Fairs, Festivals and Seasonal Events

With a calendar full of festive events to choose from, you may just stay entertained ´til the cows come home!

Seems like there’s always something to do along the North Georgia Farm Trail — from entire festivals dedicated to mountain apples and wine grapes to weekend celebrations of sorghum! These down-home events offer a host of family friendly activities — parades, contests, rodeos, rustic demonstrations and, of course, plenty of food and drink! Check the calendar of events for dates of upcoming events and festivals.

Apple picking season in the North Georgia mountains typically begins in August and ends in November.

Georgia Marble Festival

Arts & Crafts • Music • Kids Area • Marble Quarry Tours

First Weekend in October Most of Pickens County’s early industry revolved around the marble industry. For decades, Georgia marble has been mined and used to create historic architecture around the world, including the Archives Building in Atlanta, the New York Stock Exchange, the Supreme Court, the Lincoln Memorial and the local Tate Elementary School. The marble is also used for tombstones for the United States Military at Arlington National Cemetery. Most of the marble is white, but there is also very rare pink marble. Jasper is one of the few places in the world where pink marble is found. Be sure to make plans for the first full weekend in October for: Arts, Crafts, Antiques, Music, Art Gallery, Pie Eating Contest, Parade, Road Race, Quarry Tours, Pumpkin Patch, FREE Kids Area, Lots of Food, Plus Live Demonstrations of Marble & Granite Sculpting, Pottery, Chainsaw Carving and More. And be sure to ask about marble quarry tours! Share this:Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Share this:Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

Homegrown Happenings

Butternut Creek Festival

Annual Fine Juried Arts & Crafts Festival

The Butternut Creek Festival is an annual fine craft and art show held the third weekend of every July by the High Country Artisans in Blairsville, Georgia. Held in beautiful Meeks Park along the banks of Butternut Creek, it features great musical entertainment, live art demonstrations and plenty of good food. The first Butternut Creek Festival was held in 1998. The Butternut Creek Festival is one of the finest juried arts and crafts shows in the southeast. The two-day festival showcases the work of 65+ artists and craftspeople in categories from basketry, fine art, fabric art, and decorative painting, to glass, jewelry, metal working, photography, pottery, scrimshaw, and woodturning. There’s always free admission and free parking with shuttle service from the parking lots to the show site. You don’t want to miss it! Share this:Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Share this:Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

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“A Blooming Affair” at Hamilton Gardens

Beautiful Blooms Every April & May

April-May After a long cold winter, nothing says “spring is here” quite like the blooming of the rhododendrons at Hamilton Gardens at Lake Chatuge. It’s a yearly tradition of strolling through the magnificent and rare beauty of over 1,500 rhododendrons and native azaleas in an explosion of colors and varieties. Peak viewing season usually occurs the last two weeks in April through the first two weeks in May. The gardens are open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. daily, year-round. Donations are requested. Guided walking tours and shuttle tours are also available by appointment. Rhododendron Gardens • Wild Flowers • Walking Path Share this:Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Share this:Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

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Sorghum Festival

Sorghum • Arts & Crafts • Music • Events • Square Dance

2nd & 3rd Weekends in October Blairsville’s most famous event, Georgia’s official Sorghum Festival, is the perfect time to celebrate this unique North Georgia sweet taste. Plan your visit and enjoy arts & crafts, exhibits, food, music, activities, square dancing, “biskit” eating contests, pole climbing, log sawing, horseshoe pitching, rock throwing and, of course, sorghum mill grinding cane & cooking sorghum. Oh, and don’t forget to TRY the sorghum, too! Share this:Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Share this:Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

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Gilmer County Fair

August Fair • Rides • Food • Arts & Crafts • Games Gilmer County Fair Lions Club Fairgrounds 1729 S. Main Street, Ellijay, GA (706) 635-5900 Share this:Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Share this:Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

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Gilmer County Rodeo

September Rodeo • Farm Animals • Attractions Gilmer County Rodeo Saddle Club Arena Old Highway 5 / S. Main Street, Ellijay, GA (706) 273-1513 gilmercountysaddleclub.com Share this:Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Share this:Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

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Kiwanis Rodeo

Rodeo • Farm Animals • Attractions

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Taste of Ellijay

May 22, 2014 Historic downtown Ellijay comes alive in a celebration of all things food! For one special evening, restaurants, caterers and food vendors from all around Gilmer County gather on North Main Street to ring in summer with food, fun, music and more. Local Food • Arts & Crafts • Music Share this:Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Share this:Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

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Towns County FFA Rodeo

May Rodeo • Farm Animals • Attractions Towns County FFA Rodeo Highway 76, Young Harris, GA townscountyagedffa.weebly.com Share this:Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Share this:Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

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Wine Highway Weekend

March & December This may be the Peach State, but grapes are the passion of the Winegrowers Association of Georgia. The clusters in their vineyards produce award-winning wines, which are gaining national recognition and fueling the emergence of North Georgia as a prominent wine region. The North Georgia mountains combine to form the perfect terrain, soil, drainage and elevation necessary for vineyards to produce delicious, original wines. The Winegrowers Association of Georgia is a nonprofit organized to promote and market Georgia wine, to improve the market environment for Georgia wines, to increase public awareness of Georgia wines, and to facilitate research in Georgia viticultural and vinification techniques. Come taste a perfect day in Georgia, and discover the passion that you’ve been missing… Wine Tasting Festival • Food • Visit Several Wineries   [one_half] [box] Wine Highway Weekend • Various Wineries • georgiawine.com [/box] [/one_half] [one_half_last][/one_half_last] Share this:Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Share this:Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

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