A concert picnic event called “Playin’ in the Park” is planned for 7 p.m., Saturday, August 28, at Peek Park in Cedartown to benefit The Polk County Women’s Shelter, Our House.

“This unique fundraiser invites the public to enjoy some great music in a great setting,” explained Jennifer Chandler, one of the organizers.

“It’s not a typical park concert,” she explained. Tables and chairs will be set up and an area for lawn seating will be available for patrons to bring their own chair or quilt.

Picnic baskets are welcome or an order can be turned in for a boxed meal from Pirkle’s Deli. The pre-order can be made when purchasing tickets for the show for an additional $6 per person.

Lawn seating is $5, tables for four are $40 and tables for eight are $80.

Lawn ticket and meal reservations are available for purchase at the Cedartown’s Downtown Welcome Center, located on South Main Street.

Table reservations with or without the meal may be purchased by calling 770-748-7815. No alcohol is allowed and children under five years are admitted free.

“The price of your ticket is all you’ll be asked to give,” Chandler said.

The concert will feature the musical group, Cross Ties. The versatile five-man ensemble will play and sing bluegrass, gospel, a cappella spirituals, Sacred Harp hymns and traditional Irish music. Cross Ties, which features local musician Brett Mulcay, is an acoustic, stringed instrument band based in northwest Georgia.

They have spent the summer in the studio recording a gospel collection that will be ready this fall. Some group members have toured Germany as well as performed with well-known artists such as The Inspirations, The Isaacs, and IIIrd Tyme Out.

The band’s repertoire reflects the diverse talent and background of the individual members, according to concert organizers. A Cross Ties show is full of instrument swapping and unexpected combinations of harmony.

Organizers are committed to the support of Our House. It is the temporary “safe house” for battered women and their children.

Statistics show that every seven minutes in the United States a woman dies at the hand of an intimate partner, according to Our House information. Battering is the leading cause of injury to women, more than rape, mugging or auto accidents combined.

In Polk County from July 2001 to the present Our House received approximately 1424 crisis calls on the Polk County domestic violence crisis hot line. To date, 220 women and 172 children have been sheltered there. The Legal Advocate helped victims obtain 354 Temporary and Permanent Protective Orders.

Chandler said that their intentions are to do “Playin’ in the Park” three times a year at different parks and they also want to include Rockmart.