HIAWASSEE GAZETTE PRESS RELEASE Date Line 1922

Don Wannabe promises that the Grand Opening of his Four Deuces, ah, Nightclub ( sources say it's really one of those speakeasys ) is to be a fashionable affair. This gala is scheduled for March in Hiawassee, Georgia.  We're told that duds with a decided World War I influence will be in evidence. Leather aviator jackets with colored scarves for women, white for men and goggles all around will create a look that's the cat's pajamas. And can you believe it? Some women will be wearing trousers. Trousers!    This reporter has heard that the Art Deco gowns by Erte, former designer of the Ziegfeld Follies costumes, will be center stage. These plunging neckline, backless, body revealing numbers are sweeping the nation. A craze for jewelry reflecting the Court Of King Tutankhama is also in the fashion forefront since the excavation of his tomb in 1922.  Mr. Wannabe assures these "treasures" will be sported by his elite guests. It's sure to be all glitz and glamor in the mountains this March.  Rumor has it that Mr. Al Capone will make an appearance. While this has not been confirmed, it is sure to be a bang-up event. Look for The Gazette's next installment, "What's All The Flap About," on newsstands soon.

Music of the Age

Man, am I jazzed about our Murder Mystery Weekend ( rescheduled for March 16-18 ) set in a Speakeasy. Jazz. It was the music rage of the age. It was the Jazz Age. The Harlem Renaissance style music. Bessie Smith, George Gershwin, and his lesser-mentioned brother Ira , a true wordsmith, and Duke Ellington. These were the real goods. Not your one-hit wonders. They were on fire in the 20sand they still cook. Who knows, maybe some of them will be dropping by for the grand opening of The Four Deuces Speakeasy in Hiawassee, Georgia.   Researching this decade for what will no doubt be a swinging time has been a true pleasure. Let me prepare these rooms for this weekend's guests and we'll talk fashion of the 1920s. From day wear to formal, the clash of conservatism to body revealing couture had this era really roaring.

First Wedding

She called and told us of their plans for a small, intimate wedding in the North Georgia Mountains. She had seen our web-site and liked what she saw. There would be the two of them, the official, and if witnesses were needed, us.  This was to be the first wedding at Chancey Hill Inn and we wanted to help commemorate it.

I asked and she told me that her dress was blue. Somewhere between navy and royal. Armed with this info, I called and ordered the tiny, exquisite cake ( a gift from us ) from a local bakery.  Because it was early October, there was still a bouquet's worth of fanciful mountain wildflowers and other bounties from Mother Nature.  A nosegay was fashioned because in my exalted opinion, every bride should carry flowers. 

On the morning of the wedding day he and she left the inn directly after breakfast for a sightseeing adventure. This gave us the chance to ready our little gazebo for the role of wedding altar . While Ma Nature cooperated with flowers, the wind was a different matter.  As I tried to drape the bright and beautiful Indian saris from the gazebo's rafters, they were whipped away and carried down the hill. After my third trip down the ladder and then the hill to retrieve yards of fabric, Plan B was formulated and put into play. I could only loop the saris on the nails used for gazebo Christmas lights. Not exactly the look I'd had in mind but a look all the same.

The appointed wedding time was 5:00 PM.  With the bride and groom dressing for the event, a chilly drizzle began. Although I thought it impossible, the wind kicked-up more.  We were talking of moving things inside, when just at 5:00, the clouds parted and that silver-gray and white, with just a little sunlight, filtered through. It was gorgeous!  He and she were gorgeous and so were those sorry saris. The service was simple and dear.  We toasted with the great bubbly he and she kindly shared with us. I only hope that he and she had as much fun at their wedding as I did.

MURDER MYSTERY WEEKEND

Picture it. America. January, 1920, the passing of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America prohibits the sale, manufacture or distribution of the old devil whiskey (or any alcohol for that matter). Not everyone's thrilled.

By 1925 there were more than 30,000 speakeasies in New York City alone. Certain lore whispers of a mountain town way down South. Hiawassee, Georgia, was to have its own establishment where a little of this and a lot of that was to happen. Don Wannabe was set to open the Four Deuces Speakeasy and Bait Shop with a celebration, but a murder caused prohibitions of its own.

