Wednesday, May 6th-----

Kicking off this year's Pine Tree Festival Week will be the FFA Forestry Field Day Competition hosted by the Forestry Department at Swainsboro Technical College.

According to Rodney Kellum, Forestry Instructor at STC, some 300 students from across the state are expected to compete in the areas of reforestation, timber stand improvement, tree identification, forest management, ocular estimation, estimation of cord volume, estimation of board foot volume, compass & pacing, and land measurement. The event will be held at the Swainsboro/Emanuel County Recreation Complex on McLeod Bridge Road, site of this year's EXPO.

Students are expected to arrive in Swainsboro at 9 a.m. and will be divided into groups, then bused to the various sites which are located within a mile of the event facility.

The winners will go on to compete nationally. Savings bonds will be presented to winners by the Swainsboro/Emanuel County Festival Foundation.

Thursday & Friday mornings, May 7th & 8th-----

On Thursday and Friday mornings, May 7th & 8th, nearly 4,000 students from local schools are set to visit the EXPO site on McLeod Bridge Road. Awaiting them will be a day of fun and learning experiences.

Among the featured events highlighting the day will be the highly popular BMX Bicycle & Skateboard Stunt Show, the All-American Lumberjack Show, and Snakes of Georgia Encounter Show.

BMX Stunt Show is known for high-flying aerial stunts and mind-boggling technical maneuvers on bicycles and skateboards. Each show is staffed with professional riders who have competed in the X- Games and Gravity Games featured on ESPN and other sports networks. The bicycle stunt show will be presented to students, while the combined bicycle & skateboard show is slated for Saturday only.

Hailing from Stillwater Minnesota, the All-American Lumberjack Show will feature axe throwing, log rolling, cross-cut sawing, hot sawing and chainsaw carving.

The Snakes of Georgia Encounter is a live seminar with venomous & non-venomous snakes of Georgia as well as alligators and other exotic species. Over 225,000 people have seen the live displays. The Encounter was featured on Planet Earth Channel earlier this spring.

Students will also enjoy a "live-history" demonstration presented by the McLeod-Moring SCV Camp and Emanuel Rangers UDC Chapter 2318. "Camp McLeod" is a re-enactment of a Civil War camp complete with tents, cannons, re-enactors in period uniforms and a number of wartime artifacts. The camp will also feature a field hospital with patients, nurses and true stories of local soldiers and their families.

Returning for another visit to the festival will be the "rolling-car" exhibit presented by the Jesup City Police Department. The exhibit demonstrates the importance of wearing seat belts.

In addition to these events, students will be able to see forest-management equipment displays, visit the Georgia Forestry Commission exhibits, and see demonstrations by the Swainsboro Fire Department and "Haz-Mat" Unit.

Students will receive drinks and popcorn during their field trip exercise.

Thursday night, May 7th----

Workshop courses for timber professionals and landowners will be held prior to the Georgia Forestry Association's Swainsboro Regional Forestry Meeting slated for Thursday, May 7th

The courses will be offered at 5:30 p.m. at the Swainsboro/Emanuel County Recreational Complex on McLeod Bridge Road.

For the professionals, a one-hour class, "Ethics in Forestry" will be presented while "Pine Straw Production for Landowners" is scheduled for area landowners. Both of these workshops are designed to encourage professional development, provide standards for achievement and advance skills of those engaged in logging. Workshop attendees will earn credit hours toward the Continuing Logger Education Program.

Following the courses at 6:30 p.m., "Snakes of Georgia Encounter" will present a short program which will be followed by dinner.

John Ramey, Manager of Valley Carbon, will present a program on "carbon credit trading." He will be followed by Ron Barnmore, director of Project Development, Range Fuels in Soperton, Ga., who will give an update on the Range Fuel project.

On Saturday, May 8th, more courses will be offered to professional foresters, loggers and landowners. "Using GPS in Timber Harvest" will be offered to professional foresters, while "Timber Management for Landowners" will be offered to local landowners. These classes will be held from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Swainsboro/Emanuel County Recreation Complex.

For registration for classes or GFA dinner ticket information, call George Elder at 478-763-3631.

Thursday night, May 7th----

If you can't make the GFA dinner, be sure to make the WXRS Pine Tree "Sitter" wedding scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday night. The festivities will be held at the Boneyard in downtown Swainsboro.

Friday, May 8th----

Following Friday morning's student activities, the gates will open to the public at 3 p.m. for what should be a great time of fun and family entertainment.

In addition to BMX Stunt Show, All-American Lumberjack Show, Snakes of Georgia Encounter, Camp McLeod, Timber EXPO and other exhibits, the Festival Foundation will present three bands prior to the Brantley Gilbert Concert.

Bring your lounge chairs and enjoy the music of "Running Down Romance," "William & Merz," and Jeff Franklin. The show begins at 6 p.m.

At 9 p.m., Brantley Gilbert Concert will begin. Gilbert is considered one of the country's top-unsigned recording artists.

Tickets are on sale now at the Chamber of Commerce, Swainsboro City Hall, Twin City Drugs, and all area banks.

Saturday, May 9th---------

With so much to do and so many events planned for this year's Pine Tree Festival, it's best to get up early on Saturday, May 8th!

A "Fly-In," is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. at the Swainsboro/Emanuel County Airport while the "Knotty Pine Race" gets underway in downtown Swainsboro. In addition, the WXRS Pine Tree Festival "Grill-Off" is slated to begin.

