As she looks ahead to a 2026 community festival during golf week, Debra Estep plans to lay the groundwork April 5-6, 2025 with a simple message – support Augusta’s small businesses.
“This isn’t just about buying local—it’s about showing up for our future,” according to Estep, a volunteer/activist and grassroots organizer. “When disaster hit, we didn’t wait for help; we became the help. That’s the same energy we’re bringing to our city’s economy, creativity and community.”
The Align Augusta effort is rooted in a legacy of mutual aid and rapid community response, Estep wrote in an email.
When Hurricane Helene hit in September 2024, people didn’t wait for agencies to help them; in spite of their own needs, they helped their neighbors.
“That same spirit drives this movement: a belief that the people of Augusta are the architects of their city’s resilience, beauty and future,” she wrote.
Next April, she hopes to build on momentum from this effort by creating the first official Align Augusta Festival, ”a collaborative, pop-up-style celebration of art, activism and community that brings together sectors of the city in mutual support. Unlike large-scale commercial festivals, this one will be built from the inside out—at a fraction of the cost, with lasting impact and deep local roots.”
Estep said people can take part by shopping at local businesses not only in downtown Augusta but throughout the city on April 5–6, mentioning the Align Augusta movement as a “show of support for a future community-led festival” and encouraging collaboration between nonprofits, citizens, and businesses during golf week.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for 35 years. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
