Inside the Rookery

“Inside the Rookery” is our gallery, diary, tour and bric-a-brac shop. We use this feature of the website as a guide to our programming, important upcoming dates as well as a document that captures past events in word and photograph form.

Calendar (here are some dates your might want to put on your calendar, too.)

• Every Thursday - Dueling Pianos with CJ Warren and Denny Hanson
  These guys can play most all of your requests for tips. 9pm, no cover.
• July 16th, 9:30PM - E.G. Kight
• July 31st, 5:30PM-Until - Bragg Jam

Brunch

Not only is the Rookery a great place to finish the weekend, but our Sunday Brunch has become a Macon treasure bringing together an eclectic mix of Macon’s diverse population for a “classic” brunch menu featuring the Rookery Omelette, Betsy’s Omelette with pimento cheese and bacon, and the amazing Riverview Farms Sausage Benedict made with all natural, organic sausage from Ranger, Georgia. The menu varies from week to week depending on the availability of fresh product and the artistic temperament of our delightful kitchen crew. Sunday Brunch at the Rookery is the highlight of a lot of people’s week.

Happy Hour

Given the broad range of people who call the Rookery home, it goes without saying that Happy Hour at the Rookery is a lively and interesting mix of business leaders and shop owners, students, artists, and the occasional local “personality”. Our large tap system (July 2010) feature a vast array of beer choices for the connoisseurs, there is usually a draft special, and all well liquors are two for one. We have one of the most state of the art sound systems in the area and do not be surprised if someone decides to sit at the piano and tickle it a bit.

 

Trivia

Trivia is a weekly Wednesday night mainstay, where groups of friends get together, come up with strange and often inappropriate team names, and compete for prizes, such as tickets to local attractions, Gift Certificates, and most of all, bragging rights. This is a great time to have a few drinks, share a few appetizers off of our large “Opening Acts” menu and catch up with an old friend or even get to know someone knew. Trivia starts around 8 o’clock.

Live Music

It is hard to tell what part of the Rookery’s legendary status is most distinguishing. The Rookery Burger is well known as a burger beyond reproach, but the Rookery has also been the host to many exciting bands and magical music moments. Jaimoe sitting in on drums behind Bobby O’dea was a common occurrence on Sunday nights for a long time. Musicians from miles away would pack up their gear and head to Macon for the opportunity to get up and jam with Bobby at the keyboard. Widespread Panic played one of their earliest shows on the Rookery stage, a patron would enter the front door and step over guitar chords and microphone cables on the way to watering hole. In 1999, a tragedy involving two local musicians was transformed into Macon’s largest music festival as Bragg Jam was born at the Rookery. Today, the piano could fire up at any moment and local and regional acts are often scheduled to stop by share the music.

First Friday

First Friday, which is the first Friday of each month, is sponsored by New Town Macon and programmed to involve the entire downtown community with sidewalk vending and entertainment. The open container laws are relaxed and locals and tourists alike take to the sidewalks of Cherry St. to enjoy our fair little city.

Baggo

Baggo, or “Corn Hole,” is for the most part a drinking sport involving two boards each with hole in them and a hand full of bean bags. Points are given for bags tossed through the hole as well as bags on the board until 21 points are made by one of the teams. The Rookery has 3 beautiful sets of Baggo boards available if you allow us to borrow your drivers license. Baggo tournaments have been very successful downtown and are a lot of fun for all ages.

Bragg Jam

On July 3, 1999, brothers Brax and Taylor Bragg were killed in automobile accident in west Texas while on tour. The very popular and loved brothers were scheduled to play the Rookery at their homecoming, so a group of friends decided the show must go on and celebrated the life of the two musicians by playing a show for them. It was a small, quaint night of friends laughing and grieving, but what began as a memorial gesture has evolved in to one of the most eclectic and exciting music festival in the south. Usually around the end of July, Bragg Jam, a non-profit festival that benefits the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail among other beneficiaries, is held in Macon. The festival involves multiple venues and bands from all over, as well as an arts and craft festival for the kids. The Rookery is proud to annually host a part of the festival called “Friends of Brax” that historically features members of Brax’s band, the Buckleys, as well as members of Gypsy Train, Hank Vegas, Moonshine Still and the Bushels.

Photo Gallery