Georgia

South Georgia celebrates Independence Day with several local events

Published

2 years ago

July 3, 2024

South Georgia celebrates Independence Day with several local events

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) – Communities across South Georgia are gearing up for Independence Day with parades and festivals. Below are what events are planned to celebrate our country’s independence:

Ben Hill County

The city of Fitzgerald is hosting a 4th of July Celebration at Paulk Park on July 4. The event starts at 6 p.m., and it will have food and fireworks.

Berrien County

An Independence Day celebration will be held in Enigma City Park on Thursday, July 4. Gates will open at 11 a.m. There will be live music, fireworks, vendors and more.

Brooks County

An Independence Day Cruise-In will be held on Thursday, July 4, from 6-9 p.m. at 121 N. Culpepper St. in Quitman. The event will feature food trucks, family games, a parade, and fireworks.

Coffee County

The City of Douglas, GFL Environmental, and partners will host the 2024 Freedom Fest celebration on Thursday, July 4, 2024. This festival will be held at JC Adams Municipal Park – Jardine Stadium. The gates will open at 5 p.m. and stadium seating will be provided. Admission and parking are free. There will be rides at the Rucker Family Kids Carnival, food, general vendors, and fireworks at dark.

Colquitt County

In Doerun, there will be the Carver Farms Fresh Produce July 4th Celebration. This will take place on July 4 starting at 7 p.m. There will be a food truck, ice cream, boiled peanuts, watermelon, water sprinkler and fireworks.

Decatur County

The city of Bainbridge will host a 4th of July Celebration on July 4 starting at 5 p.m. This event will be held at Earle May Boat Basin. There will be a live music by country music artists Maddie & Tae and a fireworks show.

Dougherty County

The city of Albany will host an Independence Day Celebration on Thursday, July 4, at the Albany Civic Center, located at 100 W. Oglethorpe Blvd. The event will feature music, fireworks, and food. The concert will start at 5:30 p.m. and fireworks will start at 9:30 p.m.

Grady County

The city of Cairo will be hosting Independence Day On Main on Wednesday, July 3. The event will have live music and fireworks. Entry is free to the public. The event will start at 7:30 p.m. and the fireworks show will begin at dusk.

Lowndes County

The Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA) will host a fireworks show on Thursday, July 4. The show is set to start at nightfall around 9:15 p.m. It is free to the public, and it can be viewed from the mall side of I-75 between exits 16 and 18, looking west towards Brooks County.

Mitchell County

The city of Camilla is hosting their Drone 4th of July Celebration on July 4 starting at 5 p.m. in Historic Downtown Camilla. There will be a drone show, live music, children activities and food.

Stewart County

There will be a 4th of July Campsite Decorating Contest in Omaha. It will begin at 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 4. All campers are invited to participate and prizes will be given to the 1st and 2nd place winners.

Sumter County

Cornerstone Church in Americus will host a 4th of July Party on July 3rd starting at 6:30 p.m. There will be food, games and fireworks.
Andersonville will have a display known as ‘The Avenue of Flags’ at Andersonville National Historic Site between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Terrell County

Terrell County Chamber of Commerce will host a 4th of July Celebration at Terrell High School on July 4 starting at 6:00p.m. There will be food trucks, music, arts & crafts, and fireworks.

Thomas County

Thomasville will be hosting an Independence Day Fireworks at Remington Park, 45 Ben Grace Drive, at 9 p.m. on July 4.

Worth County

An Independence Day Celebration Event will be held on 105 Doe Hill Road in Sylvester on Wednesday, July 3, by the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church.

Don’t see an event on the list, let us know on our Facebook.

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To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook and X (Twitter). For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app from the Apple Store or Google Play.

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Related Topics:4th of july Celebrations Counties drones Entertainment Event Featured Fireworks food Food Trucks games Georgia independence day Music parade

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Georgia

Why Southern Living is spotlighting serene coastal escape in Georgia

Published

5 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Why Southern Living is spotlighting serene coastal escape in Georgia

A quiet stretch of the Georgia coast is back in the national spotlight.

In a recent feature, Southern Living highlighted the Golden Isles as one of the South’s most serene escapes, praising the region’s undeveloped marshes, barrier islands and slower pace compared to other East Coast beach destinations.

Located roughly halfway between Savannah and Jacksonville, the Golden Isles include Brunswick, Sea Island, St. Simons Island, Jekyll Island and Little St. Simons Island.

Here’s what to know.

What makes Georgia’s Golden Isles different?

Unlike more densely developed beach towns in neighboring states, Georgia’s coastline is defined by tidal creeks, salt marshes and wide stretches of protected land.

“The coast of Georgia is quite different than the shores of North Carolina or South Carolina,” Southern Living wrote. “It’s wilder and quieter, and it’s much less populated with beach towns.”

While the islands offer modern resorts and vacation homes, much of the natural character remains intact.

One of the most photographed spots is Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island, known for its haunting remains of a maritime forest scattered along the shoreline.

