Wedding venue in Blue Ridge, GA for couples in Warner Robins, GA

The International City Experience is March 2 at Perkins Feild. They are still accepting applications for vendors and talent.

WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — Warner Robins is hoping to live up to their nickname. The International City Experience is coming to Perkins Field in Warner Robins on March 2.

They're still looking for food vendors, dancers, bands or other vendors to represent the diversity within the community.

Potwah's Kitchen is the newest Jamaican restaurant on the block.

"Moving here, we noticed that we had a different type of cuisine, but our culture wasn't standing out. Normally, if you go to New York or Florida you will see our flag, so we were like okay this is a good location for us to bring our culture here, with the spice and the great flavor," Diamond Cooke said.

Located on Watson Boulevard, across from City Hall, Cooke says the international was the best place to bring all that Jamaica has to offer.

"We are the land of food and water and spice, because we are out of one many one people, so we are good on our herbs and spice," Cooke said.

They have all the staples from oxtails, to jerk chicken, curry chicken, beef patties, plantains and more.

Now, Warner Robins wants to put a spotlight on all the diverse cultures with the International City Experience.

Currently, the city has over 40 vendors.

"We have anywhere from Irish dancing to a reggae band. We have Hispanic Folklore dancing, and henna art. Japanese crafts," Visit Warner Robins Marketing Manger Lera Moncrief said.

Warner Robins hasn't had an international festival since the '90s, so they are very excited to bring it back.

"Not everyone can travel and experience the history first hand so having the International City Experience right on our doorstep, is a thrilling chance for residents to connect with their roots, and for visitors to embark on a global journey without leaving town," she says.

Moncreif says they are accepting vendors until Feb. 9. They are open to all types of cultural vendors, but would like to see more businesses that offer Asian and Mediterranean cuisine.

"We're not going to turn anyone away, so we're just going to keep adding and we can add a second stage," she said.

Click here for vendor application.

Click here for talent application.

Click here for food vendor application.

RELATED: 'It's truly a blessing': Habitat for Humanity provides home to disabled veteran in Warner Robins

RELATED: Host families needed in Central Georgia for international students. Here's how to get involved

RELATED: A man was arrested after opening a plane's emergency exit door. His fellow passengers say he saved their lives.

Get more news and information from 13WMAZ by downloading our 13WMAZ+ app on our Roku and Amazon Fire Stick devices.

This allows you to watch more 13WMAZ on-demand and access your favorite 13WMAZ shows like Central Georgia Focus and our More Than a Number special:

People may see some new eateries while they are out and about in the community.

MACON, Ga. — Several new eateries have announced they are coming to central Georgia very soon.

Here are a few locations to look out for as you explore the community.

1) 7 Brew Coffee

Back in October of 2023, 7 Brew Coffee announced they were planning to open soon in Macon and Warner Robins.

The timeline was not specified, and they originally said they'd be open in "the winter" of 2023.

However, according to an email posted online by Terri Jackson, they said the Bass Road location is set to open in late February of 2024.

2) Pedro's Tacos and Tequila Bar

This new restaurant is set to open at 4040 Riverside Drive in Macon, and according to them, will be "your soon-to-be favorite Mexican restaurant.'

They just announced their grand opening two days ago on Facebook ad. You can find out more about their opening here.

3) No Name Chicken

According to a post in Support Macon Restaurants, No Name Chicken is said to be arriving at 3745 Bloomfield Road in Macon.

There is no official opening date yet, though they announced in a post on Facebook it would be sometime in February.

You can stay updated on their menu and opening date here.

Back in 2022, we did a Central Georgia Eats segment on the eatery, which opened in Warner Robins.

Related: New restaurant 'No Name Chicken' opens in Warner Robins

4) Slim Chickens in Warner Robins

Slim Chickens is coming to Warner Robins, though there isn't an official opening date yet.

It will be near the 7 Brew Coffee at 4030 Watson Boulevard.

The main focus of Mayor Patrick's speech was on the city becoming more innovative.

More Videos

WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — On Wednesday, Warner Robins Mayor LaRhonda Patrick held the State of the City at the Museum of Aviation.

"Our city is growing and progressing," she said.

Patrick's speech focused on the city's need to become more innovative. She wants to think not only of the city's present but also of its future. On Tuesday, the city celebrated its 81st birthday.

"The city of Warner Robins is the best place to live, work, and play in the state of Georgia," Patrick said.

Here are three major takeaways from the address.

One of the city's accomplishments was its budget increases.

The city's budget was $147.2 million in 2022 and $143.8 million in 2023. Patrick says the decrease was because the city cut out some wasteful spending.

The budget for 2024 is $165 million. Patrick said this increase came because they were able to find money and apply it to the budget. The city also saw an increase in revenue in the past year.

During her speech, Patrick said the city is doing well financially and making more money than it is spending.

Patrick said they were also working to hold more city events in the coming year. This comes with a continued focus on developing a downtown in Commercial Circle.

"Downtown is on its way, and there's nothing that's going to get in our way or stop it," Patrick said.

When Patrick came into office, she said Warner Robins owned less than an acre of the area in Commercial Circle. Now, the city owns 81% of the area.

Previously, the city only held one big event: The Warner Robins Independence Day Concert.

Now, the city has over 26 official events.

Patrick is hoping to make The International City Experience the next signature event for Warner Robins, in addition to the Independence Day Concert. The festival has been rescheduled to May 4.

In the coming years, Patrick says Warner Robins will be seeing Parks and Recreation upgrades, a Vietnam Veterans and Gulf War Veterans Memorial, and a new amphitheater.

Patrick says unlike the amphitheater in Macon, the Warner Robins venue would be open to free events.

She also discussed launching a community innovation lab to keep Warner Robins youth engaged and a community activities center.

