2019 Georgia Wellness and Fitness Festival Guide

The 6th Georgia Wellness and Fitness Festival will be hitting your city during the week of September 2-8, 2019. This week is a mixture of GWFF signature events, community events, and partner events. We are the only one week fitness festival in the United States and now this year we will advocate for the biggest fitness day in the history of Georgia on September7, 2019. We are encouraging all citizens to get out and get active (based on your ability and please get a doctor’s opinion before starting any fitness program) on this important day as we take our health in our hand.

Our 2019 Festival theme is “Be a Fitness Inspiration”, it’s time to get inspired! Post your fitness pictures or videos with #gafitfest2019.

Specials thanks to:

See individual flyer for event sponsors and community partners.

Special Festival Guest Mr. Ryan Connor

WE BELIEVE Whether you’re 8 or 80 years old, cities should work for everyone.

OUR VISION We exist to create safe and happy cities that prioritize people’s well-being. We believe that if everything we do in our public spaces is great for an 8 year old and an 80 year old, then it will be great for all people.

Special class in McDonough with a Master Trainer Patrice Williams on September 7th!

Premier Signature Event

Healthful Tips

Two Noteworthy Events that will happen before the official Festival

SEPTEMBER 2, 2019

MACON 43rd Macon Labor Day Race Race – September 2, 2019

Come join us for a family-friendly Macon tradition. Both the 5K and 10K races feature fast, point-to-point courses that lead through downtown Macon and into Central City Park. The race features chip timing and both courses are USATF certified and can serve as a qualifier for next year’s Peachtree Road Race. Participants receive a technical fabric, gender-specific shirt. For even more fun, enter one of the team competitions. There will be special kids’ activities at the park near the finish line, including inflatables, snow cones, cotton candy, music, and more.

Bring the whole family! www.macontracks.org

ATLANTA

Tucker Brewing is supporting the Big Peach Sizzler 10K & 5K, which benefits Miles For Cystic Fibrosis.

Each race participant gets a free beer at our booth with the coupon on their race bib. Come support a good cause and visit us after the race!

Description: 4th Annual Headquarter Nissan & Big Dog Running Co. Labor Day Classic 10K. A point to point 10K race!

All proceeds will benefit MercyMed of Columbus.

This race is part of the Sizzling Summer Series - only sign up here if running individual race.

Post-race block party with free cookout!

Prizes and free giveaways!

Live Music!

Columbus/AL Location: Start @ Headquarter Nissan; Finish @ Big Dog Uptown Course: https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/fullscreen/1244135425/ Distance: 10 K Date: September 2, 2019

Kennesaw It's time to say "Good Bye" to summer, and we're doing it in the best way we know how...with a 5K, 10K, & 15K. This event is FREE to all First Responders...Police, Fireman, EMT, etc. Come out to the AMC Theatre in Kennesaw for an 8:00 am start. All three distances are out & backs and pretty flat & fast! Great upscale tech shirts, Awards to the top 3 (M & F) overalls, top 3 overall masters, overall grand master, and overall senior master, as well as the top 3 in each of the normal age groups 10 & Under - 75+ for all 3 races.

Event Registration Super Early Bird...January 16 - March 31 5K...$25 10K...$30

Macon

These yoga classes by Christina Lucia Murray will focus on breath connected to movement. Not only will these classes be adaptable to any skill level, but they are guaranteed to help you gain flexibility, strength and reduce stress. Join us at the Mill Hill Community Arts Center every Monday night from 6:30-7:30 pm.

The classes will be donation based. No class will be held on national holidays. Dates include: Sept.

2

Macon

Want to explore something new and get away from the crowds? This is your trip and it's special for September 2, 2019. Winding through a wooded corridor, the Upper Ocmulgee is home to bald eagles, blue herons, and slider turtles. Very little signs remain of the many mills that harnessed the river's energy in the 19th century or the numerous ferries that crossed it. This area is known as Seven Islands and two of the oldest roads in America, the Seven Islands Indian Trail and the Seven Islands Stagecoach Route converge in Jasper County and cross the Ocmulgee at Smith Mill Road.

OOE is offering the chance to explore a 4 mile stretch of the Seven Islands area that winds through a forest of pines, oaks, hickory, willows, magnolia and sweet gum trees. The Ocmulgee winds around islands and alternates between calm, verdant stretches and Class 1 shoals. This section has a very different feel than the more heavily used sections between Popes Ferry and Spring Street and offers the paddler a sense of joyful isolation and peace not found elsewhere. There will be guides on this trip. A separate shuttle for private boats is also being offered.

