Without Leaving Your Yard

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Good morning, Spalding County!

If you have 15 minutes to spare this weekend, you can help with actual scientific research without leaving your yard. The Great Southeast Pollinator Census returns Friday and Saturday, August 21 and 22, inviting people across the region to help researchers get a better picture of pollinator activity. And participating could not be much easier.

Find a flowering plant that is attracting insects, pull up a chair, set a timer for 15 minutes, and count every insect that lands on a flower. You do not need to know the difference between dozens of bee species or become an amateur entomologist overnight. The census keeps things simple with broad categories like bumble bees, honey bees, wasps, flies, butterflies and moths.

You can print the official counting sheet here, mark down what you see, and then use the QR code on the sheet to submit your results when you are done. One person watching a flower for 15 minutes may not sound like much, but thousands of those observations collected across the Southeast give researchers valuable information about where pollinators are showing up and how activity changes over time. So sometime Friday or Saturday, find a patch of flowers, grab a cold drink, and spend 15 minutes doing your civic duty as Spalding County’s newest insect census taker.

- Chad

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THE DIGEST

Friday Night Football Returns to Spalding County

Friday night lights return this week as Griffin and Spalding high schools begin their 2026 football seasons. The Griffin Bears will open at home against Locust Grove on Friday, August 21, at 7:30 p.m. Griffin enters the season under head coach Bernard Goodrum and will look to start its campaign with a victory in front of the home crowd at Memorial Stadium. The Spalding Jaguars will begin their season on the road against Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy. Kickoff is also scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Commitment Field in McDonough. Head coach Nick Davis and the Jaguars will face an ELCA program competing in Class AA this season, while Spalding competes in Class AAAA. Both teams enter Friday night with fresh records and a full season ahead.

Fire Maker Brewery Prepares for a Fresh Start

Fire Maker Brewery is preparing to relaunch its downtown Griffin location with a new kitchen, revamped menu, and updated name. The business at 122 West Bank Street is transitioning into Fire Maker Brewery, Bar, and Chicken, with Chef Juan taking over management of the kitchen. Work is underway on a new kitchen layout and food menu ahead of a three-day grand reopening planned for August 28 through 30. The Griffin-Spalding Chamber of Commerce will help begin the celebration with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, August 28. The kitchen remains in transition, but the rest of the business is still operating. Customers can visit the bar Thursday through Sunday, hear live music on Fridays, and continue using the brewery’s indoor golf bays.

Spalding County Names New Community Development Director

Toussaint Kirk has joined Spalding County as its new Community Development Director, bringing years of local and regional planning experience back to the community. Kirk succeeds David Allen, who resigned in June. Senior planner Eva Morales led the department on an interim basis during the transition. This is Kirk’s third professional chapter in Griffin and Spalding County. He previously worked for the City of Griffin as an associate planner and later as director of Planning and Development Services. During his second tenure, he helped coordinate the redevelopment of the former Meriwether Homes public housing property with the Griffin Housing Authority and Pennrose Developers. Kirk most recently spent five years leading planning and economic development efforts in Henry County. He is an Auburn University graduate and holds a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Alabama A&M University.

DUMP SCHEDULE

Monday & Thursday: Carver (610 Carver Rd) and Woodroof (4245 Old Atlanta Rd) 11am-7pm

Tuesday & Friday: Blalock (5756 Newnan Rd) and Cabin (3865 Jackson Rd)
11am-7pm

Saturday: All centers open 7am-1pm (plus Akin for bulky items only)

Sunday & Wednesday: Closed

Got big stuff? The Akin Collection Center (841 S McDonough Rd) is for bulky items only—no regular household garbage. Open Saturdays 7am-1pm.

All centers closed on county holidays.

The Official Griffin Grapevine Hometown T-Shirt

Griffin Grapevine is where local stories, familiar faces, and hometown pride come together and now you can wear that spirit. This soft Comfort Colors tee features a richly illustrated tribute to Griffin, Georgia on the back, with irises, railroad tracks, peach, sweet tea, and classic Doc Holliday hat. Wear it around town, to community events, or anywhere you want to represent the people and stories that keep Griffin connected.

Shop the Griffin Grapevine tee and wear your hometown pride.

