Decision tool · festival day planner
Plan your festival day
Pick the weekend and the day, when you will reach the gate, who is coming and what you want from the day. You get a timed plan inside the gate hours, what admission costs your group, a shopping list of that weekend's vendors by booth number, the apple foods, the rides and demonstrations, the rules your group needs to know, and a calendar hold.
The organizer has not announced the 2027 dates. The days below are the second and third weekends of October 2027, the pattern the festival's FAQ gives, with the 2026 gate hours. Treat them as expected until the organizer publishes them.
The 2027 festival days, expected
| Day | Weekend | Gate hours | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Oct. 9, 2027 | First weekend | 9 a.m.–6 p.m. | Expected (not yet announced) |
| Sunday, Oct. 10, 2027 | First weekend | 9 a.m.–5 p.m. | Expected (not yet announced) |
| Saturday, Oct. 16, 2027 | Second weekend | 9 a.m.–6 p.m. | Expected (not yet announced) |
| Sunday, Oct. 17, 2027 | Second weekend | 9 a.m.–5 p.m. | Expected (not yet announced) |
Expected by the organizer's second-and-third-weekends-of-October pattern; gate hours are the 2026 hours (Saturday 9 a.m.–6 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m.–5 p.m.). Not yet announced for 2027. Georgia Apple Festival (official site), FAQs
Rules that change a plan
- Pets: Pets are not allowed at the Georgia Apple Festival. Service animals are allowed. Georgia Apple Festival (official site), FAQs
- Service animals: Visitors with a service animal are asked to be dropped off at the gate before parking, because animals are not allowed on the shuttle buses under school policy. Georgia Apple Festival (official site), FAQs
- Cash: Some vendors take cards, but many accept only cash, so the Chamber advises bringing cash. ATMs are available at the fairgrounds. Gilmer County Chamber blog, Know Before You Go: Georgia Apple Festival (updated Oct. 7, 2026)
- Weather: The Georgia Apple Festival is a rain-or-shine event. Georgia Apple Festival (official site), FAQs
- Smoking and weapons: The festival is a smoke-free event, and no weapons are allowed. Georgia Apple Festival (official site), Home
- Accessible parking: Handicap parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Georgia Apple Festival (official site), FAQs
- The ground: The Chamber notes that the fairgrounds have uneven outdoor ground, which may limit accessibility for some visitors. Gilmer County Chamber blog, Know Before You Go: Georgia Apple Festival (updated Oct. 7, 2026)
Gate hours, admission and rules are the organizer's and the Gilmer County Chamber's published 2026 details (checked October 19, 2026); vendors, booth numbers and weekends are from the organizer's 2026 vendor list, and the 2027 list will differ. The 2027 dates are expected, not announced. How long each part of the day takes is only a suggestion, sized to the hours you have. Your head count is your own input.
Coming back every October? See what it is like to live in apple country.
Gate hours
- Festival hours are Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Georgia Apple Festival (official site), FAQs
- The 2026 festival days were scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 10 and Saturday, Oct. 17 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 11 and Sunday, Oct. 18 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Gilmer County Chamber blog, Know Before You Go: Georgia Apple Festival (updated Oct. 7, 2026)
- The City of Ellijay's festival page says there are too many exhibitors to see in one day and suggests staying the weekend, for example in a North Georgia cabin. City of Ellijay, Georgia Apple Festival 2023 2nd weekend
What is inside the gates
- The Gilmer Chamber says the 2026 festival had over 250 vendors offering handmade arts and crafts, along with live music, on-site demonstrations and food. Gilmer County Chamber, Georgia Apple Festival
- Food vendors at the fairgrounds sell classic fair food, local apple treats, barbecue and more. Gilmer County Chamber blog, Know Before You Go: Georgia Apple Festival (updated Oct. 7, 2026)
- The Chamber says the festival is family-friendly and often has face painting, inflatables and other activities for children. Gilmer County Chamber blog, Know Before You Go: Georgia Apple Festival (updated Oct. 7, 2026)
- Picnic tables are spread through the fairgrounds but can fill up at peak times. Indoor seating is available in the front building. Gilmer County Chamber blog, Know Before You Go: Georgia Apple Festival (updated Oct. 7, 2026)
- Portable restrooms are located throughout the festival grounds. Gilmer County Chamber blog, Know Before You Go: Georgia Apple Festival (updated Oct. 7, 2026)
Demonstrations and attractions on the 2026 list
