Things to Do

Twice a year, the Covington Regional ballet offers productions — “The Nutcracker” and a contemporary piece in the fall, with another production in the spring.

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Explore Newton County’s arts scene

Newton County offers dance, music, theater and galleries that enhance the cultural life and entertainment offerings in the area.

The Arts Association in Newton County is a nonprofit umbrella organization for a variety of performance arts groups and also provides arts programming and education and hosts free concerts at Legion Field and on the Covington Square.

The organization has served Newton County for more than 30 years and now serves eight counties and over 50 schools through its programs and concerts, becoming a regional provider of the arts.

The organization is located at 1106 Washington St.,in Covington. For more information, call 770-786-8188 or visit https://www.newtoncountyarts.org. DANCE • Covington Regional Ballet

Founded in 2001, the Covington Regional Ballet (CRB) presents high quality dance programming that provide local dancers with pre-professional instruction and performance opportunities. Twice a year, the ballet offers productions — The Nutcracker and a contemporary piece in the fall, with another production in the spring. The CRB strives to entertain, educate and inspire audiences of all ages, engaging the community in a celebration of the arts through a wide variety of dance programming. Visit www.covingtonregionalballet.com. MUSIC • Newton County Community Band

Since 1993, the Newton County Community Band is composed of volunteer musicians of all ages who enjoy weekly rehearsals and present free community concerts throughout the year, including a holiday and spring concert, as well as an annual patriotic concert during Stars and Stripes Fest on the Covington Square. The band is made up of volunteers. For more information, visit https://www.newtoncountyarts.org/ nccb.

• Oxford Singing Children, Youth Singers

Students in fourth through seventh grades audition for the Oxford Singing Children’s Choir, which provides them with basic music skills and performance experience, while building friendships and learning the benefit of teamwork. Students in eighth through 12th grade can audition for the Oxford Youth Singers, which enhances musical skills and offers experience in musical theater and choral performance.

Oxford Singing Children and Oxford Youth Singers perform Christmas in

Since 1993, the Newton County Community Band is composed of volunteer musicians of all ages who enjoy weekly rehearsals and present free community concerts throughout the year, including a holiday and spring concert, as well as an annual patriotic concert during Stars and Stripes Fest on the Covington Square.

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Covington in December, and collaborate to present a musical in the spring. Auditions for new members are in August of each year.

For more information, visit https:// www.newtoncountyarts.org/oxfordsingers. • Newton County Youth Strings & Orchestra

The Newton County Youth Strings specializes in using the Suzuki method of teaching, which is based on the principle that all children possess the ability to play an instrument. Private lessons in violin, viola, and cello begin at age 4. For more information, visit https://www. newtoncountyarts.org/ncys. • Porterdale’s Tuba Christmas concert

It’s a holiday celebration featuring tuba players and their festively decorated instruments and it happens every year in Porterdale, and more than 200 cities nationally and internationally. Open to all levels of players, musicians usually register at city hall on the day of the concert. That’s followed by an hour-long rehearsal, and then it’s a free public performance at the Porter Memorial Gym Amphitheater on Main Street. For more information, visit www. tubachristmas.com. OXFORD COLLEGE

The Artistic/Lyceum Events series at Oxford College brings experts and performers to campus for lectures, concerts and theatrical presentations. All events are free, unless otherwise noted, and open to the public, though seating is limited. For more information, call 770-784-8888.

THEATER • Theatre Covington

Theatre Covington provides acting classes for kindergarten through 12th grade, as well as community theatre open to all skill levels. For more information, visit https://www.newtoncountyarts.org/tc-oac. • The Social Circle Theater

Committed to providing the facilities and human resources for quality, affordable family entertainment, the Social Circle Theater is a non-profit organization founded in 2000. Founders Bob and Mabel Standridge believed the theater could preserve the town’s history and unify the community through storytelling and folklore. The theater has entertained and shared the history of Social Circle ever since.

