12 Don't-Miss Georgia Fall Festivals

The annual Labor Day Weekend Hot Air Balloon Festival at Callaway Resort & Gardens features a number of hot air balloons for a balloon glow plus morning and evening flights. In addition, there are special festivities for Labor Day weekend, including a photography course. Festival entry is included with admission.

Thousands of Jeeps gather near Jasper each year for Jeep Fest, three days of exhibition and adventure benefiting Georgia Sheriffs' Youth Homes and the Sheriff’s Foundation of Pickens County. Bring your Jeep to drive over obstacles, through trails and mud, and enjoy concerts, food and more. Advanced registration is recommended.

The Yellow Daisy Festival at Stone Mountain Park hosts hundreds of artisans from all over the country in early September. Shop for handmade pottery, paintings, jewelry and more. You'll also enjoy mouth-watering festival foods and live entertainment.

Two of the South's favorite foods come together each year for the iconic Jekyll Island Shrimp and Grits Festival. Professional and amateur chefs compete to see who has the best dish flavors on the island. There is no admission fee for this festival.

Cuisine from more than 20 countries, hundreds of live performers, and a juried fine arts and crafts market make the annual Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival a must-visit. Festival badges for the entire weekend are $7 in advance and $12 at the gate.

Celebrate one of Georgia's famous crops at the annual Brooklet Peanut Festival in September. Watch the parade and tractor races, as well as shop for arts & crafts and enjoy festival food. Admission is free to the family-friendly fall festival.

You'll be amazed at the Ocmulgee Indian Celebration at Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park in Macon in September. The event draws thousands of visitors each year for dancing storytelling, music, crafts, games, food and Native American demonstrations. See warriors on horseback, living history camps, primitive technology and cooking, pottery and more.

Traditional festival fun is featured during the one-day celebration of the heritage of the Southern Appalachian mountain region at the Foxfire Mountaineer Festival at the Foxfire Museum & Heritage Center. There will be bluegrass music, demonstrations of handicrafts and trades, food, and games. General admission is $5. Children under five years old get in for free.

Pirates of all shapes and sizes are invited to partake in food, music and grog as Tybee Island turns into a pirate haven for Tybee Island Pirate Fest each October. Don’t miss the Pirate Victory Parade. Festival admission requires a ticket purchase.

Dahlonega’s Town Square is taken over each October by Gold Rush Days festival-goers ready to enjoy a parade, children's activities, a fashion show, gold panning contest, wheelbarrow race, King and Queen coronation, hog calling, buck dancing contest, live musical entertainment, wrist wrestling, and delicious food. Free to attend.

All the hallmarks of a great country fair and festival come together during the annual Shady Days in Gay Arts & Crafts Festival in Georgia’s Meriwether County. Admission is free.

Explore historic downtown Milledgeville at the Deep Roots Festival in October. Live music ranges from bluegrass to rock and roll, an antique car show features rare automobiles, and the artist market and kids activities keep the whole family entertained. Oh yes, and there is a barbecue cook-off, too. What could be better?

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