- Petting zoo & Pony Rides: Elsberry Farm
- Kids Train Ride: BJ and Company
- Kids zone: Fun Services
- On-site forging: Critter Ridge Blacksmith
- Chair Caning: Samples and Sons
- Chainsaw Carving: Chainsaw Carving
Source: Georgia Apple Festival (official site): Vendor List, 2026 PDF, checked 2026-10-19
Rules that change a plan
- Pets are not allowed at the Georgia Apple Festival. Service animals are allowed. Georgia Apple Festival (official site), FAQs
- Visitors with a service animal are asked to be dropped off at the gate before parking, because animals are not allowed on the shuttle buses under school policy. 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
- The festival is a smoke-free event, and no weapons are allowed. Georgia Apple Festival (official site), Home
- The Ellijay Lions Club's festival page lists three rules for planning a festival day: no alcohol, no firearms and no pets. Ellijay Lions Club, Georgia Apple Festival
- Some vendors take cards, but many accept only cash, so the Chamber advises bringing cash. ATMs are available at the fairgrounds. Gilmer County Chamber blog, Know Before You Go: Georgia Apple Festival (updated Oct. 7, 2026)
- Some vendors offer bags, but the Chamber suggests bringing your own tote or shopping bag. Gilmer County Chamber blog, Know Before You Go: Georgia Apple Festival (updated Oct. 7, 2026)
- The Georgia Apple Festival is a rain-or-shine event. Georgia Apple Festival (official site), FAQs
Getting there
Parking at the fairgrounds is limited, so most people park in a lot around town and ride the free shuttle. The parking planner ranks the lots for the road you drive in on.
Questions
Is the Georgia Apple Festival one long event or two weekends?
It is two separate weekends. The festival runs Saturday and Sunday on the second and third weekends of October, four festival days in all, with no festival days during the week in between. In 2026 that meant Oct. 10-11 and Oct. 17-18 at the Lions Club Fairgrounds.
Source: Georgia Apple Festival (official site), FAQs
What time does the Georgia Apple Festival open?
The festival opens at 9 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. It closes at 6 p.m. on Saturday and at 5 p.m. on Sunday, so Sunday is an hour shorter. These are the organizer's published hours for the 2026 festival; hours for 2027 have not been posted yet.
Source: Georgia Apple Festival (official site), FAQs
Do vendors at the Georgia Apple Festival take credit cards?
Some vendors do, but many take only cash. The Gilmer Chamber's Know Before You Go guide advises bringing cash for a smooth visit and says ATMs are available at the fairgrounds. The community groups that run the parking lots also prefer cash, so plan to carry enough for both.
Source: Gilmer County Chamber blog, Know Before You Go: Georgia Apple Festival; Gilmer County Chamber, Festival Parking
Is the Georgia Apple Festival rain or shine?
Yes. The organizer calls the Georgia Apple Festival a rain-or-shine event, and the ticket page adds that all sales are final. It is mainly an outdoor festival at the Ellijay Lions Club Fairgrounds, though the Chamber says indoor seating is available at the front building. The downtown Apple Arts Festival is also rain or shine.
Source: Georgia Apple Festival (official site), FAQs; Gilmer County Chamber, Apple Arts FAQs
Where is the Georgia Apple Festival held?
The festival is at the Ellijay Lions Club Fairgrounds, 1729 South Main Street, Ellijay, GA 30540. The City of Ellijay describes the site as being on Old Highway 5 South. Parking at the fairgrounds is limited, so most visitors use the paid lots around Ellijay that run a free shuttle to the gate.
Source: Georgia Apple Festival (official site), Home; City of Ellijay; Eventeny listing
What is there to do at the Georgia Apple Festival?
The fairgrounds hold over 250 vendors of handmade arts and crafts, plus live music, on-site demonstrations and food. The 2026 vendor list also had a petting zoo and pony rides, a kids train ride, a kids zone, blacksmith forging, chair caning and chainsaw carving. The organizer says the list is subject to change.
Source: Georgia Apple Festival (official site), 2026 Vendor List; Gilmer County Chamber, Georgia Apple Festival
Are there restrooms and places to sit at the festival?
Yes. The Gilmer Chamber says portable restrooms are located throughout the festival grounds. Picnic tables are spread around the fairgrounds, though they can fill up during peak hours, and indoor seating is available in the front building. The Chamber also notes that the fairgrounds have uneven outdoor terrain, which may limit accessibility for some visitors.
Source: Gilmer County Chamber blog, Know Before You Go: Georgia Apple Festival
What items are not allowed at the Georgia Apple Festival?
