Blue Highways

When Hollywood comes to Georgia, it often stops in Covington

Blue Highways by Tee Gentry This church once played the pivotal role of the Boar's Nest in "The Dukes of Hazzard." Far few nefarious schemes are hatched there today. Hollywood has been in Georgia for a long time.   Chances are, if you watch television, you’ve seen a certain small town just east of Atlanta. It’s a place where cars have gone airborne, vampires have lurked, and Sheriff Bill Gillespie stayed busy fighting crime.  Welcome to Sparta, Mississippi, Hazzard County and Mystic Falls, Virgina. Well, sort of. These fictional towns that all have something in common - Covington, Georgia.  Some call this town Hollywood South. The television shows "Vampire Diaries," "Dukes of Hazzard," and "In the Heat of the Night" all shot here. Scenes from Venom, The Tomorrow War, Remember the Titans and, surprisingly, Jungle Cruise were also shot in Covington.  It’s a stereotypical small, southern town with a town square complete with courthouse and a local diner. A mural on one of the historic buildings downtown pays tribute to the shows that were filmed here.  Yutes. What’s a Yute?   The Covington courthouse was used for exteriors in My Cousin Vinny. Courtroom interiors were shot on a set constructed in a nearby warehouse. Yes, even Vinny Gambini and Mona Lisa Vito spent some time in the Covington town square. Most of the downtown scenes in My Cousin Vinny were filmed in Covington.   Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei could also be found in an old warehouse near downtown, which was converted into the courtroom you see in the movie.  A fun fact - had to suspend the courthouse scenes during rainstorms because of the tin roof of the warehouse.  Where to eat  The Vampire Diaries-inspired, Mystic Grill serves both a Clocktower and Mystic Burger, which both sound great. Also on the menu, Sweet Tea Fried Chicken. Yep, that’s a thing. It comes with Andouille Sausage Red Eye Gravy, Yukon Golden Mash and Garlic Green Beans. That’s worth the trip alone.  What I missed  The Covington town square has proven a popular proxy for everything from a Virginia town with a bit of a vampire infestation ("Vampire Diaries") to a convenient spot to jump muscle cars on "The Dukes of Hazzard." I’ve yet to take the movie tour. Main Street Trolly and Tours will take you to 40 filming sites in Covington and the surrounding area. According to their website, you’ll see houses used in Vampire Diaries, see where Bo and Luke jumped the General Lee in the opening sequence of the show and more.