Chancey Hill Inn is hosting its first Murder Mystery Weekend on March 16-18, 2012. There will be plenty of gangsters, hit men, politicians, molls and dirty rats in attendance. Mark the date and check back soon for more details.

Dale

A SPECIAL DECEMBER WEEKEND

Before the avalanche of shopping, egg-nogging and "stuff till you hurt" begins in earnest, come stay with us at Chancey Hill Inn Bed & Breakfast for the Mountain Christmas Tour of Homes, Friday December 2 through Sunday December 4.

Candle glow makes everything festive so the tour starts on Friday evening with a Candlelight walk through East Gate Townhomes in Hiawassee (6-8 PM). There's sure to be a little nip in the night air so pack your woolies.

Saturday morning after your tour-fueling breakfast here at the inn your self-guided tour starts at 10 AM (through 5 PM). Don't miss the Decorators' Show House, where local decorators and designers get to strut their Yule Tide stuff, so to speak.

You may want to return to the inn in the afternoon to relax and recharge for the Holiday Gala and Silent Auction at one of our all time favorite places, Crane Creek Vineyards. I'm told the items offered for bidding this year are Primo.

On Sunday catch the homes you may have missed on Saturday, or revisit some of your favorites.

You could call this a mix & match weekend. In addition to the Tour of Homes many other fun events are happening in our wonderful community. Call us at Chancey Hill Inn for details.

Book your weekend stay with us now and we'll include two tickets to the Tour of Homes , Decorators' Show House, and Crane Creek Vineyards Holiday Gala for $20.00. Regular prices for two tickets are $50.00.

We look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones.

Dale

WINE STOMPING AND PUNKIN CHUNKIN

Catapults and Trebuchets are being readied for the 3rd Annual Punkin Chunkin Festival this weekend in Hayesville, NC. Festivities begin Friday night from 5:00 to 9:00 with food, dancing, and PUNKIN. Saturday begins the Punkin Chunkin competition, along with a Chili cook-off, Anything Punkin bake-off, Pie eating, and pumpkin rolling. The "Finals" of the Chunkin are Sunday afternoon. By the way, last year's record toss was 975 feet!

Saturday afternoon the Annual Harvest Festival at Crane Creek Vineyards in Young Harris is scheduled for 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Enjoy hayrides, winery tours, and Grape Stomping too. The $20.00 admission includes lunch, wine tasting, souvenir glass, and the opportunity to hear some great music. Addional food and wine will be available.

We still have a couple of rooms available for the weekend. Weather will be great, with sunny to partly cloudy skies, highs in the mid-60s and lows in the mid-30s. Join us for the local wine and pumpkin events, and relax with us at Chancey Hill Inn.

If you can't make it this weekend, think about next weekend as a possibility. Weather again promises to be very pleasant, and you might see some ghosts at the North Georgia Jeepers parade and Trunk or Treat on Saturday afternoon. Festivities take place On the Square in downtown Hiawassee. Catch "Arsenic and Old Lace" at the Peacock Playhouse on Friday or Saturday evenings, or take in a matinee before heading home on Sunday.

We're looking forward to some great fun in the next couple of weeks. Hope to see you soon.

John

WHAT GLORIOUS WEATHER IN THE NORTH GEORGIA MOUNTAINS

The weather here has been incredible for the last few days. Sunny, warm days with highs in the 70s, cool nights with lows in the 40s, and sunshine in abundance. Slight breezes in the afternoon - just perfect weather for enjoying the outdoors.

How lucky for the Georgia Mountain Fall Festival, which began today. Arts, crafts, vendors, and incredible music. We're looking forward to performances by John Anderson, Ricky Scaggs, Gene Watson, Percy Sledge, T. Graham Brown and others. And next weekend is the Georgia Fiddlers' Convention.

Close by there are festivals in Blairsville, Hayesville NC, and Oktoberfest in Helen.

Come enjoy the fall season and come see us.

John