Autumn in North Georgia is always such a special time, and not just because it offers a cooling down after the dog days of Summer!
As if the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia aren’t spectacular enough all year round, Fall brings an array of dazzling, gem-like colors to the jaw-dropping scenic vistas.
There are an endless array of things to do in North Georgia, and dozens of quintessential mountain towns where you can get that classic mixture of small-town charm and Appalachian hospitality.
In addition to the region’s apple orchards, pumpkin patches, and corn mazes, there seem to be an endless assortment of Fall festivals in Georgia at this time of year.
Starting with the massive Oktoberfest celebration in Helen GA, visitors will have plenty of chances to sample local food, hear traditional music, and revel in all the seasonal festivities that Autumn in Georgia has to offer.
From Highland flings, Bavarian beer, and apple butter to sorghum-soaked biscuits, motorcars, and moonshine, there is something unique to experience in each of these charming Georgia mountain towns.
Read on for our guide to the 10 Best Fall Festivals in GA, including all the details information you need to plan a fun, festive Autumn adventure!
READ MORE: 25 Fun Things To Do in Georgia for Fall
Fall Festivals in Georgia Guide
(Arranged chronologically)
- Oktoberfest (Helen GA)
- Foxfire Mountaineer Festival (Clayton GA)
- Georgia Mountain Fall Festival (Hiawassee GA)
- Fall Arts in The Park (Blue Ridge GA)
- Georgia Apple Festival (Ellijay GA)
- Blairsville Sorghum Festival (Blairsville GA)
- Stone Mountain Highland Games & Scottish Festival (Stone Mountain GA)
- Gold Rush Days (Dahlonega GA)
- Booth West Fest (Cartersville GA)
- Mountain Moonshine Festival and Car Show (Dawsonville GA)
READ MORE: The 20 Best Fall Fairs in Georgia
1. Oktoberfest
(Helen GA • September 26-October 27)
For over 50 years, the harvest celebration known as Oktoberfest has been celebrated in the Alpine town of Helen GA. It is the largest and longest-running celebration of its kind in the USA!
The Barvarian-influenced town of Helen is the perfect backdrop for this annual North Georgia festival. Of course, there is beer, delicious German food, lederhosen, polka bands, and dancers reveling in the riverside Festhalle.
Weekdays tend to be much more family-friendly, while the celebration on the weekends takes on more of a party-hearty vibe. Admission is $10 on weekends, $12 on Fridays and Saturdays, and free on Sundays.
For a small Christmas town holiday celebration, plan on coming back in the winter for Christmas in Helen GA.
READ MORE: The 10 Best Helen GA Hotels, Motels & Inns to Visit
2. Foxfire Mountaineer Festival
(Clayton GA • October 5)
If you love traditional mountain music, don’t miss your chance to celebrate Appalachian culture and history at the annual Foxfire Mountaineer Festival.
Held at the Rabun County Civic Center Pavilions (near Black Rock Mountain State Park), the festival will run from 10AM to 5PM on Saturday, October 5.
Chances are good that you’ll hear some banjo picking while you enjoy traditional bluegrass music, shop for local arts and crafts, and eat some delicious food.
There will be games set up for the kids, live music, wagon rides, a longest beard competition, and a crosscut saw contest. Entrance is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-15 years old, and kids 5 and under get in free.
READ MORE: The 20 Best Things to Do in Clayton, GA (the Gem of Northeast Georgia)
3. Georgia Mountain Fall Festival
(Hiawassee GA • October 11-13 & 17-19)
You’ll have two chances to celebrate Autumn in Hiawassee GA, with two weekends of family-friendly festivities.
Thousands of visitors head to the Georgia Mountain Fall Festival every year to experience live music, arts & crafts vendors, educational demonstrations, and learn about Georgia’s state history.
There will be over a dozen different carnival rides, including the Ferris wheel, bumper cars, and more.
The dazzling North Georgia Fall colors should be changing in the surrounding mountains, making this a wonderful way to celebrate our favorite season!
READ MORE: The 15 Best Things to Do in Hiawassee GA & Young Harris GA
4. Fall Arts in The Park
(Blue Ridge GA • October 12-13)
The early Fall colors will brighten both the trees and the canvases this weekend in Blue Ridge GA, which hosts the Fall Arts in the Park festival.
Blue Ridge (one of the most popular small mountain towns in Georgia) has a great cultural scene, and this beloved festival showcases the arts and crafts of hundreds of regional artists.
