Atlanta’s historic Cabbagetown neighborhood is honoring one of its well-known former residents, Joyce Brookshire, a woman of force, who advocated for social justice in the community.
In the late musician’s honor, the Brookshire Amphitheater’s major renovation will provide a space for people’s voices and characters to shine when they feel they don’t have opportunities anywhere else.
These efforts began in early 2024 and led to a community campaign of fundraisers, grants, and neighbors who volunteered. Program Director John Dirga, along with the rest of the board of directors for the Cabbagetown Initiative, spearheaded these efforts.
Known as the “Duchess of Cabbagetown,” Joyce Brookshire was a beloved singer-songwriter who had a heart for equality and justice that flowed through her lyrics. If there was one word to describe her, it would be “powerhouse,” and that’s exactly what the neighbors of Cabbagetown want for their amphitheater.
Brookshire died in 2017 at 76 years old.
“An activist human rights defender, and a big voice. especially for the Appalachian community that’s really kind of made Cabbagetown what it is, it’s just one of the most beautiful things,” President of the Cabbagetown Neighborhood Improvement Association Marina Rivera said. “We’re merging this history in a really beautiful way that I think our community will continue to grow and celebrate for the years to come.”
The heart of Cabbagetown is community, and rebuilding this amphitheater will reflect this spirit. The amphitheater will be the site for the Chomp and Stomp concert series which is dedicated to bluegrass and old-time music, as well as other concerts or shows for the local crowd.
“Connecting that with Chomp and Stomp, that’s the manifestation of that musical history,” Parks Committee Chair for the Cabbagetown Initiative Charles Bethea said.
It will also include a wildlife viewing area, new landscaping, accessible seating platforms and ramps, and important drainage work to assure the solidity of the amphitheater.
“A lot of the history of music in Cabbagetown is a function of how close the houses are together and kind of front porch culture,” John Dirga, program director, said. “It’s always been a magnetic neighborhood for creatives and musicians, even during the Cotton Mill era, with figures like Tommy Roe and before that, Moonshine Kate and Fiddlin’ John.”
Cabbagetown has yielded many fundamental figures in Atlanta’s music history. Not just people like Tommy Roe who Dirga mentioned, but also musicians including Cat Powers, Blackberry Smoke, and Jody Grind.
“I often say that we, as leaders of the community now, stand on the shoulders of giants that created this incredible place,” Board Director of Cabbagetown Initiative Brandon Sutton said. “These places don’t just happen, that vibe and togetherness doesn’t just happen automatically, it takes people committing to togetherness.”
The goal of this neighborhood’s efforts is more than just a revitalization of an amphitheater. It is the heart for community and the need for connectivity. The amphitheater’s restoration would not be possible without the neighbors themselves and that was apparent in the project’s blueprints. It included a “woven kudzu enclosure” which will be harvested and woven by volunteers and Cabbagetown residents.
Many neighbors donated their time towards curating the sound design and acoustics of the amphitheater and even weaving together the history of the neighborhood and the city with different materials.
“It’s important for people to understand that this is a gift to the city of Atlanta,” Dirga said. “This becomes property of the people of Atlanta, and that it makes our neighborhood stronger to have a place like this in our community, but it’s also a place where other people can share their stories and have their own adventures.
At the core of it all, stands Joyce Brookshire in memory, pushing efforts for Cabbagetown to continue its community-centered ways. As a pillar of the city of Atlanta, Cabbagetown is dedicated to projects like these bringing the community together with music at the heart of it all.
“Joyce’s mission was the forgotten, the hungry, the homeless, the poor,” Dirga said. “I’m not going out of my way to make it inviting for camping, but I’m also not going to shy away from building something that thousands of people are going to enjoy just because somebody might use it the wrong way or use it in a way that somebody doesn’t like.”
The completion date for the amphitheater was planned for late 2025 but due to weather and additional costs, the date has moved to spring of 2026. The Chomp and Stomp concert series will still be held Saturday, November 8th starting at 11 am. Fundraising efforts and awareness campaigns will continue through the construction phase.
“Music has been the thread that’s kept Cabbagetown going for so many years,” Cabbagetown’s neighborhood association president Marina Rivera said.
