THE TOCCOA HARVEST FESTIVAL!…read more The Toccoa Harvest Festival takes place in downtown Toccoa in Stephens County during the last week of October. It is now in its 40th year. We decided to visit for the first time this year. We headed out before dawn and as the sun came up, we enjoyed the beautiful scenery and change of colors. As per usual, we had planned to get there at least an hour before the start of the actual event which was scheduled to start at 10 am. We actually arrived around 8:30 am and was surprised to see several vendors already set up as well as volunteers providing directions. These small town people don't play! After eating breakfast we set out to view the vendors' wares and to see what was "poppin". My first stop was at the classic car show where I met Kent and his classic blue Chevy truck, (see the photo). `I absolutely love classic vehicles, (especially trucks), so I always have to get the "back story". This truck was purchased approximately four years ago when it was seen on someone's property. Kent had asked about the truck but the man had said that his son was planning on purchasing it. Approximately one month later, Kent saw the truck and stopped by again. At that time he was told that someone else was interested in the car and had stopped by earlier in the day. Kent offered the man cash on the spot and sealed the deal. He then spent the next four years stripping the truck and rebuilding it. All of the work was done in his garage or yard, including the paint. I was blown away to know that he had completed all of the work, (except the welding) himself. He did a phenomenal job because he showed me his book that documented the process. Collectors always have a book to document their restoration process so just ask if you are curious. I really enjoyed talking to this guy! We met another guy who had this sick 1935 International "flower wagon" that was once used to transport flowers to funerals. It too had been totally stripped and restored with a beautiful red interior and custom additions. Incredible! I could have spent hours here but I needed to explore more. There were a variety of vendors selling a variety of items such as candles, holiday décor, homemade soaps, jewelry, toys, hair accessories, art leather goods and more. I ran into my favorite jewelry vendor who I tend to purchase sets from exclusively. She didn't have anything that I don't already own so I ordered a custom piece that I will pick up at the next festival, because we just tend to run in the same circles. I must confess that I am getting a great deal because I am a repeat customer and she wants a pound cake! She is one of the few vendors who actually uses sterling silver and genuine stones while the others will just tell you that those materials are too expensive. I also like her because she does the larger adjustable statements pieces with matching earrings. Enough about my favorites! They had a Christian choir singing in the square, an activity area for children, full service restrooms that didn't include a porta-potty, great food options including Lobster, Mongolian Beef and Thai, carriage rides, baked goods, and probably some things that I just did not get to see. It was a beautiful day for the festival and it all started with a beautiful drive up from Alpharetta and ended with a visit to see the falls. When you visit the festivals, take time to see the landmarks visit the local vendors and spend time in the community. Your visit is always appreciated! By the way, if you like the frequent sound of trains running through a small town, Toccoa is your kind of town!

When you tire of city living and need an escape, point your car toward the perimeter and start…read moredriving. Keep going until you see some good road kill. Squirrels don't count -- you see those in the city. I'm talking about possums, armadillos and porcupines. Chances are you'll bump into some kind of festival in a nearby small town. And that's how I discovered the Sunflower Farm Festival in Rutledge, GA over the 4th of July weekend. Barely 45 minutes away from my condo in downtown Atlanta, but a world apart, it's billed as a "Good Old Fashioned Family Fun Time In The Country!" And despite my lack of family, I did have fun. I arrived early enough on Sunday morning to catch some of the Sunday Morning Jubilee, featuring fine bluegrass gospel tunes by the Rocky Creek Band. I didn't feel so guilty about skipping church as the sweet sounds of "Just A Closer Walk With Thee" wafted through nature's own cathedral of tall pines. With barely 6,000 people in attendance over three days it's more relaxed and less crowded than the massive festivals held in the city. There's a real charm to the artists and crafters market, unlike the slick juried shows at big city festivals. I delighted in choosing between buying corn cob jelly or banana nut bread jam. The bird feeder I purchased, made from a vintage cup and saucer, will make a unique gift. Like any good festival, there are food vendors, including the requisite junk food purveyors selling funnel cakes, and get this, fried Oreos, Twinkies and Snickers. I did my cholesterol a favor and took a pass. Activities for kids included pony rides, a petting zoo and a hay ride. And instead of sand, the kids play box was filled with corn kernels. Isn't that cute? The signature event allows you to wander through 15 acres of sunflowers and cut as many as you can stuff into a bucket for $15. That's a lot of smiles and sunshine to carry home. The thing about small town festivals is that you hear about other festivals too, like the Cotton Gin Festival and the Christmas In The Country Weekend and even the Loachapoka Syrup Sopping Festival in Loachapoka, AL. If the Sunflower Farm Festival is any indication, I see more small-town festivals in my future.

