ELLIJAY, GEORGIA / AGILITYPR.NEWS / August 25, 2022 / Joe Sewell, Gilmer Chamber Information Specialist and longtime contributor to the Georgia Apple Festival, has been named the Grand Marshal of the 2022 Georgia Apple Festival Parade.

Sewell has contributed hundreds of hours to the Georgia Apple Festival over nearly two decades. Though most of his work at Ellijay's most famous festival is behind the scenes, Sewell is best known as a staple of Downtown Ellijay culture. Sewell mans the Gilmer Chamber's Downtown Welcome Center located in the historic Watkins House. Over the last 12 years, Sewell has greeted tens of thousands of visitors from all around the world to Ellijay and shared what makes Georgia's Apple Capital the special place that it is.

Sewell's concierge-level customer service consistently ranks among the top pieces of public feedback the Chamber receives and has made him something of a local celebrity. Though Sewell is not retiring entirely, 2022 will mark his last year as a key contributor to the Georgia Apple Festival.

Scheduled for 12 p.m. on October 15, 2022, this year's Georgia Apple Festival Parade theme is "Mountain Life" and will feature floats celebrating the reasons why life in the Ellijay mountains is so grand. The parade will step off at Sailors Drive, continue down River Street around the City Square and conclude at Ellijay Elementary School. Local businesses, groups, clubs and organizations are invited to decorate a float and join in on the fun. Prizes will be awarded for the best parade entry and the winning entry will be announced from the courthouse steps during the parade.

For Parade Applications and more information about the 2022 Georgia Apple Festival, please visit www.georgiaapplefestival.org