Be a part of history as GA 400 is temporarily closed for the inaugural Hospitality Highway Century to benefit the Georgia Transplant Foundation!

The ride starts at exit 7 of Georgia Route 400, and will wind through Sandy Springs, Milton, Roswell, Johns Creek, Alpharetta, and other scenic areas of North Fulton.

There are 8-mile, 25-mile, 63-mile, and 100-mile options. Registration is $40 ($45 if received after July 4th, including day of event) and includes a t-shirt, food, water and full mechanical support along the route. The ride is open to anyone 14-years of age or older.

The start/ finish point is located in the former Home Depot parking lot, next to the Publix, in the Kings Market shopping center, in Roswell. The exact address is:

1425 Market Blvd
Roswell, GA 30076

• Registration for all riders will open at 5:30 a.m.
• Anyone who arrives after 6:00 a.m. will not be allowed to ride on Ga. 400.
• Exiting the start point and entering Ga. 400:
  • Take a right onto Market Blvd.
  • Turn left onto Holcomb Bride Rd.
  • Turn left onto Ga. 400 South
• All persons involved with the ride – cyclists, fans, volunteers, staff, etc. – should only park their vehicles in the former Home Depot parking lot, NOT in front of Publix. Additional parking will also be available in the former Comp. USA parking lot, located off of Market Blvd., in the same shopping center.

All proceeds benefit The Georgia Transplant Foundation.

Click here to register now.

11th Annual Roswell July 4th Extravaganza

Fireworks

Show your patriotism by celebrating our Country’s Independence Day in Roswell with entertainment and a breathtaking fireworks display. This year’s July 4th Fireworks Extravaganza will take place at Roswell High School located on King Road off of SR 92.

Entertainment begins at 6 p.m. and includes the following performances:

* Back Trax at 6 p.m.

* Banks & Shane at 7:30 p.m.

Moby, a popular local radio personality, will emcee the event and there will be activities for the children. At dark, a beautiful 30-minute fireworks display will be the highlight of the evening.

Bring your chairs, blankets and picnics for an old fashion family outing. Concessions by Millers Ale House and Restaurant will be on hand to purchase. Children carnival and inflatable activities will be available at a nominal fee.

For more information, call 770-641-3705. Roswell High School is a drug, alcohol and tobacco free zone.

The City of Roswell Transportation Department will hold a public information open house on the proposed Big Creek Bridge Road on Tuesday, June 29 from 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. The open house will be held at the Doubletree Hotel, 1075 Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell.

The proposed project includes constructing a two-lane road with bicycle lanes and a multi-use trail which will connect east and west Roswell across SR 400. Big Creek Bridge Road would provide local accessibility, relief to Holcomb Bridge Road and interconnectivity within the City. It would also provide direct bicycle and pedestrian connections to the existing and proposed City trails and parks.

This is the final public meeting before the Mayor and City Council take action on the study’s preferred alternative.

Representatives from the City of Roswell and Gresham, Smith and Partners will be in attendance to answer any questions or concerns.

For additional information, please contact the Roswell Transportation Department at 770.594.6420.

Historic Canton Street will be “alive” on Thursday, June 17 as the 2010 Alive After Five street party kicks off from 5-9 p.m in Roswell, Georgia. Live music, food, displays and shopping make this event a fun and family friendly break during the busy work week. Alive After Five occurs the third Thursday of every month from April-October. Trolley shuttles from the parking lot of City Hall are available free of charge.

Shops and restaurants offer discounts and specials, and live music plays throughout the district. A free trolley will transport participants to all event locations. A collaboration with the Historic Roswell Merchants’ Association. Here’s the list of musical performances.

Paddlers of all ages and skill levels will take to the water on Saturday, June 12, for the 8th Annual Back to the Chattahoochee River Race and Festival. The race course begins at Garrard Landing Park on Holcomb Bridge Road and ends at Riverside Park in Roswell, the site of the festival, music and the awards presentation.

Organized and presented by Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (UCR) in partnership with the National Park Service, Fulton County, and the city of Roswell, the event is designed to celebrate the Chattahoochee and foster a sense of community around the river that serves 3.5 million Georgians and 70% of metro Atlantans.

THE RACE – 9 a.m.

Enjoy the scenic beauty of the Chattahoochee River as you paddle from Holcomb Bridge to Riverside Park. Paddlers wanting a competitive race will traverse the 10-mile course, while recreational paddlers will take the 8-mile course. Both include exciting Class I-II rapids. Race fans can cheer on their favorite craft from several locations: Island Ford, Don White Park and Riverside Park.

Race Divisions: Open and recreational categories, various age divisions, solo and tandem canoe divisions, as well as kayak and sea kayak divisions. Plus awards for Best Costume, Best Boat Decoration and Team Challenge.

THE FESTIVAL – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

At the free festival, enjoy live music from the Donna Hopkins Band and the Watershed Project. Other festival highlights include Riverside Park’s new “spray ground,” face painting, balloon artists, an array of environmental exhibitors, great food, and much more. Click here to see a list of exhibitors.

About the Music . . .

From 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. – The Watershed Project, a band of Atlanta’s own singer songwriters donating their time and art to support the cause of Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, featuring Gareth Asher, Emily Kate Boyd, Christopher Alan Yates, Brian Bisky, and more. Through the years UCR has attracted some of the music industry’s finest to participate in this wonderful cause. From Grammy award winning artists to artists on their way to becoming household names, you can always count on a UCR event to have the very best in local music.

