The Welcome Center's Fabulous Classic City Tour

As the newest intern of the Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau, I had the amazing opportunity to go on the Welcome Center's famous Classic City Tour last week. Although I thought I knew everything there was to know about the Classic City, I was surprisingly mistaken. This exciting 90-minute tour delved behind every corner and crevice within Athens, ranging from campus to the historic downtown area. Below are just a few of my favorite sites highlighted on the tour!

The Double-Barreled Cannon

One of Athens' most prized possessions is the Double-Barreled Cannon, a weapon built in 1863 when the Athens community feared attack by invading northern armies. The concept of the cannon was to load two balls connected by a chain into the barrel, which would then cut down approaching enemy soldiers. Legend has it that when the cannon was first tested, the only victims of the weapon were a field of very unfortunate cows. The cannon was never used again, but it still sits in downtown Athens facing north today. (Just in case!)

The Tree that Owns Itself 

We've all HEARD of the Tree that Owns Itself, but do you actually know the story behind it? Legend has it that in the early 1800s, Professor William H. Jackson devised a peculiar plan to protect his favorite tree. He enjoyed the tree's shade so much that he wanted to ensure its survival, even after his own death. Jackson deeded the tree in his will, as well as all of the land within eight feet of its sides. Today, the tree continues to be surrounded by chains, and it's property rights have never been questioned.

If you're interested in learning more about some Athens' best-kept secrets, be sure to schedule a Classic City tour of your own! The Classic City tour runs five days a week at 2 p.m. Tickets are generally $15, but the Athens Convention and Visitor's Bureau is currently offering coupons online for $5 off! For more information about the Classic City tour, please visit the Welcome Center online or call 706-353-1820. 

Athens This Weekend: June 22-24

The weekend of AthFest is here! This event is Athens, Georgia's most exciting music and arts festival. Enjoy a weekend packed full of great live music, food, arts & crafts, and more. We're certain you and your family will have a blast hanging out in Athens this weekend!

1. 16th Annual AthFest Music & Arts Festival

It's that time of year again! Starting Wednesday, June 20 and lasting until Sunday, June 24, AthFest is Athens, GA's biggest music and arts event. Experience over 150 bands on three different outdoor stages, as well as in Athens' famous music venues and clubs. Outdoor stage headliners include Atlas Sound, Reptar, Elf Power, The Glands, Yacht Rock Revue, and many more! Original art, music, local film screenings, and KidsFest activities provide entertainment for all ages. Shows on all outdoor stages are free, and wristbands for access to all club crawl shows are $20. Don't miss out on this great weekend event that the Southeast Tourism Society has named a Top 20 Event for the region!

2. Athens Music History Tours

The Athens Welcome Center and Classic City Tours will host Music History Tours of Athens, GA during AthFest. This year's tours will include a variety of walking and bus tours. Come out Friday evening at 5:30 p.m. for a 90-minute downtown walking tour that will include insider stops and sound checks at famous venues. Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. will be a 90-minute downtown walking tour, followed by a 30-minute bus tour that includes famous sites like Nuci's Space, Murmur Testle, and Weaver D's. Join in on Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. for a bus tour covering broader music history spots and step-off points around Athens. The cost of a tour is $15 a person. Don't miss out on the opportunity to learn about Athens, Georgia's rich musical history!

3. Upcycle Exhibit at Athica

This is the last weekend to enjoy the Upcycle Exhibit at Athica! The Athens Institute for Contemporary Art, Inc., in collaboration with the Athens-Clarke County Recycling Division and Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful have created this special exhibit that features art made from material that otherwise would have been thrown away, destined for a landfill, or even worse, for toxic pollution. Come enjoy the last weekend of this exhibit's uniquely creative art. Upcycle is open to viewers on Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Thursdays from 1-9 p.m., and Fridays through Sundays from 1-6 p.m., as well as by appointment.

Hopefully you've found a great way to get out and enjoy Athens, GA this weekend! For even more fun and exciting events, be sure to check out the Visit Athens, GA calendar! Happy AthFest everyone!

To stay in the know about what's coming up in Athens, join our mailing list!

Getting to Know Historic Athens: Classic City Tours

When getting to know people, I feel it is important to learn about their history and background to better understand how they have come to be who they are today, and I think this applies to places as well. Take Athens, Georgia, for example. This city has such a vibrant and diverse environment and is home to one of the nation's finest universities; where and how did it all start? Surely such an interesting place must have a history worth learning about.

It is with this thought in mind that I went on the Athens Heritage Tour, offered daily and one of the many Classic

City Tours made available by the Athens Welcome Center. This particular tour takes you through the historical districts of Athens, which I thought were probably areas that I didn't really pay attention to or pass through during my day-to-day life. How wrong I was!

This tour begins in the Church-Waddel-Brumby House which is home to the Athens Welcome Center; it is also believed to be the oldest residence in Athens, GA. The house itself is designed to take you to the time period of 1820-1829. As you walk through its rooms decorated in hand-painted wallpaper as well as period furniture, you are truly taken back through time. After exploring this memory-filled home, it's time to board the shuttle and see other historical buildings and sights.

It was during this portion of the tour that I was astounded by how much of Athens' beautiful sights I had missed or taken for granted while driving around these past three years. The historical neighborhoods were a really special visual experience, and, for me personally, quite inspirational as I now know that I must have Victorian lace ironwork for my future home (it's gorgeous!). You are also able to see some unique Athens landmarks such as The Double-Barreled Cannon as well as The Tree that Owns Itself. While driving through areas more familiar to me, I realized how interesting it was to learn about the origins of these preserved buildings and homes that are now used to house local businesses, museums, event space, and more.

And speaking of interesting things, some of the facts we learned on the tour were pretty neat! Did you know that the University of Georgia was not originally supposed to be built in Athens? Actually, the decision-making factor was that Watkinsville, the other city in consideration, had a pub (which was something Athens did not have at the time, surprisingly), and people didn't want the students to be distracted from their studies. It's tidbits like this that make the tour so interesting as well as visually-appealing.

I do wish I had been able to take personal pictures to share with you the beauty of the tour, but unfortunately, my camera battery decided to malfunction on the day of the tour. However, if you are a proud Athen-ian, and you haven't looked into this tour yet, I would strongly encourage you to check it out! It is very reasonably-priced, and as a nice deal, you can even get $5 off through www.VisitAthensGA.com.

So find some free time, and book your tour by calling the Athens Welcome Center at 706.353.1820 to learn about our great city today!

- Debbie