From the April 6, 2022 issue
of The Journal
When "Buena Vista, GA" comes up in a casual conversation, one may envision a sleepy, southern, one red-light town surrounded by rich, rural farmland. They aren't completely wrong about that, but they aren't completely right either. The small town offers big-time entertainment thanks to an historic building being renovated and brought to life as Moon Family Theatre.
It's not entirely a new phenomenon, as the Moon Family had first brought first-class entertainment to the tiny town decades ago. Now, after a bit of a hiatus, the effort has been renewed by the next generation, which has combined bringing world-class, hall-of-fame performers to town with the development of local talent. It's turning the one red-light town into a beacon for lovers of music and the arts. It's a very welcome development, especially for those who have noticed the decline of many similar small towns, which are becoming known more for decrepit downtown buildings than for attracting visitors.
Mike L. Moon was a self-made entrepreneur who turned his adopted home of Buena Vista into a tourist haven back in the 1990s. In addition to establishing Mooncraft, his international line of knit sportswear made in a local manufacturing warehouse, he founded the National Country Music Museum,
