Blake Walsh

15 Best Things to Do in Moultrie, GA

  • Published 2022/07/28

Moultrie sits in the center of Colquitt County, Georgia, the state’s top agricultural county.

It is the county seat and the largest city there.

Likewise, Moultrie is home to a lovely downtown with cozy specialty shops and an award-winning courthouse.

It features several antique shops, and has earned the moniker “The Antique Capital of South Georgia.”

Its downtown contains the Moultrie Historic Commercial District, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Visitors to the city can enjoy many festivals such as the Festival of Lights Christmas Parade and the Spring Fling and Backyard BBQ Festival.

They can also drop by the Colquitt Theater, the famous Ellen Payne Odom Genealogy Library, the Colquitt County Arts Center, and nearby Reed Bingham State Park.

The city’s motto is ‘If we can’t do it the right way, we’ll do it our way.’

There are many brilliant spots for shopping, exploring, and dining in Moultrie.

Here are the best things to do in Moultrie, GA:

Take Lovely Pictures at Colquitt County Courthouse

Exterior of Colquitt County Courthouse

John Trainor, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Colquitt County Courthouse is a historic government building built in 1902.

You can find the building at Courthouse Square.

The National Register of Historic Places has also added the courthouse to its record.

It is the third courthouse to serve Colquitt County.

A log building and a two-story frame structure once occupied the courthouse space.

In 2001, they rededicated the building.

The city has recently restored its original magnificence, once voted the prettiest courthouse in Georgia.

Its south front has four columns supporting a large portico which converges to a pediment on the roofline.

The building also features entrances on each side, with a balustrade coursing along its roofline.

At its center is a large octagonal dome with a small white cupola at the top and a beautiful clock.

You can find the courtroom at the center of the second story.

Drop by the Colquitt County Courthouse whenever you’re in Moultrie.

Explore Downtown Moultrie

Downtown Moultrie feels welcoming and homelike to every visitor.

Downtown Moultrie is where old traditions hold fast and new traditions begin.

It is the heart of Moultrie and features about 50 restaurants, specialty stores, and shops for residents and tourists.

Its people have passed down city traditions through generations, like walking around the retaining wall surrounding the Colquitt County Courthouse.

The area also hosts festivals, including Lights! Lights! Thanksgiving Night and the Spring Fling and Backyard BBQ.

Parents bring their children to these events for the privilege of seeing them light up with amazement and wonder.

At their stores, you will find unique gifts, antiques, rings, clothing in different styles, kitchen wares, and handcrafted items.

There are also plenty of locally operated restaurants that can give you hometown cravings, fantastic food, and mouth-watering dessert.

Learn to Fight at South Georgia Jiu-Jitsu Academy

A family dedicated to bringing the benefits, structure, and positivity of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to South Georgia owns the South Georgia Jiu-Jitsu Academy.

Owner Coach Scott has a black belt in Gustavo Machado Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

He is also a Rangemaster Certified Firearms Instructor.

He realized that applying the principles of this art to daily life would improve his world.

Above all, the place teaches its students to respect themselves and everyone surrounding them.

Their adult Jiu-Jitsu classes will help you with competition, self-defense, confidence building, and general fitness.

Their kids’ Jiu-Jitsu classes will help children learn self-defense, body movement, safety, self-discipline, critical thinking, physical fitness, and personal growth.

Their self-defense and firearms classes will help you with the best practices for self-defense and all types of firearms training.

Learn to defend yourself and others at the South Georgia Jiu-Jitsu Academy.

Eat Yummy Mexican Food at Surcheros Fresh Mex

Surcheros Fresh Mex wants to give everyone memories and smiles with every delicious bite.

The restaurant delivers delicious Tex-Mex food served fresh every day.

All their meals are family-friendly, and they prepare them precisely to the customer’s liking.

Luke Christian opened his first restaurant in Douglas, Georgia, in 2007, serving wonderfully prepared Tex-Mex meals.

Luke took inspiration from the bold flavors and fantastic tastes of his childhood, blended with traditional Southern hospitality.

Surcheros Fresh Mex quickly became a community icon, a special place that remembers every customer’s name and order.

Soon, Luke and his wife Nicole started supporting new Surcheros franchises across South Georgia, including the branch in Moultrie.

At Surcheros Fresh Mex, pick your favorite toppings, taste signature sauces, and sample beautifully grilled meats.

You can also top your meal off with white cheese dip and satisfy your appetite.

Dig into Comfort Food at Three Crazy Bakers

As the name indicates, Three Crazy Bakers started with three crazy bakers who wanted to open a bakery.

They got the bakery up and running and soon passed duties on to Larry, Donna, and Paige Grimm, who opened it in 1998.

Over the years, Three Crazy Bakers has developed into the community’s firm favorite.

Today, they serve lunch and dinner seven days a week and operate as a full-service restaurant with a fantastic selection of bakery items.

