Flames Fest Starts Thursday in Toccoa

Toccoa is hosting a series of events starting this week designed to pay tribute to some local Rock and Roll Hall of Famers.

Starting Thursday and continuing through March 3, Toccoa will host four events that together have been dubbed “Flames Fest.”

Main Street Toccoa put these four events together to honor the Famous Flames, who were all from the Toccoa area and performed with James Brown from 1953 to 1968, combining on a number of hit songs.

The Flames went into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.

The first event honoring the Flames is Thursday as the Schaefer Center hosts “An Evening of Jazz” with Toccoa native Milkshake Mayfield and the Milkshake Quartet.

Main Street Toccoa Events Coordinator Sharon Crosby said it is an honor to welcome Milkshake back for another year.

“We are very excited about it because he always draws a large crowd,” said Crosby. “Everybody is excited to have him back and he loves being back. He and his wife have both mentioned how much they love Toccoa and enjoy coming to this concert, so we are hoping we will have a really good turnout.”

The show starts at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Schaefer Center on the corner of Doyle and Broad streets in Toccoa.

Admission is $5 per person.

Crosby said that events will then continue weekly at the Schaefer Center for the next several weeks as part of “Flames Fest.”

“On February 20, there is going to be a showing of ‘Selma’,” said Crosby. “That is going to be sponsored by St. Matthias Episcopal Church and we are thankful that they are choosing to show that during this month. That will be at the Schaefer Center at 3 and there will be no charge for that. Then we also have, on the 27th, Sinfo-Nia Orchestra. This is a group of very talented young people from Atlanta and then the fourth one is on March 3rd and that is with Francine Reed. She is a well-renowned singer.”

Both the February 27 and March 3 shows start at 7 p.m. and admission to both of those is $5.

Crosby said that the city is excited to honor the Famous Flames with these events.

“We have always wanted to honor the Famous Flames,” said Crosby. “We are just excited it came about this year.”

Also on Thursday at 5:30 p.m., Main Street will dedicate a historic plaque to the Famous Flames at the Currahee Military Museum in downtown Toccoa.