Main Theater is at 650 Ashley Drive; Theater Annex is 169 Thurman Baccus Road. For more information, call 770464-2269 or visit http://www.socialcircletheater.com. • The Well Diggers

The Well Diggers is a performance-based troupe established in 2008 for the young adults of the Social Circle Theater. They meet weekly and focus on singing, dancing and acting skills. Their calendar year follows the public school calendars. he Well Diggers have won awards at the MTI Junior Theater Festival and Access Broadway. They typically perform in two productions a year in the theater. They also take these shows to schools, local nursing homes and hospitals for field trips.

For more information, visit http:// www.socialcircletheater.com/well-diggers.

VISUAL ARTS • Heartscapes Art Gallery

Heartscapes Studio and Gallery sells oil paints, mediums, canvas, and brushes. For more information, contact 770385-5834. • True Colours Youth Art Exhibit

Each March, the artistic talents of local art students are celebrated and exhibited in the community. Art teachers from the Newton County School District select up to 10 pieces of artwork created by their students for display. • Southern Heartland Arts

Southern Heartland Arts, Inc. is a nonprofit supporting the visual arts in Newton County and is one of the oldest visual art guilds east of Metro Atlanta. Located at 1132 Monticello St. SW, Covington, GA 30014. For more information, call 770-788-8799 or visit http://southernheartlandart.com. • WildArt

WildArt is an innovative art studio in the heart of the Covington Square that represents a number of local artists who show their finest work. The inventory features a wide variety of paintings and artistic media in many styles, including figurative, abstract, landscape, still life, wood turning, hand-spun writing instruments and many others.

It offers classes and workshops and recently added the HELLO Covington Tour for children. WildArt is at 1105 Washington St. SW in Covington. For more information, visit WildArtLLC on Facebook or visit https://www.hellocovtour.com.

A young artist paints a zebra during an “Arty Party” at WildArt in Covington.

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Find fun outdoors through area’s plethora of recreation offerings

Newton County is home to a variety of public recreational facilities offering camping, boating and outdoor sports opportunities.

Jackson Lake is a 4,750-acre impoundment lake owned and operated by Georgia Power Co.

The Alcovy, South and Yellow Rivers meet near Jackson to form this lake, which is heavily developed with residences along its shores but is popular with boaters and skiers during the summer months.

Lake Jackson Lake Resources Office is at 180 Dam Road in Jackson.

For more information, call 404-9544044 or visit www.georgiapower.com/ community/environment/lakes-rivers/ central-georgia-lakes.html.

Newton Factory Shoals Park is operated by Newton County Parks and Recreation and is a 450-acre nature park, situated along the Alcovy River at 450 Newton Factory Bridge Road in south Newton County.

Open daily, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., for picnicking, camping and hiking.

Rafting, canoeing and swimming are available though no lifeguard is on duty so they are done at the user’s own risk.

The park has a campground with nine primitive campsites available to rent. The campground contains a bath house with hot showers and clean restrooms.

Campers should contact the area manager prior to setting up camp at 678699-2809.

For more information, call 770-7876670.

Clybel Wildlife Management Area, Marben Public Fishing Area and Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center are on 6,400 acres near Mansfield in southeast Newton County.

It offers a variety of facilities, activities and programs, including 28 lodge-style guest rooms, primitive campground, a banquet hall, archery range, shooting range, wildlife management area, public fishing area, boat ramp. visitor center and museum.

Available activities also include bird watching, horseback riding, hiking and hunting.

Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center is managed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, is located at 54 Elliott Trail.

The facility hosts variety of educational programs for K–12 audiences, scouts, families and adults. All programs are designed to be hands-on and explore the nature world.

Call 770-784-3059 or visit georgiawildlife.com/clybel-wma or georgiawildlife. com/charlie-elliott-wildlife-center for more information.

Lake Varner park and reservoir offers opportunities for fishing, picknicking or nature watching.

It is operated by Newton County Water Resources, which is a division of the Newton County Board of Commissioners.

The main function of Lake Varner is to serve as a drinking water supply for the residents of Newton and Walton counties.

Facilities include two covered picnic pavilions with picnic tables, children’s playground with swings, several picnic sites with charcoal grills, dual launch boat ramp; paved and primitive nature trails, open field areas for recreation, numerous accessible bank fishing areas, and ADA accessible fishing pier.

No swimming, alcoholic beverages, or use of gas-powered mounted engines on boats are allowed. For more information about regulations, visit www.co.newton. ga.us/243/Lake-Varner-Regulations.