Festival hours are 10 AM- 5 PM on both days, with special events for kids. Admission is just $5 for adults, while kids 12 and under are free.
Visitors are also invited to check out the Art Center located inside of the OLD Fannin County Courthouse building, and wander the Contemporary Southern and Folk Art Exhibition, and works by Artist is Residence, Dr. Kathleen Thompson.
READ MORE: The 10 Best Blue Ridge GA Hotels (Including Pet Friendly Options)
5. Georgia Apple Festival
(Ellijay GA • October 12-13 & 19-20)
The Georgia Apple Festival has been delighting visitors for 53 years, and you’ll have two weekends in October to catch the beloved annual festival in Ellijay GA.
6. Blairsville Sorghum Festival
(Blairsville GA • October 12-13 & 19-20)
Though there are lots of fun activities to be found at the 55th Annual Sorghum Festival, the main attraction– surprise, surprise– is sweet sorghum.
Held at at Meeks Park in Blairsville GA, this North Georgia festival offers visitors a chance to devour a biscuit dripping in sorghum, then stick around to watch how the sticky stuff is made.
After that, you can browse the many folk art and craft stalls, watch a live art demonstration, and play traditional mountain games (such as log sawing, pole climbing, rock throwing, and hatchet throwing).
Get there early if you want to enjoy the opening parade on the October 12 at 10AM, then grab a partner for a spot of square dancing!
READ MORE: The 20 Best Things to Do in Blairsville GA & Union County
7. Stone Mountain Highland Games & Scottish Festival
(Stone Mountain GA • October 18-20)
The meadow at Stone Mountain Park has been the home of the Stone Mountain Highland Games & Scottish Festival since 1972.
Once you arrive, just follow the distinctive sounds of bagpipes, drums, harps, and fiddles to join in on the fun.
One of the most popular Scottish festivals in the USA, this event features live music, athletic competitions, and piping and drumming competitions. There will also be highland dancers, country dancing, and harp and fiddle contests.
Visitors can also sample some traditional Scottish food and drink, and buy Celtic goods imported from Britain.
READ MORE: 30 Fun Facts About Appalachian Scots-Irish History & Culture
8. Gold Rush Days
(Dahlonega GA • October 19-20)
Head to charming Dahlonega GA for the 70th Annual Gold Rush Days Festival, which taps into the town’s origins during the early 19th century Georgia Gold Rush.
Every year on the third weekend in October, visitors gather in the thousands to see the beautiful Fall colors at their peak while celebrating the 1828 discovery of gold in the area.
With a parade through Downtown Dahlonega, a 5K run, and 300+ vendors selling arts, crafts, and food, there’s really something for everyone here.
There’s also a beard-growing competition, a pie-eating competition, a cross-cut saw competition, an arm wrestling competition, and live music filling the cool mountain air.
READ MORE: The 20 Best Cabin Rentals in Dahlonega GA
9. Booth West Fest
(Cartersville GA • October 26)
If you want to transport yourself to the Wild West without leaving the state of Georgia, don’t miss the Booth Western Art Museum’s annual West Fest.
This GA festival features a whole day’s worth of live music, presentations, and indigenous dancers, all devoted to celebrating the unique culture of the western USA.
For the kids, there will be art activities, a pumpkin painting contest, face painting, train rides, and hayrides. There will be stalls offering traditional crafts, art demonstrations, and food and shopping vendors on site.
Visitors can learn about Native American culture and what REALLY happened at the O.K. Corral. Note that there will be a birds of prey demonstration at the festival, so dogs are not allowed.
READ MORE: Exploring Etowah Indian Mounds Historic Site & Trails in Cartersville GA
10. Mountain Moonshine Festival & Car Show
(Dawsonville GA • October 25-27)
There’s plenty of fun for visitors to enjoy at the 57th Annual Mountain Moonshine Festival & Car Show in Dawsonville, which is best known as the birthplace of NASCAR legend Bill Elliott.
This North GA Fall festival is one of the largest car shows in the Eastern US, with hundreds of vintage and classic vehicles spreading from the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame and on throughout downtown Dawsonville.
There will be an impressive array of intriguing vehicleson display, including dune buggies, hot rods, race cars, muscle cars, and model Ts.
Visitors will also get a chance to meet a few legendary local race car drivers, and see the cars that used to run moonshine up and down Hwy 9 back in the day! -by Emma Gallagher; lead image of the Georgia Apple Festival by Bret Love & Mary Gabbett