You can watch the full Warner Robins State of the City event on 13WMAZ's YouTube page.

The city's new contract with GFL says residents have to bag leaves and yard clippings. The previous trash company would scoop up piles of leaves raked to the curb.

MACON, Ga. — More than 100 people in Warner Robins aren't happy with the city's new trash policy. One man brought a signed petition against the new rules to the council last night.

The city's previous trash company would scoop up piles of leaves raked to the roadside. Now, people have to bag them.

"I would call this neighborhood tree city," Willie Colbert said.

All down Gawin Drive, you'll see leaves still falling from trees and covering yards.

"I have five oak trees, they produced a lot of leaves this year," Colbert said standing in his backyard.

He has another tree in his own yard and leaves get blown over from his neighbors. It took Colbert and his wife three days to pick up all the leaves.

"I'm thankful that I'm not older and disabled so that I could do it," Colbert said.

He says they filled up 32 bags of trash, and the GFL trash collection company left them sitting for nearly three weeks.

"In the past couple of years, I put leaves out, he was here say no later than three days later," Colbert said.

So Monday night, Colbert and three others took their bag policy concerns to council.

"It's going to have an environmental impact in the landfill by putting plastic bags in there," one man shared.

"It's an undo burden on seniors and low-income folks," another man shared.

"If they're unable to bag a leaf, then you should forgive them," one woman said.

Colbert says he feels the meeting was successful, his leaf bags were picked up early Tuesday morning. However, he still has one question: why do homeowners have to bag the leaves?

"Maybe you can provide us with some help, you have city workers," a statement he poses to city leaders.

Plus with the price of trash bags, Colbert wonders if the city will consider providing them for families.

"Every little bit over it adds up on your end-of-the-month income that you have. You just can't afford to pay people to do those types of things I'm sure in this retirement community," Colbert said.

Mayor Patrick says the city is looking into ways to help.

"Especially those in the community who may have that exemption for putting their can out to the road. We want to do the same thing when it comes to bagging of the leaves," Patrick says.

Nothing is set in stone yet.

Patrick says bagging leaves is the new industry standard.

Patrick says they did a lot of research before picking the GFL company, and they determined that leaf-bagging is a trend across Georgia.

RELATED: Warner Robins tearing down 6 to 10 buildings to hopefully 'reawaken' downtown

RELATED: The old Ramada Hotel could have a new owner: Macon-Bibb County. Here's how much they agreed to pay

HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. (WGXA) - Voters in Warner Robins are being asked this election cycle if they support restaurants being allowed to sell alcohol earlier on Sundays.

The bill in question, Senate Bill 17, gained state-level approval in 2018, offering communities the choice to adjust Sunday on-premise alcohol sales hours.

Fast forward to the present, and Warner Robins voters face a crucial decision on November 7th. If the referendum passes, retailers could sell alcohol as early as 11 a.m. on Sundays, a 90-minute shift from the current regulations.

The ballot will read:

Shall the governing authority of the City of Warner Robins, Georgia be authorized to permit and regulate Sunday sales of distilled spirits or alcoholic beverages for beverage purposes by the drink from 11:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M.?

Senate Bill 17 was first approved at the state level in 2018. Following its passage, communities in Georgia are able to choose if they would like to roll back Sunday on-premise consumption sales hours from 12:30 p.m. to 11 a.m. Any municipality that already has Sunday sales must have a ballot referendum to make the change. That leads voters to the Brunch Bill they will see on the ballot on November 7.

In the heart of Warner Robins, a local barber, Mr. Rock Out, has mixed views on the brunch bill.

"What is this, what is this, this is really a joke to me," he declares, shaking his head at the unfolding situation.

Mr. Rock Out questions the significance of a proposed 90-minute difference in alcohol sales on Sundays, arguing that people will indulge regardless of the setting.

"Whether they drink in a restaurant, a bar, at home, they're going to drink," he states, dismissing the fuss.

Kate Hogan, the city's Economic and Community Development Director, sees potential benefits for businesses in the brunch bill. She points out that the Georgia Restaurant Association predicts an additional $25,000 of income per restaurant per year with the extended alcohol sales.

At Medina's Mexican Grill, co-owner Jose Hernandez welcomes the potential change.

"It's going to be beneficial to our business," he explains, noting that the restaurant opens at noon, and the adjustment would eliminate the unnecessary waiting period.

Back at Mr. Rock Out's barber shop, he pivots the conversation beyond the brunch bill, urging city leaders to address pressing issues such as rising rent prices. "We need to be talking about this," he emphasizes.

But Mr. Rock Out doesn't stop at economic concerns. He believes city leaders should prioritize investing in the youth.

"They're next, after the next. I'm next, but they're next," he asserts, highlighting the importance of community investment in the younger generation.

WGXA News took his concerns to the Mayor's Office. A statement from Mayor LaRhonda Patrick reads as follows:

In March of 2018, state lawmakers mandated that Sunday alcohol sales prior to noon be reserved for the cities to determine if they would like the item to go before the public for a vote. After an overwhelming response from the small business community, the City of Warner Robins decided to proceed with the "Brunch Bill," allowing the constituents to vote during the November election.

City Council and I recognize the importance of other issues, such as youth and workforce housing, requiring our concern and we are actively working on various initiatives to provide better opportunities and resources within our community. We are currently exploring some youth development programs as well as incentives for workforce housing developers throughout our city.

Early voting is already underway for Houston County.

In Warner Robins, in addition to the Brunch Bill, voters in Post 2 will choose between Incumbent Charlie Bibb and L. Ellis Carter for City Council.

Countywide, voters will also vote on a SPLOST.

Voters in Centerville will choose between Incumbent Edward D. Armijo and Larry P. Word, Jr. for City Council Post 4.