I don’t believe in random.
My faith tells me otherwise.
I’m not saying that God wanted me to fall in love with the small Southern town of Thomasville, Georgia.
But I’m not NOT saying that either.
In late December 2018, I was sent on a travel assignment to a resort in north Georgia where the weekend’s activities included spa time, a hike, fancy dinners, and a quail hunt. I wasn’t raised in a family that hunted and had never picked up a shotgun before so I made sure to take a lesson (with Chuck Baker at Pursell Farms – HIGHLY recommend!) before I hit I-20E. Turns out I wasn’t a bad shot and Chuck gave me the confidence that made the trip more fun.
A lot of things came out of that trip – three very different features: (this one, this one, and this one) — as well as an unearthed desire to explore this new milieu. I came home and bought a shotgun: a Beretta Vittoria and took it to the five stand. I had a couple more lessons with Chuck. But I wanted more than just an afternoon here or there practicing. What I’d experienced briefly on that north Georgia trip was a glimpse into a whole new world – a community filled with dogs and the scent of spent shells, no cell phones and time outside with folks sharing a common passion. And I’d be lying if I didn’t say how much I loved the clothes and the gear and the post-hunt celebratory toast with a tumbler of brown water.
Curious by nature, I pulled the thread on this newfound pursuit and in the fall of 2019, made my way south to the home of King Bob: Thomasville, Georgia for the annual Kevin’s Game Fair. Freshly single and with only a few contacts, I dove headfirst into the deep end of the pool. What I found was more of that community I’d only sampled on that earlier assignment which had whet my appetite.
It was like drinking from a firehose and I loved it.
Many RCS readers are already well-versed in the upland hunting world and have made the trek to Thomasville. These are folks who mark their calendars not by winter, spring, summer, or fall but by dove, quail, turkey, and pheasant. Some get itchy in late summer, prepping for the opening of dove season while still smelling of chlorine and Coppertone. Spirits lift with the unveiling of new fall gear. Days on the calendar get marked off until they can follow pointers and flushers through loblolly pines and wiregrass.
And all with good reason.
But what I discovered about Thomasville – on that first trip and subsequent others – changed my life more than buying that pretty Beretta. It was the people of Thomasville I fell in love with. There were no strangers here – one new friend introduced me to three others. It was never uncommon to hear “hey, we’ve got room, you should just come with us!” And before I knew it, I found a place that felt as good as a well-worn waxed field jacket. I was asked to contribute work to THOM Magazine, produced by The Thomasville Center for the Arts (TCA), a creative hub that showcases what is so unique about this town.
Ringed by storied plantations with owners dedicated to preserving a way of life through fervent land and habitat conservation, Thomasvillians share a sense of duty to this place, with a heart for philanthropy. TCA embodies these sentiments as a place where more than 300 children take after-school classes in dance, drama, design, and visual arts. Additionally, the Center hosts art shows and documentaries. Outside the walls of the West Jackson Street building, TCA brings art to the people at the UnVacant lot public art space downtown, through city-wide art and culture planning and two large-scale art festivals.
In the fall, TCA hosts a ten-day Wildlife Arts Festival while springtime marks the annual Due South music festival. Now in its 13th year, Due South has featured bands like Reckless Kelly, Band of Heathens, and my personal favorite, Turnpike Troubadours. On Saturday, April 20th, this year’s headlining band, Boy Named Banjo, promises a rollicking good time in the town center’s amphitheater, just adjacent to the UnVacant Lot. With beer from Tvélo Brewing Company, cocktails from 1861 Distillery, and ribs from Climmies’ HM BBQ & Soulfood, you’ll soon see why springtime might be your new favorite season to take in Thomasville.
Once the last chord has been licked, stay an extra day or two and soak in everything else that makes the Rose City a great long weekend: lunch at Sweetgrass Dairy, dinner at Liam’s or St. James Restaurant, a visit to Onward Reserve’s new outpost and Kevin’s on Broad Street (and that swoon-worthy gun room upstairs). Pack your fat-tire bike and explore the red clay roads outside of town. Make time for Charlie Whitney at C.H. Whitney antiques and buy some art. See Nan at The Firefly and Thomas at ABODE. Check out the exhibits at The Thomasville Center for the Arts and see Ron Thomson’s studio. Go hug the Big Oak and tour the Lapham-Patterson house. Visit Pebble Hill Plantation and immerse yourself in the history of the region.
But mostly, just smile and say “hey” to folks and be happy you found this place. That’s what worked for me.
I’ll see y’all there.
Christiana Roussel is an award-winning food + travel + lifestyle writer whose work can be found in Covey Rise, Garden & Gun, Veranda, The Local Palate, Good Grit and others. After contributing to several issues of THOM Magazine, she served as the publication’s editor of the Spring/Summer 2024 edition. She tapped fellow RCS contributor, Bradley Evans, to write the feature on Boy Named Banjo. The issue drops just in time for Due South on 4/20 so be sure to pick up a copy when you’re in town (or online)
Great read!
Swoon…… on.