The 2010 Guide to North Georgia’s Fall Festivals and Events

By Joshua Daniels with contributions by Dusty Brown

Young Harris Art Festival
2010 Dates: Aug. 28 & 29
If you take a drive into the mountains of northern Georgia, you’ll find Towns County, where more than half of the county’s land sits within National Forest Land. The views are astounding with the Appalachian Trail nearby. This year, Towns County is host to the Young Harris Arts Festival in August at Mayors Park. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, visitors can browse through 50 juried artisans specializing in basketry, fiber art, candles, soap, jewelry, photography, decorative painting, glass, metal and fine arts, not to mention vendors serving up irresistible, classic fair food. As you make your way through the fair, you’re likely to do a bit of toe tapping to the music accompanying cloggers or the live performances of the many bluegrass and folk music jam sessions, constantly evolving through the day as different pickers and grinners join in.

Whether you’ve been canning and baking for many years or you’re still perfecting your method, the 2010 Canned Foods and Baked Goods Contest will be a first that you don’t want to miss. Festival attendees can count on demonstrations in blacksmithing, soap making, chainsaw art and pottery. There will also be a farmers’ market offering scrumptious locally grown fruits and vegetables. For more information, call (706) 897-6179.

FestivalsMountain Marketplace Heritage Festival
2010 Dates: Sept. 4 & 5
Enjoy a weekend celebrating the best of Appalachia! Arts and crafts are on display to educate and sell. Handmade brooms, pottery, soap, candles, honey and wood carvings are just a few of the items to be found at this festival in Blairsville, Ga. Activities for the whole family include gospel music, gold panning, craft demonstrations and more. Held in the Mountain Life Museum just a block away from the square, this festival is one not to be missed for anyone interested in mountain heritage. Admission is free. For more information visit www.UnionCountyHistory.org.

Blue Ridge Labor Day Barbeque
2010 Date: Sept. 6
Come join the Labor Day celebration in downtown Blue Ridge, Georgia at the city park. The annual barbeque starts at 11 a.m. and continues until the food runs out. Walk around the historic downtown streets while you eat barbecue and listen to the entertainment. For more information, visit www.blueridgemountains.com.

Oktoberfest
2010 Dates: Sept. 9-Oct. 31
Oktoberfest! It's the German word for fun! Well, that may not be the actual translation, but to the folks attending Helen's 40th annual Oktoberfest every year it may as well be. This celebration lasts two months. Deep azure skies and color splashed mountains surround a picturesque "alpine" village, making the days as inviting as the nights. During the day, you may decide to browse the shops, relax in a biergarten, or simply enjoy Helen's perfect weather and beautiful scenery. At night, however, all paths lead to Helen's massive Festhalle for authentic German bands, food, beer and fun. Be sure to sample the fresh cooked wurst, and large variety of German beers. Prosit! For more information, visit www.helenchamber.com.

Mountain Music and Arts and Crafts Festival
2010 Date: Sept. 11
Located at Vogel State Park in Blairsville, Ga., this event celebrates traditional mountain music—bluegrass, gospel and Appalachia tunes. There are arts and crafts in booths to sell what demonstrators around the area are creating. Demonstrations include blacksmithing, spinning, wood carving and more. For more information, call (706) 745-2628.

Festivals11th Annual Wildlife & Nature Art Festival & Expo
2010 Dates: Sept. 18 & 19
There’s nothing like the fall season in the mountains. Leaves begin changing, the air starts cooling, and wild animals begin roaming the Downtown City Park of Blue Ridge, Georgia. Well, not literally “roaming” … more like “on display” throughout the park. The 11th Annual Wildlife & Nature Art Festival & Expo will be held on September 18th and 19th from 10am – 5pm. It is a fine art, juried festival which will feature some of the most spectacular wildlife and nature art and invitational crafts from around the region and beyond! There will be painters, photographers, potters, jewelers, craftsmen. You name it, they’ll be there! Landscapes, domestic and wild animals, reptiles, amphibians…all become visions of art. From abstract, classic, traditional and indescribable art forms, there is truly something for everyone.

The Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association (The Art Center) located inside the former Fannin County Courthouse, is the proud host of this yearly festival. The Art Center staff and volunteers begin planning the festival months in advance, with the end result being a park filled with amazed visitors, eager artists, and beautiful images of nature and its countless inhabitants. Live demonstrations are held throughout the weekend as well, with anything from fishing expos to sheep herding (always a crowd pleaser!) The Georgia Jr. Duck Stamp artwork has been a favorite exhibit of the past, and will be here again this year! Also, the very FIRST Blue Ridge Mountain Photographers National Juried Wildlife & Nature Photography Exhibit will be on display inside The Art Center! Enjoy the creativity of over 75 different wildlife and nature artists! Admission is free to $5. For more information, please contact the Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association at (706) 632-2144 or through e-mail at brmaa@etcmail.com. You can also visit their website at www.blueridgearts.net.

Rose Lawn Arts Festival
2010 Dates: Sept. 18 & 19
The 35th Arts Festival at Rose Lawn offers quality arts and crafts and two days of great entertainment in a historic city setting. This annual event is held on the spacious lawn of the historical mansion of renowned Methodist Evangelist Samuel Porter Jones in the heart of downtown Cartersville, Georgia. A little bit of Nashville returns to Rose Lawn each year during the Arts Festival as rising stars are featured onstage. Throughout the weekend, regional artists will exhibit everything from paintings and jewelry to basketry, quilting, weaving, pottery, photography and wood. Visitors can also enjoy a wide variety of food including barbecue and ice cream. Guests may also tour Rev. Jones’ eighteen-room Victorian house museum, carriage house and one-room schoolhouse. Admission is free. For more information, call 800-733-2280.

Outdoor Adventure Day at Unicoi
2010 Date: Sept. 25
There is something here to please everyone at Unicoi State Park outside Helen, Ga. Visitors can learn how to paddle canoes, shoot, fish, archery basics and more. There are demonstrations with various types of outdoor sports, weapons and hunting dogs. Take a hayride to view the park or visit the wildlife shows with snakes and hawks. For more information, call 800-573-9659.

Autumn Leaf Festival
2010 Dates: Oct. 1-3
Just a short trip from Athens, Ga. and one of the largest festivals in the state, this one draws thousands of people to Maysville each year. Started in 1966, exhibitors throughout the southeast show their arts and crafts as local talent performs for visitors. A variety of food and drinks are available. Admission is free. For more information, call 706-708-6409.

Indian Summer Festival
2010 Dates: Oct. 2 & 3
In the North Georgia Mountains, it’s hard to find more picturesque beauty than Suches, Ga. In the 33rd Indian Summer Festival, there are arts, crafts and all day entertainment at the Woody Gap School. Events include clogging, a turkey shoot, archery demo, auction and fantastic food. Admission is $4 (all proceeds go to Woody Gap School). For more information, visit www.suches.com or call (706) 747-2401.

FestivalsThe Georgia Marble Festival
2010 Dates: Oct. 2 & 3
The crisp fall air beckons visitor to Jasper, Ga. the “Gateway to the Mountains” for the annual Marble Festival. A 5K road race and parade kick off the festivities. Home to the world’s largest open pit marble quarry, tours are given only during this one time of year. Artists abound at this festival with everything imaginable represented here. Marble sculptors, wood workers and more exhibit their talent during live exhibitions at the Lee Newton Park. Thousands of visitors take home free pieces of their own marble slabs as keepsakes of their time here. A wide variety of regional and local talent entertains while visitors munch on everything from crispy fried seafood to fresh made jams and jellies. A children’s area with rock climbing, obstacle course, car racing and free arts and crafts make your children wish they could come back each day. Admission is free to $5. For more information, visit www.pickenschamber.com.

Big Red Apple Festival
2010 Date: Oct. 2
Starting at 10 a.m., Cornelia, Ga. hosts a fun, family-oriented fall festival complete with crafts, food and entertainment. You can see the big, red apple monument in the railway station area during your stroll. Children can play in the designated children’s area full of games and fun. With 6 parks and 3 museums, there’s no shortage of education. For more information, call 706-778-8585.

