Suwanee Speaks

Rock The Vote: Which Suwanee Concert Was Best?

Let the world know which musical performer at Town Center Park was best in 2011?

Think of this as a virtual mosh pit. Or a digital encore. Anyway, Suwanee's Town Center Park has hosted some notable musical performers this year. The Little River Band, Sister Hazel, Better Than Ezra and the Lovin' Spoonful were the best known to take the stage as part of their national tours. And all got good turnouts. We've attached Suwanee Patch video recaps of three of the concerts to refresh your memory. Singing along is allowed. So now, we want to know: Which do you think was best? Cast your vote in the poll below, and provide any comments. Note: Suwanee Speaks will be a feature on Suwanee Patch designed specifically to solicit public opinion and comments on issues affecting Suwanee.

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Viewfinder: So Suwanee

A walk around Town Center and you know you're in Suwanee country. Take a look at the photos we found recently.

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'Iron Man 2' To Show in Suwanee Park

Movie starring Robert Downey Jr. set for Town Center Park on Saturday.

There are no movie theaters in the City of Suwanee. However, Town Center Park is doing what it can to fill the void. On Saturday, the movie "Iron Man 2' starring Robert Downey Jr. will be shown at the park as part of the city's B At The Movies series. The show is scheduled to begin at dusk, but festivities will start at 7 p.m. The movie was released last year, and also stars Don Cheadle and Gwyneth Paltrow. It won an Oscar for visual effects, and it is rated PG-13. Alcohol will not be permitted in the park, and food and beverages will be available for purchase. On Sept. 10, the city plans to show Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center" at the park as part of a commemorative ceremony.    

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Suwanee Park Gets a Facelift

Town Center turf is touched up.

Ground under repair is a term most familiar to golfers, but it also applies to Suwanee Town Center Park these days. The city's showcase park is getting a touch-up. Officials recently planted some new sod and raised some areas of the turf to better manage water flow, Public Information Officer Lynne DeWilde said. Some areas have been closed off via tape and signage so that the new turf can properly grow. Town Center Park has drawn a lot of foot traffic this spring and summer. Events such as the Little River Band concert, Woofstock and the Beerfest have drawn thousands of people from throughout the Atlanta area. The next big event for the park will be the Rock & Jock Festival on Saturday, Aug. 13. Notable rock band Better Than Ezra will …

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Hip Performers Dazzle Suwanee Show-Goers

'Hairspray' and 'Rapunzel's Twist' make for a good Broadway In The Park.

A fab group of cool cats and chicks twisted and shimmied as the Suwanee Performing Arts casts of “Hairspray” and the original “Rapunzel’s Twist” rocked the stage over the weekend at Town Center Park. Hundreds of fans turned out and were treated to performances by some of the hippest talent in the area. “Hairspray,” the story of the overweight Tracy Turnblad (Nicole Ojeda-Johns), who fights for the right to dance on the Corny Collins Show, was inspiring and just plain fun. Collins is played by Sam Weyen. Stopped dead in her feet-tapping tracks by Velma Von Tussle (Abigail Capri) and her equally obnoxious daughter Amber (Hannah Spoerke), Tracy eventually becomes an overnight sensation on the show and subsequently brings the civil rights …

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Suwanee Likes the Taste of Beerfest

Patrons line up early for first-time event at Town Center Park.

Updated 9:10 a.m., July 25, 2011 For Duluth attorney Jason Rhoades, Saturday's Suwanee Beerfest was an opportunity for some target marketing. His booth at the Suwanee Beerfest offered patrons a chance for representation at a DUI hearing. Rhoades noted that efforts at other beerfests have been productive. "A lot of people don't remember where they saw us," he said. He and other vendors at the first Suwanee Beerfest had lots of foot traffic. People began lining up before the noon opening. Before 2 p.m., the line for pre-paid patrons stretched into Town Center Avenue and doubled back around in front of City Hall. Others had to stand in another line to get a ticket first. Organizers were expecting 4,000 people. If they hit that, it would be at…

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Suwanee To Sample a Beerfest on Saturday

Event will feature vendors offering samples of up to 150 beers.

The clues: Glass cutters. Dogs. Skydivers. Beer. If you guessed "What has Suwanee Town Center Park hosted in 2011?" you are right. Actually, the real beer event is still to come, as the Suwanee Beerfest is to run from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday at Town Center Park. That is, PART of the park. The first-time event will feature about 50 vendors offering up to 150 types of American beers, according to Matt Dial, co-owner of Suwanee Magazine, which is coordinating the event. Patrons can buy a ticket that allows them into an area of the park where vendors are offering 3-ounce samples of various beers. As with other events at the park, alcohol may not be brought into or out of the park. Yes, organizers are on guard. "We're not running a drunk-fest…

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Suwanee Scene

Suwanee Beats the Heat

Library show, Big Splash fountain offer relief Tuesday.

"Misery moo" was catching it good from the lamb Tuesday about being so gloomy. About 280 children and adults agreed. "Misery moo" and the lamb -- both puppets in a show at the Suwanee branch of the Gwinnett Public Library -- were among the smart ones beating the oven-like head and humidity that set in on the area. The puppet show was one of several summer shows aimed at youngsters by the library. Tuesday's event was coordinated by Peggy Mitchell and Carol Goebel. (See the attached video.) Nearby at Town Center Park, the Big Splash interactive fountain was equally popular. Imagine that. (See the attached pictures.)

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Changes Coming for Key Suwanee Park

Renovation, work day, souvenirs planned for popular garden at White Street Park.

Call it an extreme chicken-coop makeover. Rosemary and Sweet Pea, the two hens who reside in a coop at White Street Park in Suwanee, soon will have their digs remodeled by city officials. These and other changes for the park and its popular organic garden, Harvest Farm, were decided Wednesday during a meeting of the Harvest Farm Managing Board at City Hall. The hens have lived at the park (752 White Street) since September 2010. The remodeling should be done in a couple of months. Also in the works: a work day at the park, a marketing effort for the garden that will tie in with the Toast @ Town Center event on Aug. 25, and a website for the park and garden. Among the items that are in the planning stages are custom-made hand soaps, with …

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