Car show, chili cook off, safety day set in Braselton

Call it three family-oriented events rolled into one this Saturday in Braselton.

Starting at 3 p.m., YearOne will host a Braselton Bash car show, chili cook off, and public safety awareness and law enforcement day at its Cherry Drive facility, located off Ga. Hwy. 53, near I-85.

The Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual chili cook off until 6 p.m., at YearOne.

When the event was held last year in conjunction with a car show, an estimated 5,000 people attended.

And while there will be fewer teams this year, there will be more chili ready to serve guests.

In 2008, 18 teams served chili at the cook off; this year, 13 teams have registered.

But, the teams are now required to have seven gallons of chili ready for guests, compared to five gallons last year. The chili cook off is a fundraiser for the chamber.

Guests may purchase $5 armbands, which provide unlimited “tastes” of chili and a favorite bowl of choice.

Another option is an individual ticket, which costs 50 cents. One “taste” costs one ticket, and one bowl of chili costs five tickets.

Team prizes will be given to the “Best Tasting Chili” and “Showmanship,” along with the people’s choice award.

Another event set for Saturday at YearOne is the annual Public Safety Awareness and Law Enforcement Day.

The Braselton Police Department, and the West Jackson Fire and Rescue Departments, are scheduled to appear. The Gainesville Police Department will provide an interactive DUI demonstration. Planned appearances are slated for the Life Flight and Georgia State Patrol helicopters.

YearOne’s Braselton Bash car show is a free event for spectators, which will be held until 8 p.m.

The event will include food vendors, family activities, a free kid’s play area, and the “Leave Your Mark BFGoodrich Burnout Exhibition.”

The car show entry fee is $10 for participants. All makes and models are welcome. The top 25 cars will be given awards. A car show awards ceremony, followed by the burnout exhibition, will start at 7:30 p.m.

Next Week in Braselton
Saturday’s events will come a couple of days before the Town of Braselton celebrates Georgia Cities Week, set April 19-25.

Georgia Cities Week — which is sponsored by the Georgia Municipal Association — highlights the importance of cities to the community, said Braselton town manager Jennifer Dees.

“(The week makes sure) that people are aware of the different things that cities do for their citizens that make their hometown unique and remind them why they chose to live there,” she said.

On Monday, April 20, the Braselton Town Hall will be open from 10 a.m. to noon for public tours.

The former home of W.H. Braselton — which became the Braselton Town Hall in 1998 — will be 100 years old this year. Birthday cake will be served.

The Braselton Town Hall is located at 4982 Hwy. 53 in downtown Braselton.

On Friday, April 24, a rain garden will be featured at town hall. Visitors will be told how to install a rain garden at their home. A video demonstrating how to construct a rain garden will be available on the town’s website, www.braselton.net, along with a brochure.

The Rotary Club of Braselton provided $1,200 to fund the rain garden project.

On Saturday, April 25, the Braselton Mulberry RiverWalk cleanup will start at 9 a.m., at the wooden bridge on Silk Tree Pointe in the Mulberry Park subdivision.

Braselton has sponsored the bi-annual event for at least three years, according to Dees.

Spring is typically when the most volunteers participate in the cleanup, although a number of area residents continue to cleanup the riverwalk throughout the year, she added. Groups such as the Boy Scouts and students from Mill Creek High School are also slated to help remove debris from the area.

Town staff and volunteers will walk along the Mulberry River to clean up the area.

The first phase of the Braselton Mulberry RiverWalk includes 2.5 miles of trails along the river. A public parking area is available on Liberty Church Road.

A second phase of the riverwalk — stretching 3.25 miles from New Liberty Church Road to the town’s 71-acre property on Ga. Hwy. 124 in Barrow County — is expected to be constructed this year.