Fun Fourth Festivities: Fireworks on July 3, Parade on July 4 
Fireworks illuminate the night sky during a past fireworks display at the Cumming Fairgrounds. 
The City of Cumming is gearing up for its annual tradition of patriotism: the Independence Day festivities, beginning on Monday, July 3 at the Cumming Fairgrounds. 

The fun continues on Tuesday, July 4 at 10 a.m. with the Annual Thomas-Mashburn Steam Engine Parade through downtown Cumming, along Tribble Gap/Courthouse Square/Castleberry Road. 

Vendors, food, children's activities and live enter-
tainment will begin at 6 p.m. on July 3 at the Fairgrounds and continue until 11 p.m.
The annual dance contest will kick off at 8:30 p.m., following by the main event - the annual fireworks display at 9:30 p.m. 
Spectators enjoy the 2016 parade.
Thousands gather at the Fairgrounds every year for the evening festivities.  Guests are e ncouraged to arrive early if they want a prime spot for viewing the fireworks, although the display is visible from numerous locations all around town. 
A young parade-goer enjoys waving flags during the 2016 parade.

Those checking out Tuesday's Thomas-Mashburn Steam Engine Parade, a Cumming and Forsyth County tradition for more than 50 years, are also encouraged to arrive early in order to grab a prime viewing spot along the parade route. Guests should also wear sunscreen and earplugs since the antique steam engines produce very loud whistles as steam is released. 

For more information about the July 3rd festivities at the Cumming Fairgrounds, click here . For details about the Thomas-Mashburn Steam Engine Parade, click here .  

Did you know?   The Cumming Fairgrounds houses one of the nation's largest collections of antique steam engines, which are all owned by private families. Every year, in the weeks just prior to the July 4th parade, these families conduct safety inspections on the steam engines - many of which are well over 100 years old - and complete any needed maintenance. Sometimes they even take them out for practice runs along Castleberry Road in the days leading up the parade. The lumbering, iron giants moving next to modern vehicles is quite the sight! 
Aquatic Center to Again Host State Meet July 21 and 22 
A competitor gets ready for a competition during the 2015 State Meet at the Aquatic Center. 
The Cumming Aquatic Center has again been tapped to host the Georgia Recreation and Parks Class A State Swim Meet on July 21 and 22. 

In 2014, the center was first chosen to host the event, which drew approximately 1,000 youth swimmers and their supporters from all over the state. The facility was chosen as the host site for a second year in 2015, that time drawing some 1,100 swimmers and netting thousands of dollars in economic impact for the Cumming and Forsyth County community. 

This year, approximately 1,200 swimmers and about 2,500 of their supporters are expected to attend. Competitors and their families will also enjoy a fun kick-off event on July 20 at the Aquatic Center's outdoor leisure pool and water park area. 

"We are all really excited to again be selected as the host site for this event," said Carla Wilson, Director of the Aquatic Center. "It brings a lot of out-of-town visitors to Cumming, which benefits our entire community." 

Due to the meet, all Aquatic Center facilities will be closed to the public beginning at 2 p.m. on July 20 and all day July 21 and 22, although scheduled swim lessons will still be held on the evening of Thursday, July 20. 
Cumming Recreation Offers Summer Camps for All 
Whether you children dream of dancing like a Disney princess, using "the Force" like a Jedi knight, scoring the winning point for their sports teams, or just being able to make a giant mess without getting in trouble, the Cumming Recreation & Parks Department probably has a summer camp they'll love! 
Camp employees interact and play games with campers during a recent day camp at the Cumming Recreation Facility.

Each summer the department provides a wide range of day camp programs for children of all ages, interests and ability levels, including students with special needs. There's everything from sports and gymnastics camps, to art, music and theater camps - and plenty in between. 

Day camp programs are offered each week and associated fees include all necessary supplies, although campers are required to bring their own lunch and/or snacks each day. Some camp fees include "extras" such t-shirts and canvas bags. 

Hundreds of kids have already enjoyed the Cumming Recreation Department's summer day camps in May and June, and there's still time to register for camps throughout July!