FestivalsCherry Log Festival
2010 Dates: Oct. 2 & 3 and 9 & 10
The annual Cherry Log Fall Festival, a Georgia mountains tradition since 1971, will have its booths filled this October with handmade crafts of many types, and of course, food. Breakfast is served at 7:30 a.m. and lunch from 11:30 until 2:30. Hamburgers, hot dogs, fried pies and ice cream will also be available. Visitors can shop for homemade cakes, pies, cookies, canned goods and Brunswick stew. Free entertainment will be provided in the afternoons. The festival is located across from the Cherry Log Post Office just off Highway 515 between exits 18 and 19 on Cherry Log Street (Old Highway 5). For more information, call (706) 698-3208.

Cumming Country Fair & Festival
2010 Dates: Oct. 7-17
This special event combines something for everyone at the Cumming fairgrounds. Educational history exhibits feature reproductions of a 1900’s rural town with everything from a doctor’s office to churches and Indian villages. There are carnival rides, a petting zoo and foods for the kids with specials happening each day. For more information, call 770-781-3491.

The Georgia Mountains Fall Festival
2010 Dates: Oct. 8-16
Set in a rustic setting, the fairgrounds in Hiawassee, Ga. provide some of the best music, entertainment and crafts to be found. For a full week, visitors can watch country music shows or be entertained by the annual fiddlers’ convention, where the Georgia State Champion will be announced for a variety of events—buck dancing, harmonica, dobro, banjo and of course, the fiddle. To check out the schedule of events, visit: www.georgiamountainfairgrounds.com.

Fall Celebration
2010 Date: Oct. 9
Beginning at noon, the Smithgall Woods Conservation area hosts a full day of mountain music, pioneer skill exhibits, hayrides, food and crafts. Just a small trip from Georgia’s Alpine Village of Helen, the Fall Celebration is an educational day trip from Helen’s Oktoberfest. For more information, call 706-878-3087.

The North Georgia Folk Festival
2010 Date: Oct. 2
Come to Athens, Ga. where the culture of folk music is alive and well! Located in Sandy Creek Park, there are art vendors, craft demonstrations and an all day acoustic band that anyone can join! Educational workshops include the banjo, Irish fiddle and old time singing. For more information, visit www.athensfolk.org.

FestivalsThe Georgia Apple Festival
2010 Dates: Oct. 9 & 10 Oct. 16 & 17
Don’t miss one of the largest festivals in north Georgia! The Georgia Apple Festival has been presented in Gilmer County for over 30 years. Located on the Lions Club Fairgrounds in Ellijay, Ga., vendors sell crafts and folk arts—everything from jewelry to rock fountains to wood bowls can be found. Pottery, one-of-a-kind art, furniture, glassware and more line the rows. Browse through the hundreds of crafters while you listen to music. Try one of the many samples of local foods. From Cajun low-country boil to hand churned ice cream, there are hundreds of choices to please any palate. Go to the main building for some of the best country cooking around. A few area apple houses are represented by having large stands to sell apple cider, pies, apples and more. Children can ride the toy train, climb a rock wall or visit some of the wildlife exhibits. The festival benefits many local charities and is always well represented by the friendly community residents.

Once you have enjoyed the Apple Festival at the Fairgrounds, please take time to visit the Ellijay square, where the antique merchants and small shops have a variety of goods to share. Sample homemade fudge while you walk around the specialty shops and antique stores. It’s an unbelievably good time! For more information, visit www.georgiaapplefestival.org.

Georgia Sorghum Festival
2010 Dates: Oct. 9 & 10, Oct. 16 & 17
Held in a fort in Blairsville, Ga., the Sorghum Festival is a celebration of one of the oldest sweeteners. You can smell the sorghum cooking from the parking area. While you walk around with a sorghum butter biscuit, you can check out the crafts in the fort, listen to the music and entertainment or head up the stairs for more arts and crafts. For more information, visit www.sorghum.blairsville.com.

