Events

Upcoming community events, festivals, fundraisers and happenings

5th Annual Ellijay Bacon Fest Returns to Gilmer River Park Sept. 27

Free admission, a bacon-eating obstacle race and live music return to downtown Ellijay this Sunday, with proceeds again going to the Gilmer Community Food Pantry.

Sep 223 min read

Events

Free Bluegrass and Gospel Festival Fills Aaron Family Orchards Today

The "Pickin' and Pickin'" festival runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Aaron Family Orchards on Highway 52 East, with the Byers Creek Bluegrass Band taking the stage at 1 p.m.

Sep 192 min read

Events

Georgia Apple Festival Marks 55 Years: Two Weekends, 250+ Vendors, Oct. 10-11 and 17-18

Ellijay's signature fall tradition returns for its 55th year with two full weekends of vendors, apple treats and a companion downtown arts festival, plus the 50th running of the Apple Festival 5K.

Sep 153 min read

Events

Cress Creeks Farm's Fall Corn Maze Opens Sept. 19 in Ellijay

The 9-acre maze at Cress Creeks Farm on Boardtown Road opens for the season Sept. 19 and runs through Nov. 1, with baby lamb tours and barrel train rides rounding out the farm's fall lineup.

Sep 132 min read

Events

Apple Picking Starts Aug. 15 on Tails Creek as Gilmer's 2026 Season Opens

Red Apple Barn is open now with U-pick planned to begin August 15, Penland's Talona Mountain location starts late August, and Hillcrest's weekend Jubilee runs $22 a head through September and October. Here are the real dates, hours and prices before the Hwy 52 crowds arrive.

Aug 64 min read

Events

Gilmer County Fair Runs Aug. 6-16 at the Lions Club Fairgrounds, and Exhibit Entries Are Due Sunday

Gates open at 5 p.m. on Aug. 6 for the Ellijay Lions Club's 11-day Gilmer County Fair on South Main Street. Admission is $5 for adults, ride armbands are $30, and anyone entering a competitive exhibit has to drop items off Sunday, Aug. 2, between 1 and 5 p.m.

Jul 263 min read

Events

Ellijay's Fourth of July Rolls Downtown: Vendors at 2, Parade at 7:30, Fireworks After Dark

The City of Ellijay's Independence Day celebration returns downtown with an afternoon of vendors, an evening parade down River Street, and a fireworks finale behind the old Primary School — here's the full schedule and where to stand.

Jul 23 min read

Events

How Apples Saved Ellijay — and Gave Georgia Its Biggest Fall Festival

Each October the Georgia Apple Festival draws tens of thousands to a town of fewer than 2,000. It exists because a beetle nearly ruined Gilmer County a century ago.

Jun 182 min read

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