Engage! will present two big annual parades, other events
A new local merchants association has formed, and it will continue to present two of Ellijay’s yearly parades, while also planning other local events.
Engage! (or Engage in Gilmer) comes on the heels of the Downtown Ellijay Business and Community Association (DEBCA).
Pam Burns, who was DEBCA’s chairperson and is currently the chair for Engage!, explained that the purpose of the group is similar to that of DEBCA (which is no longer operating), but the membership has been broadened to include merchants, organizations, churches and other groups beyond downtown Ellijay.
“Ellijay is growing, and attendance has grown (for parades and events), but it’s been so hard to put together volunteer teams since COVID. A lot of (organizations) are dealing with this,” Burns said. “DEBCA was focused on downtown, but we’ve decided to open Engage! to the whole county. It’s a different kind of organization in which we can all work together.”
Annual Fourth of July and Light Up Ellijay parades and events previously sponsored by DEBCA will now be presented by this new group, Burns confirmed. Engage! welcomes additional members from all cities and the county, she added. The new group, which recently had its first organizational meeting, will name a full slate of officers for 2024.
Plans are now being made for this year’s Light Up Ellijay festivities, which, for the first time, will be a two day event. A permit for the parade and other festivities has been secured, Burns noted.
On Friday, Nov. 24, Friends of the Gilmer Animal Shelter (FOGAS) will host an event on the square under the Light Up Ellijay banner. The town Christmas tree will be lit that evening, and Santa pictures will be available for a $10 minimum donation as a fundraiser for FOGAS.
The parade will take place in another event Saturday, Dec. 2, with various activities around the square throughout the afternoon including Santa pictures, carolers and vendors, Burns noted.
The collaboration with FOGAS to present a bigger Light Up Ellijay this year is an example of the types of partnerships Engage! members hope to build with other nonprofits in the county.
“We want to work with other nonprofit organizations. We intend to put together a database of volunteers that (these) organizations can tap into,” Burns said.
For more details on joining Engage!, contact Pam Burns at 479-567-9809.