Shannon Whitfield	- Download MP3-

This weekend's dozen festivals offer a wide variety of appealing venues, ranging from county fairs and city parks to a Victorian mansion and Cherokee festival grounds.

At a daylong celebration of Hispanic culture Saturday in Knoxville, organizers advertise you can "eat salsa and dance to it ... along with the tango, rumba and flamenco."

But there are two worth particular mention this weekend, one new and the other well-established, both in North Georgia.

The Walker County Chamber of Commerce is launching Balloons & Tunes in Rock Spring, Ga., today.

This new event will provide oodles of photo-ops for shutterbugs. Not only will there be 10 hot-air balloons on-site, but each evening the balloonists will dazzle festivalgoers with a "balloon glow" when the balloons are lit up, much resembling colorful lightbulbs.

When the skies aren't filled with balloons, be on the lookout for parachuting cows.

According to Stephanie Snodgrass of the Walker Chamber, Chick-fil-A cow drops will be held Saturday and Sunday afternoons, at which time hundreds of stuffed cows sporting tiny parachutes will be tossed from an airplane flyover to the kids below.

Snodgrass said the first 1,000 paying adults through the gates tonight will receive a coupon for a free Comcast On Demand movie.

In addition to 45 food and craft vendors and a kids zone, there will be live entertainment throughout the three-day event.

Just an hour's drive down I-75 South, the 34th annual Arts Festival at Rose Lawn will be under way in Cartersville, Ga.

This festival is spread out over 3 acres on the grounds of a Victorian home that is now a museum. Admission to the festival is free; house/museum tours are $4.

More than 85 craftsmen have been selected for the show, according to Regina Wheeler of the Bartow County Visitors and Convention Bureau. Chattanooga artist Katie Ward Knutson will be one of the two judges for the juried portion of the arts festival.

Among the selected exhibitors in the juried show will be Tennessean Ed Johnson, who has been hand-cutting silhouettes for 50 years. Other exhibitors will be showing paintings, jewelry, basketry, quilting, weaving, pottery, woodcrafts and photography.

To get to Rose Lawn, take Exit 288 off I-75 and go west 2.5 miles into downtown Cartersville. Cross the railroad track and turn right at the second traffic light onto Bartow Street. At the four-way stop, turn left onto Cherokee, then left onto Fite Street to enter Rose Lawn parking.

FESTIVALS THIS WEEKEND

* Arts & Crafts Expo: Walnut Square Mall, Dalton, Ga. Showcase of Dalton talent and entertainment, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. today and Saturday.

* Arts Festival at Rose Lawn: Rose Lawn mansion, 224 W. Cherokee, Cartersville, Ga. Eighty-five craft and food vendors on lawn of antebellum home, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Free admission; small charge to tour mansion. 770-387-1357.

* Balloons & Tunes: Rock Spring Industrial Park, Rock Spring, Ga. Hot-air balloons, crafts, music and food, 4-10 p.m. today, 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. $5 adults, $3 ages 7-12. www.balloonsandtunesfestival.com.

* Church Market: St. Martin's Episcopal Church, 7547 East Brainerd Road. Bake sale, hot-dog lunch, home and garden items sold, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday.

* Coffee County Fair: 99 Lakeview Drive, Manchester, Tenn. 4-H Science Fair, Fairest of the Fair pageants, domestic arts and ag competitions, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. CDT Saturday. $3.

* Fall Sale: Fairview United Methodist Church, 2112 McFarland Ave., Rossville. Clothing, toys and miscellaneous items sold at festival, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. 706-866-7595.

* Festival of Arts and Crafts: Creative Arts Guild, 520 W. Waugh St., Dalton, Ga. 100 craftsmen, children's activities, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Free. 706-278-0168.

* Graysville Fall Festival: Graysville City Park, Sixth Street, Graysville, Tenn. Bluegrass and rock music today and Saturday, gospel music Sunday, dog show, square dance, children's activities. Free.

* Hola Festival: Market Square, Knoxville. Latin American food and dance, parade of nations, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday. Free. 865-335-3358.

* Polly Crockett Festival: Downtown Cowan, Tenn., along Tennessee Avenue. Concert tonight at Monterey Station, Saturday night supper, parade of hometown heroes. Noon-6 p.m. today, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday (all times Central).

* Southeastern Tribes Cultural Art Celebration: Cherokee Indian Fairgrounds, Cherokee, N.C. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. today and Saturday, 7-10 p.m. dance and storytelling performances. $7 adults, $5 children daily admission, $5 adults, $3 children evening admission. 800-438-1601.

* Wildlife and Nature Art Festival: City Park, Blue Ridge, Ga. Fine art show of nature and wildlife themes, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Free. 706-632-2144.

BALLOONS & TUNES SCHEDULE

Today

4-6 p.m. Tethered balloon rides

4 p.m. Joint Effort

5 p.m. Wire Rose Band

5:30 p.m. Five balloons fly

6 p.m. Crawfish Gordon

7 p.m. Balloon glow

8 p.m. 80'z Enuff

Saturday

7:30 a.m. Balloon flights

8-10 a.m. Tethered balloon rides

10 a.m. Food, craft booths open; Kids Zone opens

10:30 a.m. Boynton Dancing Darlings and Dancers at Heart

11 a.m. Paratrooper take-off

11 a.m. Heart & Soul Dance Studio

11 a.m. Ryan Grooms

11:30 a.m. TADA Dance Studio

Noon. Academy of Performing Arts

Noon. Amber Fults

12:30 p.m. Anna Harwood

1 p.m. Starmaker Talent Dance Studio

1 p.m. Common Ground

1:30 p.m. Bartlee Norton

2 p.m. Chick-fil-A cow drop

2:30 p.m. Amber Fults

3 p.m. Katelyn Pope

3 p.m. Jessie Bock & Livin' Easy

3:30 p.m. Courtney Dickinson

4 p.m. Channing Wilson

4:30 p.m. Georgia Scruff

4:45 p.m. Nathan Farrow

5 p.m. Balloon flights

5-7 p.m. Tethered balloon rides

6 p.m. David Nail

7 p.m. Balloon glow

8 p.m. Lee Brice

Sunday

8 a.m. Balloon flights

8-9:30 a.m. Tethered balloon rides

8:30 a.m. Music begins

9:30 a.m. Oakwood Baptist Church worship service

10:45 a.m. Food, craft booths open; children's area opens

12:30 p.m. Chick-fil-A cow drop

1 p.m. Josh Neyman

1p.m. They Came Running

1:30 p.m. Judy Quinn

2:20 p.m. Donnie Young & New Beginning

2:30 p.m. Cowboy Church Praise Dancers

3 p.m. Tim Jamerson

3 p.m. Cowboy Church Singers

3:30 p.m. New Paved Road