Some of their best-known bakery items are lemon squares, brownies, sausage rolls, and cinnamon rolls.

You can also try Grandma’s lace cookies, cheesecakes, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, and key lime pies.

Their lunch menu comprises tasty food like salads, hamburgers, quiche, chicken salad, roll-up sandwiches, and several weekly specials.

Three Crazy Bakers also have an outstanding dinner menu comprising seafood pasta, filet, shrimp and grits, chicken, prime rib, and more.

Work It Out at Bautista’s Martial Arts

Bautista’s Martial Arts, or BMA, noticed that many people are unmotivated, out of shape, and lack discipline.

This leads to a feeling of inadequacy, helplessness, and powerlessness.

Chief instructor Kevin Bautista once lived an undisciplined life without guidance or self-control.

However, thanks to martial arts, he learned who he was meant to be.

Today, he takes joy in helping others become similarly confident and assertive.

People who engage in the martial arts classes at BMA begin to feel alive and deeply empowered.

Their Krav Maga classes focus on different situations such as physical fitness, everyday carry, self-defense, college-bound alertness, street defense, home invasion, and more.

Their Tae Kwon Do classes teach the right way of using your fists and feet to control fights and keep the peace.

Classes at Bautista’s Martial Arts teach a fantastic blend of advanced students and beginners who get the precise, intense workout they need.

Eat Yummy Barbecue at Joe Kem’s BBQ Sauce and Catering

Joe Kem Lacey had no idea what would happen when a friend gave him his barbecue recipe.

He recalls giving his friend a bottle of Black Velvet whiskey in exchange for his homemade barbecue sauce.

It was some of the best barbecue sauce he had ever tasted, and he proceeded to fine-tune the sauce to his liking.

Over 20 years later, Joe Kem’s BBQ Sauce has spread throughout South Georgia.

You can buy the sauce in sweet, mild, and hot flavors at different retail shops.

It has become an award-winning combination of sauces and dry rub, even featuring in many national publications.

These days, when you enter Joe Kem’s Market, you might find the smell of barbecue sauce wafting in the air.

You will spot Joe and Joe’s son J turning pork ribs, whole chickens, and briskets on the smoker.

Other popular items at Joe Kem’s BBQ Sauce and Catering are pork sandwiches, pimento cheese, baked beans, coleslaw, and smoked chicken salad.

Get Creative at Colquitt County Arts Center

Exterior of Colquitt County Arts Center

Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Colquitt County Arts Center is an essential landmark for arts and culture in Moultrie.

It is a creative cultural fount that makes visual and performing arts available to the local population.

Founded in 1987, it offers lessons in music, dance, performing, and visual arts throughout the year.

It is dedicated to providing an engaging arts education for the public.

Steps leading to Colquitt County Arts Center's entrance

Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

It also guards permanent collections, maintaining a signature facility that enriches Moultrie’s community.

Aspiring musicians at the Center can try voice lessons and instruments such as bass and electric guitar, drums, piano, violins, and cello.

Theatre serves as more than a creative discipline.

A group of local theatre lovers continue the long-time tradition of local stage performances at the Center.

At the Colquitt County Arts Center, you can see an impressive collection donated by artists.

For example, check out the Contemporary Collection and the William Frank McCall Jr. Collection.

Enjoy an Adventurous Stay at Morrison Pines Plantation

At Morrison Pines Plantation, you can enjoy hunting game at the best quail habitat in Georgia.

It has familiar and seasoned personnel and hunting lands.

Its main lodge is a 7,200-square-foot structure with a large dining room, great room, and patio with a firepit.

The lodge has 13 double or private bedrooms with a private bath.

They also have an additional lodge with three baths, four bedrooms, and a sitting area with a television.

Often, they serve wine with dinner, along with a good cigar and some port or brandy.

Wake-up calls begin at 7:00 a.m.

They also serve tea, juice, or coffee in your room.

After a tasty southern breakfast, the morning hunt starts at 8:30 a.m. and continues for three hours.

After a fine lunch, the afternoon hunt starts at 2:30 p.m. and goes on for another three hours.

Practice your hunting skills at the Morrison Pines Plantation.

Have Tee Time at Sunset Country Club

Sunset Country Club is a lovely 6,436-yard course at the heart of Moultrie.

Established in 1947, it has become a prominent natural beauty and leisure spot.

The club comprises a prestigious golf course, restaurant, locker rooms, bar and grill, golf pro shop, and two gorgeous swimming pools.

Whether you’re playing golf, celebrating a memorable affair, basking by the pool, or enjoying the course, Sunset Country Club is a great place to relax.

Throughout the year, tournaments offer fun and competitive affairs for golfers at every skill level.

The golf pro shop offers stellar golf supplies, golf apparel, custom-fitted golf clubs, and lessons from PGA-certified professionals.

Join the Pot o’ Gold, a pro-am tournament that consists of 4-man teams, each team comprising three amateurs and one club professional.

