This is one of my all time favorite places in the southern United States to Visit.  Some of my past articles include Nicklaus Golf Club at Birch River,  Dahlonega, Georgia, "Pure Gold," There is More Than Fly Fishing in North Georgia,

Dining, Fun, and "Hanging Out" in Daholngea, Georgia,   The Crimson Moon Cafe, Dahlonega, Georgia, From Luxury Resorts to Kangaroos in North Georgia,  Fine Vineyards, Fine Dining, in the Region of North Georgia.

The snow may not be completely melted away but the mountain laurel and rhododendron are in full bloom in Dahlonega—and so are this mountain community’s many arts events. Heating up the arts scene are gallery showings, theatre productions, new spring merchandise at the singularly sassy shops on the Square and two festivals that celebrate Dahlonega’s heritage: the Bear on the Square and the Mountain Flower Arts Festival. Visitors can fill up on these appetizing arts—and still have room for inventive cuisine at some of the hottest restaurants in North Georgia.

Pictures paint a thousand words

See the work of resident artists Anita Elder, a contemporary realist, and Beth Brightwell, whose pastel and acrylic paintings depict her love of music, at the Buisson Art Center Gallery. Part of the Buisson Arts Center Music Hall complex which is housed in the former 1838 Dahlonega Baptist Church, the gallery is gorgeous space inside what once was the church’s recreational building. The Olde Cannery Art Center, a venue for live theater and music programs, also features the works of area artists working in all media. From May 10—June 29, the Center is hosting a Spring Art Show.

At Bleu Gallery, both an art gallery and working studio located under the spicy Gabee's Cajun Kitchen, watch artists at work (and play), creating landscapes, “peoplescapes” and abstracts in oils and acrylics. Also on the Square is Hummingbird Lane, a bustling art gallery showing the works of more than 190 artists, including woodworkers, photographers, painters, potters, glass workers and other artists.

 All the world’s a stage

And the Historic Holly Theatre brings much of that world to you. Home to one of Georgia's top performing theater companies, The Holly ignites the Square with smart and snappy productions: the toe tapping music of the award-winning Mountain Music and Medicine Show radio production that captures the flavor of Dahlonega from its Gold Rush days to the 1950s (on selected dates from March 1—October 4); Celtic concerts March 8 and 9 featuring the traditional Irish bands Altan, Highland Way Emerald Rose and Shamrock; a Broadway-style musical extravaganza, SEUSSICAL Live On Stage, March 13-16, presented by the Holly Children’s Theatre; and the irreverent musical comedy, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” playing on selected dates in April.

A mélange of music is served up at nearby Crimson Moon, one of the Southeast’s most intimate music venues. Indulge your senses with standout music in the mellow art gallery-esque digs of the café while sipping organic coffee or micro-brewed beer and spooning up some of the best made-from-scratch vegetarian soup to ever cross your lips. Mountain -style musicians jam the Square at the Dahlonega Gold Museum every Saturday afternoon from April through October during the Appalachian Jam and local musicians headline the Music In The Park series at Hancock Park on the first Friday of each month, also from April through October.

Springtime fun, squared

Dahlonega’s Historic Town Square hops with fun and funky shops and galleries, plus juicy restaurants like Corkscrew Café with its fine dining menu and casual atmosphere and The Smith House, a platters-piled-high throw down of old-fashioned home cooking. The Square is also where two spring arts festivals blossom. The 12th annual Bear on the Square Mountain Festival, April 18 – 20, features a dynamic lineup of regional and national musicians performing old-time and bluegrass music, a hodgepodge of Appalachian crafts including artwork, pottery and jewelry, jam sessions by local and visiting musicians, a street dance, children's activities and a variety of food. The Mountain Flower Art Festival, May 17and 18, features juried original fine art and fine crafts of regional artists and performing artists, plus the Dahlonega Master Gardeners’ annual indigenous plant sale, wildflower display, wildflower walk and Garden Expo with workshops.

Catch the sights and sounds and savor the flavor and fragrance of spring in Dahlonega, warming up with hot music, theatre, gallery shows and festivals.

Dahlonega, the site of America’s first major gold rush in 1828, is located just off of Georgia Hwy. 400 in the pristine and picturesque North Georgia Mountains.  Unique shopping opportunities abound in Dahlonega, especially around its historic square that easily earned a coveted spot on the National Register of Historic Places.  Now the center of a thriving music and arts scene, and the heart of the Georgia wine industry, Dahlonega provides much to see and do during every season;  local innkeepers and hotels  offer specials and discounted packages for couples,  families and friends.   For more details, contact the Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Chamber of Commerce, Convention & Visitors Bureau by calling toll-free 1.800.231.5543 or by visiting www.dahlonega.org.