The Best Fall Festivals in North Georgia (2025 Edition)

Your Complete Local Guide from Gainesville to the Mountains

There’s nothing like fall in North Georgia. The air turns crisp in the mornings, the sunlight softens, and the mountains come alive in a blaze of amber, crimson, and gold. Every bend in the road becomes a postcard, and almost every town—from Gainesville to the far reaches of the Appalachian foothills—fills up with the kind of community spirit you don’t find just anywhere. The scent of kettle corn and woodsmoke drifts through festival streets, kids run through corn mazes with cider in hand, and families gather for one more memory before the year winds down.

Whether you're searching for the perfect pumpkin patch, a scenic drive that ends with apple pie, or a weekend full of live music, handmade goods, and small-town charm — this guide is for you.

As a local real estate agent who lives, works, hikes, and puts down roots right here in the foothills, I’ve pulled together the best of the best for 2025. These aren’t just events — they’re traditions, and for many of us, they’re the heartbeat of fall in North Georgia. This isn’t just a roundup. It’s your go-to guide for autumn adventures, mountain mornings, and memories waiting to be made.

Fall Festivals in Gainesville & Hall County

Venue Location

Jaemor Farms

Jaemor Farms' Annual Harvest Celebration & Corn Maze - 2025 Dates will be announced in August & Dates vary by availability and weather. Check social media for updates.

It’s become a North Georgia fall tradition — right up there with back-to-school and Halloween. Jaemor Farms' annual Harvest Celebration is more than just a visit to the farm — it’s an all-out fall experience. From mid-September through the first weekend in November, families from all over flock to the foothills to soak in the season.

Get lost in the ever-changing corn maze, climb aboard a hayride through the fields, or dive into nonstop fun with farm slides, tricycle races, roller ball, and more. Younger kids will love the pumpkin train, while older ones (and grown-ups, too) can test their aim with apple cannons and join in games like farm basketball and farm ball. It’s the kind of place where the memories come easy — and the fall spirit shows up big.

Last admission sold promptly one hour before patch closes.

Pumpkin Patch - 2025 Dates will be announced in August & Dates vary by availability and weather. Check social media for updates.

There’s just something about a good pumpkin patch — and Jaemor Farms delivers one of the best in all of North Georgia. It’s not just a few crates by the barn... it’s rows and rows of pumpkins spread out across the hillside, in every size, shape, and shade you can imagine. Classic orange, ghost white, deep green, warty, smooth, tiny ones for decorating and giants for carving — they’ve got them all.

Whether you're picking out the perfect front porch pumpkin or letting the kids run wild on the hunt for “the one,” the patch at Jaemor is the kind of place where fall memories come easy. You can take your time, snap a few pictures, and soak in that cool mountain air with a cider in hand. Around here, pumpkin season isn’t just a stop on the to-do list — it’s a full-on fall tradition.

Mule Camp Market Festival – Gainesville, GA

Venue Location

Date: October 10th-12th - Festival hours are Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m

Named after Gainesville’s original trading post days, this three-day market transforms the square into a lively hub of food vendors, arts and crafts booths, live music, and activities for kids. Mule Camp is a celebration of small-town spirit with a big turnout every year — ideal for gift shopping and getting into the fall mood.

North Georgia Fall Festivals Worth the Drive

Georgia Apple Festival – Ellijay, GA

Venue Location 

Dates: October 11–12 & 18–19, 2025

The Georgia Apple Festival has been a fall staple in North Georgia for over five decades, and it’s easy to see why. Every October, the towns of Ellijay and East Ellijay come alive with the sights, sounds, and smells of the season. We're talking hundreds of vendors offering handmade goods, live music echoing through the mountains, and fair food that’s worth the drive all by itself.

What started as a small arts and crafts show has grown into a two-weekend tradition that still holds on to its small-town charm. The festival celebrates what Ellijay does best — apples. You’ll find fresh ones by the bushel, apple cider slushies, fried apple pies, and orchards all over the area offering u-pick fun for the whole family.

