Stone Mountain's Colorful Race-Fun & Friendship

 

~Doc Lawrence~

Stone Mountain, the historic village near Atlanta, hosted an estimated 3,500 visitors for a fun-filled Saturday. Color Vibe 5K, the 2017 version, brought friends and family for the race, some from far away places, for this amazing colorful event. The runners and walkers were blasted with bright colors made from harmless material while observers like me enjoyed watching from a hill on Miss Ann Hamby’s yard while devouring her homemade hot biscuits, pastries, juices and coffee.

Color Vibe, now the country’s 2nd largest, nationwide, non-traditional color 5K event production company, has become a spring tradition in this city that lies at the base of mighty Stone Mountain, the centerpiece of the park that attracts some 7 million annually.  Under the leadership of the very dynamic Kim Cumbie, a bundle of creative energy, Color Vibe is now an established local tradition, a top-tiered event for the entire region. It’s family friendly, secure and serves the greater good by introducing so many people to this city, its beautiful homes and Main Street’s granite buildings including the beautiful old railroad terminal.

John and Emily Estes were on their way to Florida from their Massillon, Ohio home and decided to see Stone Mountain, maybe even climb it. They learned of Color Vibe and walked to the park where it began. “Everyone one seems to be laughing,” John observed. “Are Southerners always this happy?” You can guess my enthusiastic and cheerful response.

Local Beauties

The Color Vibe Race Series has grown to cover every region of the country. It’s a 3.1-mile fun run/walk infused with bright colors, great music, and, of course, lots of laughter. Last Saturday, runners started the race squeaky clean, then passing through four color stations to be color blasted with blue, yellow, pink, purple, and green colored paint chalk as they passed through the color zones along the course. The reward was a party in the city’s VFW Park with more color, dancing to throbbing music from a skilled DJ and tons of fun.

The Happy Crowd

According to Color Vibe officials, the event objective is to share a life experience with friends and family. Most participants have never experienced a 5K before, so Color Vibe becomes an entryway into a more active, healthier lifestyle.

It became a near perfect Saturday morning in this lovely Deep South city.