We Celebrate a New Amenity at Big Canoe
Most folks think of amenities as those built with brick and mortar such as fitness centers, tennis courts, and swimming pools. As we continue to monitor the hottest Baby Boomer trends when it comes to relocating at retirement, farmer’s markets, social clubs and volunteerism are rising higher up on the list.
Community Finder’s 2012 Bliss Award Winner - Big Canoe has found another sweet spot, the Villages Festival. What started out as a small weekly outdoor food market inside the community has expanded into the ‘place to be’ on Saturday mornings in the northern Georgia mountains. More than 60 local farmers and artisans offer their specialties at the Big Canoe Villages Festival, the gathering place now located just outside Big Canoe’s gated entrance. This northern Georgia mountain community has been attracting Baby Boomers for decades, those desiring to live in a national park-like atmosphere in close proximity to Amicalola Falls and Gibbs Gardens. Big Canoe is a best master planned community spreading across 8 mountains with three fresh water lakes and a championship golf course but it’s the Village Festival that’s got folks buzzing with excitement as the spring season kicks off.
Like an outdoor street market you’d expect to find in France or Italy, you can sample cheeses, breads, and olives as you explore the festival. Vendors sell fresh vegetables, plants, fruits, homemade cheeses, coffee, breads, fresh seafood, lamb, beef, fried pies, pottery, can goods, baskets, jewelry, mushrooms, honey, soaps, pastries, glass painted vases and hats. Some of the vendors are making quite a name for themselves such as Mercier Orchards who's famous for fried apple pies and cider. Coles Lake Creamery is known for their scrumptious artisan goat cheese. Blue Donkey Coffee brings in tasty coffee beans grown in the lush forest of Honduras and these are just a few of the outstanding vendors at the Big Canoe Villages Festival.
Often times, Baby Boomer’s moving from big cities express concern about the closeness of a quality grocery store when living in the mountains. Living at Big Canoe offers the best of both worlds, a close grocery store and artisan farmer’s market. Foothills IGA Market is the grocery store located 1.5 miles from the gated entrance. IGA was founded in 1926 and has over 5,000 food stores globally. Whether you’re a gourmet chef or amateur taste tester, anyone living at Big Canoe can have a delicious foodie experience, all within biking distance of this award winning Georgia mountain community.
We're impressed with how Big Canoe turned a section of their event's field into a new lifestyle amenity. If you happen to be in the area the first week of May, don’t miss the 2013 Big Canoe Tour of Homes taking place on May 3rd and 4th. The 4th is on a Saturday and gives you the chance to enjoy the Big Canoe Villages Festival. On Sunday, visit Amicalola Falls, a 600 foot waterfall and Gibbs Gardens, one of the largest residential gardens in the Southeast. All of these lifestyle experiences make Big Canoe one of the best places to live in the northern Georgia mountains.
If you're exploring northern Georgia for the first time, ask for our complimentary Dahlonega relocation information. It's our pleasure to help.
