America

In a meeting Tuesday morning at The Rock Ranch, Jeff Manley, director of The Rock Ranch LLC, announced the details for this year's Celebrate America festivities.

Celebrate America at The Rock Ranch is designed to honor Georgia's troops and military veterans while providing quality family entertainment in a safe environment. For the past seven years, Celebrate America at The Rock Ranch has been held on the last Saturday in June. The date for the 2006 celebration is June 24.

According to Manley, this year's celebration will feature the largest selection of activities and attractions that we've ever offered here at The Rock Ranch.

“The festivities will begin at 4 p.m. and will conclude with a ceremony to honor our troops and a professional fireworks extravaganza, sponsored by Chick-Fil-A., at 9:30 p.m.,” he said.

In the past, Celebrate America at The Rock Ranch has required a gate fee and tickets had to be purchased for attractions. This year's celebration is all-inclusive. Each vehicle will pay a $20 gate fee, regardless of the vehicle's size or number of occupants, and all attractions will be included. Military personnel and veterans who present a military ID will receive half price admission. Directions and additional information can be obtained online at www.therockranch.com.

Celebrate America at the Rock Ranch will feature 2 bands: Mystery Train, a country music cover band from Griffin, and 4U2C, a jazz and blues band from Barnesville, that features Barnesville Mayor Dwayne Bell. There will be a car show, a craft show, professional pyrotechnics. Bingo, a pie eating contest, a watermelon seed spitting contest, a pioneer story teller, a petting zoo and many other educational displays.

Attractions will include hay rides, pony rides, train rides, inflatable games, jolly jumps, a carousel, a rock climbing wall, corn cannons, a paintball shooting gallery, a cow train, and children's small John Deere gators. Free face painting and temporary tattoos will also be offered. Food Vendors will offer a variety of treats and refreshments for sale.

Guest may choose from Chick-Fil-A chicken sandwiches, Georgia South Bar-B-Q, funnel cakes, boiled peanuts, pork skins, cotton candy, watermelons, Italian Ice, Chick-Fil-A Ice Dream, pop corn, sno cones, and more.

There will also be a performance by a Christian children's choir from Uganda Africa that is sponsored by Mount Gilead Church of Griffin- The choir is traveling for 2 months throughout Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama to raise money to build an orphanage in Uganda. With the help of Mount Gilead Church and the work of missionaries, these children hope to help earn money to create a home for themselves.

The Rock Ranch, located between Thomaston and Barnesville on Highway 36, is a 1250 acre cattle farm owned by Chick-Fil-A founder S.Truett Cathy.

The Rock Ranch seeks to encourage quality time among families by providing safe, educational, wholesome entertainment in an alcohol free environment, based on Christian principles.

The Rock Ranch LLC has been in operation for 17 years and has served as a venue for corporate outings, special events, birthday parties, camp outs and school field trips but has never been open to the public for general admission. Beginning September 30, 2006, however, the Rock Ranch LLC will be open on Friday afternoons and Saturdays throughout the fall for public attendance.

Adam Pugh of the Rock Ranch stated, “We look forward to providing quality entertainment opportunities for Georgia families in the future and are excited about Celebrate America at The Rock Ranch on June 24. It will be a day of patriotic celebration and recognition of our heroes that dedicate their lives, in service, to preserving this great Nation.”