Participants in the Prater's Mill County Fair wander around the old buildings on the site.
Staff File Photo by Shane McMillan
So many choices, so little time!
Twenty-two festivals are vying for your attention this weekend -- and that doesn't include the RiverRocks finale in downtown Chattanooga (see story on Page H21). This is the biggest festival weekend of the season, and it starts with two time-honored events whose reputations for quality shows have been established over four decades: Prater's Mill and New Salem Mountain Festival.
Get out and enjoy fall's beauty at Heritage Day in Tims Ford State Park in Winchester, Tenn., Smithgall Woods State Park's fall celebration in Helen, Ga., or Fall Arts in the Park fine art show at Blue Ridge, Ga.
There's beer and brats in Crossville, Tenn., at Octoberfest, baked goods at Cloud Spring Baptist in Fort Oglethorpe, and a lot of barking at Heritage Park in East Brainerd, where dogs and their owners will compete in contests and the Spooky Pooch Parade to raise funds for an East Brainerd dog park.
And the festivals just keep coming! New this year is Fannie Moffitt Autumn Stomp in Altamont, Tenn. This tiny town's heritage festival will start at 8 a.m. with a 5K run, working up an appetite for the 9 a.m. pancake breakfast. Events continue throughout the day before winding down with Celtic, Scottish and American Indian music and dance Saturday night.
Contact Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6284.
THIS WEEKEND (OCT. 11-13)
¦ Bake and Craft Sale: Cloud Springs Baptist Church, 210 Cloud Springs Road, Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday; benefits Golden Agers Group. 706-866-0164.
¦ Bark in the Park: Heritage Park, corner of East Brainerd and Jenkins roads, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, free. chattbitp@gmail.com.
¦ Ellijay Apple Festival: Ellijay Lions Club Fairgrounds, 1729 S. Main St., Ellijay, Ga., 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, $5 ages 11 and older. georgiaapplefestival.org.
¦ Fall Arts in the Park: Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association, The Art Center, Galleries on West Main, Blue Ridge, Ga., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, $5, fine arts and crafts by 100 artists. 706- 632-2144.
¦ Fall Bazaar: First United Methodist Church, 3425 Ocoee St., Cleveland, Tenn., 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, free admission; craft show, soup-and-sandwich lunch for purchase. 423-476-4504.
¦ Fall Celebration: Smithgall Woods State Park, Helen, Ga., noon-4 p.m. Saturday, $6 parking, pioneer skills, mountain music, vendors. 706-878- 3087.
¦ Fall Craft Fair: Front Street on the depot lawn, Spring City, Tenn., 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, free. springcitychamberofcommerce.com.
¦ Fall Festival: First United Methodist Church, 3425 N Ocoee St., Cleveland, Tenn. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, free. 423-476-4504.
¦ Fannie Moffitt Autumn Stomp: Cumberland Avenue, Altamont, Tenn., 8 a.m. Saturday 5K run starts day of activities, $5 pancake breakfast at 9 a.m., free festival. www.facebook.com/ FannieMoffittAutumnStomp.
¦ Harvest of Art Show & Sale: Rhea County Welcome Center, 107 Main St. at Highway 27, Dayton, Tenn., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday-Saturday, free; presented by Dayton Arts League. 423-775-5122.
¦ Heritage Day Festival: Tims Ford State Park, 570 Tims Ford Drive, Winchester, Ten., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. CDT Saturday, free, Civil War re-enactors, craftsmen, hayrides, music. 931-962-1183.
¦ New Salem Mountain Festival: New Salem Community Center, 12477 Highway 136, Lookout Mountain, Ga., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, $5 ages 12 and older. 706-398-1988. ¦ Oktoberfest: Knights of Columbus grounds, 2892 Highway 70 E., three miles east of Crossville, Tenn., 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Saturday (all times CDT), $7.50 ages 15 and older per day. 931-707-7291.
¦ Paws in the Park: Baylor School off Signal Mountain Road, dog walk registration at 1 p.m. Sunday (with or without a dog), $40 per family, $25 per person; contests, food and music at 12th annual event benefiting Humane Educational Society and honoring memory of Guy Bilyeu. 423-624-5302, ext. 228.
¦ Prater's Mill Country Fair: Prater's Mill, Highway 2, 10 miles north of Dalton, Ga., 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, $7 ages 13 and older. 706-694-MILL (6455).
¦ Pumpkintown: Downtown square, Athens, Tenn., 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Saturday, free; contests, mutt strut, crafts on streets around square. pumpkintownfestival. com.
¦ Quilt & Craft Show: Mount Olive Church of God, 3533 Harrison Pike, Cleveland, Tenn., 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, $3; Common Threads Quilt Guild sponsors quilt show with food and craft vendors. 423-472-4033.
¦ Sewanee Arts and Crafts Fall Fair: Shoup Park on University Avenue, campus of the University of the South, Sewanee, Tenn., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday CDT, free; 40 exhibitors. 931-598-9059.
¦ Tennessee Fall Homecoming: Museum of Appalachia, 2819 Andersonville Highway, Norris, Tenn., 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; $30- $75 ages 19 and older, $15-$45 ages 13-18, $10-$30 ages 5-12. www.museumofappalachia.org.
¦ Thrasher iCarnival: Thrasher Elementary School, 1301 James Blvd., Signal Mountain, 3-7 p.m. Friday, 50 cents, school carnival with games, petting zoo, food trucks, soup supper. 423-886-0882.
OCT. 11-19
¦ Georgia Mountain Fall Festival: Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds, Hiawassee, Ga., 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, $11 ages 10 and older, admission includes music shows, free parking. georgiamountain fairgrounds.com.
OCT. 12-13,19-20, 26-27
¦ Rocktoberfest: Rock City Gardens, Lookout Mountain, noon-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday through October; German food, music and dance, free with regular park admission. seerockcity.com/ rocktoberfest