Derek Easterling

A Word from Mayor Derek Easterling

Welcome to fall, y’all! There is something special about this time of year, and we are blessed to live and work in a community as special as Kennesaw.

Our funny-scary friends, the Scarecrows on Main, are coming back to our historic downtown during October. Scarecrows, built by local businesses, organizations and community members, will line Main Street. Visit the City of Kennesaw Facebook page to vote for your favorite.

This year, Touch-A-Truck and Fall-O-Ween have been combined for Truck-or-Treat! Children can get up-close and personal with dozens of larger-than-life trucks, heavy construction and public safety equipment, cool cars and specialty vehicles, 3-9 p.m. Oct. 16 at Swift-Cantrell Park. Participants will be able to meet vehicle owners and operators while touching, climbing on and interacting with this exhibition of transportation. Activities will include a candy trail, costume contests, scavenger hunt, field games and music. The event ends with a showing of the original “Ghostbusters” (PG) movie, after sundown, between 7-7:30 p.m.

Join Smith-Gilbert Gardens as A Healthier You! programming continues through October. This program features classes to encourage wellness in multiple aspects of our daily lives, including the mind, arts, celebration, fitness and family. For more information and specific dates, visit https://smith-gilbert-gardens. square.site.

The remaining race in the Kennesaw Grand Prix 5K Series, professionally timed and USA Track & Field certified, is the Garden Gallup on Oct. 30. The course is perfect for competitive runners seeking a qualifying time for the Peachtree Road Race, and the festival-like atmosphere and plentiful food and drink make these races perfect for beginner runners/walkers, as well as families. Grand Prix makes a great race experience simple and easy. Each race begins at the Kennesaw First Baptist Church on Main Street in historic downtown. With plentiful parking, restrooms, room to spread out and warm-up, the registration and start area helps to get racers ready for a personal-record race. Each race includes a 1-mile fun run at 7:30 a.m., the 5K at 8 a.m. and a Tot Trot at 8:55 a.m. Visit www.kennesawgrandprix.com or the Kennesaw Grand Prix Facebook page for complete details.

The inaugural season of the First Friday Concert Series, hosted by the Kennesaw Downtown Development Authority and the Kennesaw Downtown Merchants Association, came to a close with the final performance Oct. 1. The community was able to stroll through the historic downtown area while enjoying an evening of shopping, dining and live music at the Pedestrian Underpass off Main Street. We look forward to another great season next year.

Derek Easterling has served as Kennesaw’s mayor since 2016. He is dedicated to serving his community to the highest level possible.