Fall Festivals in the North Georgia Mountains
In the fall, folks from all over the southeast flock to the mountains of North Georgia to enjoy not only the colorful leaves but also the fall festivals. Many towns welcome the “Leaf Peepers” by holding various special events to celebrate the harvest. Festivals are a great opportunity for towns to get together to preserve their heritage and show visitors what makes their town so special. Here’s a description of some of my favorites.
The Jasper Marble Festival is October 2nd and 3rd at Lee Newton Park. Being that Jasper is nicknamed “The First Mountain City” it’s rather fitting that their festival should be the first one to usher in the season. Jasper is also known as “The Marble Capital” since it produces fine marble used all over the world. Over one hundred booths of handmade crafts such as woodworking, marble sculptures, clothing, and jewelry will be on display. There is also a juried fine art competition. Regional bands and clog dancers will perform at the Park Pavilion. Last year the Children’s Area had a petting zoo, a rock climbing wall, an obstacle course, car racing and a giant slide. There are several other events at different venues throughout the weekend, including a parade Saturday morning, a 5K Walk/Run, a Classic Car Show, and a Street Dance. You can be sure that there will be some good old-fashioned family fun to be found in Jasper the first weekend of October.
Ellijay’s Georgia Apple Festival is always held the second and third weekends of October. Gilmer County began growing apples in the early 1900’s and reduced its dependence on cotton. When the Cotton Bust occurred in the 1920’s, courtesy of the long drought and the boll weevil, the apple crops were not affected. Gilmer suffered less than the surrounding counties. Today it produces over 600,000 bushels of apples each fall and is called “Georgia’s Apple Capital.” When you visit this festival, expect to find over 300 vendors of arts and crafts, many featuring unique items made from apples. To reach the Georgia Apple Festival, follow the signs and take Old Hwy 5 off of Hwy 515 in Ellijay and proceed to the Lion’s Club Park. The hours of operation are 9-6.
Each town has its own claim to fame. Blairsville’s just happens to be “sorghum.” If you’re not familiar with the term, come out to the Annual Sorghum Festival, being held the second and third weekends of October. You’ll experience the best mountain grown syrup in the world. In early October the farmers of the Blue Ridge Mountains start cutting and stripping the cane. They cook it up and before November comes, thousands of gallons of sorghum syrup are ready to enjoy. Locals say it’s the soil, the mountain temperatures, the gentle breezes and the pure love of the farmers that gives Blairsville’s syrup a certain rich flavor not to be found anywhere else. It’s particularly tasty on fresh hot biscuits! The Sorghum Festival is different because of its contests. There are Biskit Eatin’, Pole Climbin’, Log Sawin’, Rock Throwin’, Baccur Spittin’ and Horseshoe Throwin’ Contests. Of course there are other crowd-pleasing events like the parade, car show, live entertainment and the arts & crafts show.
The historic and charming little town of Blue Ridge is always a popular destination in the fall. Nestled in the mountains and forests, it has so much to offer—the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, top notch antiquing, fabulous restaurants, outdoor sporting opportunities at Lake Blue Ridge and the beautiful Toccoa River, hiking and biking on the Aska Trails, and the 40th Annual Mountain Harvest Sale! This is the one show I never miss. It’s traditionally the third and fourth weekends of October, when the air is crisp and the autumn leaves are peaking. The Blue Ridge Sale seems to attract the best local handicraftsmen and most creative artists. You’ll see beautiful hand-stitched quilts, pottery, all kinds of mountain décor, baskets, photography, jewelry and even quirky lawn ornaments made from garden tools. Add some mouth-watering jams, jellies, baked goods and Bar-B-Q rubs and you get the picture of just what an old-fashioned country festival has to offer. I won’t even mention the truly yummy fresh hot kettle corn!
As you can see, the North Georgia Mountains are the perfect place to spend a fall vacation. I hope this article will help you plan the dates that you’d like to come. And, I hope you will stay at one of our wonderful Rainbow Cabins.