It is free to Newton and Walton County residents; and $5 per boat and $5 per vehicle for all others. Hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., April through October; and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., November through March.

For more information, call 770-7842049 or visit www.co.newton.ga.us/241/ Lake-Varner.

Newton County Recreation Department is located at 6185 Turner Lake Road in Covington. The department serves all Newton County and provides a variety of activities for people of all ages. It oversees Baker Field, Beaver Park, City Pond Park, Denny Dobbs Park, Fairview Community Park, Mary Louise Fowler Park, Miracle Field Complex, Wolverine Field, Pactiv Field, Stone Road Complex, Trail Blazer park and Turner Lake. It also is the home of the Miracle League each summer. For more information on the Newton County Recreation Department, call 770-786-4373 or visit https://newtonrecreation.com/432/ Parks-Recreation.

Covington Family YMCA is located at 2140 Newton Drive in Covington and offers an array of services available to the Newton County community. For youth in the area, there are summer camps, group exercises, YMCA 360, swim lessons, soccer training, early learning as well as an assortment of after school programs. YMCA in Covington offers health assestments, personal coaching and weight loss management in addition to its classes and programs for people with chronic disease. For more information, visit https://ymcaatlanta.org/ ymca-locations/covington/.

There are several rivers, lakes, parks and reservoirs across Newton County for newcomers to explore.

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A Main Street Trolleys tour gets underway after tourists climb aboard the trolley at the Covington Square.

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Learn more about community’s history with guided tours

Covington Ghost Tours

Covington Ghost Tours consists of multiple walking tours around the historic sites of Covington. The walking tour will last approximately 2-1/2 hours.

“Experienced ghost guides will give you a walk around a city rich with haunted history, while you get a taste of the ‘Hollywood of the South,’” according to information from host WildArt Gallery. “As you visit a multitude of haunted sites, you will visit filming locations for television shows such as “In the Heat of the Night,” “Dukes of Hazzard,” and “The Vampire Diaries.”

Information from WildArt stated, “The Covington Ghost Tours differ from most haunted tours because many of our locations have been investigated by paranormal experts that are associated with T.A.P.S. (The Atlantic Paranormal Society).

“You will also witness actual video accounts from people who have experienced paranormal activity firsthand at various tour stops.”

WildArt is at 1105 Washington St. SW in Covington. For more information, visit https://www.covingtonghosttours. com.

HELLO Covington Tours - WildArt Gallery

HELLO Covington Tours are all about “helping educate local lovers of Covington.” There are five types of tours to choose from including the topics of history, fine art, music and culinary. Learn more at hellocovtour.com.

Main Street Trolleys tours

More than 40 filming locations of movies and TV shows filmed in Covington and Newton County featured on its tours, including “Vampire Diaries,” “Dukes of Hazzard” and “In the Heat of the Night.” Some focus solely on the popular “Vampire Diaries” and “Originals” spin-off.

For more information, visit https:// www.mainstreettrolleys.com. “Vampire Diaries” like the Clocktower, the town square, the Gilbert House, Caroline Forbes’ House, Lockwood Mansion, as well as all things Mystic Falls and many more scenes from all eight seasons of the show.

“Legacies” fans will also enjoy this tour with locations like Malivore’s portal, the famous ‘80s episode and more.

This is a tram tour with moderate walking. Wheelchair accessible by request with notice ahead of time. Tours begin at 1143 Oak St. in Covington. For more information, visit https://www. mysticfallstours.com/tours.

Porterdale History Tour

Three different tours available: Ghost Tour on Filming Locations at 1 p.m.; Mill Village History and Culture Experience at 3 p.m. and Fun, Creepy Glow Ghost Tour & Investigation at 8:30 p.m. Each tour is between 1.5 to 2.5 hours. All are considered family friendly and consist of walking outdoors. Visit porterdalehistorytour.com to learn more.

A&A’s Outlet

Looking for a Bargain?

Household Essentials, Makeup, Furniture, Heaters/Air Conditioners, Seasonal Items & More. Inventory weekly from Home Depot, Walmart, Target, Lowes & More. Stop by and Save $$!!