Fall Hoedown
2010 Date: Oct. 16
Spend the crisp autumn day at Vogel State Park just outside Blairsville, Ga. as they host a celebration of the season complete with hayrides and cakewalks. Walk around while you sample chili and drinks. End the day with a campfire and storyteller. Perfect for the whole family! For more information, call 706-745-2628.

Gold Rush Days
2010 Dates: Oct. 16-17
Ahh…the lure of gold. Another major festival in the North Georgia area, the Gold Rush Days in Dahlonega, Ga. celebrate the 1828 gold discovery in the town…the largest in the South. Pan for gold, visit over 300 vendors selling arts, crafts and food or take a tour of the historical courthouse or college. Watch the fashion show, try gold panning and eat some of the best food the South has to offer! The square in Dahlonega is also the location of many interesting arts and outdoors shops. Gold Rush is a great festival for visitors of all ages. For more information, call 706-864-7247.

Heritage Days at Talking Rock
2010 Dates: Oct. 16 & 17
Come to Talking Rock and Tate, Ga. for one of the most interesting heritage festivals. Celebrate the marble-rich history of Pickens County and browse the arts and crafts. Bluegrass and gospel music fill the air each year while visitors wander the streets looking at the recreated town and residents. The food and fellowship are not to be missed while learning the history of the area. Admission is free. For more information, visit 706-253-5515.

Mountain Harvest Sale
2010 Dates: Oct. 16 & 17 and 23 & 24
Come to the Blue Ridge Farmer's Market this October to browse through local arts, crafts, food and fun. Sponsored by the Fannin County Homemaker's Council, it’s a free event. For more information, visit www.blueridgemountains.com.

The Southeastern Cowboy Festival
2010 Dates: Oct. 21-24
A small, but growing festival, this one is unique in its theme. Anyone dreaming of life in the old west needs to visit the Booth Museum in Cartersville for this event. For the adults, there are history lectures, music and poetry concerts, demonstrations and re-enactments. The children are invited to the “Cowpoke Corner” for activities. The Booth Western Art Museum is an 80,000 square foot museum where guests are invited to explore the American West through contemporary Western artwork. For more information, call 770-387-2833.

The Mountain Moonshine Festival
2010 Dates: Oct. 22-24
You can’t get more down-home charm than the 43rd Annual Moonshine Festival in Downtown Dawsonville, Ga. Celebrating the South’s history when liquor was illegal during Prohibition and running moonshine through the foothills of the mountains was a way of life. A bike tour and parade will lead the celebration. Listen to the live music, look at the antique cars (some authentic moonshine haulers) and meet legendary race car drivers. Admission is free. For more information, call 877-302-9271.

FestivalsPaws in the Park
2010 Date: Oct. 23
Bring your pet to the downtown Blue Ridge Park this fall! Starting at 10 a.m. there will be a parade. Join the fun featuring a Pet Costume Contest, Blessing of the Pets, pet photographs, exhibitors, arts and crafts, food and music. All donations go the Humane Society of Blue Ridge and other participating pet rescue organizations. For additional information, visit www.humanesocietyofblueridge.org.

Halloween
2010 Date: Oct. 31
Treats and fun for all this year in your local downtown of choice. Most of the shops in the downtown areas close the streets to traffic each Halloween and kids of all ages trick or treat from shop to shop. There is usually food and entertainment or costume contests to enter. For more information, call your downtown chamber of choice.

Tate Days
2010 Dates: Nov. 6 & 7
Come to Tate, Georgia this weekend for plates of barbecue with the locals. Browse through arts and crafts and the Tate gym. Watch a parade and listen to music. RSVP for food is recommended, but walk-ins are welcome. For more information, call (770) 735-3151.

34th Annual Harvest Festival
2010 Dates: Nov. 6 & 7
Come visit 200 vendors this fall in downtown Toccoa, Georgia. Taste homemade goods and browse through crafts while listening to two stages filled with entertainment. There will also be a classic car cruise and children’s activities. For more information visit www.mainstreettoccoa.com.