At the EXPO site on McLeod Bridge Road, the gates open at 8 a.m., with the Pine Tree Festival Open Car, Truck & Motorcycle Show

At 9:00 a.m. in downtown Swainsboro, a host of activities will begin with bands, singing groups and cloggers. Among the groups expected to participate are Arum Rae, Greater St. James Choir, Coley Station, the Salvations and the South Georgia County Line Cloggers.

At 10:00 a.m., Grand Marshall Ceremonies will take place prior to the start of the 64th Annual Pine Tree Festival Parade, which will begin at 10:30 a.m.

Following the conclusion of the parade, the WXRS Battle of the Bands, lawnmower racing, and bake-off contest will begin at the downtown pavilion.

The day is just as packed at the EXPO site.

The BMX Bicycle and Skateboard Show, the All- American Lumberjack Show and The Snakes of Georgia Encounter will present multiple shows.

Also, a kids' lumberjack sports camp will be available for those kids who wish to try their hand a becoming a lumberjack.

In addition to the events, exhibits, and forest management equipment displays previously mentioned, the WWII bomber, "Killer B," will be on hand for viewing while Prestige Helicopters, Inc. will offer helicopter rides around the EXPO site.

New to this year's festival will be the Caterpillar/Prentice logging loader competition. Local loggers will compete for the title and $1,000 in prize money.

At 2:00 p.m. "Camp McLeod" will come alive with a full-fledged battle. Sounds from multiple cannons and re-enactors engaging in a mock Civil War battle will give attendees a first-hand look at history.

During the day, bands, singers, dancers and cloggers will be performing.

Saturday night, May 9th----

Race fans can expect lots of thrills and enjoyment as they watch drivers compete for the title in this year's Pine Tree Festival 150. The race will be held at Swainsboro Raceway on Highway 56 North. Gates open at 4 p.m. with the flag dropping at 7 p.m.

Friends of Franklin Memorial Library will have a book sale the weekend of the Pine Tree Festival & Southeast Timber EXPO. Books will be displayed in the Smith Room on Thursday, May 7, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, May 8, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturday, May 9, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Local businesses are invited to be a part of this year's Pine Tree Festival & Southeast Timber EXPO. Being a vendor allows your business to show your product(s) before a huge audience. Last year over 10,000 people attended the event. For vendor information, call Athen Walden, 478-237-6619.

This year's Pine Tree Festival & Southeast Timber EXPO has a very special group of sponsors and contributors. The 64th annual event, with many new activities, events, shows and displays, is made possible through generous contributions to the Swainsboro/ Emanuel County Festival Foundation, Inc.

The Festival Foundation was created to improve and expand the scope of the Pine Tree Festival beyond its single-day celebration into a more regional affair. In addition, the Foundation was created to broaden knowledge of the timber industry and the impact it has on the area's economy.

The list includes the City of Swainsboro, Emanuel County Commission, Cooter Creek, L.F. G. Company, Swainsboro/Emanuel County Parks & Recreation, Wal-Mart Supercenter, Alltel, Mill Creek Foundation, Swainsboro/Emanuel County Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Forestry Commission, Emanuel County Board of Education, CH2M Hill-OMI, Swainsboro/Emanuel County Joint Development Authority, Aaron's, Northland Cable Television, Whitfield Nursery, WXRS Radio, Rayonier, The Forest- Blade, Handi-House Manufacturing, Swainsboro Shrine Club, Yeomans Wood & Timber Inc., Ag South Farm Credit, Altamaha E.M.C., Air Star-Robert Barker, Blanchard Equipment Co., Buckley & Associates, Caterpillar/Prentice, Citizens Bank of Swainsboro, Central Fence Company, Claude Howard Lumber Company, Daniels Chevrolet, Durden Banking Company, East Georgia College, Emanuel Arts Council, Emanuel County Farm Bureau, Emanuel County Historic Preservation Society, Emanuel County Young Farmers, Emanuel Tractor Sales, F&W Forestry Services, Inc., Gallery RFD, Gillis Ag & Timber, Georgia Forestry Association, Georgia Power Company, Growing Communication, Inc., John Jorpy, Jerry N. Cadle PC, JCB Low Country Machinery, L&M Farms, Metrac, Phillip Jennings Turf Farms, LLC, Queensborough National Bank & Trust Co., Robins Federal Credit Union Rhodes Timber, Southeastern Wood Producers Association, Spivey State Bank, Sullivan Environmental Services, Swainsboro Exchange Club, Swainsboro Financial Services, Swainsboro Jaycees, Swainsboro Kiwanis Club, Swainsboro Raceway, Swainsboro Rotary Club, Swainsboro Technical College, Tidewater, Weyerhaeuser, Walgreens, Yancey/Pioneer, and Yeomans Chiropractic.

Events like this year's Pine Tree Festival & Southeast Timber EXPO don't just happen. It takes countless meetings and hours of volunteer time. The Board of Directors of the Swainsboro/Emanuel County Festival Foundation needs to be commended. Members are John Allen Bailey, Dr. John Black, Jack Bareford, Larry Calhoun, James Canady, Angie Cates, Doug Chassereau, Jill Collins, Heather Cook, Mark Crosby, Bobbie Daughtry, Frank Denmark, Anthony Faris, George Elder, Butch Frye, Dr. Tim Goodman, Mack Griffin, Darien Griner, Milton Gray, Rodney Kellum, Jolly Martin, Phillip Myhand, Al Lawson, Johnny Payne, Daisy Reeves, Charles Schwabe, Mary Smith, Richard Thornton, Athen Walden, Ken Warnock, Connie Wiley, and Russ Yeomans.