Days spent on the golf course watching some of the premier golfers in the world can turn into enjoying fine music at some of Augusta’s largest social events.
Festivities kick off Saturday, April 6 with the Mayor’s Masters Reception at the Augusta Common at 836 Broad St. from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. It will feature live music, food, games for children and end with a fireworks display. The event is free to attend.
Started in 1999 by then-Mayor Bob Young, it had originally always been held on Sundays.
“Moving the event to Saturday provides us the ability to have a relaxed, family-friendly event that won’t interfere with the tournament,” Mayor Garnett Johnson said in a news release. “It’s also an excellent way to kick off tournament week with our community.”
City of Aiken Mayor Teddy Milner, North Augusta Mayor Briton Williams, and Columbia County Chairman Doug Duncan join Johnson in presenting the event.
The event will honor Fanny Sunesson, the first female caddie to win a men’s major golf championship, along with two-time Super Bowl winner Jaylen Watson, currently a cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Columbia County gets in on the fun with the 20th annual Drive for Show, Rock FORE Dough concert. It will be Tuesday, April 9 at the Lady A Pavilion at Evans Towne Center Park.
This year’s lineup includes Cole Swindell and Randy Houser. Past events featured Darius Rucker, Lady A featuring Columbia County natives Charles Kelly and Dave Haywood, and Zac Brown Band.
The event was created to support First Tee Augusta, a youth development program designed to build life skills through the game of golf. According to the website, the concert has contributed more than $1.7 million to First Tee.
General admission tickets are $40.00. Children 5 and under receive free admission with a ticketed adult. Doors open at 4 p.m. and performances start at 5 p.m. Additional information and tickets are available at https://rockforedough.com/.
The popularity of Rock FORE Dough necessitates road closures and detours around the event because pedestrian traffic is expected to be high in the area. The first road closure will be at Antebellum Way. The second is Evans Town Center Boulevard, from Ronald Reagan Drive to Antebellum Way. Closures begin at 3 p.m. Traffic will return to normal at midnight.
Rounding out the week is Major Rager, a music festival at the Augusta Common on Saturday, April 13. This year’s performers include Marcus King Band, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, and Funk You.
This marks the 10th year of the music festival. Sponsored by local non-profit organization Friends with Benefits, a portion of the proceeds will benefit Hale House, an organization that helps men over age 18 who are struggling with substance abuse problems.
Tickets range from $40.00 for general admission to $120.00 for a VIP package. Tickets and more information are available at www.fwbpro.com/major-rager. The event is held rain or shine. Doors open at 5 p.m. and performances begin at 6 p.m.
Golf fans arriving early to Augusta, who also enjoy air shows, have the chance to grab “Early Bird” tickets to the 2nd Annual Augusta Air Show.
The event is on May 25 and 26 at Augusta Regional Airport. It will feature the F-22 Raptor Demo Team and the just-announced U.S. Navy Growler Demo Team.
The advance ticket sale will run through Monday, April 8. It offers 40% off the event day price. Prices range from $25.50 for general admission to $159.00 for the Flight Line Club VIP tickets during the special pricing period.
Tickets and more information are available at https://augustaairshow.com/.
