine Highway Travelers a 10% discount on lunch at Cafe Elan and a complimentary sample of Chateau Elan’s Founders Reserve Georgia wines. www.chateauelan.com (678) 425-0900

CORKS & CRUMBS, a tasting room for Frogtown Cellars in Ellijay, is offering a free Mimosa with the purchase of lunch on Saturday or brunch on Sunday in our Crumbs Bakery/Bistro. Be sure to browse new shipments of the latest in wine and home accessories plus delicious award winning Frogtown Cellars wines. (706) 698-WINE

COTTAGE GARDEN FURNITURE will display beautiful garden statuaries and planters that have been carefully selected for the Wine Highway Weekend. Custom finishes on garden pieces are reminiscent of old Italian pieces. Enjoy pesto dips from Pazzo’s Pizzaria and Italian Market. www.cottagegardenfurniture.com (706) 947-1601

CRANE CREEK VINEYARDS will offer gourmet food samples and light lunch fare prepared by our in-house culinary expert! Enjoy food & wine in the Barn Swallow Pavilion overlooking the vineyards and gorgeous mountain views. www.cranecreekvineyards.com (706) 379-1236

FROGTOWN CELLARS offers a special selection of Frogtown wines to enjoy with the renowned Frogtown Cheesebox. Show your Wine Highway Logo glass and receive a glass of wine at half price with your lunch order at our Panini Lunch Bar which is open from 12:00 noon to 3:30 p.m. Your Wine Highway Logo glass will also give you $10.00 off the price of a Tuscan Winetaster Dinner at 7:00 p.m. featuring 4 courses paired with wine for $45.00 each plus tax and gratuity. Go to www.frogtownwine.com for the menu and additional information. Viva Italia! (706) 865-0687

HABERSHAM VINEYARDS & WINERY will feature a tasting of library wines no longer available to the public, which will be paired with light food selections. www.habershamwinery.com (706) 878-9463

HICKORY FLAT POTTERY will offer free studio and kiln house tours with potters, Cindy Angliss and Tasha Autry. There will be demonstrating potters on the wheel both days as well as Hickory Flat pottery wine chillers, wine glasses, olive oil jugs, dipping trays, brie bakers, Italian wine jugs and more for sale. www.hickoryflatpottery.com (706) 947-0030

MONTALUCE will pour our new releases (M Vineyards) as well as a special flight of Italian wines created by our winemaker, Stefano Salvini. We will also offer tours of our new facility, live musical entertainment and food samplings from our newly opened restaurant Le Vigne. http://www.montaluce.com/

NACHOOCHEE GRILL will offer a 15% discount on both food and beverage purchases on both Saturday and Sunday. www.nachoocheegrill.com (706) 878-8020

NATURALLY GEORGIA will feature appetizers made with wines from Tiger Mountain Vineyards and cheese from Sweet Grass Dairy. www.naturallygeorgia.com (706) 864-0832
Stay at the NORTH 40 LODGE and receive a 10% discount on lodging for the Wine Highway Weekend. Call 1-800-379-6170 for reservations. http://www.north40lodge.com/

PERSIMMON CREEK VINEYARDS is offering "Cabernet and Chocolate"…a tasting with our 2005 Cab Franc paired with custom made lavender chocolates. http://www.persimmoncreekwine.com (706) 212-7380

SHARP MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS customers will draw for wine, merchandise, or a fact/fortune ticket. We will also offer gourmet food samples and complimentary winery tours. www.sharpmountainvineyards.com (770) 735-1210

TIGER MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS will feature wine tastings paired with cheeses from Georgia’s award winning Sweet Grass Dairies and bread from the Buckhead Bread Company. Join us on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and enjoy live music by Kenny Tollison. www.tigerwine.com (706) 782-4777

TIMPSON CREEK GALLERY in Rabun County will offer a 10% discount for participants showing their Wine Highway Weekend glasses. www.timpsoncreek.com (706) 782-5164

