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

The 5th Annual Ellijay Bacon Fest takes over Gilmer River Park this Sunday, September 27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., bringing a full day of food vendors, live music and a bacon-eating obstacle race to a stretch of South Main Street that locals have come to expect it every fall. Admission is free. Parking runs $10 per vehicle, and organizers say the event happens rain or shine.

The festival sits at 1561 S. Main St., right along the river in downtown Ellijay. It's grown into one of the county's bigger charity draws since it started five years ago, and it still runs as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, meaning the money raised goes straight back into local giving rather than a private organizer's pocket.

Last year's Bacon Fest brought in more than $7,500 and 200 pounds of canned goods for the Gilmer Community Food Pantry. Organizers haven't set a fundraising goal for this year, but the pantry remains the festival's central beneficiary again in 2026.

What's happening on site

Food and art/craft vendors will line the park, alongside a live music schedule posted on the festival's website. The signature event is the bacon-eating obstacle race, run by "Destination Bacon," a bacon-focused YouTube channel started in 2019 by Irene Witt, a Gilmer County resident and local business owner. Entrants sign a waiver and pay an entry fee at the Destination Bacon booth to compete.

Past races have had contestants working through two pounds of spicy bacon on a five-minute clock, based on video from previous years posted by the festival.

Families should note the event is not pet-friendly beyond service animals, a rule organizers have kept in place given the size of the crowds expected along the riverfront. Anyone hoping to stay overnight in town has an official festival hotel this year, the Best Western Mountain View Inn, though visitors can of course book anywhere in Ellijay.

Vendor and sponsor slots for 2026 have already been filled through the festival's application process, and this year's sponsor list includes tiers organizers call Whole Hog, Crispy Bacon, Sizzling Bacon and Chewy Bacon sponsors. The festival has not announced whether a sixth year is planned, but given four straight years of growth and a steady charity partner in the food pantry, it's shaping up to be a fixture on Ellijay's fall calendar alongside the county's bigger apple season events.

For more on Ellijay events year-round, visit Ellijay Georgia Community Website, and share your plans or photos from the festival in our Community Forum. You can also browse more upcoming happenings in our events coverage or catch up on other local goings-on in our community section.