Culture and Entertainment
Annual events and festivals are popular in Eatonton, and are highly attended by local residents and visitors from surrounding counties.
At the Madison Avenue Plaza, live concerts are held throughout the summer and are sponsored by the Meet Me at The Plaza events committee. Shows include Blues, Brews & BBQs (featuring a Blues band), A1A LIVE- the Jimmy Buffet Tribute Show and Sounds of Motown (featuring music of the 60’s and 70’s) and local and area bands.
The Dairy Festival, which takes place the first Saturday in June, is sponsored by The Pilot Club. This festival includes a parade featuring the reigning Dairy Festival queen, arts and crafts, food and dairy exhibits. The weekend festival also includes the Torture Trail 10K race and one mile fun run sponsored by Farmers and Merchants Bank. Local runners as well as runners from across the country compete in the nationally known race.
But what is a community without food? The Taste of Eatonton brings all the best foods from the area to one location for sampling. Residents get to enjoy appetizers, entrees and desserts prepared by various restaurants during the Taste of Eatonton. The annual event is held the first Monday in October at the Plaza and draws over 500 area residents. It is sponsored by the Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce.
Appreciation of the fine arts is now on the rise thanks to the Eatonton-Putnam Arts Foundation (EPAF). The group sponsors a broad range of artistic, creative, entertainment and cultural activities throughout the year. The foundation has presented the Macon Symphony Orchestra for a number of years and conducts art-related courses for the community.
For those looking for a good theatrical performance, the Putnam Alliance for the Performing Arts (PAPA) presents plays for the community. Volunteers from the community serve as actors and actresses, directors, set builders and seamstresses. PAPA has been putting on plays in Eatonton for more than 20 years and never fails to entertain an audience.
Meet Me at the Plaza
(706) 817-9433
The Dairy Festival
(706) 485-1294
www.pceatonton.org
Torture Trail Road Race and One Mile Fun Run
(706) 485-9941
www.ibankfmb.com
The Taste of Eatonton
(706) 485-7701
epchamber@eatonton.com
Putnam Alliance for the Performing Arts (PAPA)
A division of EPAF
Eatonton-Putnam Arts Foundation (EPAF)
(706) 485-3156
www.epaf.org
sichveland@hotmail.com
Leisure and Recreation
With parks along the shores of Lakes Sinclair and Oconee, campsites throughout the area and an exceptional recreation department, Putnam County is a great place for play or relaxation.
The Putnam County Recreation Department runs Poole Recreation Center, Jimmy Davis Park, a swimming pool and coordinates youth recreation programs. Basketball, soccer, cheerleading, softball, baseball and football are available for boys and girls ages three to 14.
The Oconee National Forest is composed of 118,000 acres and spreads through Putnam, Jones and Jasper Counties. Campsites, wildlife viewing areas, hunting, picnic areas, hiking and horseback riding trails are available within the Forest. There are also 15 miles of trails suitable for riding motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles. The U.S. Forest Service operates the area.
Putnam and Hancock Counties make up the Historic Piedmont Scenic Byway. The byway stretches for 82 miles following Georgia Highways 15, 16 and 77 and rural country roads. Highway 16, the main route through the counties reveals the rich history and beauty of Georgia. Antebellum homes, the Oconee National Forest, Rock Hawk effigy and rolling farmland are just a few things on display along the byway.
Those looking for an opportunity to go bicycling will enjoy riding the Historic Piedmont Scenic Byway as much as driving it. There is also a bike tour that weaves you through historic downtown. Maps for the self-guided bicycling tour of Eatonton are also available at the Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce.
One of Georgia’s premier marksmanship facilities, The Lake Oconee Shooting Club is located less than five miles from the lake. Facilities include five skeet and trap fields on 188 acres, featuring an international skeet field, a two-story covered stand, a 12-station sporting clays, outdoor and indoor archery practice ranges, and a three-dimensional, 20-station archery course. A 6,300 square-foot clubhouse includes a Pro Shop, banquet room and private meeting facilities.
Several award-winning, championship golf courses have given Putnam County a reputation as a fairway heaven. Wide water and a lush, gently rolling landscape have inspired several of golf's legends to create masterpieces around the lake.
The Uncle Remus is a nine-hole public course operated by Putnam County. Great Waters, a Jack Nicklaus signature course, lies north of the Eatonton city limits. The famed Cuscowilla course, a Coore/Crenshaw design, is the centerpiece for the resort and residential community of Cuscowilla.
Residents have just as much fun playing in the area as they do living here. The Eatonton-Putnam County area offers a multitude of activities to meet everyone’s desire.
Lake Oconee and Lake Sinclair are the playground of the Georgia Piedmont. Lake Oconee has more than 19,000 acres of water and 374 miles of gorgeous shoreline. Lake Sinclair is nearly 17,000 acres and more than 400 miles of shore line with large stretches of open water.
Identified in top outdoor magazines as one of America’s hottest bass lakes, Oconee carries about 34 pounds of Largemouth bass per acre. Bass and crappie tournaments on Oconee attract anglers from across the country. Lake Sinclair also hosts bass tournaments nearly every weekend at Little River Marina.
On Lake Oconee, Lawrence Shoals Park has a full-service campground and day-use area, large picnic pavilions which may be reserved for family reunions, corporate, civic or private functions, picnic tables, playgrounds for youngsters, boat ramps and a beach. A beach house with bathrooms and dressing areas are also available.
On Lake Sinclair, visitors will find a number of public day-use parks, including Rocky Creek Park and Oconee Springs Park for overnight visits. Oconee Springs Park offers campsites, four rental cabins, a boat ramp, marina, camp store and a large pavilion.
Recreation Dept
(706) 485-8565
www.putnamcountyga.us/
Oconee National Forest
706 485-3180
www.fs.fed.us/conf/
Rock Eagle 4H Camp
(706) 484-2800
www.rockeagle4h.org
reagle@uga.edu
Rock Hawk- Historic Piedmont Scenic Byway
706-485-7701
www.scenicbyway.org
larrymoore@plantationcable.net
Lake Oconee Shooting Club
(706) 485-4557
www.lakeoconeeshootingclub.com
bcooper@lakeoconeeshootingclub.com
Uncle Remus Golf Course
(706) 485-6850
www.putnamcountyga.us
Lawrence Shoals Park
1-888-GPC-LAKE
www.georgiapower.com/lakes
Oconee Springs Park
(706) 485-8423
www.campgroundcomputerheroes.com/oconee/
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