At WOLF MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS enjoy a complimentary pre-bottling tasting of our 2006 Instinct and Claret Estate Blends in our cask room and watch as our cooper (barrel maker) refinishes, retoasts and reassembles our older French Oak Barrels. We will feature lunch in the Vineyard CafÈ on Saturday from 12 – 3 p.m. and our elaborate brunch on Sunday will feature live jazz entertainment with seatings at 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. Reservations are required for lunch or brunch and can be made by calling (706) 867-9682. http://www.wolfmountainvineyards.com

OffbeatTravel.com Announces Its Top Five Offbeat Towns for 2008 (Dahlonega Included)

For Immediate ReleaseFebruary, 2008

For More InformationContact: Neala Schwartzberg Phone: 516 353-5300
Email: Neala@OffbeatTravel.comwww.OffbeatTravel.com

OffbeatTravel.com Announces Its Top Five Offbeat Towns for 2008 “This is our inaugural offering of the top five offbeat places to visit over the next 12 months,” said Neala Schwartzberg, publisher of the respected website www.OffbeatTravel.com.

“We thought it was time – we had all these interesting, unusual, quirky towns and wanted to let travelers know about them” said Schwartzberg. “We like the small gems, the places fewer people have experienced, but many would enjoy,” said Schwartzberg.

This will be a yearly offering. “We’re making this an annual list,” said Schwartzberg, “so each year there will be new cities and towns we think people will want to visit.”

The first list highlights some of the most interesting and quirky towns in the country. Each year, newly discovered hidden hideaways will be revealed, Schwartzberg announced.

The towns for 2008 (in alphabetical order) are:

Dahlonega, Georgia – This historic gold rush town offers a charming downtown, great range of lodging, an excellent community theater, and family friendly activities from panning for gold and gold mine tours to kangaroos visits. Read more about Dahlonega, Georgia

Fort Collins, Colorado – A town with five breweries including the award-winning New Belgium Brewery, and the quirky found metal sculptures of Bill Swets, situated in the foothills of the Rockies appeals to visitors on several levels. Beer, folk art, and natural beauty make this town a winning combination. Read more about Fort Collins, Colorado

Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii – In addition to the friendly, hippie feel of this north coast Kauai town, there is the breath-taking beauty of Hanalei Bay. Add to this luxury accommodations, fun shopping, and soft adventure activities. It’s off the beaten path... for now. We expect this to change. Read more about Kauai, Hawaii

Moline, Illinois – The city of Moline is John Deere central – complete with Deere family homes, the world headquarters for Deere & Company, John Deere Pavilion, and the Collectors Center, even the John Deere Plaza in the center of town. It’s all unexpectedly good fun, especially climbing up the metal behemoth farm equipment. Read more about Moline, Illinois

Taos, New Mexico – When people hear Taos, they think of high-priced ski resorts, but down the mountain is the actual town of Taos. This is a small walkable town with some of the most innovative art in New Mexico and some of the spiciest history. The Taos pueblo is one of the oldest and is open to public for visits. Read more about Taos, New Mexico

For More InformationContact: Neala Schwartzberg Phone: 516 353-5300Email: Neala@OffbeatTravel.comwww.OffbeatTravel.com

Beetle Battle Paddle on the River

Come stay with us at Cedar House Inn and Yurts, Dahlonega on Saturday 3/29/2008 and participate in

The Beetle Battle Paddle
A benefit to help save the Hemlock Trees
Saturday, March 29, 2008
(9:00am-2:00pm) -note: these are put-in times; must be off river by 5:00pm

Appalachian Outfitters (www.canoegeorgia.com) and the Lumpkin Coalition will be hosting The Beetle Battle Paddle on March 29th. A fun way to help save the Hemlocks! Boat rentals and shuttles for the lower section of the Chestatee River (self-guided) will be offered at the regular rates with 100% of the proceeds going to the hemlock tree defense efforts.

Canoes and double sit-on-top kayaks are $43 and single kayaks are $28. These costs include gear rental and shuttle fees. Shuttles are $10/personal boat. The average float/paddle time for this section is 2.5 hours with plenty of flexibility. Bring a picnic and enjoy it in our outpost picnic area or half way down river on a river beach. This is a wonderful opportunity to give while having a great time.

To find out more details or make reservations you may visit their website (www.canoegeorgia.com) or call 706-864-7117.