WHAT’S HAPPENIN’

FRIDAY

Griffin Farmers Market
When: Friday, August 21, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
What: The weekly Griffin Farmers Market returns to the Kiwanis Fairgrounds with locally grown produce and other goods from area vendors. The market is hosted by UGA Extension Spalding County and runs every Friday through the end of October. Previous market listings have included produce, honey, boiled peanuts and other locally produced foods. Admission is free, with purchases made directly from individual vendors.
Where: Kiwanis Fairgrounds, 1025 South Hill Street, Griffin, GA 30224

Ribbon Cutting for Tooties Grooming Boutique
When: Friday, August 21, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
What: The Griffin+Spalding Chamber of Commerce is welcoming Tooties Grooming Boutique with an official ribbon cutting. Visitors can meet the team, learn about the boutique’s professional pet grooming services and hear about hands-on courses designed to teach owners how to safely groom their own pets at home. The event is open to community members who would like to help welcome the new Chamber member.
Where: Tooties Grooming Boutique, 349 New Orleans Street, Griffin, GA 30224

Paint Your Own Custom Mahjong Discard Coaster
When: Friday, August 21, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
What: Stache Studio is hosting a hands-on art night for Mahjong players who want to create a customized discard coaster to match their game set. Participants can bring their Mahjong mat or a photo for inspiration, then use stencils and other supplies to design their own tile. The $20 registration includes the project materials, hands-on assistance from the studio and a first drink.
Where: Stache Studio, 116 South 6th Street, Griffin, GA 30224

SATURDAY

Veterans Clay Shoot 2026
When: Saturday, August 22, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
What: The Griffin-Spalding Military Affairs Committee is bringing together veterans and community supporters for a morning of sporting clays at Cherokee Rose. The course is designed to accommodate a range of experience levels, including newcomers to the sport. The event combines friendly competition with support for veteran-focused initiatives in the community. The current event listing shows registration at $250.
Where: Cherokee Rose Sporting Clays, 895 Baptist Camp Road, Griffin, GA 30223

The Griffin Hometown Vendor Market
When: Saturday, August 22, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
What: Griffin City Park will fill with local businesses, food vendors, artisans, nonprofits and entrepreneurs for the Griffin Hometown Market. Hosted by Manna From Above Inc. Community Outreach, the family-friendly event is designed to give residents a place to shop local, grab something to eat and connect with community organizations. Proceeds help support Manna From Above programs, including its food pantry and other outreach efforts serving local families. Admission for shoppers is free.
Where: Griffin City Park, 601 Camp Northern Road, Griffin, GA 30224

Resin Workshop: Book Pages & Pressed Flowers
When: Saturday, August 22, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
What: Stache Studio is offering a guided resin workshop centered around book pages, pressed flowers and other decorative elements. An instructor will explain how to mix and work with resin while participants create their own personalized piece. The studio also provides materials such as seashells, pebbles, crushed glass and other small items, and participants can bring their own flat keepsakes to incorporate into the project. The workshop is $45 and is geared toward ages 13 and older.
Where: Stache Studio, 116 South 6th Street, Griffin, GA 30224

UPCOMING

12th Annual Doc Holliday Festival
When: Saturday, September 12, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
What: The Doc Holliday Festival returns to Griffin City Park for a free day of barbecue, history and family entertainment. The festival will feature more than 30 professional teams competing in a Georgia Barbecue Association competition, along with a People’s Choice tasting where visitors can sample barbecue and vote for their favorite. Spurred West will perform three reenactments of the famous shootout at the O.K. Corral while sharing the story of Griffin native John Henry “Doc” Holliday. A portion of the event’s proceeds will support the Spalding Collaborative for Families and Children.
Where: Griffin City Park, 601 Camp Northern Road, Griffin, GA 30224

Moonlight and Magnolias
When: Wednesday, September 16 – Sunday, September 27. Performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 3:00 PM.
What: Main Street Players opens its 2026-27 season with Moonlight and Magnolias, a fast-paced comedy set behind the scenes of one of Hollywood’s most famous films. Producer David O. Selznick has halted production of Gone With the Wind because he needs a new screenplay, so he pulls screenwriter Ben Hecht and director Victor Fleming away from their own work and locks them in his office. For five frantic days, the trio survives on bananas and peanuts while racing to rewrite the script. Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors 55 and older, and $15 for students. The production runs for two weekends at Main Street Players’ intimate downtown Black Box Theatre.
Where: Main Street Players Black Box Theatre, 115 N. Hill Street, Griffin, GA 30223

WEATHER

FRIDAY

91° 🌡️ 70° | ⛈️ | 60% | WSW 6 mph

SATURDAY

93° 🌡️ 68° | ⛈️ | 55% | WNW 7 mph

SUNDAY

92° 🌡️ 67° | ☀️ | 5% | NW 5 mph

THANKS!

Thanks for spending part of your morning with the Griffin Grapevine.

I hope today’s issue gave you something useful, whether that was a local event to add to the calendar, a story you had not heard yet, or even an excuse to sit beside a flower for 15 minutes this weekend and count a few bees.

If you know someone else who likes keeping up with what is happening around Spalding County, send this issue their way. That kind of word of mouth is still the best way the Grapevine reaches more neighbors. Have an event, news tip, or local story I should know about? Reply to this email. I personally read every message.

Have a great weekend, enjoy a little time outside if the heat allows it, and take care of each other.

P.S. Local businesses interested in reaching Spalding County readers can reply as well or email griffin@welldiem.com.