A national chain has officially planted its flag in the Augusta area.

Wetzel’s Pretzels now has a food truck operating in the area, the first of the chain’s trucks in Georgia and only the second of any kind of Wetzel’s in the Peach State. The other one is a Lawrenceville storefront more than 100 miles away.

The truck is owned by Troy and Nancy Akers, who previously operated the Crumbl Cookies’ Evans location. Every time they were around Florida, they would make a special trip to Disney Springs just to get a pretzel, so they were very excited to provide a closer option.

“It’s awesome!” Nancy Akers said. “We’re just constantly looking for things that we like when we go out of town or when we go on vacation and we’re like, “O.K. this is fun. How can we bring this back to Augusta?”

Wetzel’s staples are their sweeter options like the original salty and “Sinful Cinnamon,” but they also offer more savory options like “Pepperoni Twist” and “Jalapeño Cheese Melt.” They also have their own variations of pigs in a blanket called “Wetzel Dogs” and different bite-sized pieces of pretzel. There are also a range of dips.

Nancy Akers said there has already been a lot of interest from local events and neighborhoods, so they will largely stay in the Augusta area, but they do have the capability to go further. They hope to one day open local storefronts to complement the food truck.

Those interested in following the Augusta food truck and its stops can visit the “Wetzel’s Pretzels – Augusta, GA” Facebook page.

With the 2024 high school football season exactly one month away, it’s time to start getting acclimated to all the “new” around the Augusta area’s football landscape.

An assortment of new playmakers, new coaches, new regions, a new GHSA classification structure and new expectations for championship dreams will begin to emerge when the season kicks off in earnest on August 16. But the Aquinas Fightin’ Irish football program isn’t waiting until August to get a glimpse of its most exciting new thing.

Aquinas broke in its brand, spankin’ new football digs last Thursday when it hosted Washington-Wilkes for some 7-on-7 football action. The Irish finished their final football campaign without an on-campus home of their own by compiling a 9-3 record in 2023, and advancing to the quarterfinals of the Class A state playoffs.

This year, Aquinas is looking to make more football memories in its own stadium as coach James Leonard hopes to lead his program to a second straight region crown and first state championship since 2013.

Our photographer Rob Davis was able to capture some images of Aquinas’ first action inside its new stadium Thursday. Stay tuned for a chat with coach Leonard later in the week as he discusses his program’s summer progress and the excitement of kicking off a new season in their own stadium.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival will be returning to Broad Street due to the Telfair Street construction schedule, the Greater Arts Council announced Monday.

The decision to move back was made after the road construction schedule for Telfair Street was announced last week.

The Telfair Street construction would have impacted the Festival site, the council says. Road construction on Broad Street, which had initially prompted the relocation, will now start in 2025.

The Greater Arts of Augusta Council also announced the headlining performers for the 2024 Arts in the Heart festival.

Grammy Nominated Jazz performer Georgia Muldrow will be performing Friday, September 20 at 7 p.m. on the Jazz Stage.  Her “Overload” album was nominated for a 2020 Grammy.

The Festival will feature platinum selling Austin alternative-rock band Fastball on the Global Stage at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 21. Fastball chart-topping hits include “The Way” and “Out Of My Head.”

The festival will feature over 150 juried Fine Arts and Crafts artists this year, with artists coming from all over the United States. Five stages of non-stop entertainment include everything from hip hop to jazz to rock. This year, Augusta will be featured as a Music City.

The large Family Area is packed with interactive children’s activities, street performers, public art, and a Young Artists Market. Atlanta puppeteer Lee ‘That Puppet Guy’ Bryan will be a featured performance on the Family Stage.

Artzilla returns with local artists painting live all weekend.

The authors’ lounge also returns and will feature Georgia authors and book signings.

Advanced $15 Festival badges are available online at ArtsintheHeart.com Children 10 and under are free. Admission is good for the entire weekend. Badges at the gate are $20. Pets and coolers are not allowed in the Festival. Lawn chairs are welcomed. Arts in the Heart of Augusta is a rain or shine event.

Arts in the Heart of Augusta is a rain or shine event. For more information visit artsintheheartofaugusta.com and the festival’s social media pages.

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