GREENSBORO, Ga. — The unmistakable smell of freshly fried funnel cakes wafting through the air can only mean one thing: it’s festival season. In Greensboro, that means the Southland Jubilee is once again taking over the streets of downtown to celebrate the arrival of spring. Last Saturday’s Jubilee started out a bit on the nippy and rainy but by 10 a.m. but the mercury steadily rose until it reached the low 70s by the early afternoon when things were in full swing and the crowds were at their peak.

The diverse crowd of young and old wandered up and down Main Street to take in the classic car show, watch Mark the Magic Man do tricks and slight of hand, watch agricultural demonstrations, browse and buy arts and crafts from local and regional artisans, and, of course, eat funnel cakes and snow cones and freshly churned ice cream along with a plethora of other foodstuffs from the many vendors on hand.

Always a favorite, the children’s area in the parking lot behind the courthouse drew throngs of the younger set to the bounce house, spider jump, pick up ducks and a trackless train, among other amusements.

As always, the festival was free to attend. It ended at 4 p.m. but that evening there was a new musical coda to the festivities courtesy of Oconee Brewing Company who brought Purple Madness, A Prince Tribute Band in to perform on their stage. This was a separately ticketed event from the Jubilee but drew hundreds of festival-goers over to the brewery from Main Street. It was an apropos ending to another blue-sky-day in a small farming town by the railroad tracks and a festival that seemed to have a little bit of everything.

This festival is possible because of the generous financial support from the local businesses listed below:

Juturna Water, Jordan Air, Heat and Plumbing, Reynolds Lake Oconee, The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds Lake Oconee, Visit Lake Oconee, Higdon Electric, Affinity Outdoor Living, St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital, The Farmers Bank, Satisfactory Print and Design,  BankSouth, Dock 103.9FM, Lake Country 94.7FM, Firefly Trail, INC., Oconee Valley Healthcare, Waste Management, C.W. Smith Insurance Agency, Rayle EMC