Typically, people visit the Northeast Georgia History Center to learn about the past, but on Sunday, visitors will be able to learn more about their futures.

From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m Sunday, the center at 322 Academy St. NE, Gainesville will play host to a college fair. The event will include seminars on financial aid, choosing a college and how to use the Internet effectively for college and career searches.

“Everything is free. Folks can just show up. You don’t have to pre-register,” said Julie Carson, history center education and volunteer coordinator.

“We hope to lots of interested students and their parents will come out.”

The event is co-sponsored by the history center and the Georgia Student Finance Commission.

On top of learning more about higher education, attendees will also have the opportunity to win door prizes and possibly even scholarships. They will also have the opportunity to talk to representatives from nine different institutions including: Brenau University, Lanier Technical College, North Georgia College & State University and Young Harris College.

This event is the prelude to the center’s annual Taste of History, which will be held on Oct. 5. Each year, the luncheon focuses on a different part of North Georgia life and history. This year’s theme is, “A Tribute to Higher Education in Northeast Georgia.”

“A Taste of History is our primary fundraiser for the year. It’s one of the big ways we are able to continue serving the community,” said Glen Kyle, history center managing director.

“Each year, we pick a different focus. One year we focused on Zell Miller, another year it was the poultry industry. This year, we decided to honor higher education.

“A lot of people around the country think of Northeast Georgia as a rural, backwoods area, but with so many colleges and universities in the area that consistently (receive national recognition), we’re certainly not that. The number of higher education institutions in Northeast Georgia marks the uniqueness of this region.”

The money raised from the luncheon will help the center renovate the education portion of its main Land of Promise exhibit.

“We’ll be building a scaled-down version of a school house that you can enter to learn more about education in this area. It doesn’t just focus on higher education, there will also be information about primary and secondary education as well,” Kyle said.

“The documentary highlighting the role of higher education in this region that we will premier at the luncheon will also be included in the exhibit. It will be presented in an interactive, push-button kiosk.

“Hosting the college fair is a way for us to take the historical meaning of higher education in this area and carry it through to the community. It also gives college hopefuls the opportunity to talk to representatives and get an idea to see if colleges in Northeast Georgia are for them.”