LaGrange: A Georgia Charmer
Written by Claire Hannum
LaGrange, Georgia, is a jewel of a city about an hour outside of Atlanta and just 20 minutes from the Alabama border. With lively shops, outdoor spaces, breweries, and event venues, this cozy Southern town is anything but sleepy.
“People think all small cities are alike, and we are not like other small cities,” said Kathy Tilley, president and CEO of Visit LaGrange. “There’s a lot here in this little city.”
Every small city has a pulse of its own, and LaGrange’s runs the gamut from serene slices of wildlife to vibrant nights out in the historic city center. Its versatility makes it an ideal place to host events for groups of all sizes — and in off-hours, there’s certain to be an activity in LaGrange aligned with each attendee’s interests, no matter how diverse.
One of the city’s claims to fame is the historic home of the Callaway family, whose estate and gardens enchant hundreds of thousands of guests each year. Ely Callaway Jr., founder of Callaway Golf, spent his childhood years in LaGrange, and it’s easy to see how the area’s natural beauty could have encouraged his love of golf.
LaGrange is home to numerous top-notch meeting spaces (including one that just opened last year), as well as family gathering spots, a celebrated skate park, a packed downtown activity calendar and even a museum with one of the largest collections of biblical artifacts in the world. As a next-door neighbor to massive West Point Lake, the city is a hotspot for water sports fans and fishing enthusiasts. It’s also a university town; LaGrange College is the oldest private college in the state.
“We are home to a Great Wolf Lodge, the only one in the state of Georgia,” said Tilley. “We’ve got breweries and wineries, and we are home to Wild Leap Brew Co. We are also a city that has lots of parks for people to play in.”
Eco-Friendly Meets Elegance
Oakfuskee Conservation Center is LaGrange’s newest venue, combining the sustainability of a conservation area with the elegant design and functionality of a cutting-edge meeting space. The venue offers over 25,000 square feet of event space overlooking sweeping views of forests and West Point Lake. In addition to the indoor event space, Oakfuskee’s expansive conservation center protects and celebrates the local ecosystem. It’s the new home of Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, a group that educates and safeguards the state’s most famous river. The venue is surrounded by Pyne Road Park, a beautiful outdoor sanctuary where attendees can enjoy horseback riding, birdwatching, fishing and mountain biking during their downtime.
To read more, visit Small Market Meetings Magazine for the full write-up.