Trip time on the water is approximately two hours and paddlers will be shuttled from the takeout back to their cars at the put in at Lloyd's Shoals Boat Ramp. The boat ramp is not far from the world famous Jackson Fresh Air BBQ and paddlers can detour the short distance to the restaurant on their way home and enjoy its BBQ and Brunswick stew. Total time including shuttles and paddling is 3.5-4 hours. Sign up online at www.ocmulgeeoutdoorexpeditions.com

SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

Suwanee Our eight week league includes a season ending tournament (for qualifying teams) for a chance to win a championship trophy and qualify for the State Tournament. **YOU MUST REGISTER INADVANCE** Games will be scheduled outdoors at Suwanee Town Center hosted by Ippolito's on Tuesday's from 6:30 to 8:00 PM, starting August 27th.

Macon Dance Party Fitness est. 2018 5744 Thomaston Rd, Macon, Georgia 31220

We have lost a total of 168 pounds so far so let's keep the party going!!! Grand Prize winner will receive a $100 Visa gift card a goodie bag and a certificate, 2nd prize winner for most inches lost during the challenge will receive a $50 Visa gift card and a certificate, and the most class participation award during the challenge will receive a $25 Visa gift card and a Dance Party Fitness shirt!

Park Appreciation Day Free Play Day Post your pictures for a chance to win a $25 gift card. #gafitfest2019

SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

Macon

Taste the best Vegan Food that Macon has to offer!!

Georgia Wellness and Fitness Festival/ Conference in collaboration with Macon Vegans Presents Macon's First EVER Vegan Cook-Off!!!

Local chefs will cook signature vegan dishes which will be judged by local NON-Vegan judges and by you!

Local chefs will compete for 2 prizes.

Overall Best - decided by the judges and Popular Vote - decided by attendees.

Decisions will be made while you...

Macon

Join us for Walk-About-Wednesday to explore the streets of Macon in a healthy way! This one-hour fun, medium pace fitness walk meets on the 1st Wednesday of each month (April to July and September to December 2019) at 5:45 PM. Meet at the Bike Walk Macon office at 338 Poplar Street. Participants should be able to walk 3 miles non-stop. Wear appropriate fitness gear and bring water.

We hope to see you there!

SEPTEMBER 5, 2019

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SEPTEMBER 6, 2019

Dodgeball Archery is Macon's only thrilling sport for the whole family . This action-packed experience is fun for ages 7 and up. Sometimes called "Combat Archery", two teams battle it out with bows and foamtipped arrows from opposite sides of the field. To win you must tag all of the opposing players with arrows to eliminate them from the game.

Macon

Dodgeball Archery is physical but good for most ages (dress for the gym!). It can be intense but fear not – our archery games are designed with player safety as our number 1 priority! Our arrows are specially engineered to leave no (or at least minimal) bruises or marks, and masks are required at all times on the field to protect the eyes.

Admission will be FREE on a first come first serve bases on September 6th as part of downtown Macon's First Friday.

Warner Robins

Macon

Dahlonega

Come join us in Dahlonega as we celebrate Dahlonega's designation as an AT Trail Community and our connection with the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. Trail Fest, a project of Yahoola Outdoors (Yahoola Trails Conservancy), is a festival of outdoor enthusiasts revolving around all aspects of non-motorized recreation: hiking, backpacking, canoeing, kayaking, horseback riding, mountain biking, orienteeering, and more! The festival features authors, speakers, workshops, music, food, vendors, and non-profit groups.

Macon

First Friday of the Month | 4-7PM | Age 8+ Our Dodgeball Tournament is the first Friday of each month!!! Dodgeball Tournament at Sky Zone Macon! Prize money!!!

Register starts at 4PM and tournament from 5-7PM. $20 per participant and $10 goes to the pot.

The rule will be posted on the day of. Sky Socks required and sold for $2.99 for yours to keep and reuse. Please contact our park for more details and question! #skyzone #macon #fun #dodgeball #tournament #jump

Macon

FREE and open to the public!

Stop the Bleed is a 2-hour bleeding control course that empowers individuals to act quickly and save lives.

This program is designed to enable course participants to provide rapid, potentially life-saving medical aid to victims of bleeding emergencies while awaiting the arrival of professional responders.

For questions, please call (478) 633-1530 or register online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/STBNavicent Each session will take place in West Tower, Room 3 in the Peyton Anderson Health Education Center located at 877 Hemlock Street. Parking is available in the green deck.

SEPTEMBER 7, 2019

Macon

Macon

Milledgeville

Winston

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Centerville

Shop local at Centerville Market Days. Come get all your fresh meats and produce! Some vendors will also have handmade crafts.

**While construction is occurring in the Park, Markets will take place at Centerville City Hall located at 300 Church Street.

Macon One of our most popular Georgia Wellness and Fitness Festival events are back in partnership with $10 tubing and Star Stuff Yoga and More.

Amber is a certified yoga instructor and the only teacher we have used for this particular event.

Thank you!

