1998 tornado damage on the DeKalb College campus, now part of Georgia State University
The fun and festive community event, Lemonade Days, was the result of people coming together after a devastating tornado struck Dunwoody in April of 1998. The tornado damaged many homes, destroying several, ripping hundreds of trees in half and tragically killing one individual in the community of Dunwoody.
When the tornado struck, my family was living in a house about 1/4 of a mile from the path. We heard the loud sound similar to a train and saw the constant flickering lights. We sheltered in the basement thinking it was just a bad thunderstorm.
The next morning, my mom was the first of a few calls we received to see if we were alright. We soon found out a tornado had come through Dunwoody, narrowly missing us. There were some downed oak trees in our neighborhood, but not the snapped pine trees.
Later that day, we walked down North Peachtree Road and soon began to see just how much damage had occurred.
One year after the tornado, Lemonade Days had its beginnings. Dunwoody Homeowners Association and Dunwoody Preservation Trust began a campaign called “Replant the Dunwoody Forest.” The campaign was led by Joyce Amacher and had a goal of planting 20,000 trees to replace all the ones uprooted or snapped in two. (Story of Dunwoody; Ethel W. Spruill, Elizabeth L. Davis, Joyce Amacher, Lynne Byrd)
Early Lemonade Days
The April 1999 event, to celebrate the repairs that had been done and how the community came together, included a 5K run in the Kingsley subdivision of Dunwoody. There was a mass held at All Saints Church with a reception afterward. (Dunwoody Crier, “Lemonade Days: A Look Back,” Kathy Florence, April 11, 2018)
The name Lemonade Days was selected by Dunwoody Preservation Trust in 2000, evolving from the old saying, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” In addition to a 5K, the 2000 event included a petting zoo, pony rides, face painting, and games on the lawn of the Cheek-Spruill House. The historic home was open for tours. Seven homes that had been rebuilt after the tornado were open for tours.
During the years 2001 through 2003, Lemonade Days included arts and crafts at the Shops of Dunwoody in addition to home tours and carnival games at the Cheek-Spruill House. This is where I first attended Lemonade Days.
Lemonade Days moved to Brook Run Park in 2004. In 2006, Peachtree Rides brought their carnival rides to the park. Danny Ross, then co-president of Dunwoody Preservation Trust along with wife Queenie Ross, had to convince Peachtree Rides to come to Dunwoody. Peachtree Rides didn’t expect attendance to be high, but they were wrong. The old-fashioned carnival atmosphere of Lemonade Days appealed to all ages and the community came out in big numbers.
Lemonade Days has evolved into a huge 5 day event with something for all ages. There are carnival rides for children and rides for younger children, a petting zoo, craft booths, sponsor booths, music, food trucks, craft beer, and carnival food. A more recent addition is Dunwoody Idol and Battle of the Bands, with the final competition on the main stage Saturday evening of Lemonade Days.
As a volunteer with Dunwoody Preservation Trust, my contribution through the years has been sharing history in our annual History Booth. Each year we display old photographs and chat with visitors about Dunwoody and other local history. Sometimes we have someone on hand who has lived in Dunwoody 80 plus years to share their stories.
Dunwoody Preservation Trust has dedicated most of the funds of recent years to the rehabilitation of Donaldson-Bannister Farm, at the corner of Vermack Road and Chamblee Dunwoody Road. The April 2020 Lemonade Days did not take place due to covid-19 and the April 2021 event was postponed until August 2021. The community came out in large numbers and enjoyed the return of Lemonade Days!
Donaldson-Bannister Farm, a Dunwoody city park managed by Dunwoody Preservation Trust, has been the beneficiary of funds raised at Lemonade Days for the last several years.
Lemonade Days returns to Brook Run Park in Dunwoody April 20 through April 24, 2022. Information and details about the event is available at the Dunwoody Preservation Trust website.