User:Bullet30204/Buggy Days Celebration

= Barnesville Buggy Days Celebration = Buggy Days has its roots in many Southern US traditions. At first glance, it appears much as at typical fall county fair that many rural towns or counties put on. However, Buggy Days is much more than a county fair. Its a time in which the people of Barnesville, GA, USA celebrate their local heritage; being that their town at one time was the Buggy Capital of the South during the Buggy Making hay day.

= Events and Attractions=
 * Old Fashion Games
 * Buggy Days Road Race
 * Greased Pig Chase
 * Greased Poll climb
 * Fireworks
 * Arts & Crafts
 * Buggy Days Parade

Old Fashion Games
It is unconfirmed whether or not the town still puts on the Old Fashion Games on one night during the week of Buggy Days. In times past, the town split up and competed as communities against each other in nontraditional games. The Redbone Community always made a good show and did very well being made up of hearty country folk. Games consists of water melon toss, the slippery football catch and the water melon seed spitting contest among other things. The location of the games was usually at Summers Field the former site of the LCCHS Fighting Trojans Football Team, right off of College Dr, very close to Gordon College.

Buggy Days Road Race
The Buggy Days Road Race is held the Saturday morning of Buggy Days. There are several events of them being:


 * 10 K run
 * 5 K run
 * 1 mile run

Often times there is a walking event too.

Greased Pig Chase
Saturday night of Buggy Days is the favorite of many as it is the night in which the townsfolk gather to participate in the Greased Pig Chase. As the event proceeds, there are several rounds in which a different pig is used for each round. Rounds take place based on the age groups of participants. To the Chagrin of groups like PETA, live pigs are greased up and let loose on an open field to be chased and hunted by 50 or more people at a time. In the past, this open field has been Summers Field. In the long past, the site of the event was by the old city pool, which has long since been filled in, located across College Dr. from Summers' Field.

Participants line up on a line. Participants must be of the same age group. This is hard to enforce and at times older kids sneak in and participate with younger age groups. A pig is placed 25 to 40 yards away from the line of participants. A referee blows a whistle or shoots a gun signifying the start of the game. The participants chase the pig until it is caught. Almost always, the game ends with a pile of people on top of the pig. The winner is the one who has the most possession of the pig; usually at the bottom of the pile.

There are several strategies that one can use to catch the pig. The main one being not to run with the herd. This can be compared to someone playing half back in football or middle field in soccer.

Years ago, adults were allowed to participate in this event. After a few times of intoxicated participants getting a little rowdy, the event was limited to children only.

Greased Poll Climb
A side event of Buggy Days is the Greased Poll Climb. This event is usually on going while something else is happening like the Greased Pig Chase. To prepare for this event a normal sized telephone poll is placed in the ground. This poll is then coated with a greasy substance. A some of money is placed at the top, usually a $100 bill. Participants take turns climbing the poll to try to reach the money. The winner is the person who successfully removes the money from the top of the poll.

To participate, one must buy a ticket of participation. As you can imagine, depending on the price of the ticket, much revenue can be collected off setting the price of the cash prize on top of the poll.

Fireworks
The Fireworks show is almost always done the Saturday night of Buggy Days, after The Greased Pig chase. The show lasts somewhere around 15 minutes. Before the Fireworks show, townsfolk scramble to secure the best viewing area. Many of the parking lots around Gordon College are the best and favorite viewing spots of the locals.

Arts & Crafts
All day Saturday and Sunday people wonder through downtown Barnesville checking out various booths of arts and craft vendors. These vendors come from all over Georgia and other states to setup booths the Friday night of Buggy Days, preparing to sell their goods through the weekend. Typical merchandise being sold are candles, wooden toys, funnel cakes, hamburgers, paintings as well as belt buckles and leather goods.

Buggy Days Parade
At 2:00 pm on the Saturday of Buggy Days, the Buggy Days parade begins. The parade is made up of High School marching bands from Barnesville and surrounding towns, cheer leaders, beauty queens, clowns, Shriners, Free Masons, folks driving antique cars, folks driving junky cars, politicians, lots and lots of horses and pretty much anybody else who would like to get in it. There is always a Parade Grand Martial who starts the parade. The Grand Martial most often is a favored, good citizen of the Barnesville/Lamar county community.

During the parade, friends and families congregate on the side of the parade route to watch. Children like the parade because of candy being tossed. A common complaint of the parade is the loud noises created by the participants from horns blowing to the piles manure left behind by the horses.

Parade Route The Buggy Days Parade is a march from Summers' Field, up College Drive heading into town. The Parade route continues left, at the Post Office onto Forsyth St. Another left is made in the main section of downtown Barnesville on to Main St. The route follows Main St, on out of the downtown area ending close to Summers' Field.