As you can tell from my other reviews, my wife and i like festivals and fairs. What is offered in…read morethis state is a reflection of all that is good. Plus there is good food and tractors! We found this fair by accident and decided to travel up to Simpsonville and stay at an Airbnb and enjoy this small town. we had never been here before and we were exited about all that we read about this fair. Now this is your typical small town fair. Lots of locals and great stuff for youth of all ages.This an event to educate and inspire community celebration of the science and technology of plant and animal production through youth participation involving the 4-H and FFA organization! The South Greenville Fair promotes responsibility, and leadership for youths by providing the challenges of competition in all phases of agriculture, horses, and livestock. and it provides a format for the community to see and experience, and helps promote the value of the environment and natural resources to preserve rural heritage. Been around since 1958! As you can see there are plenty of cows, goats and chickens, We met some of the fine kids who really put lots of hours into raising their animals to be champions. One the coolest things i haven't seen in many years and my wife has never seen (shes a city girl) was the rabbit judging contest. The judge went over each rabbit in great detail and it was very stressful for the rabbit owners! We got to meet the Fair Queen! She was a delightful young lady who took the honor with professionalism and grace. What does a fair queen get and do? Well i had to ask never being one myself! They get a $500.00 Scholarship awarded to the college of her choice~ her duties at the fair are, She will be handing out prize ribbons, riding in the tractor parade, & giving Autographs! Ok the tractor parade was awesome! I do like them and these folks tack great pride in their tractors, some of them were over 100 years old! If you look we took over 33 photos of the event and didnt even cover it all. We ate homemade ice cream,excellent homemade cookies and really enjoyed the locals we met, super friendly and they were so glad we came. There was plenty of parking and super clean porta potties. They even had men and women's porta potties! Its held in Sept of every year and well worth the trip. We will be back!

BEST "COTTON PICKIN" FESTIVAL THIS YEAR!…read more Well, I was off to explore yet another festival this weekend and it was a blast! The Cotton Gin Festival was started back in the late 80's as a fundraiser to save the historic Agnes Hotel. It proved to be very successful and now occurs annually. The drive to the town of Bostwick was great because it is very scenic and quaint. We love the things that we saw on the way: baby goats playing in a front yard like they were little kittens, horses,cows and awesome cotton fields . I love cotton and I am just fascinated with touching raw cotton and borrowing samples from certain museums. My husband thinks it's like stealing a Van Gogh but I only grabbed a little to put in my pocket. However, I am happy to say that today I was actually able to PURCHASE my very own sample. Our favorite experience at the festival was touring the historic cotton mill. We were able to tour the mill and see that awesome gin at work. We actually saw the cotton vacuumed into the machine and transported throughout where it was cleaned, de-seeded, compressed and packaged for transport. It was the coolest thing ever!! Every single bale has a sample removed and sent to a government agency where it is inspected and evaluated. This tour was not just about seeing a cotton gin, it was a great opportunity to educate the public about the cotton industry. This festival is a great event for the entire family. Along with tours of the cotton mill, there was also an early morning race and a parade. The festival featured various vendors selling, clothing, jackets, jewelry, handmade soaps, wood crafts, winter accessories and more. I found a great hooded wool poncho that was handmade and super warm. It was sold by a Native American vendor who had great outerwear, bracelets, necklaces, hand puppets and more. Unfortunately he did not have a business card or the name of his business posted. This is not uncommon but it causes these small businesses to miss out on getting recognized with a Yelp review. I really like being able to "shine the light" on these small businesses so that they get the attention they deserve. In addition to vendors, there was a parade of various antique tractors and a few classics. It was incredible because there were so many tractors that it was just dizzying! Some of them were very rustic while others were beautifully restored. It was just great to see so many classic vehicles still loved and appreciated. Love it! Every festival has to have good food and great music and this one did not disappoint especially when it came to the music. I do not know the name of the band but they were so professional and so good that I would absolutely pay to hear them play again anywhere. They kept everyone thoroughly entertained. As we actually sat down to watch them, we noticed that we were sitting under a pecan tree. So we had fresh pecans to snack on while we jammed to the music. Perfect! For lunch we actually had some deliciously smoked ribs which is one of our favorite festival foods and a slice of buttermilk pie. In addition to all of the activities and businesses to interest adults, there was also a petting zoo and a huge play area for the kids. This festival absolutely had something for everyone and is highly recommended for all. ***Now to the issues that need to be addressed: During the festival, one should never run out of water and soap. This is just unacceptable. One should also never, ever run out of tees so early in the day, especially when it comes to the larger sizes. Additionally, tees should be designed to fully embrace the tractors and the cotton gin theme as in prior years and be available in complimentary colors. It is really not that difficult. I look forward to attending next year and having a great time! Just have my t-shirt ready please. PS If you are a vendor who sells clothing, outerwear or accessories, please consider bringing a mirror along so that customers can conveniently see themselves in the items they are wanting to purchase (instead of trying to rely on their phone). Thank you!