Click here to view the Cumming Recreation & Parks' summer programming brochure, and click here for department contact information. 
Council Takes Final Step in Comprehensive Plan Process
Cumming City Council gave final approval to the City's 20-year comprehensive plan update in a unanimous vote during its June meeting. Scott Morgan, Director of Planning & Zoning, updated the Council on the plan, noting it had been reviewed and approved by the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission (GMRC) and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. 

An adopting and authorizing resolution was approved and will be signed and forwarded to the GMRC and Georgia Department of Community Affairs. 

The June vote was the final step in the Comprehensive Plan Update process, which began in August of 2016 and included the appointment of a steering committee and several opportunities for the public to make comments and suggestions. 

Councilman Chuck Welch asked if the City made changes to the final draft of the plan update based on the public input received during several public meetings, interviews with essential stakeholders, and through a paper and electronic questionnaire, which were all offered to solicit input. Morgan said many of the comments from the public were reflected in the final document. 

In other business during the June meeting, City Council:

  • Voted unanimously, following comments and a recommendation by Mayor H. Ford Gravitt,  to send a letter to the Forsyth County Board of Tax Assessors asking them to consider re-evaluating property tax assessments for all City of Cumming residential and commercial property owners. Mayor Gravitt and some members of Council said they had received many letters and calls from City of Cumming residents and business owners regarding their assessments being substantially higher than the previous year. 
  • Postponed a vote regarding a Master Right of Way Agreement, which concerns the placement of devices that would boost cell phone data reception in rights of way and the City charging companies who wish to do so.  
  • Voted to re-appoint Robert Long as the joint City/County representative on the GMRC board. Long is the vice president of economic development at the Cumming-Forsyth Chamber of Commerce. 
  • Approved a conditional use permit for a business on Atlanta Highway to allow for outside storage of boats and RVs. Council approved the request with two conditions that had been specified by the Planning Board: That the property be fenced and secured; and screened in with a 20-foot-deep landscape buffer. 
  • Approved the low bid, received from Jasper Grading and Pipeline, for asphalt and labor needed for street repaving projects. 
  • Approved the low bid, received from The Graphic Edge, for printing of 28,000 copies of the Recreation & Parks Department's 16-page fall and winter programming brochure. 
  • Approved purchase of a new air conditioning unit that serves all common areas of the Cumming Aquatic Center after failure of a part in the unit. It would be possible to replace the part, but since the unit was nearing the end of its lifespan and continuing maintenance would likely cost more than simply purchasing a new unit, Council approved the emergency purchase. 
  • Approved the following for Cumming Utilities: An easement request for property at the corner of Woodland Drive and Canton Hwy.; installation of raw and finished water lines along Pilgrim Mill Road as part of Forsyth County's road widening project; and acquisition of sewer capacity from Forsyth County for a new development on State Route 20 in south Forsyth. 
 
Click here for meeting videos.  
Coming Soon
 
To the Cumming Playhouse
  • "Get in the Habit" (Original Musical) - July 20-30; 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, and 3 p.m. Sundays.
  • "Banks and Shane 2017" - 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Aug. 12.
 

To the Cumming Fairgrounds

 

  • Independence Day Celebration: July 3 - Vendors and Food from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Dance Contest at 8:30 p.m.; Fireworks at 9:30 p.m.; July 4 - Thomas-Mashburn Steam Engine Parade at 10 a.m. along Tribble-Gap/Courthouse Square/Castleberry Road (route ends at Fairgrounds).
  • Cumming Farmers' Market - Saturdays and Wednesdays from 6:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. (or until vendors sell out) through Sept. 30 in Parking Lot #3. 

 

Click here for calendar.

 

Holiday Closures and Hours

 

  • All City of Cumming Departments and Facilities (except the Police Department and Aquatic Center) will be closed Tuesday, July 4 in observance of Independence Day. 
  • The Cumming Aquatic Center will be open from 1-6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4. 

Meetings
  • Planning & Zoning Board - 5 p.m. July 18.
  • City Council - 6 p.m. July 18.

All 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. Click here for previous meeting videos. 

 

Happy July 4 from everyone at the City of Cumming! Be sure to come out and enjoy our annual Independence Day Festivities on July 3 and July 4 at the Fairgrounds and in downtown Cumming! 

 

Sincerely,   
City of Cumming
Division of Public Information