By: Holly Hollman
Athens is embarking on its quirky Athens Grease Festival this weekend, and a local art group is cooking up an idea to encourage the community to share recipes.
Saturday’s Athens Grease Festival is a play on words that is a tribute to the Greek origin of the city’s name and a celebration of all things fried. Athens Arts League is joining the festivities early and has installed an Art of Cooking community recipe box outside at High Cotton Arts at 103 W. Washington Street in Downtown Athens. The white metal box is at the entryway of High Cotton Arts.
“The community can come by and take a recipe and share a recipe,” said Athens Arts League board member Holly Hollman, who saw a similar idea on fence posts in Tangier Island, Va. “Cooking here truly is an art form, and this is a fun way for the community to share recipes passed down from their families. I’ve included my mother’s chocolate fried pies recipe in the box and some others I’ve always enjoyed.”
Hollman said the recipes do not have to be for just fried foods, but any recipe a person wants to share.
“We already have recipes for a tailgate dip, Irish potato candy, corn pudding, and grape salad in our recipe box,” she said.
Athens Arts League will keep the community recipe box installed for a year, and if the interest continues, the box will remain.
Volunteers with Athens Arts League will also have a tent at Athens Grease Festival on Saturday near the Kids Zone where children of all ages can join Gail Bergeron in creating a small clay pot on a potter’s wheel. This a free activity that Athens Arts League is presenting.
By: Holly Hollman
City of Athens Communications Specialist
