Blairsville Sorghum Festival & Meeks Park

So how did this syrup become the heart of a community? Every great small Georgia town is known for its festival. Dahlonega has the Gold Rush Festival. Savannah has its St. Paddies. October 1st in Helen, Ellijay's got its Apple Festival. And of course, in Blairsville, it's the Sorghum Festival. So it started down in what was called Fort Sorghum. Over the years, it got crowded, and there wasn't enough room there, it was a real tight area. And so we suggested, hey, let's take that out to Meek's Park. And it's just continued to grow and be a hit that the public loves.

The day starts off with an incredibly fun and high energy parade that really the whole community just loves. And then we head just down the street to Meek's Park for the festival. We've got one of the best parks, I think in the state of Georgia, the same after Bill Meek's Meek's Park. It was my next poor neighbor. My father died when I was 10 years old. He was like my second dad. Used to be just all farmland. And so that made it just ideal for a festival location. Because we're down on the creek in the river.

It's arts and crafts as far as the eye can see. Great music, the famous log-cutting demonstration. Fun all around for kids of all ages. And all coded by that sweet aroma of the star of the day, the world-famous Sorghum syrup. You smell those biscuits and the cornbread and the butter and the sorghum syrup. It just makes your mouth water. We bring it down. They grind it at the meal. Takes 10 gallons of juice to make one gallon of syrup.

Meek's Park serves Union County in many other ways as well. You know, adding playgrounds, adding splash park, pools, five, six miles walking trails. It's just an incredible place. Meek's Park is an incredible place that helps make the quality of life in Union County second to none. Meek's Park was built using SPLOST funds. This would be impossible without SPLOST. And it's been one of the greatest things to our community.