It's Christmas Time in the City! Seasonal Activities Abound
The holiday season is upon us and the City has plenty of events scheduled to help make this a very merry and bright time of year.  

Jeep & Truck Christmas Marketplace: Jeep and truck lovers don't want to miss this event at the Cumming Fairgrounds on Dec. 1 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and Dec. 2 (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Click here to learn more.

Aquatic Center Santa Swim: Beginning on Dec. 1, log your laps at the Cumming Aquatic Center for a chance to win a free 90-day pass to the facility. The Santa Swim contest continues through Dec. 31. Click here to learn more. 

Christmas in Cumming Arts & Crafts Festival: Need some unique Christmas gift ideas? Check out this event at the Cumming Fairgrounds on Dec. 7 (4-10 p.m.) and Dec. 8 (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.). All items are handcrafted and sold by artisans from all over the Southeast. 

Jingle Jog: This 5K begins at 3 p.m. at the Cumming Fairgrounds on Dec. 15, prior to the Cumming Christmas Parade. It is a fundraiser for Forsyth County Community Connection, benefiting local foster families. Click here to register. 

Cumming Christmas Parade & Festival: On Dec. 15 at 5 p.m., we will present our first lighted Christmas parade through downtown. Route begins at Forsyth Central High School and ends at the Cumming Fairgrounds  with a Christmas Festival from 6-9 p.m. featuring photos with Santa, vendors, Christmas lights and music, s'mores, hot cocoa, and more! There are no admission or parking fees for the festival. Thank you to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta for sponsoring the parade! 

REMINDER: Any group, organization or individual wishing to be in the parade must complete a registration form and return it to Crystal Ledford before 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 7 in order to participate. Email Crystal at [email protected] to obtain the form. No entries will be admitted into the parade after Dec. 7! Anyone interested in being a parade sponsor or vendor at the festival, should contact the Cumming Fairgrounds at 770-781-3491.

Winter Wonderland in Cumming: Ice skating inside a covered, outdoor rink continues at the Fairgrounds daily through Jan. 7. Cost is $12 per person for approximately 1-hour of skate time and includes skate rental. Thank you to Andean Chevrolet for sponsoring Winter Wonderland in Cumming! Click here for complete rink hours. 

Cumming Playhouse Holiday Shows: The December lineup at the Playhouse includes a full slate of various holiday-themed performances. The fun kicks off Nov. 29-Dec.16 with "Christmas in Dixie: The Musical" (very few tickets still available for this show!) and is followed by the North Georgia Barbershop Singers on Dec. 19, the Cumming Playhouse Singers on Dec. 20, and the Sounds of Sawnee Concert Band on Dec. 21. Click here for tickets. 

Nativities from Around the World: The Sawnee Association of the Arts will present this special Christmas art display at the Brannon-Heard House from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays, Dec. 4 to Jan. 6 (not open Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve or New Year's Day). Click here to learn more. 

Did you know?  This is the first year in several decades that the City of Cumming will present a Christmas Parade. Bringing the parade back to downtown Cumming was a goal of Mayor Troy Brumbalow. 
City Center Making Progress: Hwy. 20 Location Announced
A conceptual design of the City Center shows that it will feature a classic 1950's Americana architectural style. 
Mayor Troy Brumbalow recently announced the location of Cumming's new City Center, the creation of which has been a major goal of his since he began his campaign for mayor in 2016. 

The Center will abut Forsyth Central High School on approximately 60 acres of a 75-acre plot of land, located just off Canton Hwy. The mixed used development will feature a number of retail and restaurant spaces that will be owned by the City and leased to tenants, as well as several possible community areas such as a large amphitheater, miniature golf course, small lake with a fountain, walking trails and green space, and a veterans memorial. 

Exact plans of the project could change over time based on the topography of the location, and more information will be made public as the project moves forward. Mayor Brumbalow hopes to open the City Center in approximately two years. 

Patriotic Parting: Cumming Sends off National Guard in Style
The City of Cumming teamed up with the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office to give National Guard members a warm send-off earlier this week. 

Members of the 3rd Battalion, 121st Infantry left Monday, Nov. 26 to head to Hartsfield-Jackson Airport for a nine-month deployment to Afghanistan. 

The approximately 600 soldiers and their families took part in a sendoff ceremony at the Cumming Regional Readiness Center on Aquatic Circle before boarding charter buses to head to the airport. The buses were lead by a processional of emergency service vehicles from the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office, Cumming Police Department, and Forsyth County Fire Department. 

