Covington, Georgia is known as the Hollywood of the South because of the many shows and movies filmed there. One of the shows filmed here that has kept a loyal following for two decades is “In the Heat of the Night”. Officials from the Hollywood of the South are planning a series of tours, called “Reheat 2014”. The first of these tours is scheduled for May 18, and will be co-led by actress Maureen Dowdell, who played Tracey Boggs in ‘The Heat of the Night”. The tours will also be led by Jessica Lowery, who leads tours of “The Vampire Diaries” through her company Mystic Falls Tours.
Tourism Director for the Hollywood of the South, Jenny McDonald, plans for the tours to start at one a month, then increase the number according to interest. These Reheat 2014 tours will begin at the Newton County Visitor’s Bureau, 2101 Clark St. SW, Covington. Lowery’s storefront on the Covington Square is already carrying merchandise for the ReHeat Tour.
Along with the guided tour, McDonald is working to create a Hollywood of the South walking tour of at least 37 unique locations in Newton County where “In the Heat of the Night” was filmed. Tour officials received help determining filming sites from Grady Spradley, the double for actor Carroll O’Conner, and Ray Witt, who used to drive bus tours to see filming locations.
The Covington-Newton County Chamber of Commerce uses revenue from hotel taxes to fund tourism in the Hollywood of the South and the Main Street Covington program.
For more information about the tours and the Covington Newton County Visitors Bureau visit their website at http://gocov.comx
