Community members enjoy a picnic on the lawn at sunset in Washington Park.

Yesterday was the second Sunday of July, and for residents of College Hill and the InTown Neighborhood in Macon, that means one thing — Second Sunday in Washington Park. It’s the signature event of the College Hill Corridor, a grant function of Mercer University, a Knight Arts grantee. It’s a project focused on community revitalization.

Second Sunday events are held from April to October and feature a community picnic, live music in the park and free admission. Hundreds of people attend regularly. Adults throw down blankets and lawn chairs to listen to music and socialize with neighbors. Kids play in the park’s many water features, fed by a natural spring at the top of the the hill on which the park is constructed. Yesterday, Gringo Grande jammed to plenty of eager fans, and probably made some new ones.

Gringo Grande performs on the stage at Second Sunday at Sunset.

When asked why she loved Second Sunday, Ruth Sykes, a local tour guide said,

“Walking through a throng of people, hearing my named called, looking up to find a tourism colleague from Atlanta who just happened to stop for coffee at Joshua Cup en route from dropping off her kid at college, and hearing her say, ‘Who knew Macon was so frickin’ cool? Look at all the different type people here, just enjoying this beautiful place. We just found our new monthly getaway,’ before getting on her smartphone to find a nearby hotel so they could continue to soak up the groove through the evening. That is why I love Second Sunday and Macon, GA.”

Koryn Young, an InTown neighborhood resident, said she loved Second Sunday because she has been coming to the event since its earliest days. There was even a picture of her under a tree at the third-ever Second Sunday published in a local newspaper. Mechel McKinley said she loved Second Sunday because, “It’s a microcosm of humanity.” A bold description, certainly, but not untrue. Among the crowd are people of all walks of life, all ages and races. Second Sunday lives up to its mission of revitalizing a community.

Kids enjoy the music and the natural spring water features of the park.

There are two versions of the event, Second Sunday Brunch and Second Sunday at Sunset. The former is held in April, May, September and October from 1–3 p.m., when the weather is cooler. The latter is held June, July and August, from 7-9 p.m. when the temperatures in Macon can easily break 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

The next Second Sunday at Sunset will be held August 12 with KidSyc@Brandywine performing, followed by Floco Torres.  The lineups for the September and October brunches have yet to be announced, but the information will be at collegehillmacon.com when the lineups become available.