Georgia Apple Festival history: how apples came to Ellijay

From cotton to apples

• The City of Ellijay says cotton was a large part of Georgia's economy in the early 1900s until the boll weevil hit in the 1920s, and apple orchards then sustained Gilmer County. City of Ellijay, Georgia Apple Festival 2023 2nd weekend
• The New Georgia Encyclopedia says Gilmer County farming first centered on cotton, and farmers gained more security by growing apples, now a main crop and tourist draw. New Georgia Encyclopedia, Gilmer County
• The City of Ellijay's history says that by the 1920s apples were being shipped out of the county and new storage buildings were going up. City of Ellijay, Historic Ellijay

How the festival began

• The City of Ellijay says the community began celebrating the apple in the early 1970s, honoring what apples did for the local economy after the loss of cotton. City of Ellijay, Georgia Apple Festival 2023 2nd weekend
• The festival began as a small arts and crafts show and has grown into a four-day event held over two weekends. Georgia Apple Festival (official site), FAQs
• The 2026 festival was billed as the 55th annual Georgia Apple Festival. Gilmer County Chamber, Georgia Apple Festival
• The organizer says the Georgia Apple Festival has brought two weekends in October to Gilmer County for 55 years. Vendors with handmade and hand-crafted items, on-site demonstrations, live music and fair food are part of the event. Georgia Apple Festival (official site), Home
• The New Georgia Encyclopedia describes the festival as held on the second and third full weekends in October, with a juried crafts show of more than 300 vendors. New Georgia Encyclopedia, Ellijay (last modified June 29, 2022)

We say early 1970s because that is what the City of Ellijay publishes; we have not found a primary source that gives an exact first year.

Who runs it

• The City of Ellijay says the festival is presented each year by the Ellijay Lions Club and the Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce. City of Ellijay, Georgia Apple Festival 2023 2nd weekend
• The Ellijay Lions Club describes the Georgia Apple Festival as a joint venture of the Lions Club and the Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce. Ellijay Lions Club, Georgia Apple Festival
• The Ellijay Lions Club was chartered in 1934, making it one of the longest-standing civic organizations in Gilmer County. Ellijay Lions Club, About
• The Ellijay Lions Club lists hosting the annual Gilmer County Fair and the Apple Festival among its activities, along with vision and hearing screenings and scholarships for graduating seniors. Ellijay Lions Club, Home

The Apple Capital of Georgia

• The Georgia Department of Agriculture says Ellijay, in Gilmer County, is known as the Apple Capital of Georgia and is home to over nine family-owned apple orchards. Georgia Department of Agriculture press release (Sept. 1, 2026), Georgia Grown Apple Season
• The City of Ellijay calls itself the Apple Capital of Georgia, the historic county seat of Gilmer County and an Appalachian Trail Community. City of Ellijay, Home
• Georgia Grown says more than 85% of Georgia's apples are grown in Gilmer and Fannin counties. Georgia Grown (Georgia Department of Agriculture), Apples
• The New Georgia Encyclopedia says Gilmer County produces more than 600,000 bushels of apples a year, more than any other Georgia county. New Georgia Encyclopedia, Ellijay (last modified June 29, 2022)
• The Georgia Department of Agriculture estimates there are 360,000 apple-producing trees in Georgia, mostly in the North Georgia mountains. Georgia Department of Agriculture press release (Sept. 1, 2026), Georgia Grown Apple Season
• Georgia's apples are mainly sold fresh. The state's apple industry had a farm-gate value of more than $12 million in 2024, according to the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Georgia Department of Agriculture press release (Sept. 1, 2026), Georgia Grown Apple Season

Ellijay before the festival

• Ellijay was incorporated on Dec. 29, 1834, and designated the county seat of Gilmer County. City of Ellijay, Historic Ellijay
• In 1833 a plan for Ellijay laid out twenty town lots, streets and a public square. The city says the streets were oriented to give the buildings as much sunlight as possible. City of Ellijay, Historic Ellijay
• The railroad reached Ellijay in 1884, when the railroad bridge over the Cartecay River was completed, and the town grew faster after that. City of Ellijay, Historic Ellijay
• By 1900 all the buildings on Ellijay's town square were brick. A 1912 fire destroyed 23 buildings, and many replacements were built under stricter fire and safety rules. City of Ellijay, Historic Ellijay
• The Zell Miller Mountain Parkway (Georgia 515) was completed in 1991, giving easier access from metro Atlanta. New Georgia Encyclopedia, Ellijay (last modified June 29, 2022)

Questions

Dates, rules and hours can change. The organizers have the final word: Georgia Apple Festival (official site)