For over 30 years, the Creative Arts Guild has served the Dalton and Whitfield community by providing classes in dance, tumbling, music and the visual arts. Youth Theatre, in-school programs, concerts and an assortment of arts-related events are also available for the general public.
The Creative Arts Guild is the oldest arts center in Georgia and has progressed from a small nucleus of people interested in promoting the arts to a vital, vigorous and varied organization that reaches over 126,000 adults and children every year. Each yeag, CAG volunteers sponsor a fall arts festival attended by more than 7,000 visitors. Volunteerism is key to keeping this professional organization community based. The Creative Arts Guild is a regranting agency for six counties in Northwest Georgia through the Georgia Council of the Arts and appropriations by the Georgia General Assembly.
Seventeen gallery exhibitions are sponsored annually, including the annual Fall Festival of Arts & Crafts and the National Fiber Arts Show. Through the efforts of the CAG and Oscar N. Jonas Foundation, over 45,000 students in Dalton and Whitfield County were reached by over 45 professional visual and performing artists in the last year.
The CAG offers a series of professional performances through the Performing Arts Live Series. In 1995, the Nai Ni Chin Chinese Dancers and Doc Watson will be among those artist performing. Since 1978, the CAG has served as the Dalton-Whitfield Commission for the Arts. Locally, the CAG is constantly cited by civic, governmental and educational bodies as an exemplary contributor to the growth of community life through the arts.
Community art activities include art core classes for children of all ages, Watercolor Painting, Oil Painting, Pottery, Drawing & Sketching, Calligraphy, Crafts, International Cooking Classes, specialty courses; Drama for adults and children; Ballet for children and adults; Jazz for children and teens; Pre-dance for ages four and five; Tumbling classes for ages 2.5 to teens; Violin and Strings; Guitar; Private Voice; Flute; Kindermusik; and group music classes for children ages 2 to 7. For more information or to get involved call (706) 278-0168.
"Get caught in the act" is the motto of Dalton's community theater, the Dalton Little Theater, and for over 120 years, the locals have been doing just that. The DLT provides a schedule of top-quality musicals, plays and special productions each year to appeal to the wide spectrum of individuals that make up the area's population. Each summer, The DLT presents a large-scale musical for the community such as "Annie" and "Peter Pan." For more information, call (706) 226-6618.
Housed in the old firehouse, the Dalton Little Theater bustles with volunteers working together to produce approximatly four season plays and three special productions each year. The DLT and the Creative Arts Guild, co-sponsor Summer Youth Theater for young actors.
The Artistic Civic Theater (ACT) is a recent theater addition offering a variety of productions including dinner theater performances, large cast musicals and fairy tale theater. Currently renovating a warehouse, ACT plans to have a new home in 1995.
Do you want to know more about Dalton and Whitfield County? Crown Gardens and Archives features permanent historical displays and interesting records, and is a project of the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society. For additional information, call (706) 278-0217.
Cultures of far away lands can be studied in books at the two million dollar Dalton Regional Library. The library serves residents and also provides bookmobile services to the rural areas of surrounding counties. Approximately 200,000 books and reference materials are available to over 50,000 subscribers with borrowing privileges.
Story hours for children are offered at the Dalton-Whitfield County Library each Tuesday at 10:00am. Murray County Library offers story times each Tuesday and every third Saturday.
Two companion series for adults are offered at the library system headquarters in Dalton throughout the year. The tri-annual Current Events Discussion Series is held on the last Thursday evenins of February, June and October at 7:00pm. Topics of local, state, national and international interest are included in each program. The tri-annual Book Review Series offers eight "rapid-fire" reviews, each book having been selected by the reviewer.
Additional programs and activities for adults are offered throughout the year. For additional information please call the Dalton Regional Library System headquarters at (706) 278-4507.
Whether it's music, arts, dance, or theater, Dalton has a myriad of cultural resources. The Creative Arts Guild, Dalton Little Theater, Crown Gardens and Archives, and Dalton Regional Library provide a unique cultural flavor for the Northwest Georgia town proving that the arts are alive and well in Dalton!
Dalton and Whitfield County have countless opportunities for residents when it comes to recreation and entertainment. Newcomers are delighted to discover they can spend a peaceful day hiking in the mountains or opt for a lively festival, cultural event or family activity.
The Dalton Recreation Center, operated by the Parks and Recreation Department, would be the pride of any city. It provides over 150 acres of ball fields, a swimming pool, tennis courts, playground and picnic areas, and it organizaes activities and athletic events such as little league baseball, swimming, football, softball, volleyball, basketball and even a spectacular Fourth of July celebration. Among many other community events, the Recreation Center sponsors Spring Fest and Special Olympic Area Games.
Also perfect for family outings are Lakeshore Park and Brookwood Park which are tucked into residential neighborhoods. Al Rollins Park is considered one of the finiest baseball parks in the south.
Fort Mountain, Dug Gap Mountain and Rocky Face Mountain serve as guardians over Dalton in the valley below. Nearby lakes and state parks offer a splendid variety of outdoor activities including hiking, camping, boating, fishing, hunting, rafting and canoeing. For golf enthusiasts, Nob North Municipal course offers 184 acres of luch greens and challenging fairways. Two private championship courses, The Farm and Dalton Golf & County Club, draw collegiate and professional tournaments to the area.
The spirit of volunteerism is strong in Dalton. Residents make the most of spare time by joining Dalton's many civic and social organizations. Among these clubs are the Elks Club, Rotary, Civitan, Kiwanis, Sertoma, Lions, a variety of religious functions, League of Women Voters, Red Cross Volunteers, various Garden Clubs, and many more. The Dalton-Whitfield Senior Center is a special social center for older residents offereing a variety of activities.
Amidst all the places to go and the opportunities in the area, special events highlight the friendly pace of Dalton. There is always a reason to celebrate! In May, Dalton celebrates the industry that made it famous with the Red Carpet Festival. In May and October, the historic Prater's Mill hosts artts & crafts, music, food and entertainment. In September, the annual Fall Festival of Arts & Crafts at the Creative Arts Guild attracts artists and craftsmen to the community, and throughout the year the CAG regularly sponsors professional performances through the Performing Arts Live Series. October means the North Georgia Fair and the National Fiber Arts Show which brings fun and excitement to Dalton.
Dalton's cosmopolitain atmosphere means big city amenities with small town convenience. It's easy to enjoy the delights of an evening at the Little Theater, or and afternoon with the latest exhibit at the Creative Arts Guild, or take the family to one of nine movie theaters.
If you love to shop, we've got you covered. Dalton is the home of Walnut Square Mall, one of North Georgia's largest enclosed shopping centers which will meet all your shopping needs. There are many strip shopping centers having a variety of smaller shops and services.
Local restaurants offer a multitude of pleasurable dining experiences. Choose from fine dining; family-style Southern cooking; fast food or ethnic cuisine.
No matter how Daltonians and visitors spend their leisure time, there is always more to discover in Dalton.