As the caravan made its way down Pilgrim Mill Road, through downtown Cumming, and out Veterans Memorial Boulevard to Exit 14, the soldiers were greeted with a sea of red, white and blue as well as hundreds of supporters waving, clapping and cheering them on! The City of Cumming would like to thank the Forsyth-Cumming Optimist Club for lining the route with American flags, and our City Street Department for putting up about 50 flags at the Veterans War Memorial. 

Please join all of us at the City of Cumming in keeping these National Guard members and their families in your thoughts and prayers. We wish them all a safe and speedy return home! Click here to view more photos from Monday's sendoff. 
Cumming Utilities' Employees Honored by Mayor and Council
Mayor and Council honored staff members at the Cumming Utilities Advanced Water Reclamation Facility (wastewater treatment) during their regular November City Council meeting. Staff received a Platinum Award from the Georgia Association of Water Professionals for having no EPD or EPA violations over the course of a 20-year period. This is a rare accomplishment for facilities of this nature. 



Council also presented checks to Creative Enterprises-Forsyth and the Sawnee Association of the Arts. The donations were made after a production company utilized City Hall for shooting a scene in an upcoming documentary. In lieu of the location payment being paid to the City, Mayor Brumbalow asked that the payment be divided among the two non-profits. 


Lastly, Council presented a certificate recognizing Andean Chevrolet as the November Business Spotlight. This is a new feature on the City's Facebook page, highlighting various businesses in the City that have been outstanding community partners. Andean and its founders, the Otwell family, have been a part of the Cumming community for 70 years. 



Among other business during the November meeting and work session, City Council:   
  • Approved an amendment to the City's Pawn Shop Ordinance that requires operators to submit their transaction records electronically to the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office beginning Jan. 1, 2019. 
  • Approved an amendment to the City's Vape Shop Ordinance that prohibits any vape shop which was shut down due to serious violations from reopening in the same location for a period of 36 months. 
  • Heard a briefing from Tim Rainey of the Army Corps of Engineers regarding a Master Plan update. Rainey suggested that the City submit any possible future plans for Mary Alice Park now in order to help save the City costs related to environmental assessments that would be needed in the future. 
  • Approved the low bid from Lawson Heating & Air, Inc. of Gainesville for installation of a new HVAC system for City Hall. 
  • Swore in new Code Enforcement Officer Lenny Mancinelli. 
  • Held two public hearings regarding the proposed 2019 budget; no one spoke in favor or opposition at either hearing. Council will consider adopting the budget during the Dec. 4 Work Session. 
  • Approved a Capital Improvement Element to the new Impact Fee Ordinance, which will define how impact fees collected through the ordinance can be spent. Council later also voted to adopt the Impact Fee Ordinance. 
  • Approved the low bid from NetPlanner Systems, Inc. for installation of facility-wide wi-fi at the Aquatic Center. 
  • Approved a proposal from Advanced Disposal to install a trash compactor system for the Brookside Heights apartment complex, which is currently under construction. 
  • Voted to change two meeting dates in 2019. The January Work Session will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 2 due to New Year's Day on Jan. 1, and the November Work Session will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 6 due to Election Day on Nov. 5. 
Left, Mayor Brumbalow addresses students; right, he meets with the FBLA teacher and student president.
Mayor Inspires South High FBLA Students
Mayor Troy Brumbalow spent some time with students in South Forsyth High School's chapter of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) on Nov. 15. He gave an inspiring speech, touching on a variety of topics such as leadership, communication and motivation.  Mayor Brumbalow, who was the valedictorian of South's first graduating class, enjoyed sharing his insight with students at his alma mater!

Coming Soon
 
To the Cumming Playhouse

To the Cumming Fairgrounds

Click here for calendar.


To the Cumming Aquatic Center 
Holiday Closures 
  • City Hall and all non-essential City departments and facilities will be closed Monday, Dec. 24 and Tuesday, Dec. 25 in observation of Christmas; and Tuesday, Jan. 1 in observance of New Year's Day. 
  • The January City Council Work Session will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 2 at 6 p.m. due to New Year's Day falling on the first Tuesday. 
Meetings
  • Planning & Zoning Board - Dec. 18 at 5 p.m.  
  • City Council Regular Meeting - Dec. 18 at 6 p.m. 
  • City Council Work Session (Gallery B, Second Floor of City Hall) - Dec. 4 at 6 p.m., Jan. 2 at 6 p.m. 
All meetings are open to the public and held in the third-floor Council Chambers at City Hall, 100 Main Street, unless otherwise noted. For all meetings after 5 p.m., please enter through the rear parking lot entrance. Click here for previous meeting videos. 

We wish you and yours a joyous holiday season! 

 

Sincerely,   
City of Cumming
Division of Public Information
  

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