Storms give way to celebration at Clarkesville’s Red, White and Tunes

CLARKESVILLE, Ga. — Hours after heavy rain, thunder and lightning threatened to dampen the festivities, hundreds of people gathered at Pitts Park Saturday evening as sunshine broke through the clouds for Clarkesville’s annual Red, White and Tunes celebration.

The weather turned out to be just what organizers had hoped for.

“I’m happy the rain went away and the sun came out,” Clarkesville Mayor Franklin Brown told Now Georgia. Brown said he spent much of the day watching the weather radar as storms moved across Habersham County.

The annual event, hosted by the City of Clarkesville and Clarkesville Main Street, featured live music, food vendors, family activities and a fireworks finale that capped off an evening celebrating community and the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary.

“These events make Clarkesville a happening place to be,” Brown said.

Weather scare fizzles

Saturday’s celebration almost had a soggy start. Earlier in the day, organizers announced the event would proceed rain or shine despite a line of thunderstorms that brought heavy rain across Habersham County.

Economic Development Director Yvonne Marinelli remained optimistic.

“The worst of it should move through by the time we start,” she said hours before the event.

That forecast proved accurate. Now Georgia weathercaster Tyler Penland said the heaviest storms would move out before festivities began, leaving only occasional showers.

“It won’t be a rainout probably, but some spotty showers,” Penland said.

While a few light showers lingered during the evening, they did little to keep residents and visitors away.

Music keeps the crowd moving

Local musician Matt Spinks opened the evening before Atlanta-based cover band Mixtape took the stage.

The band’s energetic performance quickly transformed the lawn in front of the stage into a dance floor, with dozens of attendees singing and dancing throughout the night.

Mixtape lived up to its name, moving seamlessly through an eclectic playlist that included songs by Pearl Jam, Garth Brooks, Metallica, the Cranberries and several 1990s hip-hop favorites.

The broad range of music reflected organizers’ goal of appealing to audiences of all ages.

Earlier this week, Marinelli said she selected the band because the music of the 1990s crosses genres and generations.

“The ’90s was just such a wonderful era of music and artists,” she said.

New traditions debut

This year’s event also introduced several new attractions in honor of America’s 250th anniversary. Children participated in the inaugural Little Liberty Wagon Parade while spectators gathered nearby for the first Red, White and Tunes hot dog eating contest. Ten contestants lined up for the friendly competition, but none managed to eat more than five hot dogs before time expired.

A contestant known simply as “Bam-Bam” claimed bragging rights as the contest’s first champion.

The additions complemented returning attractions including bounce houses, face painting, food vendors and beverages that kept families busy throughout the evening.

A patriotic finish

As darkness settled over Pitts Park, the first fireworks burst into the night sky as Mixtape performed “God Bless the USA.”

The synchronized display continued through renditions of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” and the Cranberries’ “Zombie,” providing a dramatic finale to the evening. Families watched from lawn chairs and blankets spread across the park while others remained near the stage, continuing to dance beneath the fireworks.

For Marinelli, the event represents far more than an evening of entertainment.

Earlier this week, she said Red, White and Tunes has grown into one of Clarkesville’s signature community events since it was created nearly a decade ago after the city separated its fireworks show from the annual Mount Laurel Festival.

She said the event not only gives residents another opportunity to celebrate but also showcases Clarkesville to visitors.

“We want people to come to Clarkesville. We want people to enjoy our community,” Marinelli said. “I want them to see that we have a really awesome variety of restaurants and eateries and shopping, all walkable downtown.”

With another successful celebration in the books, the crowds that filled Pitts Park Saturday night suggested Red, White and Tunes has become exactly what organizers envisioned — a summertime tradition that continues to bring the community together.