Festivals5th Annual Taste of Pickens
2010 Dates: Nov. 13
Mark your calendar for the 5th Annual “A Taste of Pickens”. From 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Chattahoochee Technical College/Appalachian Campus in Jasper the community will come together to sample some of the best foods in the area. Approximately 30 restaurants/caterers in Pickens County donate food and beverages. Cost of tickets for the event is $10.00/8 tastings. It’s sponsored by CARES (Community Assistance Resources & Emergency Services for Pickens County, Inc.). Proceeds are used to purchase food items for residents of the county needing assistance in order to provide for their daily needs. For additional information, call 706-253-4777 or 770-598-8525.

Appalachian Thanksgiving
2010 Date: Nov. 25
Join family and friends at Amicalola Falls State Park and Lodge in Dawsonville, Ga. for a traditional Thanksgiving buffet. Try your hand at churning butter or look through the crafts. Displays and cultural demonstrations will be presented throughout the day for anyone wanting to know more about the history of the area. Or, if you prefer, take your bike (or a hike) through one of the park’s many trails. Reservations are required. Call for more information at 706-344-1505.

Holiday Art Show & Sale
2010 Dates: Nov. 25- Dec. 25
Shop for regional art and crafts at the Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association Thanksgiving through Christmas. For more information, call (706) 632-2144.

Hometown Christmas
2010 Date: Dec. 4
Head to Downtown McCaysville this December for the Kiwanis Christmas Parade. Wait for Santa to arrive while you sample the food and refreshments and watch the entertainment. There will also be the lighting of the historic McCaysville Bridge. For more information, visit www.blueridgemountains.com.

Cartecay Community Christmas Festival
2010 Date: Dec. 4
Step back in time a few years; slow down for a day during the Christmas Season, and come to the Cartecay Community Christmas Festival in Ellijay for an old fashioned day in the mountains. The historic Cartecay Church, located at the corner of Hwy. 52 E and Roy Road, is open from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

See the “Tree of Light”, a beautifully lit 10’ Christmas tree on the front lawn. Walk down the Candy Cane Pathway to Santa’s Workshop where Mrs. Santa hands out hugs, cookies and hot chocolate. See the elves working hard making toys for all the children. Have a leisurely visit with Santa himself, sharing your Christmas dreams and receive a photo with Santa as a remembrance of the day. Then stroll through the Forest of Trees, each decorated by a local business, while you listen to the choirs and musical groups singing Christmas Carols. Enjoy the puppet performance of the Shepard who tells us about the night Jesus was born. Event is free. For more information call (770) 633-4000.

Blue Ridge Scenic Railway Christmas Express
2010 Dates: All December Weekends
Come ride the holiday train in Blue Ridge, Georgia and see Santa, Mrs. Santa and the elves. Listen to Christmas stories and sing carols. For those who have never had the opportunity to visit Blue Ridge, the Railway and the Depot are in the very heart of town. It is an appropriate location, for the Railway is dear to the heart of the residents there. The Railway operates most of the year- from April to December –bringing loads of visitors to enjoy the leisurely train ride from Blue Ridge to Copperhill Tennessee and McCaysville, Georgia and back. For most of the year, the train makes a stop in Copperhill and McCaysville, that is, except from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve. During the holidays, the Christmas Express (that is the name of the train ride from November 25th until December 25th) skips the layover and adds in the holiday spirit. On board you can visit with Santa, sing carols, sip hot cocoa and spend time with those you love. As they say on the BRSR, “It’s a day your kids will remember the rest of their lives!”

If you plan to ride the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway as part of your holiday plans, you are strongly advised to make reservations in advance. The train is very popular with visitors to Blue Ridge all year, but particularly during the Christmas season; rides are often sold out during the holidays. You can call them at (706) 632-9833 or toll free at 1-800-934-1898 for more information. Tickets prices run from $15 (for children) to $33 (the highest price for an adult ticket).