Bringing a dog to Ellijay on festival weekend

The fairgrounds rule

The organizer’s FAQ is direct about it: “While we love our furry friends, pets are not allowed at the festival. Service animals are allowed.” The Ellijay Lions Club, which presents the festival with the Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce, lists the same rule on its festival page alongside no alcohol and no firearms. The Chamber’s own 2026 event listing repeats it and points dog owners downtown: “While we are unable to allow pets onto the fairgrounds, Apple Arts Festival in Downtown Ellijay is a pet-friendly event. Service dogs are welcome.”

So the split is simple. A pet stays out of the fairgrounds at 1729 South Main Street. A service animal can come in. If you are unsure which side of that line your animal falls on, ask before you drive up: the festival’s contact page sends general questions to (706) 635-7400 or info@gilmerchamber.com.

• Pets are not allowed at the Georgia Apple Festival. Service animals are allowed. Georgia Apple Festival (official site), FAQs
• The festival has offered on-site kennel service in the past but said it could not provide it this year. Georgia Apple Festival (official site), Home
• Pets cannot go onto the fairgrounds, but the Chamber points pet owners to the pet-friendly Apple Arts Festival downtown. Service dogs are welcome. Gilmer County Chamber events calendar, 2026 Georgia Apple Festival

Getting to the gate with a service animal

This is the detail to plan around. Parking at the fairgrounds itself is limited, and the Chamber lists five paid lots around Ellijay with free shuttle buses to the festival. Those shuttles will not take your animal. The organizer says animals are not allowed on its buses under school policy, and the Chamber’s parking page explains why: for the safety of children with severe allergies, the buses must remain allergen-free for school use. That rule covers service animals too.

That leaves two ways in, both published by the organizer or the Chamber:

• Drop-off at the gate. The organizer asks visitors with a service animal to be dropped off at the gate first, and for the driver to park afterward.
• A lot within walking distance. The Chamber lists the Ellijay Lions Club lot (1729 South Main Street), Gilmer County Parks and Rec (2150 Old Hwy 5 and 1361 South Main Street), the Gilmer County Civic Center (1561 South Main Street) and River Gate Parking (Soccer Field Road, East Ellijay). It advises arriving early because these lots fill up quickly.

If you also need accessible parking, the Chamber points visitors to the Ellijay Lions Club lot, first come, first served. Its list also names the Larry Walker Education Center as handicap parking with an accessible shuttle, but the Chamber’s no-animals rule for the shuttle buses lists no exception, so with a service animal the walking-distance lots and the gate drop-off are the options that fit the published rules. Once inside, expect uneven outdoor ground. Picnic tables are spread through the grounds, and there is indoor seating in the front building. Our parking and shuttle planner maps every lot.

No kennel this year

The organizer’s home page carries this notice: “In the past we have had onsite kennel service. We cannot provide this service this year.” There is no published alternative at the fairgrounds, so if your dog is traveling with you and you want to see the main festival, settle where the dog will be before you leave for the fairgrounds. If you are staying overnight, our where to stay page covers the area.

One irony of the rule: the 2026 vendor list had five booths selling things for pets, all booked for both weekends. Josie’sBackyard (booth 22) and Wheelie Good Dog Treats (booth 206) listed all natural dog treats, The Krafty Kamper (booth 49) dog accessories, Woofs N Wags LLC (booth 115) pet accessories and Carolina Creekhouse (booth 134) waterproof pet food mats. You can shop for the dog. You just cannot bring it. Our vendor finder lists them under For pets.

Downtown: the Apple Arts Festival welcomes leashed pets

The answer for dog owners is the Apple Arts Festival, the Chamber’s free sister festival in the parking area behind the Downtown Ellijay Welcome Center at 10 Broad Street. Its FAQ says well-behaved, leashed pets are welcome, and the Chamber describes the event as pet-friendly and accessible. It runs on the same weekends as the main festival. The Chamber’s dated 2026 schedule was 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays, though other Chamber pages say it keeps the same times as the main festival, so check the year’s schedule. It is held rain or shine.

Parking is easier with a dog here, too. The Apple Arts FAQ says free public parking is available throughout downtown Ellijay, though the Chamber’s 2026 Eventeny listing called downtown parking limited. You do not need a shuttle to reach it. If your group wants both festivals, the person with the dog can stay downtown while the others go to the fairgrounds. More on the downtown event is on our Apple Arts Festival page. For the lots themselves, see parking and getting to downtown Ellijay.

Orchards and other stops with a dog

Orchards set their own rules, and they differ. Here is what each farm’s own site says, as checked for this guide:

• B.J. Reece Orchards, 9131 Hwy 52 E: dogs are welcome in the orchards on a leash, but not in the petting zoo area or the market (service dogs are allowed in the market). Clean up after your dog.
• Red Apple Barn, 3379 Tails Creek Rd: dogs are welcome on the farm but, citing food safety rules, not in the orchard or the Apple Barn. Small to medium dogs on a leash, or dogs you can carry, are welcome on the rest of the farm.
• R and A Orchards, 5505 Hwy 52 E: pets are not permitted in U-pick or inside the market, citing federal food safety regulations, per the farm.
• Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge: pets are not permitted in the orchard or the market. Service dogs are welcome in the market; emotional support animals are not allowed inside or in the orchard.
• Cress Creeks Farm, 4708 Boardtown Rd.: the fall corn maze allows dogs on a short leash. The farm lists the maze from Sept. 18 to Nov. 1, 2026.

Away from the farms, the Gilmer Chamber’s list of free things to do calls the walking trails at Gilmer County River Park, 1561 South Main Street, perfect for your furry friends. Diamond Lure Campground lists an enclosed dog park and a dog beach on the lake, Talona Ridge RV Resort in East Ellijay lists a dog park, and Apple Country RV Resort lists a dog park and a dog wash and allows up to two household pets per site. Policies change, so confirm with each place before you go. For more farms, see our orchards near the festival page.

Planning ahead for 2027

The 2027 dates have not been announced; the festival is held on the second and third weekends in October. The kennel notice was worded for this year, so when 2027 details are posted, check the organizer’s site for kennel news and for the pet rule before you plan around either.

Questions

Written by the Ellijay Apple Festival Guide Editorial Team. AI tools help us draft; people check every fact before it publishes.

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