This tournament began in 1956, becoming one of the longest-running tournaments of its kind.

Show Your Athletic Prowess at Fundamental Factory

Fundamental Factory is a baseball/softball training center and a great athlete’s hangout.

Their goal is to provide an environment revolving around the player to help them ascend to the next level.

By expanding and focusing on the fundamentals, they will gradually sharpen and develop their players’ skills.

At Fundamental Factory, they offer the chance to receive a one-on-one coaching experience.

Owner Coach Tony Kirkland is an expert batting and swing trainer, while Coach Greg Tillery is great at catching and all-around baseball.

Coach Aaron Eubanks excels at pitching and velocity training, while Coach Steve Austin is trained in slap hitting, hitting, infield, and outfield.

Finally, Instructor Corbitt knows all areas of softball.

Use their seven batting cages to build your swing with their L-Screens, tees, and other hitting tools.

You can also increase your pitching capabilities with their in-house mounds that can be set at any distance.

Bring Your Family to Moultrie YMCA

Moultrie YMCA is a cause-fueled organization focusing on the areas of healthy living, social responsibility, and youth development.

They believe in achieving a solid community by investing in their health, kids, and neighbor.

Its mission is to put Christian values into practice through programs building a healthy spirit, mind, and body.

Their services, programs, and initiatives offer families a fun time, allow youths to achieve their potential, and empower people to maintain good health.

The Moultrie YMCA offers many weekly classes, children’s programs, personal training, swim lessons, and other programs to achieve your goals.

They offer classes for every level, age, and interest, from water aerobics, low-impact exercise, and stretching.

You can also join strength training, indoor dance classes, chair classes, pilates, and yoga.

They also offer sports, such as flag football, soccer, basketball, gymnastics, and pickleball.

Listen to Tunes at Music under the Magnolia

Music under the Magnolia will give you an enjoyable evening of live entertainment in the heart of downtown Moultrie.

It is a downtown jamboree that makes for the perfect autumn outing.

The chill November weather is a great time to warm up by sampling chili from each competitor in Moultrie’s Chili Cook-Off.

You can also shop for new clothes, browsing the outside racks set up for a Sidewalk Sale.

For more exciting outdoor activities, join the Cornhole Tournament and see who is crowned champion.

For your kids, there is a bouncy castle and other child-friendly entertainment.

Of course, Music Under the Magnolia would not be complete without fantastic music!

Past performances have included John Berry, the Kinchafoonee Cowboys, Wilson Williams, and the Platters.

Other artists who have played at Music under the Umbrella include Benny Anderson and the Drifters, the Tams, and the Legends of Doo Wop.

Admire the Beautiful Downtown Moultrie Murals

Downtown Moultrie features an array of gorgeous murals to admire.

You can see two in Sportsman’s Breezeway, one on the side of the Je T’aime Event Center, and four in the Covered Breezeway.

It took two artists to complete the mural at Je T’aime Event Center, which says, “Proud to be from here.”

On the outlined word “here” are highlights of things that make Moultrie unique.

These include the Moose Moss Diving Tigers, the Colquitt County Packers, the Colquitt County Courthouse, wildlife, agriculture, wineries, and more.

The Covered Breezeway is an open-air breezeway featuring four photogenic murals that a local artist painted.

Kim Yarbrough illustrated the balloons, tractors, courthouse, and flowers in the Covered Breezeway mural.

At the Sportsman’s Breezeway, you will find two murals that belonged to Downtown Moultrie’s Mural Project.

They proved so popular that the city left them hanging year-round.

Admire the Glowing Spectacle at Lights! Lights! Thanksgiving Night

The Canopy of Lights surrounding the colquitt county courthouse

Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Every Thanksgiving, families, and friends gather downtown to admire the wondrous Canopy of Lights during the Lights! Lights! Thanksgiving Night selection in Moultrie.

Every year, Santa Claus makes an appearance downtown to say hi to the children and launch the Christmas season.

Further explorations downtown will reveal delights such as a train, pony rides, live reindeer, and more.

In the afternoon, downtown shops open their doors before the Canopy of Lights flickers.

You can walk around the transformed downtown to visit these merchants.

Don’t forget to take pictures of the Canopy of Lights in its full glory as a glowing souvenir.

The Canopy of Lights dates back to the 1930s.

It started with merely four strands of light hanging from the top of the courthouse to the square’s four corners.

Since then, the canopy has grown to include 9,000 lights stretching throughout downtown Moultrie.

Enjoy a unique Thanksgiving in Moultrie by celebrating Lights! Lights! Thanksgiving Night.

Final Thoughts

Moultrie brims with unique attractions, historical traditions, exciting festivals, and bustling businesses.

If you’re looking for a relaxing weekend in Georgia, visit this remarkable city today.

You will have a blast experiencing the festivities, entertainment, activities, and learning experiences in Moultrie.

Book your trip today!

You might find more things to do in Moultrie, GA, when you arrive.

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