The Georgia Apple Festival with kids: free entry age, rides and what to plan

What kids pay to get in

The organizer’s festival FAQ sets admission at $10 per person and says children 12 and under are free. The Gilmer Chamber’s Know Before You Go guide uses the same “12 and under” wording, and so did the festival’s 2026 SimpleTix ticket page.

Not every page agrees. The Chamber’s main festival page and the Ellijay Lions Club’s Apple Festival page say children “under 12” are free, and Explore Georgia’s 2026 listing put the $10 price on visitors 12 and older. If your child is exactly 12, go by the organizer’s FAQ, but ask at the gate before you pay and keep $10 ready in case the answer is different.

Tickets are always available at the gate, according to the organizer’s home page. Online sales through SimpleTix for 2026 have ended. The ticket page calls the festival a rain-or-shine event and says all sales are final, so a ticket bought ahead of time commits you to the trip whatever the forecast says. Our tickets and admission page has the rest of the rules.

• Admission is $10 per person. The organizer says children 12 and under are free. Georgia Apple Festival (official site), FAQs
• Sources word the child rule differently. The festival FAQ and the Chamber's Know Before You Go guide say children 12 and under are free, while the Chamber's festival page and the Lions Club page say children under 12 are free. Ellijay Lions Club, Georgia Apple Festival
• Tickets are always available at the gate. Georgia Apple Festival (official site), Home

Rides, animals and booths for kids on the 2026 list

The organizer’s 2026 vendor list has a section called Demonstrations and Attractions. Three rows in it are aimed at children: a petting zoo and pony rides from Elsberry Farm, a kids train ride from BJ and Company, and a kids zone from Fun Services. The same section lists three demonstrations that families can stop and watch: on-site forging by Critter Ridge Blacksmith, chair caning by Samples and Sons, and chainsaw carving.

The craft rows add a few more stops for kids. The 2026 list included a face painting booth (Mini Masterpieces with Kari, booth 26, both weekends), a coloring activity booth for adults and children (The Rainbow Dragon, booth 94, second weekend only), and several makers of wooden toys, puzzles and children’s books. Our vendor finder can filter the list to the kids category.

The Chamber’s guide calls the festival family-friendly and says it often has face painting, inflatables and other activities for children. The word “often” matters: the vendor list names the attractions but does not give prices or times for them, and the organizer says the list is subject to change. Many vendors take only cash, the Chamber says, though ATMs are available at the fairgrounds, so bring small bills for rides and treats.

• 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

Seating, restrooms and the ground underfoot

Picnic tables are spread through the fairgrounds, but the Chamber warns they can fill up at peak times. Indoor seating is available in the front building. Portable restrooms are located throughout the festival grounds.

The Chamber also notes that the fairgrounds have uneven outdoor ground, which may limit accessibility for some visitors. That affects anyone pushing a stroller or pulling a wagon. We found no organizer rule on strollers or wagons, either allowing or banning them, so pack for rough ground. It is a smoke-free event with no weapons allowed, and the Lions Club lists no alcohol, no firearms and no pets as its planning rules.

For food, the 2026 vendor list included sweet and savory fried pies, kettle corn, funnel cakes, hot apple cider, apple dumplings, caramel and candy apples, and turkey legs. Our food page lists the concession stands.

• 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)
• 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)
• 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)

Getting there with kids

Parking at the fairgrounds is limited. Paid parking is available at several lots around Ellijay, including local schools, and a free shuttle runs from them to the festival. Local community organizations run the lots, fees vary and cash is preferred, according to the Chamber’s parking page. The lots within walking distance include the Ellijay Lions Club lot at 1729 South Main Street, and the Chamber advises arriving early because lots fill up quickly. Our parking and shuttle guide lists every lot with its address.

Pets stay home, or go downtown

Pets are not allowed at the Georgia Apple Festival. Service animals are, but the organizer asks visitors with a service animal to be dropped off at the gate before parking, because animals are not allowed on the shuttle buses under school policy. The festival says it has offered on-site kennel service in the past but could not provide it this year.

If the family dog is coming along, the Apple Arts Festival is the alternative. The Chamber describes it as a free, family-friendly event with local and regional artists, crafters, food vendors and entertainment, and its 2026 series page calls it pet-friendly and accessible. Well-behaved, leashed pets are welcome. It is held in the parking area behind the Downtown Ellijay Welcome Center at 10 Broad Street, with more than 65 vendors. In 2026 it was scheduled for the same weekends as the main festival, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays, per the Chamber’s 2026 announcement. Some Chamber pages list different times, so check the year’s schedule before you go.

The 1-mile fun run and the Tot Trot

The Apple Festival 5K is a separate event with its own registration. The Chamber’s 2026 race listing says the 50th annual race included a 5K, a 1-mile fun run and walk, and a Tot Trot for small children. The race’s registration page says the 2026 race moved from Saturday, Oct. 10 to Saturday, Oct. 17, at the same place and time, after the City of Ellijay required events on Oct. 10 to be canceled or postponed.

On race day, registration was $40 per person and packet pickup began at 7 a.m. The 5K started at 8 a.m. and awards began at 9:15 a.m. The race page’s schedule gives the fun run at 8:45 a.m., but its event list says 9:00 a.m. The course is on McCutchen Street in Ellijay. The race goes on in rain, though the start can be delayed for severe weather, and there are no refunds. See our Apple Festival 5K page for the rest.

Plan the day around shorter legs

The festival runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays, over two weekends. In 2026 those were Oct. 10-11 and Oct. 17-18. The City of Ellijay’s festival page says there are too many exhibitors to see in one day. Our festival day planner builds a day from the date you pick, how you arrive and what you want to see, kids’ stops included.

Apple picking pairs well with a festival day. The Chamber says most Gilmer County orchards offer a U-pick event, and our apple-picking guide covers them orchard by orchard. Hillcrest Orchards, at 9696 Highway 52 East, holds its Apple Pickin’ Jubilee on weekends through Nov. 1, 2026, with admission of $22 per person for walking age and up, per its weekends page. The Chamber says Jubilee weekends include picking your own apples, cow milking, swimming pig races and mini golf. See orchards near the festival for more.

The fairgrounds host one more children’s event this month. The Ellijay Lions Club holds a free trick-or-treat there on Oct. 31, 2026, from 6 to 9 p.m., and says about 1,500 children come each year, per the Chamber’s listing.

As for next year, the organizer had not announced 2027 dates as of Oct. 19, 2026. Its rule is the second and third weekends in October, which would make Oct. 9-10 and Oct. 16-17, 2027 the expected weekends, not confirmed ones. Attractions change from year to year, so check the 2027 vendor list when it is posted. Our 2027 page tracks the announcement.

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)