12 Don't-Miss Georgia Fall Festivals

Thousands of Jeeps gather in Jasper each year for Jeep Fest, a few days of exhibition and adventure benefitting Georgia Sheriffs' Youth Homes and the Sheriff’s Foundation of Pickens County. Advanced registration is recommended.

The annual Sky High Hot Air Balloon Festival at Callaway 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. Festival entry is included with admission.

The best of barbecue and outdoors fun come together for a weekend filled with family-friendly fun at the South Georgia BBQ and Outdoor Festival. Be sure to bring your appetite! Some activities require a ticket purchase.

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 25 countries, hundreds of live performers, and 130 regional artists and artisans make the annual Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival a must-visit. On Sunday, Sept. 17, be sure to check out the ExploreGeorgia.org Songwriter Series performances by Lola Gulley, Keith Jenkins & Greg Hester, and Otis Redding III at the festival. Festival badges for the entire weekend are $7 in advance and $12 at the gate.

Music, art, 140 varieties of waterlilies and food come together at Gibbs Gardens each autumn during the Monet Waterlily Festival, inspired by Monet’s famous paintings. Festival included with admission.

Hundreds of vehicles will be showcased during The Atlanta Concours d'Elegance at Chateau Elan Winery & Resort, from exotics to unique daily drivers to oddities to award-winning classics. Tickets are required.

Traditional festival fun is featured during the one-day celebration of the heritage of the Southern Appalachian mountain region at the Foxfire Mountaineer Festival. 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.

The St. Simons Island Food + Spirits Festival brings some of the best culinary personalities to Sea Island and St. Simons Island for adults-only eating and sipping fun. Tickets required.

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 Pirate Fest each October. Don’t miss the Pirate Victory Parade. Festival admission requires a ticket purchase.

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.

Dahlonega’s Town Square is taken over each year 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.

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Eileen is Georgia’s official Festival Explorer and the editor of Occupy My Family, the Atlanta area’s most comprehensive resource for family fun. Click here for more festival content from Eileen.