The Heart of Canton

During a meeting with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, early in the process of creating the Canton Main Street Program (maybe even the first meeting with them), one of the presenters said something that has stuck with me all these years: "Downtown is the heart of a city, and you can't have a vibrant city without a strong heart." I may be paraphrasing, but the sentiment is correct.

Downtown Canton has come a long way in the years since that meeting. There are many new restaurants, retail outlets, an active downtown theater, and great events for the whole family. With spring right around the corner, it is almost time for the Farmers Market and First Friday events to begin again.

On the first Saturday in June, the Canton Farmers Market will resume in Brown Park. Visitors can look forward to another great lineup of local growers and craftspeople. I'm always impressed by the variety of items available for purchase. It's a great place for the entire family to enjoy, and it's pet friendly. My pugs, Pugslee and Wednesday, always enjoy an outing to the Farmers Market on Saturday mornings. I am sure your family would, too. It is held each Saturday through the end of August.

In addition to the increased shopping hours and world-class restaurants, as usual, First Friday has a great musical lineup this year:

May 3, The Rupert's Orchestra
June 7, A1A
July 5, Mark Wills
August 2, The Troubadour Project
September 6, DEPARTURE: The Journey Tribute Band
October 4, On The Border — The Ultimate Eagles Tribute

As far as downtown has come, it still has a long way to go to reach its full potential. To take it to the next level, the Downtown Development Authority commissioned the group that developed our Transportation Master Plan to help us create a Downtown Master Plan. The group has gotten input from citizens, business leaders, and City officials to learn what these stakeholders would like the heart of Canton to look like in the years to come.

The City of Canton had an open house on January 10 that drew a large crowd. Attendees were very engaged with the consultant group that heard and reviewed their ideas for downtown. There was a lot of good input and out-of-the-box thinking.

If you didn't make it to the January meeting, there will be other opportunities to share your vision for Canton. Two pop-up events are being planned, and one more open house meeting will occur in the coming months. It's exciting to hear the plans and ideas that attendees present.

To learn about these or any other upcoming events in Canton, sign up for the "City of Canton Newsletter" at ExploreCantonGa.com, view our events calendar at CantonGa.gov, or follow our City of Canton GA Facebook page.

What would you like to see in downtown Canton? What would you like to see in other areas of the city? We would love your feedback. You can send me an email at 
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