One of the best festivals in the North Georgia/ Chattanooga area. Always have big turn outs, great food and tons of vendors with a great variety in every tent. This is a country theme fair. They have animals for kids to ride and pet, the local shelter has dogs and cats for adoption. Great food like, BBQ, Roasted Corn, fried pickles, fried green tomatoes, funnel cakes, Cotten candy and so much more. Also live music and dancing all day long. It's s nice relaxing day to walk around and take in the property. read more

See all

This is my favorite Fall Festival. They have great food and drinks here. The entertainment is enjoyable too. The people that work here and the vendors are friendly The food that can be found here are in my tip for this review. But some of my favorites are the fried pickles and fried corn on the cob. If you get the fried corn be sure to have access to butter and salt to taste. I just like to add some of each to mine as they both seem to never be enough as you are eating it. They have a tractor show here too. read more

See all

Saturday, Feb 22nd, Tony and I went for a drive in Georgia and we came across this lovely old mill in Varnell, Georgia. The care taker was there and told us a little about the history of the mill. HISTORY OF THE MILL: Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Prater's Mill's heritage runs back to the days of the Cherokee Indians. Built by Benjamin Franklin Prater in 1855, the water powered mill was originally fitted with the latest in grain cleaning, grinding and sifting machinery, all powered by the Coahulla Creek. As the mill's popularity grew, Prater added a cotton gin, a saw mill, a wool carder (device that combs sheep wool), a syrup mill, a general store and blacksmiths shop. For almost a century, farmers lined up their mules and wagons before dawn, waiting for their turn with the millers. During the Civil War, the mill was used as a campsite by soldiers from both sides. While occupied by the Union army, the mill was considered a valuable resource for food and was not destroyed. The Prater family operated the Mill until the 1950's. A succession of millers ran it until the 1960's. In 1971, the all-volunteer Prater's Mill Foundation took over the Mill and began its extensive restoration and preservation efforts. Today, the mill is best known for the arts and crafts festivals held twice each year. Throughout the year, the grounds are a popular site for fishing, cookouts and family reunions. Touring: A living musem for all occasions. What do a historic working mill, the Civil War, Cherokee Indians and dazzling wildlife and plants have in common? You or your group can discover, explore and experience them all at Historic Praters Mill Heritage Park. Visitors will see a working 19th century grist mill, a cotton gin, general store, and soon to be added to the tour a train caboose and old barn. We promise to engage your imagination. Directions: Prater's Mill is located at 5845 Georgia Highway 2, Dalton, GA 30721 on GA Hwy. 2, 10 miles Northeast of Dalton and about 30 miles south of Chattanooga, TN. Exit I-75 at Hwy. 201 (Tunnel Hill - Varnell Exit-341). Travel North 4.5 miles to GA Hwy. 2, turn right on GA Hwy. 2 (right at the Dollar General) and continue 2.6 miles to Prater's Mill. read more

See all

Boy that's a high entrance fee especially if paying for multiples. It takes away $$ you'd normally spend with vendors.

YEE- HAW! I was excited to attend the Prater's Mill Country Fair because I wanted to tour the Historic Mill and I love demonstrations. Unfortunately, the weather was less than optimal and the grounds were a muddy mess. Many of the vendors could not set up their products due to conditions so we missed an opportunity to see everything available. We soldiered on anyway because nothing was going to keep me from touring that mill and exploring its Civil War connection! (separate review). It was awesome and I was so impressed with the restoration and the collection of historic tools and machinery on display. I want to give a special thank you to every family who has loving cared for and eventually donated items, time and money to this mill. It is greatly appreciated by all of us who value history. Now remember, this is a country fair, so you stuck up city people who aren't accustomed to engaging strangers either adjust quickly or just stay at home! I mean it! The beauty of a country fair is that random people will talk to you like they have known you all of their lives. This is a wonderful trait but can be a problem when they are giving directions. When I heard the little Sweet Heart giving my husband directions to the upcoming POW-WOW, I knew we were in trouble. She was telling him to go "down there" but when he informed her that we were not from the area, she described landmarks and we discovered that "down there" was really in a totally different town. Gotta love her! The people we encountered were warm and friendly and definitely made up for the "not so ideal" weather. Our favorite activity was watching the cloggers and listening to music. Our favorite cloggers, (the ChooChoo cloggers), performed and did a stellar job. They are very professional from head to toe. We first encountered them at the Gold Rush festival and were so happy to see them here. They area a group of mature adults who originally came together 42 years ago. They have added new members and even have a father and his son as part of the group. I love to sit on the front row and just watch the feet fly, very impressive! Also loved the performance of the the DoubleCross band. They were really good! We stopped by one table and heard the story of Ms. Jody a woman who mouth paints. Although she was not there, other ladies were selling her word art, holiday items, and Christmas tree ornaments. Ms. Jody is a quadraplegic after a domestic violence incident but continues to inspire others through her art and positive attitude. It was nice to purchase a couple of the ornaments and I will definitely think of her when I decorate my tree this holiday season. Across the road from the main festival is the large farm equipment and an old rail car. I love antique tractors and these were not only beautiful, but in great shape and some are still in use today. The rail car was great because you could actually walk through it, (rare these days). It is very authentic and has not been restored. If they choose to restore it in the future, you will definitely not have the opportunity for a tour so appreciate it while you can. Despite the weather, the fair was great. If you go remember the following: Admission is $7 for adults and this money goes toward preservation efforts. The grounds are unrefined so wear sneakers, sport sandals or rain boots. I would also advice parents to use joggers instead of traditional strollers. Most importantly, this is a fair that the entire family can enjoy so grab grandma, grandpa and all of the cousins so that they too can get a great lesson in history and family bonding. read more

See all

I love the Fall here in Tenn/N Georgia. The leaves actually change colors and it really feels like Fall. With Fall comes Fall Festivals. One of the best in the area is Praters Mill. Tractors and apples and lots of home grown goodies. Fried pickles and crafts. It's a great community festival that everyone needs to go out and enjoy! read more