Pets, weapons and alcohol are not allowed, and smoking is not permitted. The organizer calls the festival a smoke-free event and says no weapons are allowed. The Ellijay Lions Club's festival page lists no alcohol, no firearms and no pets. Service animals are the exception to the pet rule.
Source: Georgia Apple Festival (official site), Home; Ellijay Lions Club, Georgia Apple Festival
What should I bring to the Georgia Apple Festival?
Bring cash, because many vendors accept only cash and the parking lots prefer it, and bring your own tote or shopping bag, since not every vendor offers bags. If you use a wheelchair or scooter, bring your own; the festival does not rent them. Leave pets at home unless they are service animals.
Source: Gilmer County Chamber blog, Know Before You Go; Georgia Apple Festival (official site), FAQs
Is the Georgia Apple Festival indoors or outdoors?
It is mainly an outdoor event at the Ellijay Lions Club Fairgrounds. The organizer's vendor FAQ describes booth spaces outdoors, inside an open pavilion and in indoor spaces, and the Chamber says indoor seating is available at the front building. Because it is rain or shine, dress for the day's weather.
Source: Georgia Apple Festival (official site), FAQs; Gilmer County Chamber, Know Before You Go
Is the Georgia Apple Festival worth going to?
If you like handmade crafts, fair food and live music, it offers a lot in one place: the Chamber counted over 250 vendors in 2026, and the organizer calls it "a big show with a small-town feel." Expect company. FOX 5 Atlanta reported about 22,000 visitors on the first 2025 weekend, citing city leaders. Admission is $10.
Source: Gilmer County Chamber, Georgia Apple Festival; Georgia Apple Festival FAQs; FOX 5 Atlanta (Oct. 14, 2025)
How long should I plan to spend at the Georgia Apple Festival?
The City of Ellijay suggests more than one day. Its festival page says there are too many exhibitors to see in a single-day visit and recommends staying the weekend, for example in a North Georgia cabin. Each festival day runs 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Source: City of Ellijay, Georgia Apple Festival page; Georgia Apple Festival (official site), FAQs
How many people attend the Georgia Apple Festival?
There is no official published count. FOX 5 Atlanta reported that about 22,000 people attended the first weekend of the 2025 festival, citing estimates from city leaders, and said a similar turnout was expected the following weekend. Treat that as an estimate for one weekend, not a total for the whole festival.
Source: FOX 5 Atlanta video, Georgia Apple Festival attracts thousands (Oct. 14, 2025)
How far is Ellijay from Atlanta?
The New Georgia Encyclopedia places Ellijay 75 miles north of Atlanta. Ellijay sits at the junction of Georgia 515, Georgia 52 and U.S. 76, and Georgia 515, the Zell Miller Mountain Parkway, was completed in 1991, making the trip from metro Atlanta easier. On festival weekends, the Chamber warns that traffic patterns can change.
Source: New Georgia Encyclopedia, Ellijay; Gilmer County Chamber, Festival Parking
What other events happen on Georgia Apple Festival weekends?
In 2026 the free Apple Arts Festival was scheduled downtown on the same weekends, Hillcrest Orchards held Apple Pickin' Jubilee weekends from Sept. 5 to Nov. 1, Cress Creeks Farm ran a fall corn maze through Nov. 1, and the Chamber listed a weekend fall festival at Cartecay Vineyards. The Chamber's community calendar lists other local events.
Source: Gilmer County Chamber; Hillcrest Orchards; Cress Creeks Farm
What is happening in Ellijay after the Apple Festival?
The Ellijay Lions Club holds a free trick-or-treat at its fairgrounds on Oct. 31, 2026, from 6 to 9 p.m. The second annual Merry Mountain Town Festival comes to downtown Ellijay on Friday, Nov. 27, 2026, and Cress Creeks Farm hosts Breakfast with Santa on Dec. 12. Gilmer Arts lists concerts through December.
Source: Gilmer County Chamber events calendar; Ellijay Lions Club, Calendar; Cress Creeks Farm; Gilmer Arts
Where is the visitor center in Ellijay?
The Gilmer Downtown Welcome Center is at 10 Broad Street, Ellijay, and is open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; its phone is (706) 635-7401. The Gilmer Chamber office is at 696 First Avenue in East Ellijay, open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., phone (706) 635-7400.
Source: Gilmer County Chamber, Contact
Dates, rules and hours can change. The organizers have the final word: Georgia Apple Festival (official site)
