The 37th annual Hawkinsville, Georgia, Harness Racing Festival is set for the weekend of April 16, with fireworks that night kicking off a weekend of fun and racing

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The action gets underway at full steam on Saturday, April 17 with an 8 a.m. foot race and a full day of fun at the track, including a barbecue cook off, pony rides, a petting zoo, miniature horse show, bungee jumping, clowns and inflatable bouncing toys.

There is a parade at 11:30 a.m., opening ceremonies at 12:30 p.m. preceding the first harness race, which starts at 1. Admission is $5 for adults and children are free. Tailgating is welcome and visitors can choose from bleacher seating or bring their own lawn chairs.

There will be about 10 harness races, featuring some of the hundreds of Standardbreds that train in Hawkinsville during the winter months. The event, in Georgia’s “Magnolia Midlands,” is held at 290 Abbeville Highway in Hawkinsville, where Standardbreds have spent the winter training since 1926, though races have been held there since 1894. Hawkinsville is 120 miles south of Atlanta off Route 341, aka the Golden Isles Parkway.

For more information, go to www.hawkinsvillechamber.org or call 978-892-9463.

This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S.
Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.