InTucker Magazine

Tucker’s Story of Summer Fun

In the days of Tucker’s past, neighbors would gather to help build each other’s homesteads, make improvements within the shared/public infrastructure and to celebrate. As local governments, both state and county, grew in services, and work industries developed away from the land, the opportunities to gather became fewer but no less fun.

For decades Main Street has been periodically shut down to motorized traffic to make way for a variety of street festivals. The longest running is of course, Tucker Day. Originally organized to span multiple days, modern Tucker Day is the first Saturday of May and consists of arts and craft vendors, live music, local talent showcases and starts with the Tucker Day Parade.

The community found several reasons to gather on Main all throughout the year. The Tucker Chili Cook-Off, originally organized by the Old Towne Tucker Merchants Association, takes place in March and took a long hiatus post pandemic but returned this year and is now coordinated by Local 7 and Ford’s BBQ. Juneteenth Jubilee was added in 2022 and is growing every year. Taste of Tucker attracts restaurant tastings from the greater Tucker area and jovial competition for Best Appetizer, Best Entrée and Best Dessert. Two events that were once extremely popular but have gone to the wayside are the Trunk or Treat on Main and Holiday on Main. Trunk or Treat provided for safe trick or treating to thousands of children every year and Holiday on Main was the launch of the holiday spirit with a tree lighting, gift shopping and a visit with the jolly St. Nick himself!

With the incorporation of Tucker into an official city, there was some trepidation that the government would swoop in and take away the longheld tradition of Main Street festivals. As that has never been the intent, city staff set out to support the existing events but add to them as well.

The first ever larger scale event for the City of Tucker was the National Night Out event at Idlewood Elementary School in 2017. Hundreds of people attended, and staff was excited to add more events.

The TKR Summer of Fun was initiated the following year in 2018. Expanding on the National Night Out event, staff added a Movie on Main and the July 3rd Fireworks Celebration of Independence. Sadly there wasn’t much funding in the City budget yet for events so the first few years of the TKR Summer of Fun were funded solely by sponsorships which limited the scope of events.

The Summer of Fun event series was a huge success that brought thousands to Main Street and connected the Tucker city government in partnership with DeKalb County School District and the DeKalb County Police Department. As the City grew in services, facilities and available budget, event organization was moved from Communications to Parks & Recreation and city staff was able to expand the Summer of Fun events to include the First Friday Concert series and expand Movie on Main to the monthly Movies on the Green series.

The TKR Summer of Fun for 2025 starts next month with the First Friday Concert on May 2 and the first Movies on the Green on May 29. The full schedule is included here and can also be found at tuckerga.gov/events