Some compare LWC to a big sorority — today, it joins 67 women between the ages of 30 and 70 with a common interest of community involvement. The women chair nine programs — Art, Education, Special Photo Book Club, and Domestic Violence to name a few — and they offer four annual scholarships to help local youth get a headstart on their college careers.
The Club has grown since it was chartered under the Georgia Federation of Women’s Clubs in 1973, and it has a legacy of improving lives and places in the city of Lilburn.
“Everything is local, so we are really a part of the community,” Co-President Trish Biemiller said. “We actually got the ball going to set up the first library in Lilburn.”
In 2017, The Club donated $10,000 to the Lilburn Branch Library and paid for a mural to be installed in the children’s area. The mural was designed by the Good Day Art Studio in Lilburn, and many volunteers from Woman’s Club joined to help complete the large painting.
LWC is sponsored through donations and fundraisers held at some of their community events like The Lilburn Daze Arts and Crafts Festival and the Christmas Tour of Homes that will take place during the 2018 holiday season.
The Lilburn Daze Arts and Crafts Festival:
With free admission, music, and entertainment for the kids, The Lilburn Daze Festival has become a cherished tradition for many families in the city and surrounding areas.
Lilburn Daze is one of LWC’s legacy projects — it’s been held every year for 45 years out of Lilburn City Park, a site The Club helped restore when they created the Healing Garden of Hope. And now, the festival is The Club’s biggest fundraising event where they collect for the general fund to pay for scholarships and additional community projects.
The 45th annual Lilburn Daze Festival will be held on Oct 13, 2018, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free parking will be available in the City Parking lot and shuttle rides will be provided at Lilburn First Baptist Church and on 285 Main Street and Lilburn Marketplace 4800 Lawrenceville Hwy.
As the festival’s chairwoman for 25 years, Diana Carson has seen Lilburn Daze grow in popularity, and she estimates anywhere from 10 to 12 thousand locals might attend the 2018 fall event.
Attendees might take the opportunity to get a head start on Christmas shopping, as there will be 150 vendors selling gifts and trinkets in tents across the park.
“It’s kind of a buying show,“ Carson said of the festival. “And we try to keep prices we think our community can afford.“
There will be plenty of free activities, as well. One of the event’s main attractions is the arts and crafts station at the Kid Zone where there will art supplies for all to use at their leisure. Carson says there will also be a free petting zoo, train rides and live performances from a singing troop and a local dance crew.
Among the paid vendors will be The Boys Scout Troop 100, and this will be their 15th year at the Festival selling kettle corn, boiled peanuts, and fudge. Additional carnival food, gifts, bungee jump rides and more will be offered at other booths around the park.
Other booths will provide information about local organizations and campaigns. Dogs are welcome at the Canine Campaign booth and at the Heath Tent, visitors can receive blood pressure checks and flu shots.
Those anticipating colder weather might visit the Santa booth where they can meet Mr. and Mrs. Klaus and families can pick up tickets for the next major event on Woman’s Club’s seasonal calendar — The Christmas Tour of Homes.
Christmas Tour of Homes:
Returning for a second year after a brief hiatus, The Christmas Tour of Homes might be one of the most unique events some folks attend all year.
The Tour will be held Dec 1 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and tickets are already available in the Antiques in Old Town shop or online at www.lilburnwoman’sclub.org for $15. Tickets will also be sold the day of the event for $20 at Home #1, Music on Main Street on 113 Main Street, Lilburn, GA 30047.
During the Tour, guests will enter fully decorated old and eclectic homes near Historic Lilburn. Volunteers from LWC will be stationed in each home to provide historical information and to help guests as needed.
The route will be both walking and driving so parents should dress the kiddos warm but make sure they are picture-ready — Santa Claus will be stationed at Antiques in Old Town to take free selfies in an old sleigh.
Another highlight of the Tour is the Christmas marketplace located next door to the antique shop in the Apothecary Room of the 1910 Public House. Here, guests can make arts and crafts and continue to The Distillery to find additional vendors selling baked treats and other holiday food items.
According to Sandy McGuire, Chairwoman of the Christmas Tour of Homes, the 2017 event was a huge success. It was the first year the Tour had been held for several years, and it raised 6,000 in ticket sales and another $300 at a bake sale during their Christmas Auction. The proceeds were donated to the Lilburn Co-op.
“We had an amazing turnout,” McGuire said. “We were just not expecting the mob that we had. “We had no idea — that — the response we were going to get from the community. People loved what we were doing.”
This year, proceeds from the Tour will be designated to the Club’s general fund to go even further in the community.
The Year-Round Agenda:
While LWC holds some of its most popular events during the holiday season, its calendar is booked year round with community projects.
The Club offers four scholarships including the Gwinnett Tech Displaced Homemaker, The Hoby, an art scholarship, a scholarship for high school seniors and the Georgia Federal Woman’s Club scholarship. Details can be found on the LWC website.
As a subgroup of the Georgia Federation of Women’s Clubs, LWC members are committed to a “The Spirit of Volunteerism”, and it’s a motto that Trish Biemiller takes to heart. As Co-President of Woman’s Club, she is a firm believer in providing aid locally.
“Our main emphasis is helping the community,“ Biemiller said. “And I really like the idea of helping our next door neighbor. A wise woman once told me it’s not okay to help someone in Africa if our next door neighbor is starving.”
The Group invites women to join the effort and have some fun helping the community. Those who sign up will be designated to one of the Club’s nine programs and can help with other projects from other programs on a case-by-case basis.
“We welcome all women. If for no other reason — the friendship,“ Biemiller said. “And it will only get better with the more women coming and bringing more ideas. We love that.”
