A brief history of the Georgia Independence Day Festival
by John Gilbert
My wife Angie and I and our three daughters have always enjoyed attending our local renaissance festival.
It is very bright and colorful and we always enjoy the many shows and activities. We have bought costumes and attended
as often as we could. As we left the festival after one visit I asked my wife what the English Renaissance had to do
with Georgia. We couldn't find too many connections. Owing to my love of American history, I struck upon the
idea of a festival dealing with the American Revolution. "Say, why don't we put on a festival only it's
July 4th, 1776?" My wife loved the idea and we talked about it all the way home. Even the kids were throwing
out ideas of their own.
Angie and I have always loved volunteering as tour guides at Stately Oaks Plantation in
Jonesboro. Each Christmas Stately Oaks puts on its annual holiday program, "Christmases Past." We would
turn the Stately Oaks log kitchen into our Colonial kitchen and serve Christmas treats that would have been enjoyed in the
1770's. Visitors enjoyed ginger cakes and hot cider while mummers heralded the arrival of Christmas. These
were among our fondest memories.
Sadly, Angie was diagnosed with cancer in 1997 and I lost her in April of 1999.
In January of 2000 I decided to find a location for the idea that I was now calling the Georgia Independence Day
Festival. I approached the Atlanta Motor Speedway and they loved the idea and gave it their blessings. I was off
like a shot to get the festival organized. I first called on my friend and seamstress Julie Rogers. Julie was
the first to volunteer and called several of her friends and invited them to help. In a short time we had put together
a top notch and hard working volunteer staff.
The
first two festivals were held at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. The 3rd festival was held in Spaulding County. The
Festival then moved back to Henry County and into Heritage Park. In '06 the festival found its home at the historic
Nash Farm in Hampton, GA.
The Georgia Independence Festival was held in memory of Angie
Gilbert. In her honor we called our fort, Fort Angela.
