27th Annual Groundhog Day Jugglers Festival

NEWS FLASH!!!  Alan Plotkin, a professional videographer, is coming to tape our weekend of juggling and produce a DVD of our festival.  Brush up your act and compete for the PHIL trophy!

WE HAVE A BRAND NEW LOCATION THIS YEAR......(a big gym with a good wooden floor and lots of lights!!!) at Cross Keys High School.

The weather forecast for this weekend in Atlanta says "Abundant sunshine. Highs in the low 60s and lows in the low 40s."  We have no predictions yet about the groundhog seeing his shadow, but there's sure to be a lively and warm crowd at Cross Keys HS.  We hope to see you there!

Date and Hours

Feb. 4-6, 2005

Gym hours are:

• Friday: 5 - 10 PM  (note that on Friday evening we will be juggling in the cafeteria because there's a basketball game in the gym)
• Saturday: 10 AM - 10 PM
• Sunday: 10 AM - 5 PM

Shows

• Saturday: 11 AM -- Georgia State Yo-yo Championship

• Saturday: 2 PM -- Juggling Competition

• Saturday 10:30 PM -- Fire and Light Extravaganza

• Saturday: 11 PM -- Late Night Cabaret

(Note: There is no public show on Sunday this year, but we will hold informal public workshops on Sunday.  The public is invited to watch the activities in the gym anytime.)

Details

You'll find jugglers, unicyclists, live music, and family fun for all ages at the annual Groundhog Day Jugglers Festival.

Competition for the famous PHIL award happens Saturday at 2 PM.  The Seed and Feed Marching Abominable band will open the show.  Registered jugglers will have a chance to win some great door prizes during the competition.  Rules for the competition are simple -- each competitor has four minutes, anything goes (except no fire in the show this year because our insurance and the school won't allow it inside the gym). We'll give a 30-second warning if wanted. Cost is $1 to sign up for the competition.  See the list of past PHIL winners.

The Late Night Cabaret will be Saturday night at 11 PM at the Horizon Theater in the Little Five Points Community Center at 1083 Austin Ave., Atlanta 30307.  Here's a map.  The DeLuxe Vaudeville Orchestra will provide music and entertainment. Any other interested parties who want to perform or MC this event please let us know when you register.  Here's a note giving more details of the theater and show for those interested in performing at the cabaret.

The Fire and Light Extravaganza happens at 10:30 PM in the parking lot of the Little Five Points Community Center.  Bring your fire and light props and come play before the late night cabaret begins. (weather permitting)

If you know how to juggle and want to pick up a few new tricks or would just like to watch or want to learn how to juggle, come by and check out the fun.  Ask at the registration table in the lobby if you'd like a free juggling lesson.  We're always happy to teach others.

On Saturday and Sunday afternoon several workshops will be hosted by AJA club members and guests.  If there's something you want to learn, just ask at the registration table and we'll find someone to teach an impromptu workshop.

Visit our experimental bulletin board-like Web server at TWiki.

Take a look at some pictures from the 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 festivals.

 

Location

WE HAVE A NEW LOCATION THIS YEAR......(a big gym with a good wooden floor and lots of lights!!!)

 

Cross Keys High School Gym (and cafeteria on Friday evening)

1626 North Druid Hills Rd NE

Atlanta, GA 30319

(near the intersection of N. Druid Hills Rd. and Buford Highway just off I-85) (here's a map)

DIRECTIONS: Take Interstate 85 north of Atlanta to the N. Druid Hills Rd exit #89. Go west on N. Druid Hills Rd for about a mile.  Keep right on N. Druid Hills Rd. at the fork.  Cross Keys High School is on your right.  Look for the AJA JUGGLING signs.  Park for free in the school parking lot.

 

Transportation

MARTA is still the cheapest way to get around town.  For only $1.75 you can catch a train from the airport, but don't forget to get a bus transfer.  On Friday take the train to the NE8 Brookhaven/Oglethorpe Station and catch bus route #8 N. Druid Hills (map)  It will bring you right to Cross Keys High School. (no Saturday or Sunday service on this route).  On the weekend take the Marta train to the NE6 Lindbergh Center Station and catch bus route #39 to Buford Hwy and N. Druid Hills and walk to the school less than a mile northwest on N. Druid Hills Rd (map).  An alternate route on Saturday or Sunday is to take the Marta train to the NE8 Brookhaven Station and take bus route #70 Chamblee to N. Druid Hills and Briarwood and then walk south less than a mile to the school.  Call 404-848-4711 for MARTA info.

