From the Georgia Mountain Fair in Hiawassee to seven weeks of Oktoberfest in Helen, the Northeast Georgia Mountains keep a full calendar of fairs, festivals and small-town events. Here are the region’s standout annual events, with links to confirm this year’s dates.
Dates and prices change every year, so check each event’s own site or call before you go.
Summer
Georgia Mountain Fair
Two weekends in mid-August
The 76th annual fair in 2026 brings music, arts and crafts, carnival rides and a look at mountain history and culture to the historic fairgrounds on Lake Chatuge.
Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds, 1311 Music Hall Rd., Hiawassee. 706-896-4191. Fair dates and admission.
Ida Cox Music Series
Saturdays, June through August, 7-10 p.m.
Main Street Toccoa’s free concert series, named for Toccoa-born blues pioneer Ida Cox, pairs an opening act and a headliner each week. Bring a lawn chair; rain moves the show into the Historic Ritz Theatre.
Doyle Street between Sage and Pond streets, downtown Toccoa. This year’s lineup.
Grape Stomp Fest
Late summer (ages 21 and up)
Paradise Hills Winery Resort & Spa’s 14th annual stomp in 2026 has live music all day, local vendors, old-fashioned grape stomping and a Lucy look-alike contest. Admission (around $25) includes a souvenir glass of wine.
366 Paradise Rd., Blairsville. 706-745-7483. Date and price.
Fall
Folk Pottery Show & Arts Festival
Saturday of Labor Day weekend, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
The Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia’s 18th annual show in 2026 gathers regional folk potters and heritage artists on the lawn with live music, food trucks and demonstrations. Free admission to the festival and museum.
Sautee Nacoochee Center, 283 GA Hwy. 255 N., Sautee Nacoochee. Date and vendors.
Helen Oktoberfest
Mid-September through November 1
Held every year since 1970 and billed as the longest-running in the U.S., with German music, food and dancing at the Festhalle, Thursday through Sunday in September and nightly in October. A parade kicks things off in September.
Helen Festhalle, 1074 Edelweiss Strasse, Helen. 706-878-1908. This year’s schedule.
Wildlife Festival (Snake Day)
September, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Elachee Nature Science Center’s biggest event: touch a snake, watch reptile and raptor demonstrations, visit the petting zoo and meet ecology experts. Admission is $10 ($5 for members).
Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Dr., Gainesville. 770-535-1976. This year’s date.
Year-Round & Spring
Art-Tiques Vintage Market
Several times a year
Dealers fill the Braselton Historical Gymnasium, inside and out, with antiques, salvage, farmhouse pieces, jewelry, local art and food trucks. Presented by Countryside Antiques.
115 Harrison St., downtown Braselton. 706-824-7204.
Farm Animal Fun Day
Periodically, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Hardman Farm State Historic Site shows off the livestock that historically lived on the farm. Animal encounters are free with site admission, which includes a tour of the mansion and farm.
143 GA Hwy. 17, Sautee Nacoochee. 706-878-1077; call to confirm the schedule.
Pooches in the Park
Typically spring
Braselton’s dog day brings a vendor marketplace, a Pup Strut costume parade, contests, a lure course and Dixie Dock Dogs jumping. All dogs must be leashed.
Braselton Park, 126 Harrison St., Braselton. 706-654-3915. This year’s date.
More Events & Places
- NE Georgia Mountains Travel
- NE Mountains Christmas Lights
- Holiday Events by Season
- Festivals & Events
Sources we checked
Facts in this guide were checked in September 2026 against the agencies and operators that run these places:
- Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds
- Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia
- Helen Chamber of Commerce: Oktoberfest
- Elachee Nature Science Center
- Ida Cox Music Series
Spot something out of date? Email Contact@n-georgia.com and we’ll check it against the official source. Read how we research our guides.