AUGUSTA, Ga. – What’s ahead for the weekend?
Choose from a large amateur boxing tournament, a festival with free food all day and a “Spring Fling” raising money for an Augusta little league. Augusta GreenJackets fans can dress up for “prom night” Saturday at SRP Park and watch fireworks after the game. And in Grovetown, you can find a new furry friend at the Spring Adoption Extravaganza and Craft Fair. Here are more details on these festivities and other events around the Augusta-area:
Augusta Regional Classic
Amateur boxers – with 70 fighters from across the Augusta-area competing for a championship belt – will duke it out in a tournament at 2 p.m. Saturday at Hangar 1 of Augusta Regional Airport.
Augusta Boxing Club Secretary Tiffany Cannon said the tournament will serve as a fundraiser for the club to purchase equipment, fund their traveling boxing team and other necessities.
Alcohol will be served and vendor spots are available. Ringside seats and VIP tables are sold out, but general admission tickets are $15. Tickets can be bought ahead of time at augustaboxingclub.ticketleap.com or at the gate.
Augusta GreenJackets home games
The Augusta GreenJackets are playing a home stand through Sunday against the Fayetteville Woodpeckers. Wednesday through Friday’s games start at 7:05 p.m. Saturday’s first pitch is at 6:05 p.m. Sunday’s is at 2:05 p.m.
At Friday’s game, fans can try to score a hole-in-one using a hockey stick in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Adam Sandler film “Happy Gilmore.” Sign up to participate on the event’s Facebook page.
Saturday’s game invites families to dress to impress for “Take Me Out to the Prom Night!” Spokesperson Catie Jagodzinski said the best dressed will be honored with a title for the GreenJackets Royal Court. Stick around at the end of the game for fireworks.
To purchase tickets, go to milb.com/augusta/tickets/single-game-tickets.
Celebration of Augusta arts icon
A community tribute to performing arts fixture and activist Richard B. Justice will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Imperial Theatre.
Justice, who died in August of COVID-19, was an actor, director, arts ambassador, arts educator and entertainment promotor. He was also an AIDS educator and activist, joining the board of Augusta Pride in 2013, according to the tribute’s website.
While it is a memorial, it’s also a celebration that will include performances by several local singers and actors who worked with Justice during his years as director and performer with companies like The Augusta Players, Fort Gordon Dinner Theatre and Le Chat Noir.
Eulogies will be given by former Augusta Pride president Lonzo Smith II, Augusta Players executive director emerita Debi Ballas and friend David Johnston.
Seating for the tribute is limited and guests must pre-register on eventbrite.com. Those who cannot be there physically can also watch it live on vimeo.com/showcase/richardjustice.
Spring Fling
Masters City Little League is hosting Spring Fling, a full-scale festival of food trucks, live music, vendors and a car show on Saturday at 3 p.m. at the league’s home field on Phinizy Road off Peach Orchard Road in Augusta.
Kids will be able to enjoy games and inflatables while the competitive guests can try a home-run derby, a 50/50 raffle and a silent auction. Tickets will also be sold for the league’s $500 Visa gift card raffle that will be drawn at the end of the season.
Club President Patricia Clem said this is the league’s primary fundraiser and the proceeds will go to maintaining the league’s operations. Admissions armbands are $10 ahead of time and $12 at the gate. Each armband includes one free child entry. For more information, go to the event’s Facebook page.
Recteq Fest
The recteq grill store on Evans to Locks Road in Evans is inviting the public to its store for free grilled and barbecued food all day long. There will be several musical acts and entertainment like axe-throwing, inflatables, a bungee-pull and more. There will also be food trucks with treats like Bruster’s Ice Cream and Rita’s Italian Ice and frozen custard. For more information, go to recteq-fest.recteq.com.
Spring Adoption Extravaganza and Craft Fair
As the name suggests, this event looks to find homes for furry friends in an extravagant way.
Dogs and cats will be available for adoption outside Petsense pet store near the Grovetown Walmart on Saturday at 10 a.m. The festivities will also include a hot dog and bake sale, a silent auction and 40 vendors selling various creations. In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved to Saturday, June 5.
This is a collaborative effort between Dog Networking Agents and Team StinkyKiss, two Augusta-area nonprofit organizations dedicated to the care and well-being of animals. Volunteer Tamara Santos said the event’s proceeds will be split between the two organizations.
Food Truck Fridays with Bands and Brews
The name tells most of the story. Musicians entertain guests as they enjoy food and beverages from themed food trucks. This is a free event at the Columbia County Amphitheater behind the Evans Library on Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. This week’s theme is Greek. Whet your appetite for the weeks ahead: Mexican on June 25, American on July 23, Italian on Aug. 20 and Hawaiian on Sept. 24.
Moonlight Music Cruises
The Augusta Canal Authority hosts boat tours down the canal all year, but only April through June features musical ones at sunset. Friday tours feature live music from a variety of styles and genres while Saturday tours are dedicated to tributes to iconic styles.
Tours are one hour and 15 minutes long and there are two a day, one at 6:30 p.m. and another at 8. Reservations are $27 for adults and $25 for seniors, students and military. To reserve a spot, call (706) 823-0440. For more information, go to augustacanal.com/boat-tours.php.