If you're looking for a true taste of fall in North Georgia, this is it.

Gold Rush Days – Dahlonega, GA

Venue Location

Dates: October 18–19, 2025

Held in one of Georgia’s most charming mountain towns, Gold Rush Days celebrates Dahlonega’s 1828 gold discovery with a weekend of live music, parades, craft booths, and history displays. The fall colors around the town square are unbeatable this time of year — and it’s the perfect day trip for leaf-peeping, shopping, and celebrating Georgia history.

Georgia Mountain Fall Festival – Hiawassee, GA

Venue Location

Dates: October 10–12 & 16–18, 2025

This multi-day event at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds combines everything that makes fall in the mountains special: crisp air, Appalachian music, arts and crafts booths, carnival rides, and the Georgia State Fiddlers’ Convention. Set against the backdrop of Lake Chatuge, this festival is worth the scenic drive.

Chattahoochee Mountain Fair – Clarkesville, GA

Venue Location 

Dates: 

Monday-Thursday  •  5pm - 9pm

Friday  •  5pm - 10pm

Saturday  •  11am - 10pm

Sunday  •  11am - 8am

One of the most beloved small-town fairs in the region, the Chattahoochee Mountain Fair includes livestock competitions, rodeo nights, a midway with rides and games, plus food booths and handmade goods. It has a more rural, agricultural feel than some other events — and that’s part of what makes it special.

Moonshine Festival and Car Show

Venue Location 

Date: Oct 24th - Oct 26th

The 58th Annual Mountain Moonshine Festival and Car Show in Dawsonville, GA is where Appalachian history, classic cars, and small-town charm come together in the best way possible. Held each October, this event celebrates Dawsonville’s deep-rooted connection to the early days of NASCAR and the bootlegging culture that helped shape it. You’ll find vintage cars lining the streets, live music, local vendors, and storytelling that brings the moonshine era to life. It’s one of North Georgia’s most unique fall festivals — full of character, community, and a little bit of horsepower.

Helen Oktoberfest – Helen, GA

Venue Location

Dates: Weekends from September 4 - November 2.
Helen transforms into a Bavarian village each fall for Oktoberfest — complete with German beer, bratwurst, polka dancing, and folks in traditional dress. Held at the Helen Festhalle, this is the most iconic Oktoberfest celebration in the Southeast.

To celebrate their 55th anniversary, Helen’s Oktoberfest is stretching the celebration a little longer this year. They’ve added an extra week of music, food, and festivities from October 27 through November 2, giving visitors even more time to soak up the fun.

And if you’ll be there on Halloween night, be sure to stick around for their costume contest — it’s a local favorite and always a good time. From lederhosen to spooky getups, you’ll see it all.

Tips for Enjoying North Georgia’s Fall Festivals

• Arrive early — especially for parking and shorter vendor lines.

• Bring cash — many mountain towns have limited signal or rural vendors.

• Dress in layers — temps can shift quickly between morning and afternoon.

• Call ahead or check online — weather and parking changes happen.

• Take the backroads — fall color on scenic drives is part of the fun.

Pair Your Festival Trip with a Local Adventure

Turn your day trip into a full North Georgia experience by adding:

• Hiking: Best Trails Within 5 Miles of Gainesville

• Coffee: Farmhouse Coffe with 3 locations Gainesville, Cleveland and Demorest , Inman Perk in Gainesville

• Lunch: Stop by Harvest Habersham in Clarkesville or Bigg Daddy’s in Helen

• Photos: Catch fall color at Brasstown Bald, Mount Yonah, or Lake Lanier Parks

Looking to Make North Georgia Home?

Fall has a way of slowing us down — of reminding us what really matters. If you’ve been thinking about putting down roots in a place where small-town charm meets mountain beauty, I’d love to help you explore what’s possible.

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