An “I Love Macon Day” proclamation announcement was made in Rosa Parks Square on Tuesday, January 8.

Yesterday, Macon Mayor Robert Reichert proclaimed the day to be “I Love Macon Day.” An event was held in Rosa Parks Square, across the street from city hall, to announce the proclamation. Begun by Macon Magazine’s “Five Under 40” group in 2011, the “I Love Macon” campaign has blossomed into a full-fledged grassroots campaign. Stickers that bear the group’s logo can be seen on vehicles throughout the city. Thousands have signed the pledge.

The logo of the ‘I Love Macon’ campaign has become an icon for the city.

In honor of yesterday’s proclamation as ‘I Love Macon Day,” these are few of the things I love about the arts in Macon:

1. Macon Arts Alliance – As director of communications at Macon Arts Alliance (a Knight Arts grantee), I may be a little biased on this first thing that I love about Macon. But then again, how could I not love the place which allows me to work with more than 60 local arts and cultural organizations? Macon Arts Alliance was founded in 1984 and charged with maintaining the calendar of arts events in the city. It’s that original charge that I still fulfill with Ovations365.com, an arts and cultural events calendar website launched in 2013. I work in a beautiful gallery in a historic downtown building, and I do love it.
2. The Grand Opera House – This historic opera house is the sole presenter of national and international torus of professionally-produced Broadway shows in central Georgia. The facilities of The Grand are simple the best around. Whether it’s the massive stage which once featured live horses pulling chariots on stage during a production of Ben Hur, or the many stories of the ghost-in-residence, there is no other place which inspires more awe and wonder than The Grand Opera House. Every time I take a seat in this luxurious theater, I am proud to live in Macon.
3. Two community theaters – There are two community theaters in Macon — Theatre Macon (a Knight Arts grantee) and Macon Little Theatre. Each one has its own unique appeal, but both feature some of the best locally-produced shows around. Theatre Macon’s downtown location makes it the ideal place catch a show after enjoying an early dinner in a downtown restaurant. The space is not small, but it feels intimate and inviting. The live orchestra doesn’t hurt either. Macon Little Theatre feels like a destination because it’s located next door to the Museum of Arts and Sciences. The facilities are spacious and regular musical and comedic productions make any visit a delight.

In choosing only three, I’ve let off more than I’ve listed. There are incredible festivals in Macon, including Bragg Jam and the Cherry Blossom Festival, which are some of the best events to attend. The Cox Capitol Theatre and the Douglass Theatre are great venues to catch a show. In fact, I’ll be attending a movie at the latter this weekend when the Macon Film Guild screens “Chickens with Plums.” There’s also the Tubman African American Museum (a Knight Arts grantee), the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, the Georgia Children’s Museum, the Museum of Arts and Sciences, and the Allman Brothers Band Museum. There’s Poetic Peace Arts (a Knight Arts grantee) which presents spoken word poetry at JD’s Drama and Dinner Theatre every Wednesday and The 567 Center for Renewal (a Knight Arts grantee)which features music and art regularly.

Simply put, I love Macon because there are wonderful, creative people making great things happen in the arts and in the community. For those who are in the Macon area, I hope you love Macon too. If so, please sign the pledge.

Those in attendance at Tuesday’s event signed the ‘I Love Macon’ pledge.