August 2–4 was truly a remarkable weekend in Canton! The fun started on Friday night with Canton Main Street's August First Friday. Hundreds of residents filled Cannon Park in downtown for some great music, food, classic cars and lots of fun. The heat did not put a damper on the festivities that began with an opener by the Cherokee High Band followed with the Legendary LongShot band from Dalton that treated the crowd to some memorable 80s rock. Afterward, a surprise Flash Mob by the Academy of Dance Arts students entertained everyone while the bands switched over to the amazing headline act, the Fiddleheads. Everyone who attended were treated to some amazing, contemporary bluegrass music by this stunning band.
This was, by far, our largest First Friday ever, and the Canton Main Street board is already planning a big event for September. These events take countless volunteer hours to plan and implement. I would like to thank the Main Street board, our new Director, Meghan Griffin, and all of the other volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this event possible. Our downtown merchants had a record breaking night, and this event demonstrates the scale of possibility for downtown Canton! In fact, our new Economic Development Director, Matthew Thomas, counted well over 300 cars in our public parking areas; including cars from seven Metro Atlanta counties. It's about time that we attracted and kept these tax dollars in our local community instead of losing them to other cities.
Saturday, as usual, featured another wonderful Canton Farmers Market, another great Main Street program. Canton residents returned to Cannon Park for some local, organic produce and many wonderful handmade crafts. If you have not visited the Farmers Market, you are really missing something special.
Sunday's highlight, for me, was the "Paddling Through History" program and fundraiser hosted by the Coosa River Basin Initiative, Cherokee County Historical Society and the Upper Etowah River Alliance held at the Crescent Farm Rock Barn. It also included a 6-mile paddle on the Etowah River! I had never been on the river, so I was a bit apprehensive at first. Once we put in, however, I was amazed at the beauty of this great local resource. The paddle was beautiful, peaceful and enlightening. I have often stated that one of Canton's greatest hidden assets was the Etowah River. So many other Georgia cities have revitalized their communities with river walks, parks and retail development along their rivers. If the public had more access to this great natural resource, I truly believe they would have a greater appreciation for the Etowah and its impressive biodiversity.
One of the most eye opening aspects of the event was the clear need for quality and safe entry and exit points on the river. Event participants had to traverse up and down steep, muddy banks to get on and off the river. Along the journey, we did pass the new boat launch at Etowah Park. Although a lot of silt had already built up on the launch steps, it is still a start, but we need a very safe take out somewhere along the way, and Boling Park would be an excellent location. I understand there are some issues with the Corps of Engineers, but I believe this could be easily overcome and, in the end, generate a great return on investment. Just imagine an active outfitter in the area that attracted lots of river rats from the Atlanta metro area. They would come to enjoy the Etowah, and while here, they would spend money in our community.
If I have the honor of being elected to Canton City Council in Ward Two, I will work to organize an Etowah paddle for all Council members. I think it takes seeing and experiencing the river from this perspective to realize its potential contributions to the City of Canton. Until then, I can't wait for my next trip down the Etowah, and I welcome the day that Canton is, once again, the center of activity in North Georgia.
For more information on my campaign, please visit www.grantforcanton.com or view my Facebook page, "Grant for Canton."
