Quality of Life

Overview
Oconee County is a vibrant community with numerous opportunities. It has the reputation of being a futuristic, forward thinking county that maximizes its resources.

Our county has received many accolades for its attention to parks/rec, its retail development, and its excellent public & private school systems. It was honored by Georgia Trend magazine for its planning procedures and by The Progressive Farmer as being a great place to live.  
Downtown Dining
The leaders of Oconee County always think 10 to 20 years in advance when making decisions, and many of those leaders have advanced degrees and experience in their particular role.  As a result, Oconee County has created a path for sustainable residential/commercial growth and stable property values.
Recreation
Oconee County is home to a number of great recreational opportunities for residents and visitors alike. The county is home to three golf courses that are either entirely or partially within the county. Jennings Mill Country Club and Lane Creek Golf Club are both in Oconee County, while the Georgia Club straddles both Oconee and Barrow Counties.
Within the county, recreational facilities provide outlets for residents of all ages. Oconee County has four recreation complexes dotting the landscape for recreation. These parks consist of: tennis courts, baseball fields, softball fields, gymnasiums, paved walking tracks, bike trails, hiking trails, a disc golf course, fields that are used for football, soccer or lacrosse, picnic pavilions, playgrounds, an open air arena, and a fishing pond. Heritage Park is slated to have a History Village added within the coming years.

Harris Shoals Park is nestled in the City of Watkinsville. It holds picnic pavilions with charcoal grills, a large playground area for children, a baseball field, and overlooks the shoals.
Oconee All-Star Pitcher
Arts
Oconee County and the City of Watkinsville serve as a hotbed for artistic talent. The City of Watkinsville has the moniker “The Artland of Georgia” due to the presence of a large number of artists within the community. In fact, American Style magazine recognized Watkinsville as being a “Top 25 Arts Community” in America during 2011.
The Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation (OCAF) is a not-for-profit arts center seeking to promote cultural arts and artists, as well as provide art education to the citizens of Oconee County and northeast Georgia. OCAF was founded in 1994 and conducts annual cultural arts festivals, ongoing art exhibits, classes for children and adults, and musical and theatrical performances. OCAF supports artists and craft persons in the region by providing a venue for exhibits and sales of artwork and craftwork, as well as by educating the community to increase interest in the arts.

Jerry and Kathy Chappelle moved to Georgia from Minnesota more than 3 decades ago. Recognizing the need for a location to house artists and allow for the cultivation of the arts industry in northeast Georgia, they established Happy Valley Pottery to meet that need. Today, Happy Valley Pottery is still a working artist venue which you can tour and purchase merchandise. Please call ahead to be sure that artists will be working at the time of your visit. Happy Valley is located at 1210 Carson Graves Road in southern Oconee County near the Farmington community. The Chappelles have also renovated a historic 1827 house in Watkinsville which is now home to Chappelle Gallery.

OCAF Gallery

Oconee Youth Playhouse is a non-profit organization founded in 1998 that serves the Athens/Oconee and surrounding areas by offering high-quality musical theater productions to the community while giving young people valuable experience in the performing arts. OYP typically does three shows per year, primarily on their home stage at the Oconee County Civic Center in Watkinsville. 

Annual Events
Annual community events within Oconee County include:
  • First Friday events – beginning in April of each year
  • Relay for Life 
  • Southworks art exhibit – Memorial Day weekend
  • Fourth of July celebration – July 4
  • Perspectives pottery show – late September
  • Washington Farms Corn Maze – late September - late October
  • Christmas Parade – first Saturday in December

Ashforn Manor Concerns on the Lawn
Climate
  • Average Annual Rainfall – 49.7 inches
  • Average Annual Temperature – 62º (F)
  • Average High Temperature – 72º (F)
  • Average Low Temperature – 51º (F)
  • Highest Recorded Temperature – 107º (F)
  • Lowest Recorded Temperature – -4º (F)