The Spring Chicken Festival held in downtown Gainesville this weekend surely must stir memories of those who remember the very popular Georgia Poultry Festival staged in the 1950s and ’60s, just when the poultry industry was beginning to take off in Northeast Georgia. It was a big event, usually at this time of year. The Poultry Festival began in 1953 with such organizations as the local chamber of commerce and Georgia Poultry Federation coordinating activities.