Registration opens on August 1st so like this page for additional details

Macon The Foundation will host the 10th Annual Race for Education 5K and Fun Run on Saturday, September 7, 2019 at CGTC’s Warner Robins campus. Finish line management and results are provided by Milestone Race Authority. The Race for Education is held annually in September in celebration of National Literacy Month. The event raises funds and awareness for adult education in middle Georgia. "Ticket Link" is for early race registration.

Atlanta This is our third year racing at Road Atlanta, and is best described with one word ‌ BUTTER. This trail has been machine built and crafted by one of the best trail builders in the southeast. The trail is as smooth as butter and is nice and flowy single track designed to carry speed. You will encounter berms in corners, fun rollers, and a few breath-taking creek crossings that will add Road Atlanta to your top favorite courses in Georgia.

2019 Race #1 Road Atlanta

Atlanta

Paying for college is the number one barrier preventing students from going to college. That’s why we're teaming up with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the City of Atlanta on September 7 for this year’s 5th Annual 5K on the 5th Runway. Proceeds from the race will go to scholarships and programs helping students overcome financial barriers preventing them from getting to and through college. Run the 5th runway and give their future wings.

This is a USATF-certified 5K course/AJC Peachtree Road Race qualifier.

Additional Information: • 5K participants have one hour to complete the race.

• The runway must be cleared of race participants by 7:30 a.m.

• All runners and walkers must maintain a per-mile pace of 18 minutes, 30 seconds. Participants who are unable to maintain this pace will be diverted to a shorter route so they are able to complete the event by this time. There will be NO EXCEPTIONS, as this is a Federal Aviation Administration requirement.

• Chip timing will be used.

• All participants will receive a commemorative T-shirt and medal upon completion.

• There will be limited space for participants to warm up or stretch before and after the race.

• Walkers are encouraged to walk to the right, allowing runners to pass on the left.

• Participants must be ages 10 and up. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

• Spectators are not permitted.

Macon When you walk in the Out of the Darkness Walks, you join the effort with hundreds of thousands of people to raise awareness and funds that allow the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) to invest in new research, create educational programs, advocate for public policy, and support survivors of suicide loss.

Thanks to Walkers and Donors like you, AFSP has been able to set a goal to reduce the annual suicide rate 20% by 2025.

Chatsworth 2019 marks Bike Around Murray's (BAM) 6th year. Bike Around Murray Fort Mountain Gran Fondo is a biking event open to all people of various activity levels. Check out our website www.bikemurray.org to learn more. The goal of this event is to promote healthy lifestyles and to support NGHP's community initiatives. We believe in creating programs and providing resources to help our community live healthy lives.

Murray County Recreation Department 651 Hyden-Tyler Rd., Chatsworth, Georgia 30705 Show Map

Macon Now it's summer, so we moved the time up an hour to 9 AM to keep us cooler. There's no more perfect place for yoga than beautiful, historic Tattnall Square Park, where we grow our roots in the grass and reach for the sky.

Our classes are donations based and suitable for all levels of experience. Our teachers are certified yoga instructors from the Middle Georgia area.

The classes start at 9AM now through Sept 28, then 10 AM, Oct 5 through Nov 16.

Weather related cancellations will be posted NLT 1 hour before the start of classes.

Savannah Savannah Children’s Museum will host a day of healthy living and family fun, showcasing our many health and wellness programs and a great roster of community partnerships. The event, called “Healthy Me!” will take place on Saturday, September 7th from 10 am to 2 pm at Savannah Children’s Museum, 655 Louisville Rd. Savannah, GA 31401.

The event will feature some of Coastal Heritage Society's Mobile Museum programs, the Charlie Cart mobile kitchen and Bonnie’s Garden, a garden on wheels that can deliver nutritional programming to any location. Savannah Children’s Museum educators will also lead interactive programming that encourages whole body wellness and promotes an active lifestyle.

Many of our community partners will be on-site, including Yogi Palz offering kids yoga classes, The Dwaine & Cynthia Willett Children's Hospital Of Savannah will lead a veggie relay race activity and coping exercises, Savannah Children's Theatre will offer an interactive performance of “Hansel and Gretel Eat Healthy” at noon, Camp Kudzu will present a carb line-up activity, Dogwood Pediatric Dentistry of Savannah will share a dinosaur tooth brushing activity. Healthy Savannah, the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Coastal Empire, and Publix Super Market at Wilmington Island will provide information about their health and wellness oriented work in the Savannah community.

“Healthy Me!” is included in the cost of Savannah Children’s Museum admission, $8 for all guests 18 months and older. This event is free for Coastal Heritage Society members. This event is sponsored by: The Memorial Health Dwaine and Cynthia Willett Children’s Hospital and Publix Super Markets.

Savannah Date & Time Saturday, September 7, 2019 14:00 Go to website for additional information.

Start Point Your start point will be posted to this page and emailed to you at least one week before the event date.

