The foothills of North Georgia are never more alive than in autumn. From parades to tea parties inspired by a marmalade-loving bear, the season brings with it a festival spirit that folds family, food, and community into one. This year, the calendar is packed. Towns and farms across the region are opening their gates, lighting their fire pits, and inviting neighbors to take part in a season that feels both timeless and new.
1. North Georgia Highlands Games
Rabun County Civic Center Pavilions, 201 W Savannah St, Clayton, GA 30525
October 4 | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
The North Georgia Highland Games unfold against the backdrop of Rabun County’s rolling mountains, where the crisp air carries the scent of barbecue smoke and autumn leaves. Bright tents dot the field, each one alive with color and sound. Bagpipes echo across the grounds, mingling with laughter, the clang of an axe hitting its target, and the cheerful calls of vendors offering lemonade, shaved ice, and Scottish fare. Families wander through archways of banners and tartans, stopping at booths lined with pottery, honey, jewelry, and hand-carved toys, while the crests of ancient clans flutter in the breeze.
Everywhere, the festival feels rooted in place and purpose. Volunteers guide visitors through the Scottish maps exhibit and help them trace their ancestry in the tartan search, while clans proudly gather beneath their family banners. The mountain scenery frames the celebration with cinematic beauty—blue ridges stretching into the distance, punctuated by bursts of goldenrod and scarlet foliage.
2. Foxfire Mountaineer Festival
Rabun County Civic Center Pavilions, 201 W Savannah St, Clayton, GA 30525
October 4 | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Foxfire has long been synonymous with preserving Appalachian culture. Its fall festival continues that legacy with craft artisans, heritage skill demonstrations, music, and even pig racing. Held in Clayton, it is both a fair and a living museum of mountain life.
Linked HERE is more information.
3. Paddington Bear’s Teddy Bear Tea Party
FarmHouse PoundCakes, 148 N Main St, Cornelia, GA 3053
October 4 | 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
On a crisp cool morning in October, FarmHouse PoundCakes hosts a classic British tea for the little princesses of Northeast, Georgia. Children arrive in their best hats, carrying the soft paws of their dearest bears, and settle in for marmalade sweetness and tender delights.
The hosts tell Paddington’s gentle misadventures in story time as tea towers appear, laden with little cakes and proper fare, just as one might expect at an English table set for company. A cardboard likeness of Queen Elizabeth II stands ready for photographs, presiding with stately sweetness and recalling Paddington’s most famous tea companion.
In this setting, the smallest guests step easily into a story, discovering that friendship, imagination, and marmalade create the richest treasures of all.
Linked HERE is more information or call
Tickets: Only 35.00 per person – all-inclusive event
Call: (706) 436-8825 to reserve spaces, Ellen Dawe
4. You Pick & Yoga at Valley Girl Flower Farm
Valley Girl Flower Farm, 2455 Bridge Creek Rd, Tiger, GA 30576
October 4 | 10:30 a.m.
Cradled between the foothills and the Blue Ridge Mountains, Valley Girl Flower Farm in Rabun County opens its gates to autumn with an event packed to the gills with feminine energy. In a field awash with seasonal blooms, guests will sip mimosas or mockmosas, take part in a guided yoga session led by Hillary Marshall of Thrive Wellness Hub, and gather bouquets to carry home. The morning invites relaxation and connection, encouraging friends and neighbors to stretch, breathe, and mingle beneath the wide, changing sky. Tickets are $50 and include yoga, a fresh-picked bouquet, and a drink.
Guests are asked to bring a mat or towel, as practice will take place on the grass.
5. Tiger Fall Festival
Tiger Town Park / Jackie Watts Memorial Park, 29 History Street, Tiger, GA, United States, Georgia
October 11 | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Now in its fourth year, the Tiger Fall Festival features crafts, hayrides, raffles, and food. Hosted by Creating Ties That Bind, the festival raises funds to strengthen local families while giving the community a reason to gather.
6. Arrows Farm Autumn Evenings
Arrows Farm, 1823B Shoal Creek Rd, Clarkesville, GA 30523
Arrows Farm rests quietly in the folds of the foothills of Habersham County, its hills rolling like sheets of green velvet in the autumnal twilight. As evening falls, guests take in the blue-shadowed moment when the fields grow quiet and the first stars appear with coffee or cocktail in hand.
As night settles, fire pits cast their glow against the dark, and guests take their places—some slipping into private alcoves, others gathering in circles of laughter and warmth. The air carries the scent of woodsmoke and fall leaves, and every detail, every table, every flicker of flame emphasizes the rustic simplicity the Correa family so intentionally polishes into elegance. The farm sets the stage for gathering, for conversation, and for memory.
The host, Allie, welcomes guests with gracious ease. They arrive, settle in, and drink in the season. They taste the offerings, share their stories, and linger long after the night deepens around them. At Arrows Farm, sophistication stands hand in hand with rustic beauty, and Habersham’s most discerning find themselves at home.
