Georgia Celebrates Major Milestones in 2011

ATLANTA, June 24, 2011 – From corporate anniversaries to landmark festivals, 2011 is a monumental year for Georgia. Get out and celebrate! Several Georgia companies are celebrating their lasting success in 2011. The Coca-Cola Company just celebrated its 125th birthday! The refreshing and iconic beverage first went on sale at Atlanta's Jacob Pharmacy in May of 1886. Since then, Coca-Cola has expanded to more than 200 countries. Visitors can learn more about Coca-Cola by visiting the World of Coca-Cola in downtown Atlanta. Delta Air Lines, an airport staple with roots in Macon and Atlanta, is celebrating 70 years in Atlanta. The airline's Delta Air Transport Heritage Museum, Inc. in Atlanta is open to the public for free, Monday through Thursday. Visitors to the museum can learn about the history of air transport around the world and the history of Delta in Georgia. Georgia's film industry is also celebrating a few anniversaries this year. May marked three years since the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act was signed for productions filming in Georgia. Since then, Georgia has become one of the top five states for movie and television production. A few films that took advantage of Georgia before the tax break are now celebrating the anniversary of their success. 'Fried Green Tomatoes,' filmed in Juliette, is celebrating 20 years. The film revitalized the small, forgotten town that is now frequented by lovers of the movie and novel. Visitors to Juliette can step in to the Whistle Stop Café for fresh fried green tomatoes.  'My Cousin Vinny,' also filmed in 1991, is celebrating 20 years. Set in rural Alabama, this movie was filmed across Georgia in locations such as Alto and Monticello.  The 1981 hit 'Sharky's Machine' about an Atlanta police officer is celebrating its 30th anniversary. The movie was filmed in Atlanta and was directed by and stars Burt Reynolds. Several festivals are also celebrating landmark occasions in 2011. The Thomasville Rose Show and Festival in Thomasville celebrated its 90th anniversary in April. The festival has established itself as a tradition in the region and continues to wow visitors with its abundance of roses. The 2012 festival will be held April 26-28. September 3-5 will mark the 25th anniversary of Marietta's Art in the Park. The festival features more than 150 artists from all over the country, live music and free make-and-take art stations for kids.  It has been honored as a Southeast Tourism Society Top 20 Event since 2007, and will be held in the historic Marietta Square. The more active visitor can make their way to Athens for the 30th anniversary Athens to Atlanta Road Skate. The skate route traverses 87 miles and kicks off at the Classic Center in Athens on October 9. Another milestone in Georgia's cultural history is the 75th anniversary of the publishing of 'Gone With the Wind.' The novel was written by Georgia native Margaret Mitchell in her Atlanta apartment. You can visit the apartment where she wrote the novel at the Margaret Mitchell House in Atlanta. The Atlanta History Center is also exhibiting the final chapters of the 'Gone With the Wind' manuscript, long thought to have been lost. The manuscripts are on loan from the Pequot Library in Connecticut and feature Margaret Mitchell and her husband John Marsh's handwritten edits.  Other celebrations honoring the novel and its author will be held at Mitchell's gravesite in the Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta. To get a taste of Tara, visitors can head to Clayton County where they will find the Road to Tara Museum and Stately Oaks Plantation. American history also had its fair share of significant anniversaries this year, with the kick off of the Civil War's sesquicentennial anniversary. Even 150 years after the start of the war, Georgia is still working to preserve the history of its role. The Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville is featuring an exhibit entitled 'Civil War Art: For Us the Living.' This exhibit displays Civil War artwork by artist Mort Künstler. Visitors closer to the coast can see a piece of Civil War history at the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace in Savannah. The museum will investigate Civil War history in Savannah through an exhibit exploring the lives of the divided Gordon family. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of a significant year for Georgia and the Civil Rights Movement. In October of 1961 the storied Albany Movement began. Activists, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., sought to desegregate the entire Albany community despite facing strong opposition. The movement resulted in the arrest of more than 1,000 African Americans and spurred King to later pursue successful movements in Alabama. The Albany Civil Rights Institute, open Tuesday through Saturday, allows visitors to understand the role the Albany Movement played in establishing civil rights in Georgia and the United States. Every second Saturday of the month, the Albany Civil Rights Institute Freedom Singers present an oral history of the Albany Movement featuring the powerful message of the Freedom Songs that drove the movement. The singers are led by original SNCC Freedom Singer, Rutha Harris. In October of 1961, Georgia also saw the desegregation of several public facilities in Savannah after a 19-month boycott. This proved to be a major victory for the movement in Georgia. In June of 1961, Macon integrated Bowden Municipal Golf Course. The course became the first venue in Macon to integrate. Whether at a festival, film or corporate anniversary, 2011 is a time for celebrating success and the rich cultural heritage in Georgia. Explore Georgia in celebration of these anniversaries or create an occasion of your own. To learn more about travelling in Georgia visit www.exploregeorgia.org. The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, video and music projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development.