9/11 4-5 HOURS, 7-10 MILES. LIGHT = FUN ON A TEAM. AVERAGE COMPLETION RATE: 100%

Foam Glow 5K™ is a fun filled experience exposing runners to Glowing Foam and a ton of Blacklight’s all over the course. Glowing runners come from all different ages, shapes, sizes, and speeds. Whether you are a long term runner or a walk around the park stroller, the 3 miles of the Foam Glow 5K™ course will have you shining bright and waiting for the next run.

The Foam Glow 5K™ has been setup with very simple rules: • •

1) White shirt (any white T-shirt will work) worn at the start line. The more white you wear the better.

2) Foam Glow 5K™ runners sprinting through Foam Glow™ Zones to the Finnish line!

Runner/walkers begin the 5k at the start line like a brand new canvas. By the end, they look like they fell into a tye-dye machine and are covered with different colored foam that glows under black lights.

WHAT IS THE FOAM GLOW™?

Along the running path you will find Foam Glow™ Zone’s, which are associated with a designated color: orange, pink, or blue. As the runners/walkers reach the Foam Glow™ Zones, They they will run through different color foam that Glows in the Dark under our high intensity black lights. All products are 100% natural and non-toxic. At the end of the race there will be a Foam Glow 5K™ after party filled with Music pumping from the stage, Foam Glow™ and tons of black lights!

Macon Prepared Childbirth Class is a three-week class or one day Saturday class that will teach you and your partner about the birthing process.

Weeknight classes are from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday nights with September dates on Sept. 9, 16, and 23 at 6:30 pm.

Cost of class is $50.

You will also learn to cope with labor through the practice of relaxation techniques and knowledge of medical support. Please enroll in only one session by selecting the same night of the week for Three weeks. You can enroll as early as your 13th week of pregnancy. Please choose dates at least 2 months out from your due date. This class is taught by a registered nurse who is a certified childbirth educator.

Pre-registration required via www.navicenthealth.org/beginnings.

Canton, GA The 9/11 Heroes Run 5k +1M fun run/walk welcomes runners, ruckers, and walkers of all levels and of all ages. Events take place all over the world, on or near September 11th, and are 100% organized by local community volunteers. It is the perfect opportunity for your community to personally come out and thank your local veterans, their families, and first responders in an annual, fun, and family-friendly environment!

Greater Augusta, GA 2019 Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk – Sat, 07 Sep 2019, 08:46 AM Sat, 07 Sep 2019, 11:59 PM What is a TUNNEL TO TOWERS 5K RUN & Walk?The TUNNEL TO TOWERS 5K RUN & Walk Series was created to honor the heroic life and death of Stephen Siller, a New York City firefighter (FDNY) who lost his life on September 11, 2001 after strapping on his gear and running through the Brooklyn Battery TUNNEL TO THE TWIN TOWERS. Honor all of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 and support our first responders and military who make extraordinary sacrifices in the line of duty! For more information on the Stephen Siller TUNNEL TO TOWERS FOUNDATION PLEASE VISIT www.TUNNEL2TOWERS.org. How far is a TUNNEL TO TOWERS 5K RUN & Walk?You are welcome to walk or run this event. This event is a non-competitive run to honor first responders and raise funds to build smart homes for the most catastrophically injured service members

Atlanta Camp Gladiator Community Workouts Camp Gladiator, the largest outdoor fitness program in Texas, is coming to Georgia in 2020!! You have the opportunity to participate in an amazing, challenging, community filled workout every Saturday leading up to the 2020 Launch. Camp Gladiator's 60 minute workouts are led by Certified Trainers and are for All Fitness Levels. Come out and participate and bring a friend!!

Beautiful routes through the countryside from the famous Senoia, GA, home of the Walking Dead. Your choice of 100, 60 or 30 mile routes.

SEPTEMBER 8, 2019

Atlanta L.I.P.S #ladiesintopedalingsuccessfully This Bicycle group is for the everyday woman. Come out and enjoy a fun easy pace ride with the ladies Meet Clutch Bicycle Shop NO DROP,EASY PACE ,FUN ,RIDE. for more info call (678)561-5486 Bicycle rental are available if you don't have a bike.

Closing Concert in Macon!

Come and celebrate the closing concert of 6 years with Georgia Wellness Fitness Festival at Washington Park, Sultry Sunday Featuring Dee Vine from Atlanta Ga. See flyer on Facebook

Pass Special

We are still working on having a Blue Zone in Georgia. Partner with the Georgia Wellness and Fitness Festival to have the first one in Georgia.

See pamphlet for more information.

Contact Charise Stephens at (478) 7477920 or info@gafitfest.com

Macon Dream Team and Middle Georgia Composite Newsletter and Schedule

Georgia Wellness and Fitness Festival supports both programs based in Macon. Email us at info@gafitfest.com to be added to our listserv.

The END

See you in 2020!