2011 Sage Market Season Begins May 14

Main Street Toccoa announces that the new season of Sage Market will kick off on May 14, 2011. Sage Market takes place the second Saturday of every month from May – October, from 8 a.m. to noon. The market is held in Historic Downtown Toccoa at the Stephens County Market Building located at 409 Broad Street.

Sage Market features only homemade, handcrafted, and homegrown items. Therefore, the market provides vendors access to farm-fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, jams and jellies, seed plants, herbs, honey, flowers, and homemade soy candles and lotions. Other items that will be available include baked goods and desserts, handmade children’s clothes and accessories, as well as quilts and jewelry.

If you are interested in participating at Sage Market as a vendor there is still time to register! Residents from Toccoa and Stephens County interested in selling products they have grown or made are invited to participate. Booths are available for $10 per Saturday or, if you are going to participate for three or more months, booths are only $25. All booth rentals must be reserved through the Toccoa Main Street office by calling 706-282-3309.

Sage Market operates in conjunction with the Stephens County Farmers Market. This market operates every Wednesday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. They are a group of local farmers committed to bringing the freshest vegetables and fruits to residents of Stephens County. By providing people access to local, fresh food they ensure healthy options for the Toccoa area.
The Stephens County Market building enables some of the vendors to be located outside, while others will have booths inside the building. There is plenty of parking at the market, which is also located within walking distance of downtown Toccoa. Plan a great Saturday and bring your family to Sage Market and then visit downtown!

In addition to the first Sage Market on May 14, other Saturday markets will be held on June 11, July 9, August 13, September 10, and October 8. All Sage Markets are open from 8 a.m. to noon.

Toccoa celebrates National Train Day

The City of Toccoa will join with Amtrak in celebrating the 2011 National Train Day on May 7, 2011 with a special event at the historic train depot in downtown Toccoa. Mayor Janice English, city officials and citizens will welcome the train when it stops in Toccoa on its way to Atlanta at 6:15 a.m. New this year to the celebration will be a special train display in the Mitchell Allen room of the Currahee Military Museum. Dess Oliver, from the Railroad Museum in Rabun Gap, will display his collection of "trains throughout the decades." The display will be open from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on National Train Day. Admission is free.

AM630 WNEG Radio will broadcast live the morning of May 7. A drawing for several prizes will also be held at the event. Enter to win the drawing at these locations: Ionosphere Travel, WNEG Radio, and the Chamber of Commerce.

The City of Toccoa’s history is centered on the railroad industry. The city originated in 1873 following the development of a coaling station for the Atlanta to Charlotte Railroad after the Civil War. Due to the city’s access to the railroad, industry developed in Toccoa as well as a college and a United States military paratrooper training camp. The city has also benefited from the railroad for the past thirty years, as we are one of only three stops in Georgia in Amtrak’s Crescent Line. In 2008, more than 3,000 people came through the historic downtown via Amtrak and the number increases every year.

"Not only does the National Train Day celebration help focus on the importance of the railroad to our community, it highlights the opportunities it presents today. We continue to promote Amtrak travel as a relaxing way to visit Toccoa," states Sharon Crosby, Special Events Coordinator.

The Crescent Line travels through more states – including the District of Columbia – than any other Amtrak route. Offering daily service, the 1,377 - mile route travels from New York’s Penn Station to the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal in 30 hours, stopping in 33 communities along the way.

Toccoa celebrates National Train Day

The City of Toccoa will join with Amtrak in celebrating the 2011 National Train Day on May 7, 2011 with a special event at the historic train depot in downtown Toccoa. Mayor Janice English, city officials, and citizens will welcome the train as it stops in Toccoa on its way to Atlanta at 6:15 a.m. AM630 WNEG Radio will broadcast live. A drawing for several prizes will be held at the event. Enter to win at these locations: Ionosphere Travel, WNEG Radio, and the Chamber of Commerce.

New this year to the celebration will be a special train display in the Mitchell Allen room of the Currahee Military Museum. Dess Oliver, from the Railroad Museum in Rabun Gap will display his collection of "trains throughout the decades." The display will be open from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Admission is free.

The City of Toccoa has had a long history with the railroad industry. In fact, the city originated in 1873, and can be traced back to the development of a coaling station for the Atlanta to Charlotte Railroad after the Civil War. Over the years, due to access to the railroad, industry came to Toccoa as well as a college and a United States military training camp. The city has also benefited for the past thirty years from Amtrak’s Crescent Line being one of only three stops in Georgia. In 2008, more than 3,000 people came through the historic downtown via Amtrak and the number increases every year.

"Not only does the National Train Day celebration help focus on the importance of the railroad to our community, it highlights the opportunities it presents today. We continue to promote Amtrak travel as a relaxing way to visit Toccoa," states Sharon Crosby, Special Events Coordinator.

The Crescent Line travels through more states – including the District of Columbia – than any other Amtrak route. Offering daily service, the 1,377 - mile route travels from New York’s Penn Station to the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal in 30 hours, stopping in 33 communities along the way.

Toccoa Downtown Tree Planting Completed

The City of Toccoa was one of seven recipients of the Georgia’s Growing Green Program. In March, 86 trees were planted in downtown Toccoa as part of the program and will be maintained for the next year. The grant was funded by the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the Georgia Forestry Commission and Toccoa received $25,787 to plant the trees.

The grant trees were planted along Doyle, Boulevard, and Tugalo Streets. Additional trees were planted at Doyle Street Park. The trees were planted in ways to supplement the dogwoods planted by the Toccoa Woman’s Club 40 years ago. Around 60 of those dogwoods had died, so the funding was used to replace and maintain these heritage dogwoods.

Trees planted include 59 dogwoods, 12 trident maples, 6 red oaks and 9 white oaks. The trees expand Main Street Toccoa’s urban forest to include popular walkways to downtown shopping and restaurants as well as along seating and play areas in Doyle Street Park. The trees make downtown Toccoa more pedestrian friendly.

The primary purpose of the grant is to create jobs as well as enhance the environment in Toccoa. Eberhardt Landscaping of Hartwell, Georgia purchased and planted the 86 trees March 11-16.

Toccoa-Stephens County More Ready Than Ever for Film and TV Productions

The Georgia Film, Music & Digital Entertainment Office will host the designation ceremony for Georgia’s newest Camera Ready Communities, including Toccoa, today at the State Capitol. Governor Nathan Deal will designate 73 Georgia counties Camera Ready at 10am.

Being named Camera Ready means T-SC has in place a program that provides film and television production companies with easier, faster and better access to local resources and location information. The T-SC Chamber of Commerce is the primary local contact for production companies as the Camera Ready liaison. They partner with Main Street Toccoa and the Development Authority to identify local resources, from locations and hotels to businesses, such as caterers and dry cleaners.

Camera Ready will help to ensure we can stay ahead of the competition by meeting the very specific local needs production companies have. There are a wealth of locations, talent and assets in our community and in our state that production companies can use to everyone’s advantage. Camera Ready is one more way we’re making sure they do.