The Petty Hearts to Perform on May 7th

Press Release

Release: Immediate
Contact: Tami Mayhugh
Date: April 19, 2021
RE: Historic Ritz Theatre Welcomes The Petty Hearts: National Tom Petty Tribute Show

Toccoa, GA  April 19 –  The Petty Hearts, a nationally touring Tom Petty tribute band celebrating the life and musical legacy of Tom Petty’s amazing 40-year career in rock and roll are making their way to the Historic Ritz Theatre on Friday, May 7 at 7:00 pm.

The Petty Hearts perform faithful renditions of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ extensive catalog including dozens of his best known Top 40 hits along with some deeper album cuts Petty rarely played live.

They have performed across the country before thousands of music fans at festivals, performing arts theaters, amphitheaters, and nightclubs.   The band has headlined at venues affiliated with Live Nation, iHeart Radio, the Hard Rock Café, House of Blues, the Miami Marlins, the Miami Dolphins, NASCAR, state fairs and dozens of municipalities. The Petty Hearts were also selected to appear in Season 1 of the nationally televised series, Tribute Wars USA. 

The Petty Hearts concert is a Night at the Ritz performance which is generously sponsored through grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Georgia Council for the Arts.  Tickets for all shows may be purchased online at www.ritztheatretoccoa.com, www.eventbrite.com, or at the box office night of show. Adults tickets are $10, children under 12 and students with an I.D. are $5. Doors open at 6:15.

 For more information on The Petty Hearts performance or Night at the Ritz, please contact Ritz Theatre General Manager Tami Mayhugh at tmayhugh@cityoftoccoa.com or 706.244.0039.

 

Toccoa Train Day to take Place on May 1st

Press Release

April 19, 2021

Contact: Sharon Crosby

706-282-3309

Toccoa Train Day

Toccoa, GA, April 19, 2021 – The railroad has been an important part of the history of Toccoa and to honor this history, the City of Toccoa will be celebrating Toccoa Train Day on May 1. Several events are planned for that day.

The first event of the day will be to welcome the Amtrak Crescent Line at 6:15 a.m. at the historic train depot. Visitors getting off the train will be welcomed with bags of information about Toccoa and then several will get on the train and ride it to Gainesville and hand out information to the riders. Everyone is invited to come and welcome the train. A drawing will be held for several give a ways.

Later in the morning, the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon tying at the depot at 10:00 a.m. as a celebration of the work that has been done by Amtrak as well as the work that has been done at the Welcome Center. Four representatives from Amtrak will be there to help with the celebration.

The Northeast Georgia N Scale Model Railroad Club will have a train display in the Mitchell Allen Room at the Currahee Military Museum. The display will open from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm. There is no entrance fee but do request that everyone wear a mask.

At 3:00 pm there will be a matinee showing of “Thomas and Friends Blue Mountain Mystery” at the Historic Ritz Theatre. Admission and all concessions will be $1.  Doors will open at 2:30.

AM630 WNEG Radio will broadcast live as the train arrives. A drawing for several prizes including round trip tickets to Atlanta, will be held at the event. Attendees can register that morning at the depot.  

For more information, contact the Main Street office at 706-282-3309.

                                                                                  

Public Hearing to be Held for 2021 Comprehensive Plan Update

 

Press Release

Contact: Connie Tabor, Community Development Director
Release: Immediate
Date: 04.19.21
RE: City of Toccoa Implementing Comprehensive Plan Update

TOCCOA, GA – April 19^th, 2021 – The City of Toccoa is in the midst of implementing its five-year update to the City Comprehensive Plan. This plan will incorporate feedback from community members and stakeholders in preparing the vision and direction for the City of Toccoa over the next five years.

On April 29^th, 2021, beginning at 4pm, there will be an online meeting available for the general public to review the draft comprehensive plan in depth. At this meeting, staff will walk viewers through the draft document, review recommendations, and inform citizens on how to submit comments and questions. The meeting link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82030486422?pwd=VHFRbDdHZWE0YVcyeUNjZ0VFOVlEZz09. If prompted, the meeting ID# is 82030486422. The passcode is 893191.

Additionally, City staff asks community members to consider taking five minutes to complete the online comprehensive plan survey. It can be found online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ToccoaGA. If you prefer to take the survey physically, please reach out to Connie Tabor at 706.282.3232 to make arrangements to receive a hardcopy.

The City of Toccoa would like to thank local residents and stakeholders for their assistance with the City of Toccoa’s 2021 Comprehensive Plan update.

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Toccoa Train Day Takes Place on May 1st

Press Release

April 13, 2021

Contact: Sharon Crosby

706-282-3309

Toccoa Train Day

Toccoa, GA, April 12, 2021 – The railroad has been an important part of the history of Toccoa and to honor this history, the City of Toccoa will be celebrating Toccoa Train Day on May 1. Several events are planned for that day.

The first event of the day will be to welcome the Amtrak Crescent Line this year at 6:15 a.m. at the historic train depot. Visitors getting off the train will be welcomed with bags of information about Toccoa and then several will get on the train and ride it to Gainesville and hand out information to the riders.

The Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon tying at the depot at 10:00 a.m. as a celebration of the work that has been done by Amtrak as well as the work that has been done at the Welcome Center. 

Northeast Georgia N Scale Model Railroad Club will have a train display in the Mitchell Allen Room at the Currahee Military Museum. The display will open from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm. There is no entrance fee but do request that everyone wear a mask.

The rail line was completed in the town of Dry Pond, later changed to Toccoa City, in 1873 to connect Atlanta, Georgia and Greenville, South Carolina.  In 1878 it became known as the Elberton Air Line Railway connecting Toccoa to Elberton. 

