The 66th Pine Tree Festival will be held from Saturday April 23, 2011 to Saturday May 7, 2011. The 3 "big days" for the event will be from Thursday May 5, 2011 to Saturday May 7, 2011 at the Swainsboro / Emanuel County Recreation Complex.

Last year’s festival was an unqualified success evidenced by the 10,000 folks that attended last year’s events. This was a dramatic increase over the previous year. The festival was a huge economic boost for our city and county with filled hotel rooms, restaurants, and increased expenditures by visitors.

The Festival has a rich history, having been started by the Swainsboro Kiwanis Club. It began in 1948 as an education project aimed at stopping dangerous, uncontrolled burning of woodlands to improve open-range cattle grazing.

"The festival continues to focus on our pine tree heritage and today it is one of the oldest continuously operated community festivals in Georgia. For 65 years it has been known for its enthusiastic celebration of our forest resources and timber's contribution to the community's economy," added Bill Rogers, Festival Board Chairman

Emanuel County is one of the top five timber producing counties in Georgia and sits at the crossroads of the great southeast pine belt - America's wood basket.

In 2008 Swainsboro/Emanuel County Festival Foundation, Inc. was created when a group of local organizations purchased the festival rights from the Swainsboro Kiwanis Club. Members of the Foundation are the Swainsboro/Emanuel Chamber of Commerce, City of Swainsboro, Emanuel County Commission, East Georgia College, Swainsboro Technical College, and numerous service organizations.