Fireside Gathering
October 18 | 6:00 p.m.
Guests gather around fire pits for seasonal demonstrations, storytelling, gourmet smores, and connection. Seating provides options for intimacy and community at an event which allows individuals to linger and relax in style. For more information, read HERE.
Palette & Pastries
October 24| Evening
Artist Maria Loveless paints live with the audience while a guest chef serves refined desserts. It’s a night where art and indulgence entwine, the farm serving as a Petite Trianon, inviting guests into a Marie Antoinette moment. For more information, read HERE.
7.Mason-Scharfenstein Museum of Art
567 Georgia St, Demorest, GA 30535
Downtown Demorest embodies unstudied charm. Its brick-front buildings catch the late-afternoon sun, while narrow streets hum with the easy rhythm of a college town. Students linger on corners with coffee in hand; professors cross Georgia Street with notes tucked under their arms; families drift toward Big Springs Park as the school day ends. The park itself offers the perfect refuge, a sun-dappled field and playground for children, and a paved walkway where couples stroll arm in arm.
At the center of this tableau, the Mason-Scharfenstein Museum of Art, curated by Rebecca Brantley, will carry on its mission as it has since it opened in 2011. Inside, walls of exposed brick will frame exhibitions that change with the seasons; at present, the delicate camera-less photographs of Ann Beason and Merri Lawrence capture plants and shadows in translucent, shifting patterns.
In October, Rhett Turner will arrive with photographs of conservation in the museum’s most elegant event of 2025.
On Halloween night, the museum will embrace the spirit of the season, joining the city of Demorest at Big Springs Park for Demorest Trunk or Treat. Families will visit the city and enjoy coffee, candy, and holiday fun as children parade in costumes. The evening will feature the Brella Studios Art Truck and a full slate of community activities that celebrate both art and imagination. The museum will balance refinement with warmth, offering a stage where Halloween magic and community connection converge.
Then, in November, Jan Walker will transform the space into a fairy tale with collages from The Kingdom of Neep.
8. CMBA Halloween Event at the Rock House
Rock House, 39 E Savannah St, Clayton, GA 30525
October 25 | 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
The Clayton Merchants and Business Association will host a Halloween morning full of family fun in the heart of downtown Clayton. Children and families will find games, arts and crafts, ring toss, and pumpkin painting spread at the garden of the Rock House, while the “create-your-own-potion” station invites little ones to mix oils, florals, and herbs into tiny bottles they can decorate with stickers. A costume contest will bring out the season’s most spirited looks, and a parade through Main Street will tie the morning together, turning Clayton’s downtown into a stage.
9. Stars Hollow Harvest Festival
Aerial Mountain Springs, 106 Ben T Huiet Hwy, Clarkesville, GA 30523
October 9 | 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.
For fans of Gilmore Girls, this Habersham County festival offers a chance to step into Stars Hollow itself. Activities include trivia, a paint-a-mug station, Rory’s book swap, a group and individual costume contest, and more.
Building on the Stars Hollow celebration, a larger Gilmore Girls Festival will provide themed vendors serving up food, coffee, flowers, beer, wine, and more! This is an all ages event.
For more information, read HERE.
10. Of These Mountains Fall Market
Rabun County Civic Center Pavilions
November 1 | 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m
The 5th Annual Of These Mountains Fall Marketplace returns to Rabun County this season, transforming downtown Clayton into a hub of creativity and community. More than 100 artisans, crafters, makers, and small businesses will line the streets, filling the day with opportunities to browse, discover, and connect.
Visitors can shop for unique handmade goods, meet the people behind the work, and take part in a full day of seasonal celebration. With free admission, the marketplace invites everyone to enjoy a vibrant mix of commerce and culture while supporting the local talent that defines the region.
11. Backyard Barn Bash Fall Festival
2607 Rockford Creek Rd, Clarkesville, GA 30523
October 18 | 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Guests will enjoy an afternoon of classic fall fun with yard games, hayrides, live music, and a lineup of local vendors offering seasonal treats. Families can spread out chairs or blankets by the pond and settle in for the day. For those who like to fish, poles and bait are welcome, adding a relaxed, old-fashioned charm to the festivities. Children dart between activities, while parents linger over craft booths or cups of cider, taking in the crisp air and golden light of early autumn.
As the sun dips lower, the evening centers on the Chili Cook-Off Dinner. Visitors taste their way through steaming bowls, casting votes for their favorites or stepping up with their own homemade batches to share. This event is hosted by Lighthouse Christian Church and Kandy Kane daycare.
A Season That Belongs to Everyone
Across small towns and rolling hills, North Georgia’s fall calendar captures the region’s identity. Whether through a massive celebration of fall in Clermont, an elegant art reception in Demorest, or a Gilmore Girls festival in Clarkesville, these events are reminders that culture thrives not only in big cities but also in the foothills.
