North Georgia is the festival hotspot this weekend; six out of nine are located there. Five of them are established favorites, and the sixth is a new event launching in Fort Oglethorpe to benefit the children’s Christmas funds of Catoosa and Walker counties.
‘ The second weekend of October means it’s time for Prater’s Mill Country Fair on Saturday and Sunday in Tunnel Hill, Ga. A visit to the 1855 mill is similar to stepping back in time because the grounds are filled with Appalachian crafts being sold or demonstrated, living-history displays and antique machinery.
Visitors can tour the grist mill, a cotton gin and the 1898 Prater’s Store. Even the food is a throwback: The Dalton Pike Church of God members serve authentic Southern meals cooked over a wood-burning stove, serving up chicken and dumplings, collards and cornbread. Of course, there is plenty of the expected festival concessions as well.
All this, plus the work of 200 craftsmen to shop.
Melanie Millican Chapman has volunteered at the fair every year since since it began in 1971 to raise funds to restore the historic mill.
“Now we’re proud to say we’ve preserved eight historic buildings at the heritage park owned by the people of Whitfield County,” Chapman says.
‘ A scenic drive up Lookout Mountain to the New Salem community between Trenton and LaFayette, Ga., leads to New Salem Mountain Festival on Saturday and Sunday. Like Prater’s, this festival is also more than 40 years old.
Faye Nichols, who organizes the show with her husband, Doc, says many of the show’s exhibitors have developed a faithful following who return year after year to purchase from those favorite dealers. This year, 100 vendors – and less than a 10th of those are selling food – will be spread out along woodland paths.
Although the crafts show is outdoors, there is a special indoor Mountain Gallery that offers a collection of featured work from each exhibitor, according to Nichols. There will be a quilting demonstration by local women, and members of New Salem United Methodist Church will be selling their homemade chicken stew, cornbread and pintos.
Not only do the people of New Salem pitch in to put on this show, the community reaps the benefits of the festival’s proceeds. The New Salem Community Improvement Club and the New Salem Fire and Rescue squad will get donations out of the two-day take.
‘ Santa’s Fund Fest is another event that benefits the community in which it is held. This new festival, which emphasizes the “fun” in fund, will be held Saturday on the Barnhardt Circle polo field in Fort Oglethorpe. Money raised will be donated to the Stockings Full of Love Christmas funds of Catoosa and Walker counties.
“We’ll have arts, crafts, direct sales, a yard sale, kids play zone and inflatables,” says Chris McKeever, executive director of the 6th Cavalry Museum, which is located on Barnhardt Circle.
Three local music acts are scheduled at 11 a.m., 1 and 2 p.m. before hometown favorite James Rogers takes the stage at 3 p.m.
McKeever predicts a highlight of the day will be the Battle of the Sheriffs Challenge.
“Gary Sisk, Catoosa County sheriff, and Steve Wilson, Walker County sheriff, will collect donations on the day of the event. The one who raises the most gets to put a whipped-cream pie in the face of the other,” McKeever explains.
‘ If you’re heading north on I-75 instead of south, make a stop in Athens, Tenn., on Saturday for Pumpkintown. This charming small-town festival is set around the courthouse square, where lamp posts and exhibitors’ booths are decorated in corn stalks, pumpkins, mums and bows.
There is old-fashioned fun scheduled throughout the day such as a pancake breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m., Mutt Strut at 10 a.m. followed by the doggie costume contest, and pumpkin-carving contest at 11 a.m. For kids, there will be pony rides, inflatables, sand art, temporary tattoos and Water Walkers, which are the hot festival fad right now.
Kids and adults will be fascinated by the dancing, drumming and blowgun demonstrations at Pumpkintown’s inter-tribal powwow. Its events begin at 10 a.m and conclude at 5 p.m., but the highlight is the Grand Entry at noon.
The Arts Center, 320 N. White St., is one of seven locations in an ArtsCrawl to see various arts and crafts demonstrations. Visitors who have a punch card marked at all seven places will be entered to win a gift basket.
Contact Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6284.
FESTIVALS THIS WEEKEND
OCT. 9-11
‘ Arts in the Park: City Park, Blue Ridge, Ga., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, $5, 100 artists in benefit for Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association. wwwblueridgearts.net.
‘ Common Threads Quilt Show and Crafts: 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, breakfast sold both days 8-11 a.m., beans and cornbread sold Friday 11 a.m.-7 p.m., hot dog and chili lunch sold 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. 423-472-7576.
‘ Georgia 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 up. www.georgiaapplefestival.org.
‘ Oktoberfest: Knights of Columbus fairgrounds, 2892 Highway 70, Crossville, Tenn., 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Saturday (all times Central), $7.50 ages 15 and older, German food, Bavarian bands. crossvilleoktoberfest.com.
‘ New Salem Mountain Festival: New Salem community, 12477 Georgia Highway 136, Lookout Mountain, Ga., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m-5 p.m. Sunday, $5 ages 12 and up, 100 vendors in outdoor festival, held rain or shine. 706-398-1988.
‘ Prater’s Mill Country Fair: Prater’s Mill, 5845 Georgia Highway 2, 10 miles northeast of Dalton, Ga., 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, $7 ages 13 and up, crafts and entertainment. PratersMill.org.
‘ Pumpkintown: Downtown square, Athens, Tenn., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, free, food and craft vendors, music, Cherokee powwow. 423-887-3544.
‘ Santa’s Fund Fest: 6th Cavalry Museum, Barnhardt Circle, Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, free, yard sale, crafts vendors, James Rogers concert to benefit Catoosa and Walker counties’ Stocking Full of Love Christmas funds. 706-861-2860.
OCT. 9-17
‘ Georgia Mountain Fall Festival: Georgia Mountains fairgrounds, Hiawassee, Ga., festival grounds open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, music 2-7 p.m., $12 ages 13 and up includes shows, official state fiddlers convention and arts and crafts show. Fiddlers competition Oct. 17 at 10:30 a.m., finalists compete at 7 p.m. georgiamountainfairgrounds.com.