Summerville, Georgia: Where Folk Art Meets Mountain Charm
Summerville is that rare small town where something truly extraordinary happened, and the echoes of that creative explosion still reverberate through every corner of this charming northwest Georgia community. Known historically as the "Flower Capital of Georgia" for its nursery industry, Summerville's real claim to fame is being the home of Howard Finster, one of America's most widely known and prolific self-taught artists of the 20th century, who produced 46,991 individually numbered pieces of art.
While Paradise Garden is undeniably Summerville's crown jewel, the town offers plenty more to discover. The 1909 Neo-Classical Courthouse anchors a historic downtown district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The town is also home to a rare train turntable and hosts Railroad Days at Dowdy Park New Homes Division, celebrating the community's railroad heritage. From April through September, the depot still receives monthly Tennessee Valley Railroad Trains from Chattanooga, and October brings the "Steam Into Summerville Railroad Days" festival, where visitors can watch the working turntable in action.
Just outside town, Sloppy Floyd State Park offers outstanding fishing on two stocked lakes surrounded by the Chattahoochee National Forest, with three miles of hiking trails for those who want to stretch their legs off the bike.
The Dining Scene
For a small town, Summerville punches above its weight when it comes to food. Jim's Family Restaurant serves Southern comfort food for breakfast, lunch, brunch, and dinner, with generous platters featuring eggs, grits, bacon, sausage, toast, ham, and homemade huge biscuits Thecitymenus. Dos Maguey's Mexican Restaurant on Commerce Street serves authentic Mexican meals beloved by locals, while Dirttown Deli on Martha Bay Highway doubles as a corner market where you can grab old-timey candy and locally sourced Southern goods alongside classic deli sandwiches.
Why Summerville Matters for Big BRAG
For Big BRAG riders arriving after the first day of riding, Summerville represents something special: proof that extraordinary creativity can flourish anywhere, that vision and persistence can transform scrap metal and broken mirrors into internationally recognized art, and that small Southern towns can be custodians of profound cultural treasures. After a day pedaling US Bike Route 21 through northwest Georgia's rolling countryside, riders will discover that Summerville isn't just a place to rest—it's a place that reminds us why we explore, why we travel, and why supporting communities like this matters.
Howard Finster once said that God showed "people all over the world what He could do through a sixth-grade student and a swamp fulla garbage." For one night, Big BRAG riders get to experience the fruits of that divine inspiration, in a town that continues to celebrate creativity, preserve history, and welcome visitors with genuine mountain hospitality.
