Chiaha Harvest Festival October 27, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
43rd Annual Chiaha Harvest Fair to be Held October 27th and 28th

The Chiaha Harvest Fair is 43 and it is bigger and better than ever. This year the cider will be brewing over the fire and the festive nip of fall will be in the air. Chiaha began in 1964 with a few local artists hoping to sell their creations to the public. The first show had just a dozen artists. Now, 40 years later, the festival has grown tenfold to include 120 artists and demonstrating craftsmen from several states with a draw of over 10,000 visitors. The event is juried and judged with over $5000 in prize money to be awarded to artists, most of which is committed by local businesses and individuals through a patron purchase award program.

The Chiaha Arts and Crafts Guild was founded shortly after the first festival and adopted the mission of furthering the arts in Northwest Georgia. The Guild is made up of members representing a cross-section of the community that volunteer to make the festival possible. The Chiaha Guild sponsors the festival to raise money for local art endeavors, annually sponsoring three art scholarships to Rome's colleges; Shorter, Berry and Floyd. The Guild gives grants for various other art programs, including a $5000 grant for Rome Area Council for the Arts in 2005. Chiaha has purchased art equipment for local schools and sponsored numerous student art shows. In 2004, Chiaha added a local school section to the festival where area art teachers may set-up tents to display and sell student work. Money raised by their efforts goes back into the classroom to purchase much needed equipment and supplies. Each participating school is eligible for additional funding through a $250 grant from the proceeds of the festival.

Chiaha is truly a community event with many of our special exhibitors and food booths sponsored by area groups. The festival hosts a number of food booths, many of which are fundraising opportunities for local organizations, with some of the best Southern home-cookin’ around. Local Boy Scout troops and the Rome High ROTC help in the set-up and operations of the event to raise money for their activities. The Creat-aha Children's Area offers "make and take” art activities that encourage children to express themselves creatively. This year’s children’s area is sponsored by United Community Bank. Projects include pottery, painting, sand art and much more.

The Chiaha Harvest Fair is known throughout the region for the excellent entertainment schedule offered to fair-goers. The music alone is worth the admission price. Musicians from all over the world are scheduled to appear on the Chiaha stage, sponsored this year by Georgia Power. Several of these musicians have CD's and are regularly played on the radio. Visit www.chiaha.org for a complete list of the entertainers with links to their individual websites where available.

This year’s festival is scheduled for October 27th and 28th and is open from 10 am to 5 pm each day. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for Seniors and Students and $1 for Children under 12. Area elementary age school students received a Chiaha coloring sheet to color and bring to the festival for free admission and the chance to win a Best of Show prize if they include it for display at the festival.

For more information visit us online at www.chiaha.org or call Andi Beyer at 706/235-4542 or Monica Cook at 706/409-2777.

Official Website: http://www.chiaha.org