Taste the Best of Fall at these Georgia Food Festivals
Sample barbecue, chili, beer, bourbon and more at these tasty events throughout the state.
As cooler weather moves in, the flavors of fall take on headline status at festivals throughout Georgia. Barbecue, chili, seafood, apples and more seasonal tastes paired with beer, wine and bourbon really hit the spot on a crisp autumn day. Add chef demonstrations, live music, games, arts and crafts, and maybe even some big screens showing football, and you’ve got yourself a pretty great fall weekend in the South.
Check out the menu of Georgia’s fall food festivals below, and start planning your next feast-filled getaway!
Suwanee Taste of BBQ & Music Festival
Barbecue Festivals
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Sept. 30: Byron BBQ Fest
- Experience the barbecue contest, food trucks, arts and crafts vendors, live entertainment, and kids' activities.
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Oct. 7: Suwanee Taste of BBQ & Music Festival
- Find your favorite barbecue, while enjoying live music, local vendors, an artist market and a family fun zone.
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Oct. 14: Blues Brews BBQ & Bourbon in Savannah
- Enjoy unlimited tastings of more than 50 craft beers, multiple whiskeys, and other drinks, plus some of the best Texas-style barbecue vendors in the Southeast.
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Oct. 21: Appalachian Brew, Que & Stew Festival in Hiawassee
- Sample beer from craft breweries from Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Alabama, plus enjoy food from area restaurants, regional arts and crafts, and Appalachian and Americana music.
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Oct. 22: Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival
- Sample beef brisket, beef ribs, chicken, and chili; plus enjoy music, a huge kids' area, festival vendors, and a silent auction.
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Oct. 27-28: Barnsley Resort Swine & Wine Weekend
- Fill your weekend with wine tastings, cooking demonstrations and a special dinner at the Manor House Ruins.
Chili Cook-Off and Fall Festival in Madison, Georgia
Chili Festivals
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Oct. 14: Chili Cook-Off in Franklin
- Check out the chili competition for cash and prizes; vendors, music, and fun for the whole family.
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Oct. 14: Chili Cook-Off & Fall Festival in Madison
- Vote for your favorite chili, shop the handmade/homegrown market, relax in the beer garden, and listen to great music.
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Oct. 14: Chili Bowl Cookoff in Dublin
- Sample chili while watching the University of Georgia v. Vanderbilt football game; enjoy a fall festival with art vendors, music and food vendors, a kids’ zone and a pumpkin patch.
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Nov. 4: Atlanta Chili Cook Off
- Taste chili from more than 75 teams; enjoy music, food, and fun at Dunwoody’s largest park.
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Nov. 11: Suwanee Chili Cook-Off & Music Festival
- Don't miss the chili tasting and People's Choice Awards, local and regional vendors, artists, a Family Fun Zone, food trucks and live music.
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Nov. 11: Chattahoochee Chili Cook-Off in Helen
- Taste chili and enjoy live music while enjoying the full spectrum of fall foliage colors in the North Georgia mountains. Shop for arts and crafts, and children can enjoy face painting and other children's activities.
Food Truck Festival in Hinesville, Georgia
Food Truck Festivals
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Oct. 14: Wa-Ha Music and Food Truck Festival in Waverly Hall
- Check out the food trucks serving savory barbecue, sweet treats and everything in between, plus live music, artisan vendors, and family fun. This is a pet-friendly event.
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Oct. 21: Food Truck Festival in Hinesville
- Have fun sampling specialties from food trucks, and enjoy live music, an arts and crafts market, and a kids' zone.
Jekyll Island Shrimp & Grits Festival
Seafood Festivals
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Oct. 7: 50th Annual St. Marys Seafood Festival
- Feast on fried fish, fried rock shrimp, boiled shrimp, coleslaw and hush puppies from the Kiwanis Club, as well as food trucks and vendors with sensational seafood fare. Join the 5K or 10K run, watch a parade. and enjoy entertainment, demonstrations, arts and crafts vendors.
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Nov. 3-4: Jekyll Island Shrimp & Grits Festival
- Enjoy the classic Southern dish, family-friendly entertainment, an artists' market, live music, food, and more in Jekyll Island's Historic District.
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Nov. 18: Kingsland Catfish Festival
- Feast on local seafood, beer and wine, and enjoy live music, antiques and collectibles, plus 150 vendor booths and a children’s amusement area.
Apple Festival in Ellijay, Georgia
More Food Festivals & Events
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Oct. 13 CULTURA: Fiesta Latina in Lawrenceville
- Enjoy Latin cuisine like tacos, arepas and empanadas from food trucks and vendors; shop for artisanal crafts, handmade goods and cultural souvenirs; and enjoy performances by local and regional musicians, dancers and artists.
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Oct. 14: Blairsville Sorghum Festival
- Watch sorghum syrup making, greased pole climbing and log sawing, and enjoy arts and crafts, live music and face painting.
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Oct. 14-15: Taste & Brews Fall Fest in Canton
- Taste, sample and buy the flavors of Georgia, plus enjoy live music, a vendor market, arts and crafts, children's activities and entertainment.
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Oct. 14-22: Apple Festival in Ellijay
- Explore hundreds of vendors with handmade, hand-crafted items, on-site demonstrations, live music, and delicious fair food.
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Oct. 15-21: Alpharetta Restaurant Week
- Sample special dinner and lunch menus at more than 45 restaurants in the city.
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Oct. 21: Gainesville Chicken Festival
- Cheer on the competition at Georgia’s Official Chicken Cook-off with more than a dozen teams and 17,000 pounds of chicken, and enjoy live music and a kids' zone.
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Oct. 21: Flavors of Fall Festival at Farmview Market in Madison
- Sample fall flavors, and enjoy live music, giveaways, lawn games, a petting zoo, face painting, and a DIY caramel apple station.
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Nov. 11: Grilled Cheese Showdown at Wild Leap Brewing in LaGrange
- Vote for your favorite grilled cheese and try special beers, cocktails and slushies.
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Nov. 18: Sugar Cane Festival in Twin City
- See cane syrup made on site, and enjoy arts, crafts and food vendors.
Find more food festivals and fall events on the Explore Georgia Calendar of Events, and subscribe to the Explore Georgia email newsletter for the latest happenings delivered to your inbox.