From 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – The Donna Hopkins Band. According to Georgia Music Magazine, “Donna is a genuine triple threat as songwriter, singer and guitarist. As a songwriter, Hopkins seasons swampy, Gulf Coast funkiness with angular voicing of extended and suspended chords. It’s classic tension-and-release with a groove and lyrics that reveal mileage, honesty and soul. It’s survival music you can dance to. The grooves come courtesy of bassist Michael Hurwitz and drummer Richie Jones, who are in the pocket throughout and add convincing harmony and backing vocals. As a singer, Hopkins has a big, distinctive voice that effectively communicates varied emotions. As a guitarist, Hopkins can be at turns raw and articulate. She’s her own woman plus equal parts John Lee Hooker and Billy Gibbons, with a dash of Jimmie Vaughan and Robin Trower circa Bridge of Sighs.”

We’re bringing music back to Roswell’s beloved Historic Town Square! Join us for a relaxed series of Sunday afternoon concerts with a line-up of traditional music including jazz, choral, chamber and more!

There are still two more concerts left in this six-part series. Concerts start at 3pm.

June 13

Michael O’Neal Chamber Singers

The Southeast’s finest vocal ensemble offers choral variety and polished presentation

June 20

Roswell New Horizons Band

Performing a wide variety of musical styles

Sundays on the Square concerts are produced by the Recreation, Parks, Historic & Cultural Affairs Department of the City of Roswell. Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council.

The Roswell Summer Reading Program starts June 1st and ends July 31st. This year’s theme is: Make a Splash – Read!

To kick off the Summer Reading Program, the Roswell Fire Department will be back to help out. They’ll talk about fire safety and bring a fire truck for you to explore. All ages. No reservations required. The program kicks off at Tuesday, June 1. 10:00 a.m.

Children can register in person at the Roswell Library (or any Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System library – 33 total!). They will receive a “reading record” where they’ll write down the title and author of the books they read (or the number of hours they read, if they’d rather do it that way).

Upon completing 10 books or 10 hours, children at the Roswell Library will get a certificate, a Chick-Fil-A coupon, a nametag for the big picture window (to show they’ve participated in the program ) and a free paperback book, courtesy of the Friends of the Roswell Library.

Because of the high demand, the library can only give away one free book per child and only one Chick-fil-A coupon per child. That said, children are encouraged to continue reading all summer long! For every set of 10 books or 10 hours, each child will get a gold star for their nametag. We want to see a window filled with lots of nametags and lots of stars on those nametags.

There’s also a reading program for teens and this year, for the first time, one for adults! For more details, stop by the Roswell Library anytime between June 1st and July 31st.

The Roswell Library is located at 115 Norcross Street, Roswell, GA 30075.

Roswell Georgia is home to the largest Memorial Day celebration in the state of Georgia. Each year, folks gather on the lawn of Roswell City Hall to honor those who have given their lives to protect our freedoms.

Displays are open to the public starting at 10 am. The military ceremony begins at 11 am, and by 12:45 picnic lunches appear and the music of Banks and Shane fill the air.

In 1997, twelve patriotic individuals came together to create a truly unique Memorial Day event; a non-political, non-commercial ceremony honoring veterans and the sacrifices they made in protecting our freedom.  That first ceremony attracted approximately 1,800 individuals. From that humble beginning, came the Roswell Memorial Day Ceremony, an event which attracts approximately 6,000-7,000 people from throughout Georgia and the southeast.

The Roswell Memorial Day celebration program includes:

• 10:00 a.m. Displays Open to the Public
• 10:15 a.m. Pre-Ceremony Music
  • Atlanta Wind Symphony & Chattahoochee Celtic Pipes and Drums
• 11:00 a.m. OFFICIAL START OF PROGRAM

Program Includes:

• Presentation of Colors
• National Anthem
• Pledge of Allegiance
• Invocation
• “Lest We Forget” POW-MIA
• Laying of the Wreath
• 2010 Featured Speaker: Colonel Michael D. Steele
• Reflections “From The Heart”
• Benediction
• 21-Gun Salute
• Taps-Bugler

• 12:30 p.m. Conclusion of Military Program
• 12:45 p.m. Food Tent Opens and Concert on the Lawn – Banks and Shane

On May 15, 2010, the City of Roswell will be holding another Shredfest event. The hours will be 8AM until 12 noon or until the truck is full, whichever comes first.

This is a perfect opportunity to safely dispose of sensitive documents like old tax returns, junk mail with personal information, dated documents with personal information, dated pay stubs with personal information, etc.

Shredded while you watch!

Limit: 5 boxes or 200 pounds of documents per vehicle. Roswell and non-Roswell residents are welcome to participate.

Shredfest takes place at the Roswell Recycling Center, 11570 Maxwell Road, Alpharetta, GA 30009 .

This is a great way to shred those confidential documents, unlike what the temp agency had done with all those confidential documents that they dropped off at the Smyrna Recycling Center back in February. Perhaps they didn’t know about this event.

Future Shredfest dates include August 14, 2010 and November 13, 2010.

For more information, contact Trevor Williams at 770-442-8822 or twilliams01@roswellgov.com.

Roswell’s Riverside Sounds concert series will kick off on Saturday, May 1st with this year’s theme “The Southern Shuffle,” an unexpected and eclectic mix of southern sounds.

These free monthly outdoor concerts are held at Riverside Park, 575 Riverside Road, May thru October from 7-9 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month.

This year’s line-up includes:

May 1st – Webb Wilder and the Beatnecks

June 5th – The Brilliant Inventions

July 3rd – The Packway Handle Band

August 7th – Randall Bramblett Band

Sept 4th – Heather Luttrell

Oct 2nd – Marshall Ruffin Band

New reserved parking passes on sale, $30 per vehicle for a 6-concert season. A limited number are available for purchase at City Hall, 38 Hill Street, Suite 100.