its the first weekend in nov. every year good food,music , tractors ,ex. very good festival to go…read moreto. see ya there

SOUTHLAND JUBILEE FESTIVAL…read more The Southland Jubilee Festival in the town of historic Greensboro is now in its nineteenth year. It features arts and craft vendors, entertainment, a classic car show and community service groups and businesses. It was a great way to spend a very comfortable Saturday morning. We arrived early and started with the classic cars. Gorgeous! Oh my gosh, those classics are incredible and it is always nice to speak with the owners and hear the story of their prized possession. Sometimes you go to a festival and you really can't see the town for the festival. However, this was not the case in Greensboro because many of their historic buildings were on full display and prominently featured. For example, the historic jail was open and available for touring while the former school auditorium is now their Festival Hall which held an art display and puppet show. That huge courthouse was at the center of it all because it was not easily missed and was prepared with tables so that we were able to sit, enjoy a cool breeze and great conversation with other attendees. When you visit the downtown shops you immediately notice the brick walls, wooden floors and other cool historic details. This festival had a cute little stage with straw bales for seating. We enjoyed sitting on the bales and watching the young dancers, Sole Momentum. They performed a Philippine folk dance using sticks and an American Folk dance featuring clogging and drumming. They created a very positive and contagious energy which totally engaged the audience. Although there were other performances, we did not see many because we were too busy exploring the town and other elements of the festival. When it came to the food, there were a variety of options from traditional fried options to barbecue options with sides. We decided to go "old school" so we targeted the non-descript tent with a simple white sign. As we looked around, we saw this huge group of people in matching tees, just chilling in chairs and listening to old school R and B while they monitored two huge smokers. This was the food I wanted to eat. I decided to go with the smoked wings because when eating out, I tend to just keep it simple and clean. These wings were delicious, perfectly smoked and seasoned. There were so good that I had to take an additional order to go. Yes! For our special treat, we decided on a large bag of kettlecorn. Although we love kettlecorn, we have not purchased it in a while because it suddenly became too salty for our taste. However, we found a vendor, Blueberry Gardens, who prepared a special bag just for us with no added salt. It was delicious and perfectly seasoned without the added salt. Winning! Thank you Greenboro for hosting such a lovely festival and making us feel so welcomed. We had a very nice time and look forward to seeing you again next year!

I used to live going to this festival. Great food, beautiful and colorful balloons, music,…read more lots of people, vendors. They haven't held it since before the pandemic. Sad. If they hold the event and you get a chance to go, you should experience it!

We attend this event every year. They donate the proceeds to Hall County animal control and other…read moreorganizations. The Sterling community does a great job organizing the event. They have a variety of kid friendly activities, and crafts. Each year it gets larger and larger and over all my family and I have an enjoyable experience.