City: Savannah, GA

Category: Annual Events & Festivals

Telephone: (912) 651-2125

Description: This observance celebrating Georgia’s founding and heritage unfolds during the first two weeks of February and usually focuses on the twelfth of the month—the day on which the first colonists landed in 1733. Georgia Week opens on the first day of February with a ceremony in a downtown square featuring a portrayal of a significant figure in the history of the state and wreath-layings at monuments throughout the city. Programs at historic sites and a lecture focusing on the aforementioned historic figure are part of the celebration, which is presented by the Georgia Historical Society (GHS) in partnership with Chatham-Savannah public schools. On the morning of Georgia Day, February 12, schoolchildren dressed as colonists and the Native Americans who welcomed them walk in a procession from Forsyth Park up Bull Street to City Hall on Bay Street. The Georgia Day Luncheon follows, with tickets priced at $25 (in 2010 and subject to change in 2011); the other events are free. Georgia Day is contingent on receiving funding from the state. Contact the Georgia Historical Society regarding events and further information.