The rail line through Toccoa City created a conducive environment for development, allowing for buildings to be constructed downtown. In 1917, a double rail track was laid, eventually giving permit for trains to travel every 15 minutes day and night during World War II. Over the years, thousands have come to Toccoa by way of the rail road.

Today, the City of Toccoa is serviced by Amtrak and Norfolk Southern Railway and is one of three stops in Georgia along the Crescent line.

AM630 WNEG Radio will broadcast live as the train arrives. A drawing for several prizes including round trip tickets to Atlanta, will be held at the event. Attendees can register that morning at the depot.  

For more information, contact the Main Street office at 706-282-3309.

                                                                                  

Toccoa Jazz & TFC Jazz Perform at the Ritz on April 16th

 Press Release

Release: Immediate

Contact: Tami Mayhugh, 706.244.0039

Date: April 12, 2021

RE: TFC Jazz Band Performs at the Historic Ritz Theatre on April 16

Toccoa, GA – April 12, 20201– The Toccoa Falls College Jazz Band and Toccoa Jazz are bringing their much-anticipated yearly collaboration, Jazz at the Ritz, back to the Historic Ritz Theatre for a free concert on Friday, April 16^th at 7:00pm.

The 2020, Jazz at the Ritz performance unexpectedly ended up being our last show of the 2019-2020 Night at the Ritz series due to the on-set of the Covid-19 pandemic. While CDC guidelines and limited seating are still in place at the theatre, we are excited to host this wonderful night of jazz once again.

The TFC Jazz Band is directed by Yuri Henriques and Toccoa Jazz, a subset of the Toccoa Symphony Orchestra is directed by David Stufft.  Be ready for a night of great music and a memorable ending when the groups combine to present parodies of two classics re-written to reflect our year-long pandemic struggle.

Jazz at the Ritz is part of our regular Night at the Ritz concert series at the Historic Ritz Theatre. It is funded in part by generous grants received from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Georgia Council for the Arts. Admission is free for this Night at the Ritz performance. The public is invited and no ticket is required, but seating is limited to the first 150 patrons.

For more information on Night at the Ritz, please contact Ritz Theatre General Manager Tami Mayhugh at 706.244.0039 or at tmayhugh@cityoftoccoa.com.

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Sip-n-Stroll Scheduled for April 16th

 Press Release

Release: Immediate

Contact: Sharon Crosby

Date: 04/12/21

RE: Downtown Toccoa Sip-n-Stroll

Downtown Toccoa Sip-n-Stroll

TOCCOA, GA – April 12, 2021 – Main Street Toccoa, in conjunction with the businesses of Downtown Toccoa, will host a Sip-n-Stroll this Friday, April 16th, from 4pm to 7pm. Following the Sip-n-Stroll, a free concert by the Toccoa Falls College Jazz Ensemble and Toccoa Jazz will take place at the Historic Ritz Theatre.

The downtown businesses that will be participating include: Ionosphere Travel Agency, Southern Roots Salon, Spa & Salon Anastasia, Angel Oak Home, Downtown Flowers, The Chattel Shop & West Realty, Troup’s Studio and Gifts, Currahee Overland, The Studio, Ash-Ling Booksellers & Tasty Temptations by Amber, The X-Factor Grill, Toccoa Nutrition, Kinetic by Windstream, and CK Morgan & Company. D-Earl’s Dollar Dogs Each will also be on-site. Each business will serve a sample drink (alcoholic and nonalcoholic). Many of the stores will have appetizers and one-night only specials as well.

Main Street Toccoa staff will sell “signature cards” for $10 each the night of the event. The cards will include drinks for the evening and other related items. Visit eight businesses and return the “signature card” to Main Street staff for a free Main Street Toccoa tote bag and an entry into a gift basket sponsored by the businesses of Downtown Toccoa. The registration table will be located at the speed table on Doyle Street.

There will also be live music at three locations during the event. Kayla Beggs will be near Currahee Overland, Jacob Hicks will be near Troup’s Studio, and Jackson Rogers will be near the downtown speed table.

Doyle Street will be closed from Sage Street to Hill Street for this event. Pond Street will be closed from the Tugalo Street Parking Lot alleyway entrance to Railroad Street. Sage Street will be closed from the Tugalo Street Parking Lot alleyway entrance to the South Park Lane parking lot alleyway entrance.

This event is generously sponsored by the businesses of Historic Downtown Toccoa. Main Street Toccoa encourages the community to come out and #ShopSmall by visiting the local retail businesses downtown that contribute to the quality of life in the community.

For more information about the planned Sip-n-Stroll, please visit the official Event page on the Main Street Toccoa Facebook page or the Main Street office at 706.282.3232

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Summer Movies Return to the Ritz!

 

 

Press Release

 

Release: Immediate

Contact: Tami Mayhugh, 706.244.0039

Date: April 5, 2021

RE: Summer movies return to the Historic Ritz Theatre

 

Toccoa, GA  April 5–Mark your calendars for Thursdays in June and July at the Historic Ritz Theatre with the return of our Summer Movie Series starting Thursday, June 3^rd with show times at 10:00am and 7:00pm.

 

This year’s series kicks off with Trolls World Tour, followed on the 10^th by Onward, The War With Grandpa on the 17^th, and Toy Story 4 on the 24^th.  Movies will continue in July with Wonder Woman 1984 on the 1^st, SCOOB!  on the 8^th, followed by The Croods: A New Age on the 15^th, Tad the Lost Explorer and the Secret of King Midas the 22^nd, and ending with Cats and Dogs 3: Paws Unite on the 29^th.

 

As always, movies and concessions are only $1 each and we are cash only. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Tami Mayhugh, Ritz Theatre General Manager at tmayhugh@cityoftoccoa.com or at 706-244-0039.