You can't hail a CAB in this town, you must call for a pickup.  Rapid Taxi at 404-222-9888 runs 24hrs a day.

 

Cost

Registration for the entire weekend is $15 for jugglers, which includes a raffle ticket for prizes (given away at the Saturday afternoon competition) and admission to the Late Night Cabaret.  Admission is free to non-jugglers and the public at large for all events at Cross Keys High School.  Tickets for the cabaret are $5 each for the public.

 

Housing

Crash space is available at club members' houses. You can call or e-mail Dave Altman at 706-923-5500 

or check with the people at registration to get a place to stay.  There are several hotels in the area and here's a list (starting with the closest ones):

 

Red Roof Inn -- Atlanta Druid Hills, 1960 N Druid Hills Rd NE, (404) 321-1653

Hampton Inn -- N. Druid Hills, 1975 North Druid Hills Rd NE, (404) 320-6600

Sierra Suites -- Lenox North, 3967 Peachtree Rd near N Druid Hills Rd, (404) 237-9100

Marriott -- Century Center, 2000 Century Blvd NE, (404) 325-0000

Marriott -- Courtyard by Marriott, (special $69 festival rate) 1236 Executive Park Dr NE, (800) 321-2211, (404) 728-0708 

Comfort Inn -- Buckhead, 2115 Piedmont Rd, (404) 876-4444, (800) 228-5150

Days Inn -- Clairmont, 2910 Clairmont & I-85, (404) 633-8411, (800) 329-7466

Highland Inn -- 644 Highland Ave, (404) 874-5756, (888) 256-7221

Holiday Inn -- Midtown, 1810 Howell Mill Rd & I-75, (404) 351-3831, (800) 882-4828

Quality Inn -- Northeast, at Shallowford & I-85, (770) 451-5231, (800) 228-5151

Super 8 Motel -- Atlanta/Downtown, 1641 Peachtree St., (404) 873-5731, (800) 800-8000

 

Shirts

Commemorative Groundhog Day Jugglers Festival t-shirts will be available.

 

DVDs

Alan Plotkin, who films juggling festivals around the world, is coming this year to produce a DVD of our festival.  DVDs will be for sale at the festival and on his web site for $20.  Updated news (Friday morning 2/4/05): I just talked with Alan Plotkin, our videographer, and he is very ill with the flu (could hardly talk) so he won't be coming this weekend. He's already put our festival on his schedule for next year. All you amateur photographers and videographers out there...take some videos and pictures this weekend and send them to me by email, ftp or CD and I'll put some on the web site. If we get enough I can burn a DVD from them and we can distribute them at cost. -- Joyce Howard

 

Food

The high school swim team will have a concession stand open at the gym on Saturday and Sunday.  They'll be selling nachos, hot dogs, candy, sodas and water.  If the weather is nice, they're considering setting up a grill outside to do hot dogs and hamburgers. We'll have a list and a map of local restaurants available at registration.

 

Vendors

Infinite Illusions and Todd Smith will be at the festival again this year.  You can call these folks in advance to request that they bring a particular item.  This would save the cost of shipping and handling.  (note to other vendors -- let us know if you're coming and we'll add your name and URL here.)  Higgins Brothers has also sent us juggling props for the raffle on Saturday afternoon.  We'll have props from all the vendors at the festival in the raffle.

 

We welcome any and all vendors of juggling items to our festival.  Please note that if you sell anything at our festival, we collect 10% of your total sales at the end of the day on Sunday to help defray our costs.

 

For More Information

Groundhog Phone Info Line: 770-427-3903
email us at

       

Toni Shifalo:  404-299-3686
Dave Altman:  706-923-5500
Joyce Howard:  770-977-2558

 

Flyer

Print a one-page flyer for public display and distribution.

Groundhog Day History and Facts

• Groundhog Day Funology

• Groundhog Day History