M,T,T,F,S 10-4 Shop online ANYTIME at aandasoutlet.ecwid.com 10152 WASHINGTON ST SW COVINGTON, GA 30014 470-444-1010

Covington residents choose from a selection of produce at the Covington Farmers Market.

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From farm to table — take advantage of local farmers markets

Covington Farmers Market

In its inaugural year, the Covington Farmers Market is slated for the first and third Saturdays in May through October from 9 a.m. to noon outside the Welcome Center at 1143 Oak Street SE in Covington.

Vendors specialize in fresh fruits/ vegetables, animal byproducts, plants/ cut flowers, baked goods/bread, bath and body products, pet food and treats, meats and more.

Learn more at cityofcovington.org.

City of Oxford Farmers Market • City of Oxford Farmers Market on the City Green on Emory Street (Georgia Hwy. 81) Thursdays and Fridays, noon to dark; and Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The market is open to farmers, growers, artists, makers and craftsmen from Newton, Rockdale, Walton, Morgan, Jasper, Butts and Henry counties.

Vendors are responsible for their own displays. Space for each vendor display Is limited to a 10-foot by 10foot area. Call 770-786-7004 if more space needed.

They must grow their own produce or make their own items. Vendors must state in writing the items they intend to sell.

For more information, visit oxfordgeorgia.org.

Get involved in various civic, political, charitable groups

Benevolent Protective Order of Elks Lodge 1806 7:30 p.m. first and third Tuesdays, 135 Crowell Road, Covington

Covington First United Methodist Church Food Pantry Location: 1113 Conyers St SW, Covington, GA 30014 Phone: 770-786-7305 Hours: Monday-Wednesday, 2-4 p.m.

Covington Garden Club 10 a.m. on first Wednesdays, meet at various homes of members

Covington Kiwanis Club 12:30 p.m. Thursday for lunch, Covington First United Methodist Church

Covington Lions Club 7:30 p.m. second and fourth Thursdays, 3120 Conyers St., Covington

Covington Women’s Club 9:30 a.m. second Tuesdays, Historic Women’s Club building on College St.

Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Family Camping Bert Adams Scout Camp Location: 218 Scout Road Covington, Georgia 30016 Email: BertAdams@AtlantaBSA.org Phone: 770-956-5687

Golden Fleece Masonic Lodge No. 6 Dinner 6:30 p.m., meeting 7:30 p.m., second and fourth Tuesdays, except second Tuesday only in December, 1104 Clark St. SW, Covington

Newton County Democrat Party Email: newtongadems@gmail.com Visit: newtongeorgiadems.org

Newton County Republican Party Mail: Newton County Republican Party, Inc. 30 Glynn Isle Dr. Covington, GA 30016 E-mail: info@newtongop.org Visit: newtongop.org Oxford Lions Club Noon on firs Thursdays, 7 p.m. on third Thursdays, Allen Memorial United Methodist Church, Oxford

Pilot Club of Covington 7 p.m. on most first Thursdays, sometimes third Thursdays, First Presbyterian Church of Covington

Rotary Club of Covington Noon Tuesday for lunch, Covington First United Methodist Church

Satsuki Garden Club 10:30 a.m. second Tuesdays, Newton County Public Library

Salvation Army of Covington Location: 5193 Washington St SW, Covington, GA 30014 Hours: Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Call: 770-786-2107 Visit: salvationarmyusa.org/usn/

Southern Heartland Women’s Club 4 p.m. on first Sundays, Southern Heartland Art Gallery on the Covington Square

Covington Veterans Affairs Clinic Location: 10155 Eagle Drive Covington, GA 30014 Hours: M-F, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Phone: 404-321-6111 ext. 202222

American Legion Post 32 Mail: PO Box 310 Covington, GA 30015-0310 Email: rogertingler@yahoo.com Visit legion.org Meets second Thursdays at 7 p.m., 3132 Legion Drive, Covington.

DAV Newton-Rockdale Chapter 55 Mail: PO Box 932 Porterdale, GA 30070 Phone: 770-385-1498 Visit: dav.org

DID YOU KNOW…

VOLUNTEERING A FEW HOURS A MONTH can forever change a child’s story. Be that volunteer!