The temperature is dropping and pumpkin spice is making its way back onto menus.
Autumn is officially here! In the state of Georgia, the population knows how to make the most of this season with several not-to-miss events happening across the month of October.
There is at least one festival occurring in and around Atlanta for all of October. From amazing food to interesting crafts and events, these whole-day activities are a must. Here are a few of the largest and most unique festivals in Georgia.
The Festival on Ponce will be held at Olmsted Linear Park on Oct. 8 and 9. There will be several vendors and displays present with folk and ‘outsider’ art.
The Atlanta Pride Parade, the biggest event of the Atlanta Pride Festival, will step off from the Atlanta Civic Center MARTA Station on Oct. 9 at noon. In the past, the parade has amassed over 100,000 people.
The Georgia Apple Festival is held in Ellijay on the second and third weekends of October. Over 300 vendors will be present with artisan crafts and several apple-oriented attractions.
Gold Rush Days Festival takes place in Dahlonega on Oct. 15-16, 2022. The festival is centered around celebrating Dahlonega’s 1828 discovery of gold. Hundreds of craft and food vendors will be present.
The Pumpkin Festival at Stone Mountain will host several events from Sept. 17 to Oct. 30. Along with the glow-in-the-dark night parade, this year they also introduced the World’s Largest Pumpkin Light Show.
The Helen Festhalle has been hosting the Helen Oktoberfest for 52 years now and will continue to. The German festivities will commence until Oct. 30.
The Little 5 Points Halloween Festival and Parade will be held on Oct. 22 and 23. There will be several Halloween-related stalls and events across the weekend, accumulating to the parade that starts at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
As the Georgia humidity leaves for a few weeks and the leaves start changing colors and falling, there is no better time to be outside. Across North Georgia, there are several outdoor activities readily available.
From the end of the Appalachian mountains to the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, Georgia boasts an enormous amount of hiking trails.
Rather than listing them all, it is recommended to visit the “Leaf Watch” website, organized by Georgia State Parks, to get a list of hiking trails along with tracking the exact timing of fall foliage.
Apple picking is a quintessential fall activity. Along with the Georgia Apple Festival, Ellijay is also home to several apple orchards where visitors can go apple picking like Mercier Orchards, B.J. Reece Orchards and R&A Orchards.
Sleepy Hollow Farm in Powder Springs also offers pumpkin picking and a corn maze.
Along with the standard autumn events, the list would be incomplete without any mention of the Halloween-related spooky events.
From Oct. 13-16, the Rolecall Theater will host the Atlanta Horror Film Festival.
There will also be outdoor screenings Oct. 7 – 9 at Ammazza Edgewood. Over 200 independent horror films will be screened.
Georgia has no shortage of haunted houses.
The most popular ones are Netherworld Haunted House, 13 Stories Haunted House, Paranoia Haunted House and Escape Woods.
The Atlanta Botanical Garden will be exhibiting Scarecrows in the Garden for the month of October. These creations are made by local artists and crafters including Tech’s very own School of Materials Science and Engineering.