Setup crews have been busy at the Ellijay Lions Club Fairgrounds as the Georgia Apple Festival kicks off this weekend, marking its 55th year in Ellijay, known as Georgia's apple capital. The festival continues rain or shine, and organizers have again paired it with a second weekend later in October for visitors who miss the first round of fritters and fried pies.
According to CBS News Atlanta, the festival is returning to Ellijay. The event runs October 10-11 and October 17-18, open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays at the fairgrounds on South Main Street, with general admission set at $10 and free entry for children under 12, according to the Ellijay Lions Club.
More Than 250 Vendors and Mountain Trade Demonstrations
The four-day event draws over 250 arts and crafts vendors from across the Southeast, alongside live music, mountain trade demonstrations like blacksmithing, and food stalls serving apple fritters, fried pies, and apple cider, per Downtown Ellijay. Vendor applications for the festival open each January, giving craftspeople months to secure a spot on the fairgrounds.
Pets aren't allowed inside the fairgrounds, but the city runs a concurrent, pet-friendly event called the Apple Arts Festival in downtown Ellijay across the same October weekends, the Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce notes. Service animals are permitted at both sites, giving visitors with pets a nearby alternative without missing the broader festival atmosphere.
Parade, Car Show, and a 5K Benefiting Local Runners
Festival weekends also bring the Apple Classic Auto Show, a downtown kick-off parade, and the Apple Festival 5K Road Race, which directly benefits the Gilmer High School Cross Country program, according to Georgia Cabins For You. The race weekend also includes a 1-mile fun run and a tot trot for younger participants, rounding out a slate of events that spreads visitor traffic beyond the fairgrounds gates.
The festival's roots trace back to 1971, when it was first organized to celebrate apple production after boll weevil infestations wiped out North Georgia's cotton crops in the 1920s, according to the New Georgia Encyclopedia. Apple farming filled the economic vacuum left behind, reshaping Gilmer County's rural economy for generations.
A Regional Industry Worth Millions
That history still underpins a sizable agricultural industry today. Georgia's apple sector generated a farm-gate value exceeding $12 million in 2024, supported by roughly 360,000 apple-producing trees concentrated largely in North Georgia mountain orchards, according to data released by the Georgia Department of Agriculture and reported by On The Farm Radio. Ellijay alone produces roughly 600,000 bushels of apples annually across more than nine family-owned orchards, with the regional harvest extending from July through December.
Municipal leaders estimated weekend attendance at the 2025 festival at approximately 22,000 visitors, according to FOX 5 Atlanta, a volume that places heavy demand on local roads and mountain lodging each October. The festival is co-managed as a civic fundraiser by the Ellijay Lions Club and the Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce, with proceeds returning to local humanitarian projects, vision assistance, and economic initiatives.
State government has thrown its weight behind the season as well. In September, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper issued a proclamation declaring September the official start of Georgia Grown Apple Season, a campaign meant to encourage direct-to-farm visits and consumer spending at orchards across the region. The push dovetails with the broader autumn tourism wave already drawing leaf-peepers north, with Ellijay's orchards serving as a key stop for visitors chasing both fall color and fresh apples.
