First Friday Night Concert Series Series Begins May 7 with "Emerald Rose"

The "First Friday Night Concert Series" in Downtown Dahlonega announces a thrilling six-month schedule of outdoor concerts. Shows will be held May through October at Downtown's beautiful Hancock Park. Mark your calendar now and make your plans to attend each event. Bring friends, family, and lawn chairs and enjoy the fun in downtown Dahlonega.  All concerts are held from 6:30-8:30 pm.  Arrive early, enjoy excellent downtown shopping, and pick up your picnic from any of downtown's popular restaurants.

The First Friday Night Concert Series begins May 7 with the band "Emerald Rose." With their rousing blend of  vocal harmonies, Celtic & world music instrumentation, diverse songwriting, rocking renditions of Irish & Scottish classics, and an energetic performance style, Emerald Rose entertains.  On June 4 the "Remember When Band" returns to all you favorite songs spanning the generations between 1950 and 1990. For the kickoff of the Independence Day weekend, the July 2 concert will celebrate traditional American music by presenting two bands - the "Georgia Mudcats" and "Yahoola." The Eugene Wiggins Memorial Fund for the Preservation of Traditional Music will sponsor the Georgia Mudcats who have an international reputation for great Appalachian string-band music, flatland country blues, gospel music and traditional songs from all over the South. Opening the July 2 show will be Dahlonega's "Yahoola" a group widely known for their super harmony singing and their 10 year reputation for playing some of the best bluegrass in North Georgia. "Fools Gold of Dahlonega" will be back on August 6. Their mountain jazz is a unique combination of rock, blues, country and bluegrass. "Russo and Noe" will be swinging back in on September 3 with the songs of Sinatra and the Rat Pack, Las Vegas style!  The concert series closes on October 1 with "Kurt Thomas" whose growing popularity is largely due to his unique voice, his highly entertaining live performances, and the originality of the music he writes.

This program is supported in part by the Grassroots Arts Program of the Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) through an appropriation of the Georgia General Assembly and administered by the Georgia Appalachian Studies Center at North Georgia College & State University. GCA also receives support from its partner, the National Endowment for the Arts.

The "First Friday Night Concert Series" is produced by the City of Dahlonega's Better Hometown Program and Downtown Development Authority. All concerts start at 6:30 p.m.  Dancing and socializing are encouraged.