City and business leaders will gather in Stone Mountain Friday afternoon, Oct. 8, to celebrate the first part of a downtown facelift.

A 3 p.m. ribbon cutting will showcase the $1.7 million project to rebuild sidewalks and install features such as trees and benches along Main Street between Manor Drive and City Hall.

Main Street Stone Mountain, a business group, will also unveil its gift to the city during the event: a sculpture of quarry workers done by John Thigpen. The sculpture will be the centerpiece of a new pedestrian island in the downtown area.

The event also will include the opening of the city’s Micro-Enterprise Project, which helps artists start their own studios and galleries in the city.

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Angie McBrayer, ex-wife of James Aaron McBrayer, leans her head on her son Sam McBrayer as she and her three children and two grandchildren (from left) Jackson McBrayer, 3, Piper Jae McBrayer, 7, Katy Isaza, and Jordan McBrayer, visit the grave of James McBrayer, Thursday, November 20, 2025, in Tifton. He died after being restrained by Tift County sheriff's deputies on April 24, 2019. His ex-wife witnessed the arrest and said she thought the deputies were being rough but did not imagine that McBrayer would die. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC