Harvest 2011 by The Times

Sunday, August 28, 2011

A publication of

HARVEST Fall events calendar

Hidden gems Festival schedule

Uncover these out-of-the-way spots in Northeast Georgia

The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | WELCOME 2011

harvest

Your guide to fall in North Georgia

A publication of

Inside. FEATURES

■ Smithgall Woods, 4-5

■ Nora Mill Granary, 6-7

TOM REED | The Times

Fall colors reflect off the blue water of Dockery Lake in Lumpkin County. The lake is just one of many hidden treasures in Northeast Georgia. Inside this issue of Harvest, you’ll find plenty of places to take your family this fall.

■ Anderson Music Hall, 8-9

Community calendars ■ Find fun fall activities for you and your family

■ Yonah Mountain, 10-11

■ Lake Rabun, 12-14

Banks County................... 19 Dawson County................ 19 Forsyth County................. 19 Habersham County...........20 Hall County.................. 16-18 Jackson County................ 20

Lumpkin County............... 20 Rabun County.................. 21 Towns County................... 22 Union County.................... 22 White County............... 22-23 Region map...................... 16

HARVEST 2011 | The Times, Gainesville, Georgia

September 3rd - 4th IPRA (International Professional Rodeo Association) World Championship Rodeo Saturday 8 PM • Sunday 7 PM Admission: 13 & up - $15.00, 5 - 12 - $10.00 4 & under - FREE, Seniors 65+ $12.00

7 Event Rodeo includes:

Bull Riding, Barrel Racing, Steer Wrestling, Saddle Bronc Riding, Bareback Riding, Calf & Team Roping

October 6th - 16th Cumming Country Fair & Festival

Mon- Thurs 4 pm - 10 pm, Friday 4 pm - Midnight Sat. 10 am - Midnight, Sunday 12:30 - 9:00 pm Admission: Adults - $7.00, Students 5 - 18 - $3.00 4 & under - FREE, Parking - $3.00 Advance Tickets Available Sept. 1st - 30th Adults - $5.00, Students 5-18 $2.00

Free Concerts & Shows with Paid Admission • • • • • • •

Heritage Village • Indian Village • Working Exhibits Cotton Gin • Sawmill • Sorghum Mill • Cider Press Blacksmith • Grist Mill • Quilters • Schoolhouse • Churches Doctor’s Office • Dentist’s Office • Barber Shop • Post Office General Store • Printing Press • Midway Rides Daily Ground Acts • Petting Zoo & Local Entertainment Grand Concert Lineup

November 11th & 12th Cumming Steam Engine, Antique Tractor & Gas Engine Exposition

Friday 10 am - 6 pm, Saturday 8 am - 6 pm Admission: 13 & Up - $5.00, 12 & under - FREE

December 9th & 10th Christmas Celebration & Christmas in Cumming Arts & Crafts Festival Friday - 4 pm - 10 pm & Sat 10 am - 5 pm Free Hayrides, Photos with Santa

The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | harvest 2011

‘Not another place like this.’

Smithgall Woods cottages offer up seclusion, luxury BY BRANDEE A. THOMAS

bthomas@gainesvilletimes.com

rdinarily, a mile doesn’t take you very far. But if it happens to lead you toward the Smithgall Woods cottages, you should be warned it is carrying you to a different world, completely removed from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Once your tires crunch across Ga. Route 75 Alternate in Helen from the main entrance to the Smithgall Woods State Park and onto the winding road to the wooded retreat, do yourself a favor: Roll down your

windows and turn off your radio. Instead of man-made tunes, take in nature’s soundtrack. Without the interference of horns honking or bulldozers crashing, the call and response of woodland creatures over the melody of currents spilling effortlessly over water-smoothed stones is much more harmonious. The cottages sit on a portion of the 5,600-acre property that once belonged to noted conservationist and late Hall County businessman Charles A. Smithgall Jr. The five cottages have their own, unique charm, but share a common bond of providing a luxurious camping experience.

SARA GUEVARA | The Times

A view of the great room, complete with a stonework fireplace, inside the Smithgall Cottage near Helen.

HARVEST 2011 | The Times, Gainesville, Georgia

Park staff describe the area as the “best-kept secret” of the North Georgia mountains. The units are secluded, but not desolate. They’re rustic, but not without comforts like fluffy beds and, in some cases, even a flat-top stove. “Most log cabins are kind of dark and fortresslike, but with the lightly pigmented walls and (skylights), these have a warmer feel,” said John Erbele said, Smithgall Woods general manager. “And the central heat and air work just fine, but we provide fire wood free of charge so if they want to enjoy a fire all day and night, they can.” Each cabin has its own kitchen and a private bathroom for every bedroom. The one-bedroom Garden Cottage with a privacy deck and hot tub overlooks a garden that guests are invited to visit during their stay. “In the garden, we have blueberries, blackberries, figs, salad vegetables, herbs and flowers to grace the table,” Erbele said. “There’s a group of volunteers who help to keep up the garden. We let our guests go pick whatever there might be in the garden. We encourage them to graze through.” Among other things, the Smithgall Cottage has four bedrooms, an exercise room overlooking a reflecting pond and a porch with rocking chairs. There’s even space for the park’s staff to arrange for a private masseur to set up shop, if requested by a guest. “This is really roughing it,” Erbele said with a laugh. The Smithgall Cottage is also a literal stone’s throw from both Dukes and Dover creeks, a rare treat that you won’t find in many other places in Georgia. “Mr. (Charles) Smithgall finished this house in 1991,” Erbele said. “In 1994, the state implemented a trout buffer, so even if you had property like this, you wouldn’t be able

Smithgall Woods cottages What: One- to fivebedroom units Where: Smithgall Woods State Park, 61 Tsalaki Trail, Helen Cost: $154 to $504 per night Contact: 706-878-3087, www.gastateparks.org/ SmithgallWoods

to build it so close to a trout stream.” Speaking of trout, Duke’s Creek was named as one of the top 100 trout streams in the U.S. by Trout Unlimited, Erbele says. “We’re probably best known for our fishing. We’ve had a 29«-inch rainbow trout caught and photographed here,” Erbele said. “That’s a monster fish for a creek this size. I always tease the anglers that it’s the skill of the angler and not the fish that dictate if they’re going to be successful or not.” Dover Cottage, which has five bedrooms, is the newest edition to the restorative oasis shaded by towering hardwoods and mountain laurel. The park staff constructed it in 1996. “This is the only cottage that wasn’t here when the Smithgalls (Charles and Lessie) gifted this place to the state,” Erbele said. There’s a deck with a view that sometimes includes a deer or wild turkey, a semicommercial kitchen and a large great room. “We used to have computer stations at the end of the hallways in here, but since then we’ve gotten Wi-Fi,” Erbele said. “Now all of the cottages have wireless (Internet) connections.” If you’d like to disconnect from modern technology, you can take advantage of any one of the area’s natural sources of entertainment, like the five miles of hiking trails. “There’s a neat trail up

to Dukes Creek Waterfall, which is 200-foot waterfall,” Erbele said. “It’s about a onemile trip, one way.” The cottage property is bordered to the north and west by national forest. “So we’ve got a 700,000acre good neighbor,” Erbele said. “There aren’t any other residents for another halfmile or mile, so if you wanted to play the music loud or listen to the creek and not hear a thing, you can do any of that.” With a clear view of Allison Ridge, which ignites with shades of red and orange when the leaves make their autumn wardrobe change, Erbele says that the peak cottage season is in October and November. The cottages, which are let by the entire unit not the bedroom, rent for $154 to $504 per day. “You don’t feel like you’re just an hour and 15 minutes above the perimeter of Atlanta,” Erbele said. “It feels like you could be in a completely different state. “There’s not another place like this.” n

SARA GUEVARA | The Times

A view of Dukes Creek, North Georgia’s premier trout stream, which runs through the cottages at the Smithgall Woods State Park in Helen. The stream is a favorite for catch-andrelease fishing.

The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | harvest 2011

Helen’s Nora Mill Granary turns out grits, cornmeal the old-fashioned way

Noses to the grindstone. BY TASHA BIGGERS For Harvest

Photos by SARA GUEVARA | The Times

Above: Tommy Martin, the miller at Nora Mill Granary, shows some ground corn. The larger pieces of corn are eventually separated out in order to achieve a finely-ground powder. The mill is a large four-story building that was built in 1876. Top: Martin shows off some freshly ground corn.

o you know where your grits came from? How about whether your corn meal is whole grain or enriched? Visit Nora Mill Granary in Helen and Tommy Martin will teach you an lesson or two. Martin, who has been the miller at Nora Mill since 1989, operates the mill, grinding grits, corn flour and cornmeal, all while singing the praises of whole grains and the old way of getting them. It’s rare information for a generation of folks who are used to picking up whatever is on the grocery store shelf. Each time they visit Helen, Becky Pauley of Cincinnati, Ohio, brings her children, Maria, 7, Jacob, 8, Caleb, 4, and Anna, 2, to the mill. “We like the whole town, but we always come back to the granary. We like that it’s whole grain, and that you’re not processing anything. It’s an education for the kids to know where their food comes from,” Pauley said. “I thought it was pretty cool,” Maria said. “The corn goes down, and then it goes back up, and then it goes down again, and it goes up and down again,” she said, referring to the corn’s path from the bin to the grindstones. But there’s a little bit more to

HARVEST 2011 | The Times, Gainesville, Georgia

SARA GUEVARA | The Times

Kyler McCoy, left, a cashier, checks out Dom Coca of Miami, Fla., who is visiting the Helen area with his family, inside the Nora Mill Granary Country Store.

the process. The Chattahoochee River’s water flows from a dam through a “raceway,” which leads it to a cast-iron water turbine that was purchased in 1876. Inside, “elevator cups” attached to belts bring the corn to the 135-year old grindstones, which are powered by the turbine, feeding it into the center of the stones to be ground. The same cups bring the corn upstairs, where the fine particles are separated, and “clean” grits come out. An old roller mill is on display to show the difference between “enriched” and pure whole grains. “This is a roller mill that put the stones out of business in the Industrial Revolution. That machine grinds so fast and so hot, it cooks the corn oil and gums up the machinery,” said Martin, who often explains the process to visitors. “They have to take the corn oil out. That’s why there’s no flavor in store-bought grits. That’s why cornmeal in the grocery store is so dry, and that’s why the term ‘enriched’ was invented.”

Nora Mill Granary Where: Nacoochee Village, 7105 S. Main St., Helen When: Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. MondaySaturday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Closed only on Christmas and Easter. More info: 706-878-2375, www.noramill.com

Martin said using a roller mill removes nutrients from the grain, which have to be put back in, making the gristmill a much more natural way to get whole grains. “We cater to a different clientele. ... We’re not really interested in having to enrich,” he said. “You get more vitamins and minerals from the all-natural than what the USDA requires them to put back in it.” Samples of grits, porridge and cornbread are available for tests so visitors can taste the difference. Best-sellers including white or yellow speckled grits, Pioneer’s Porridge and white or

yellow cornmeal (plain and self-rising) have simple recipes attached, so customers can recreate the experience at home. The mill, built in 1876, was bought by Lamartine Hardman, Georgia’s governor from 1927 to 1931, in 1902. Hardman named it after his younger sister, Nora. The Hardman estate leased the property out to the late Ronald Fain, who reopened the mill in 1981 with his wife, Rita, and the help of his father, the late George Fain Sr. “Ron loved the old mill stones so much, he dismantled the roller mills that they had been using and got the old stones back going,” Tommy Martin said. George’s wife, Florence Fain, baked apple pies to sell in the small country store adjacent to the mill, while George and Ron operated the mill. The property was later was sold to a group of investors associated with Nacoochee Village Ltd., which also operates the surrounding businesses, but the mill continues to be operated by the Fain family. With the passing of Ron

Fain in 2001, management of the mill was handed over to Ron’s daughter, Joann Fain Tarpley and her husband, Rich Tarpley. Customers like Lynn Rinna, 56, of Watkinsville still remember the early days. “There was a big, woodburning oven here, and (George Fain) was just sound asleep, just rocking,” said Rinna, who brought her family visiting from Maryland to see the mill. “And then there was hot apple pie (Florence Fain) used to make, so we bought one of them, and they gave us spoons and all, and we sat in the back of the car, each one of us (eating the pie.) It was, like, the best apple pie we had ever had,” she said. Tarpley, 48, plans on keeping her family’s history, and memories like Rinna’s, alive. “When my father passed away, I was living in Gwinnett, and immediately we just sold our house, just moved all the children up here,” Tarpley said.

