Honor Veterans During Ceremony on Nov. 11 at War Memorial
A student presents cards of gratitude to a veteran during the 2014 ceremony.
Join the City of Cumming, local Veterans groups, homeschool organizations and others on Nov. 11 during a ceremony celebrating Veterans Day. The annual event will be held at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 at the City's Veterans War Memorial, next door to the Cumming Police Department. The ceremony - which is free and open to everyone - will feature live musical performances, a rifle salute, welcome from Mayor H. Ford Gravitt, and keynote address by U.S. Army Col. Ken Jackson. Hope to see you there!  
City Residents - Don't Forget to Vote Nov. 3 at City Hall

Advance voting for the City of Cumming's municipal election wrapped up Oct. 30. But if you're a City voter, don't worry - Election Day is Nov. 3 and election workers will be manning the polls at City Hall from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. City Council Posts 3, 4, and 5 are up for election. Incumbent Lewis Ledbetter is the only candidate running for Post 3, while Councilmen Ralph Perry and John D. Pugh, who hold the other two posts, announced earlier this year that they will retire at the end of 2015, thus opening the field to all newcomers for Posts 4 and 5. Click here to view a sample ballot with all the candidates for each post.

Steam Engine & Antique Tractor Event Returning to Fairgrounds
The Cumming Steam, Antique Tractor & Gas Expo returns to Cumming Nov. 13 and 14 at the Cumming Fairgrounds.
 
The event features displays of all types of engines, including many steam and modern ones, vehicles and farm machinery, as well as demonstrations of the Cumming Fairgrounds' saw mill and cotton gin. Other demonstrations include a shingle mill and Baker Fan/Power Eater.
 
Expo hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14. Admission is $5 per day for ages 13 and up. Children 12 and under are free.  
 
As many as 200 tractors, 300 hit-and-miss engines and a dozen or so steam engines will be on display. And there will be no shortage of food vendors and booths with various items for sale.
 
Every year the event draws hundreds of spectators from the local area, as well as other states.  Michael Moore, with the Cumming Antique Power Association, one of the event's main organizers, said the event draws guests from as far as Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, and North and South Carolina. It's also a great way for older generations to teach younger ones about the history of farming and industry. For more information about the event, click here.
Get Ready for Que'n in Cumming Nov. 20-21 
National BBQ Cup will be held Nov. 20-21 at the Cumming Fairgrounds.
The National BBQ Cup: Que'n in Cumming returns to the Cumming Fairgrounds Nov. 20 and 21. The two-day event features a State Championship Barbeque Cook-off, which benefits local charities.
  
The Kansas City Barbeque Society-sanctioned competition will feature about 85 professional BBQ teams along with about 50 amateur cooks. Teams are expected to come from as far as California and Puerto Rico for the competition. The National BBQ Cup also features Peoples' Choice contests for guests to taste and judge their favorite barbeque pork, chicken and Brunswick Stew.
 
"The City of Cumming Fairgrounds is a world-class facility for a barbeque cook-off and we are excited to again bring this event to our community and showcase it to the Barbeque Circuit," said Randall Bowman, Chairman of The National BBQ Cup. "We anticipate a successful event and look forward to supporting our local charities as well."
  
Besides top-notch competition barbecue, the event also offers a wide variety of food vendors, product demonstrations, live entertainment, and a kids' zone - all adding up to plenty of family-friendly fun.
  
The public can attend from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21. Admission is $7 and tasting tickets for the People's Choice contests are $5 for five. For additional information about The National BBQ Cup, click here
Did you know?   The Kansas City Barbecue Society, which sanctions the National BBQ Cup, is the world's largest  organization of barbeque enthusiasts, with more than 19,000 members worldwide. That's one of the reasons why the National BBQ Cup draws some of the best barbeque cooks from all over the country every year!
Young patrons of this year's fair enjoy a ride on the sky buckets.
2015 Fair Sets New Record
This year's Cumming Country Fair & Festival broke the previous attendance record set in 2013. The 2015 event saw an attendance of almost 167,830 people throughout the 11 days. That's about 200 more people than the previous record set in 2013. Congratulations to Fairgrounds Director Dave Horton and all his staff, as well as other City of Cumming employees, elected officials, and the community at-large for making this year's fair such a great success!

Mayor and Council present a proclamation to the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary on Oct. 20.
Buy a Poppy Nov. 7 to Support Veterans
The Red Poppy is regarded as a symbol of sacrifice made by veterans, and in honor and memory of Cumming's veterans, the City Council approved a proclamation designating Nov. 7 as Poppy Day at its Oct. 20 meeting. Ladies of the Cumming Post 307 American Legion Auxiliary will be selling the paper poppies from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 7 at Wal-Mart on Market Place Boulevard and at Chick-fil-A at Lanier Crossing. All proceeds go to support disabled and hospitalized veterans.

Otwell Middle students.
Montessori Academy students.
City Welcomes
School Groups
Student groups from the Montessori Academy of Sharon Springs and Otwell Middle School both recently toured Cumming City Hall and met with City employees and Mayor H. Ford Gravitt. The students learned about local government, functions of different City departments, and some local history. Thank you to the students, their teachers and parents for visiting!
Coming Soon
To the Cumming Fairgrounds
Electronics Recycling by Keep Forsyth County Beautiful - 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 7
Steam, Antique Tractor & Gas Engine Expo - 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 13 and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.   Nov. 14 
National BBQ Cup - 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Nov. 20 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 21
Annual Buck Jones Toy Run - Nov. 22; arrive between 10 a.m. & 1 p.m., ride starts at 1 p.m.

To the Cumming Playhouse
"Doctor Faustus" - 8 p.m. Oct. 30 & 31 and 3 p.m. Nov. 1
"Cats" - Nov. 19 to Dec. 13; 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays

Meetings
Planning & Zoning Board - 5 p.m. Nov. 17
City Council - 6 p.m. Nov. 17
Both meetings are open to the public and held in the third-floor Council Chambers at City Hall, 100 Main Street. For all meetings after 5 p.m., please enter through the rear parking lot entrance.

 
We hope you have enjoyed this edition of the City of Cumming newsletter. If you have missed any of our past issues, you can check them out on the City's website under "City News," or just click here!
 
Sincerely,   
City of Cumming
Division of Public Information