Where are visitors staying?

The publication pointed to several well-known properties across the islands:

The Cloister at Sea Island
Jekyll Island Club Resort
St. Simons Island: The Grey Owl Inn and the St. Simons Lighthouse.

Little St. Simons Island, accessible only by boat, was highlighted for its all-inclusive lodge and thousands of acres of protected marshland and upland habitat.

What can you do in the Golden Isles?

Southern Living emphasized simple, immersive experiences:

Biking under live oaks
Kayaking through marsh creeks
Horseback riding along the beach
Watching sunsets over the water.

Public beaches like East Beach on St. Simons Island remain open to visitors, while golf courses on Jekyll Island and St. Simons offer year-round play.

The region’s history also plays a major role. Visitors can climb the St. Simons Lighthouse, explore historic districts in Brunswick or learn about Gullah Geechee heritage through local organizations.

For more information, visit southernliving.com/georgias-golden-isles-11906085.

Vanessa Countryman is the Trending Topics Reporter for the Deep South Connect Team Georgia. Email her at Vcountryman@gannett.com.

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Georgia

Gov. Kemp signs amended FY 2026 budget, delivering $2B in Georgia tax relief

Published

17 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Gov. Kemp signs amended FY 2026 budget, delivering B in Georgia tax relief

ATLANTA, Ga. — Georgia Governor Brian P. Kemp on Tuesday signed HB 973, the amended Fiscal Year 2026 budget.

The amended budget includes $2 billion in income and property tax relief, alongside investments in education, public safety, mental health, transportation and rural development.

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones praised Gov. Kemp, saying the budget…

“Makes critical investments in middle-class families, mental health services, healthcare workforce development, transportation and Georgia’s veterans community.”

Key allocations in the amended budget include:

Education and Workforce Development: $325 million to endow the DREAMS Scholarship, a new needs-based scholarship program; $6 million for a Career Navigator tool; and funding for new and expanded programs at University System of Georgia and Technical College System of Georgia institutions.
Public Safety: $150 million for Department of Corrections bed space, $9.7 million for additional corrections officers, $15 million for a new K-9 training facility, and $50 million to help communities address homelessness, including among veterans.
Mental Health: $409 million to design and construct a new Georgia Regional Hospital to expand mental health bed capacity.
Transportation: More than $1.6 billion to extend and expand I-75 express lanes in Henry County; $185 million for SR 316 interchange conversions; $100 million for rural bridge rehabilitation and replacement; and $250 million for local maintenance and improvement grants.
Rural Georgia: $15 million for rural site development grants; $35 million for a new natural gas infrastructure program; and $8.9 million for the Georgia Forestry Innovation Initiative.

Governor Kemp says the state’s conservative budgeting approach has allowed Georgia to provide tax relief while making “generational investments.”

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Georgia

Middle Georgia DSA condemns U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran, calls escalation ‘illegal’

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Middle Georgia DSA condemns U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran, calls escalation ‘illegal’

MACON, Ga. (WGXA) — Middle Georgia Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has issued a statement regarding the U.S. and Israel’s joint strikes on Iran over the weekend.

According to other WGXA articles, based on reports as of early March 2026, the United States and Israel have launched major, coordinated military operations against Iran, labeled in reports as “Operation Epic Fury” and “Operation Midnight Hammer”. This follows months of failed nuclear negotiations and escalating regional tensions.

RELATED | Hegseth insists US-Israel strikes on Iran are ‘not Iraq, not endless’

WGXA asked Middle Georgia DSA, the largest activist organization in Middle Georgia, for their opinions on the strikes, and they responded with this:

The strikes on Iran, carried out by the United States and Israel, mark a catastrophic escalation in an illegal act of aggression. The Iranian people do not deserve to live in fear of American bombs and of the instability of regime change. Americans do not want our tax dollars and the lives of our people to be wasted on opening up a new war in the Middle East, or on bombing girls’ elementary schools. We want relief from the affordability crisis. We want peace. Middle Georgia DSA unequivocally condemns these attacks and any politicians who cannot do the same. We do not want this, we do not deserve this.

DSA added that they are not currently planning any protests at this time, and that they “remain focused on improving the conditions of people who live within our communities directly, and do not feel a protest is the best strategy to deliver on that.”

Middle Georgia DSA condemns U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran, calls escalation ‘illegal’, March 2, 2026 (Image is meant to say 2026 instead of 2025, Courtesy of GCSU Mutual Aid)

However, GCSU Mutual Aid, a grassroots, community-led initiative focused on collective care and resource sharing within the Milledgeville and broader Middle Georgia area. While not an official department of Georgia College & State University (GCSU), it frequently operates in coordination with student-led groups and local residents to address gaps in traditional social safety nets.

RELATED | GCSU encourages peaceful expression ahead of national ICE walkout

GCSU Mutual Aid is planning a protest for Wednesday, where they will be “Marching for Democracy” in retaliation to recent events in the U.S.

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