Young Man Missing After Georgia Rainbow Gathering

ATLANTA, GA — A young man who attended a hippie-style gathering in the north Georgia mountains earlier this month has been missing ever since, police say.

Curtis Jay Elliott, 20, attended the Rainbow Gathering in Lumpkin County from July 1-4. His family last heard from him on July 5, according to the Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office.

"His family is very concerned about his whereabouts," Sheriff Stacy M. Garrard said in a social media post. "It is uncharacteristic of CJ to not contact his parents."

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Lumpkin County is located in northeast Georgia, about 70 miles northeast of Atlanta. Its county seat is Dahlonega and part of the Chattahoochee National Forest is located there.

Elliott, who goes by C.J., is described as a white male with brown hair and blue eyes. He is about 5'10" and weighs about 135 pounds. He was possibly driving a gray, 1993 Chevy S-10 pickup truck.

He lives in Lumpkin County and works in Gainesville, in neighboring Hall County.

Rainbow Gatherings draw together a loosely knit community with roots in the counter-culture movement of the 1960s. The gatherings, which take place in wilderness areas, have been held for decades, but this month's was believed to be the first in Georgia.

Anyone with information about Elliott's whereabouts is asked to contact the Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office at 706-482-2619 or Garrard directly at 706-482-2623.

Photo courtesy Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office