Georgia mountain fall festivals are a popular destination for young and old alike as the changing foliage explodes with color and the temperatures finally fall into the low 60s. The Georgia mountains seem to come alive with tourists as the festivals offer entertainment, parades, down-home Southern cooking, arts and crafts and educational exhibits.
If you are hankering for a hot apple fritter or a fried pie, then the Georgia Apple Festival, in mid-October, should be your first stop. Gilmer County in North Georgia produces more apples than any other Georgia county, making the Georgia Apple Festival an annual event. With hundreds of vendors and craftsmen from all over the Southeastern United States, you are sure to find something special. There is a small admission price; parking and children under 10 are free. Pet boarding is available at the front gate.
Georgia Apple Festival
PO Box 1225
Ellijay, GA 30540
706-636-4500
georgiaapplefestival.org
The third weekend of October offers Dahlonega's Gold Rush Days, a beautiful time of the year in the Georgia mountains. As the leaves change color and the warm weather turns to cold nights and cool days, activities abound that offer hundreds of arts and crafts exhibits, a parade, gold panning contests, a wheelbarrow race and a hog calling contest.
Live entertainment includes a generous mix of all types of music, particularly gospel and country. You also can experience some of the best Southern cooking Georgia has to offer, along with homemade ice cream, barbecue, boiled peanuts and more. Admission is free.
Gold Rush Days
Dahlonega Town Square & Historic District
Dahlonega, GA 30533
706-864-3711
dahlonega.org
Early November offers the Hemlock Fest in Murrayville, Georgia, with blues, Celtic, bluegrass and rock music from some of the most talented bands in the state and beyond. The Hemlock Fest is an annual event held in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Proceeds from the festival fund research of the area hemlock trees threatened by a parasite called the woolly adelgid.
The Hemlock Fest offers numerous arts and crafts vendors, excellent food and entertaining performers, as well as educational exhibits. There is a fee for admission, but children 15 years old and younger are free with adult supervision. Bring a lawn chair as there are very few places to sit.
Hemlock Fest
326 Starbridge Road
Murraysville, GA 30564
706-265-5282
lumpkincoalition.org/HemlockFest.html
Hiawassee offers the Georgia Mountain Fall Festival in mid-October. This festival is also host to the Georgia Fiddlers' Convention. The Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds offers arts and crafts vendors while local artisans offer quilting, soap, hominy, blacksmith and moonshine demonstrations. There is a small parking fee.
Georgia Mountain Fall Festival
Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds
1311 Music Hall Road
Highway 76 West
Hiawassee, GA 30546
706-896-4191
