Arts and Music Mountain Weekends
Do you get a cozy, tingly feeling about the arrival of fall? If you are considering making your way to Hiawassee and Young Harris in North Georgia this season, we have curated some authentic mountain-style arts, crafts and music to enjoy!
Imagine fairs and festivals, country and bluegrass music, arts and crafts for your home and for the holidays, antiques, comfortable cabins, villas and lodges and award-winning restaurants. Of course, that’s in addition to world-class golf, waterfall hiking and trout fishing!
One of Hiawassee’s star attractions is the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds, open for year-round camping along Lake Chatuge with more than 180 camp and R/V sites. Some notable festivals on the calendar include:
Dailey & Vincent's American Made Music Fest
September 14 – 16, 2023
Dailey & Vincent's American Made Music Fest, presented by Springer Mountain Farms, is a 3-day festival bringing together the finest in American Country, Bluegrass and Gospel music. Admission ranges from 1-day to multi-days ($75-$225). Tent camping and R/V camping are available by the lake with full hookups and amenities. Secure your spots!
Georgia Mountain Fall Festival
October 6 – 14, 2023
Each October, the 9-day event features arts and crafts vendors, educational demonstrations, and dust-kicking musical performances with some of the best, like the Bellamy Brothers and Shenandoah. Hey kids, your parents want to enjoy the carnival rides, too! Check out more than a dozen rides including a carousel, Ferris wheel and bumper cars. You don’t do this every day, so step it up and get amazing crunchy, fried, frothy, and healthy fair fare, play games of chance and make hay-filled memories. Yes, we are coming!
- Locals’ Tip: Don’t miss the Old Ways Demonstrations every day at the festival. Curious how the locals make moonshine or tart apple cider? Check out the quilting and blacksmithing demonstrations, plus soap and hominy making that all bring the past into the relevant present.
Fall Thursdays through October 5
Songwriters and sunsets unite in Hiawassee! Where the largest collection of wild rhododendron grows in the Southeast at Hamilton Gardens, onsite at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds, this fall series in such a beautiful setting is much anticipated. Live music begins at 6:30 pm. Before and during the shows, you can access food trucks and art vendors. Hosted by musician Wyatt Espalin and sponsored by Union General Health System. Guitars and gardens, yes!
Hiawassee Night Markets
September 1 & October 6
Two fall evenings remain in our beloved Hiawassee Night Market (first Fridays). It’s like Christmas in July, where you can access this artist and artisan market. Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy local musicians, food and drinks. Bring reusable cloth bags. Meet you there!
Holiday Bazaar Presented by Lake Chatuge Chamber of Commerce
November 4 – 5
Get an artsy head start on the holidays and come to the beautiful Towns County Rec and Conference Center in Young Harris. Shop your local chamber’s Holiday Bazaar featuring more than 75 artisan vendors offering original products made, grown, brewed, harvested, stitched, shaped and quilted. Sample delicious gourmet fare with selected Georgia-based chefs. Shop for Christmas decorations and bring your holiday list ready to check off when you find those one-of-a-kind handcrafted items. Vendors are still encouraged to apply so check back again for updates. Save the date and apply to join as vendor.
John C. Campbell Folk SchoolWeeklong and weekend classes for adults in craft, art, music, dance, and more
Are you interested in lifelong learning? Adults from across the U.S. and the world come to the John C. Campbell Folk School near Towns County to learn new things and be amazed by the natural beauty of the 270-acre peaceful setting of the campus. Try something new or hone an old skill. The Folk School offers around 800 classes on topics such as blacksmithing, pottery, woodworking, jewelry making, music, dance, cooking, weaving, writing, and photography. Make me smarter.
It’s naturally beautiful in Towns County. The waterfalls and views are some of the finest in the Southeast experience. You are in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest with all-seasons hiking, horseback riding, photography, painting, biking, boating and camping. Seasonal swimming and hunting are available, too.
Ask the staff at Lake Chatuge Chamber of Commerce for their insights on what else is new – and antique – waiting to be discovered! Visit them at 1411 Jack Dayton Circle in Young Harris or call 706.896.4966.
