Snellville Days Festival
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The Snellville Days Festival is a two day event held annually in Snellville, Georgia that draws crowds from all over the Southeast. The annual celebration is touted as one of the top 20 tourism events in May according to the Southeastern Tourism Society, but still holds that small town flavor.
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[edit] History
The first Snellville Days festival, held in 1974, was originally planned as a one-time event to help raise funds to develop T. W. Briscoe Park as a community gathering place but city officials found the response to be so overwhelming that they decided to make it an annual event. The two-day event has since grown to become one of the greatest craft and community festivals in the Atlanta area.
The old parade route followed U.S. Hwy. 78, but was changed in more recent years due to increased traffic volume. The route presently goes down Westeria Drive from US 78, goes left on North Road, then left on Oak Road, ending at City Hall. In earlier years, the parade had grown so much that it lasted two hours; the parade has since purposefully been reduced to approximately an hour.
[edit] Planning
Planning for the event is a year-long process undertaken by the city staff, appointed members of the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board, and Snellville Days Committee which consists of a number of volunteers.
[edit] Festivities at T.W. Briscoe Park
Festivities following the opening ceremonies once consisted of simple games such as dunking booths and local crafts and entertainment but have been greatly expanded to include clowns, hand-made arts and crafts from almost 200 vendors, live entertainment, food booths, a children’s activity center, the Dog and Disc Competition, the Orphan Car Show and, beginning in 2006, a museum sponsored by the Snellville Historical Society. Sponsors and vendors have contributed to the success of the festival and allowed for minimal cost the to the City.
[edit] Themes and Grand Marshals by Year
| Year | Theme | Grand Marshal |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Snellville Day Festival first held as one-time event to raise money for improvements to Briscoe Park | Thomas W. Briscoe - former Snellville Mayor |
| 1975 | Pride in America | Ludlow Porch - radio talk show host and author |
| 1976 | Snellville Salutes America | Then Lt. Governor Zell Miller |
| 1977 | Fun & Fantasy | Then U.S. Senator Sam Nunn |
| 1978 | none | Vince Dooley - Then Head Football Coach at the University of Georgia |
| 1979 | Walt Disney Theme | Ross and Wilson - Atlanta radio DJ's |
| 1980 | Salute to the American Cowboy | Clayton Moore - The Lone Ranger |
| 1981 | Snellville - Country and Proud of It! | Jerry Clower - Country Comedian |
| 1982 | Everybody is Somebody in Snellville | Sorrell Brooke - Boss Hog on The Dukes of Hazzard |
| 1983 | Everybody is Somebody in Snellville | George Lindsey - Goober on The Andy Griffith Show |
| 1984 | Everybody is Somebody in Snellville - Winning Stories | Tom T. Hall - "The Story Teller" Country Music Singer |
| 1985 | A Salute to American Heroes | Steve Lundquist - Olympic Gold Medalist Swimmer |
| 1986 | The Pride is Back | Bill Curry - Then Head Football Coach at Georgia Tech |
| 1987 | Snellville Salutes our Youth | Michael Damian - actor on The Young and the Restless |
| 1988 | Southern Charm | Charlie Daniels - Country Music Singer |
| 1989 | Through the Years | The Creel Sisters - known for their role in The Parent Trap |
| 1990 | Let Freedom Ring | Tom Wopat - actor in The Dukes of Hazzard |
| 1991 | Georgia on My Mind | Melly Meadows - official Scarlett O'Hara spokesman for United Artists |
| 1992 | Visions '92 | Kim Hardee - Miss Georgia 1991
Scott Case - Then football star for the Atlanta Falcons |
| 1993 | Let Us Entertain You | Jerry Reed - country music singer and actor in Smokey and the Bandit |
| 1994 | Snellville Welcomes the World | Then Georgia Governor Zell Miller |
| 1995 | Field of Dreams | South Gwinnett High School Girls Championship Basketball Team |
| 1996 | Snellville Welcomes the World | Jason Elam - Denver Broncos Placekicker |
| 1997 | Beach Party | 1996 Brookwood High School AAAA Football Championship Team |
| 1998 | Welcome Home | 1997 South Gwinnett High School AAAA Girls Fast Pitch Softball Team |
| 1999 | Year of the Athlete | Lex Luger & Buff Bagwell - WCW Wrestlers |
| 2000 | Snellville Salutes the American Hero | General Raymond G. Davis, USMC |
| 2001 | People Coming Together | Parkview High School AAAAA Football Championship Team |
| 2002 | Our American Spirit | Parade Cancelled Due to Rain |
| 2003 | Everybody's Somebody in Snellville - Celebrating 30 Years of Success | David Greene - Then Quarterback for the University of Georgia |
| 2004 | Our American Idols | Outstanding Representatives in Our Community from the areas of Education , Public Service and Business |
| 2005 | A Place to Call Home | Families Representing the Foster Parent Program
Diana DeGarmo - 2004 American Idol Runner-up |
| 2006 | Look At Us Now! | T. Graham Brown - Legendary Country Performer |
| 2007 | Welcome To Our Town, Honoring The Past | Kathryn Bird - Longest Living Snellville Native |
| 2008 | A One Time Event That's Lasted 35 Years | TBD |
