Venture up to the North Georgia Mountains to enjoy the 38th year of the Georgia Apple Festival held during the 2nd and 3rd weekends of October. Admission is $5 with children under 10 years old free. Apples are the focus of the festival with apple fritters, fried pies, cider, and many other apple treats, but the festival is so much more.
Over 300 vendors with handmade, hand-crafted items such as candles, crafts, and woodworks are featured, as well as many on-site demonstrations illustrate how specialized crafts are made such as blacksmiths and glass blowing. The festival also includes a kids fun area with inflatables, ponies, and a rock climbing wall. Live entertainment is also featured with country music cloggers, as well as gospel to rock-and-roll. Don't miss the antique car show held at the Civic Center on October 10th and the Apple Festival Parade on October 17th (10am).
With so much to see & do at the festival, visitors should expect taking at least two days to take everything in. Folks enjoy renting a nearby cabin and make a weekend or week of it. Along with the Georgia Apple Festival, apple orchards sprawl the area, giving visitors the autumn thrill of picking their own apples and seeing how fresh cider is made. Visitors enjoy strolling the sidewalks of the Ellijay Square: shopping, dining, and wine tasting. Sharp Mountains Vineyards & Winery is another attraction with gorgeous views for leaf peeping while tasting hand-crafted wines. And the Coosawattee River Resort offers a perfect location to enjoy the fall weather amid the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Villas at Coosawattee River Resort features lodging perfect for your fall festival getaway. During the Georgia Apple Festival, the resort is offering several cost saving specials:
- Special #1: if you stay for a 3 night weekend, you will receive a 15% discount: Check-in Friday Oct. 9th at 4:00pm with check- out on Monday Oct. 12th at 10:00am -or- Check-in Friday Oct. 16th at 4:00pm with check-out on Monday Oct. 19th at 10:00am
- Special #2: if you stay at The Villas for 10 nights, you only pay for 7 nights! Check-in Friday Oct. 9th at 4:00pm with check-out Monday Oct. 19th at 10:00am
Use The Villas at Coosawattee's Legion Road gate for quick access to The Georgia Apple Festival of Ellijay. Take advantage of the indoor Recreation Center facilities: Junior Olympic size swimming pool, exercise and workout room, game room, 18 hole miniature golf. Open daily from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM. For more details, visit http://www.thevillasatcoosawattee.com or call (706) 276-1075
The Georgia Apple Festival is held on the Lions Club Fairgrounds. Operating hours are 9am to 6pm on Saturday and 9am to 5pm on Sunday. Parking at the festival is free but a $2 donation to the local Boy Scouts who help guide the cars for parking is suggested. No pets are allowed in the fairgrounds. Parking at the fairgrounds is limited but offsite parking areas are available with a complimentary free shuttle service to and from the festival. The alternate parking areas include the Gilmer High and Middle Schools, Ellijay Elementary and Primary Schools, and Mountainview Elementary School. See you there!