She said she has worked through “late nights in October and freezing days in February,” since the mill’s original walls don’t have insulation. “It’s not your typical job, but really, I love it,” she said. One memory, among many, stands out to Tarpley. Her grandfather couldn’t see very well but that didn’t keep him from helping out at the mill. “They would crank up the mill, and get it going with water power, and he would be over here, not even next to it. My dad would be running the mill, and I would just kind of be scooting around doing my thing, and I could see my grandfather tapping his foot to the rhythm of the mill. “He would actually walk over there, because he would know that it was going too fast, or a little too (slow) and he could tell. ... He would go over there and he’d turn the mill just a little bit, just to make that perfect rhythm. Without sight, he could go over there

and tweak the mill, just so we’d have perfect ... whatever they were grinding at the time.” Tarpley’s four children, Heather Godfrey, Brandon Tarpley, Joe Vandegriff and Megan Camp, now grown, all grew up working at the mill, just like their mom. Vandegriff, 23, plans to take over the fourth generation of the family business. “I’ve eaten more grits in my life than most will ever see,” Vandegriff said. “It’s nice working with friends and family, and everybody here is real close. It’s actually a real easy work environment.” Vandegriff said he remembers growing up, running around the mill and helping “every which way I could.” He also cherishes memories of his grandfather running the mill. “The way he interacted with everybody, it was real neat to see, just, him cut jokes. The way he worked and the way he knew everybody,” he said. n

The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | harvest 2011

Venue with a ‘personal touch.’ Anderson Music Hall at the Hiawassee fairgrounds has hosted numerous top musical performers over the years

Georgia Mountain Fall Festival What: Nine days of concerts, an arts and craft show, pioneer village with demonstrations and Georgia’s Official State Fiddlers’ Convention. Performers will include John Anderson, Gene Watson, Diamond Rio, Percy Sledge, Ricky Scaggs and The Quebe Sisters When: Oct. 7-15, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday Where: Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds, 1311 Music Hall Road, Hiawassee How much: $10 adults, free for kids age 9 and younger; Oct. 8, $5 craft show, $7 music show. $2 parking each day. Concerts included in daily admission cost with the exception of Oct. 8. More info: 706-896-4191, www. georgiamountainfairgrounds.com

BY TASHA BIGGERS

Photos by TASHA BIGGERS | For Harvest

Pam Tillis greets a fan during her performance July 30 at Anderson Music Hall in Hiawassee.

For Harvest

t was a simple gathering of country musicians under a tree that led to Hiawassee’s Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds, and its homey concert venue, Anderson Music Hall. It was “just some guys standing around picking” at first, said Judy Campbell, stage manager at the music hall. That was 61 years ago. The casual gathering began to draw an audience, and moved to the old Towns County School, which was later demolished. It outgrew the school enough to merit a large tent just outside it. Then in 1978, Anderson Music Hall was built on the banks of Lake Chatuge. The Georgia Mountain Fair in July and the Georgia Mountain Fall Festival in October are the main events at the fairgrounds. Visitors file in to see arts and crafts, old-fashioned demonstrations and daily bluegrass, gospel and country concerts. Fans can attend concerts in the music hall in the off-season, too. Last year, concert promoters brought Loretta Lynn, Vince Gill and other country singers to the little mountain town. Past performers have also included current hit-makers Blake Shelton and Josh Turner. Campbell, 77, of Kennesaw, has

HARVEST 2011 | The Times, Gainesville, Georgia

‘We are fortunate within the realms of which we try to entertain. We have the absolute best entertainers roll up the road and come through here, so you get to meet and greet and be with all of them.’ Barry Palmer, 52, volunteer at Anderson Music Hall

The Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds’ signature smoked trout is served to each performer that takes the stage at Anderson Music Hall during the Georgia Mountain Fair and the Georgia Mountain Fall Festival. Fairgrounds visitors can also purchase the trout and accompanying sides at The Country Cafe, located inside the fairgrounds.

Concertgoers exit Anderson Music Hall in Hiawassee after attending a Pam Tillis concert July 30.

volunteered at the music hall for 12 years, and been stage manager for six. She has been visiting the fairgrounds for decades, long before the music hall was outfitted with heating and air conditioning just three years ago. “When I first started coming here, it was in 1966. As a family, we started camping out here. Of course, we went to the tent, and went to the old school house, and then started coming here,” she said. “And that breeze that comes through there was so great. But I do like the air, and then I do like the heat in the winter time. We used to bring blankets and cover up out there and watch the shows.”

Now Campbell gets a backstage view of every concert, and gets up close and personal with each performer. In 12 years, she’s met a slew of well-knowns, including the legendary Willie Nelson and Turner, her favorite performer so far. Turner drew a record 10,300 people to the fairgrounds when he performed there in 2008. “Our auditorium just seats 2,900, but we had people everywhere,” she said. “On the banks, in the aisles and everywhere, to see him. “I enjoyed meeting him, but you know, I like them all because you just get to know them,” she said. “I like Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius, who have been here sev-

eral times. I like Marty Stuart and Connie Smith.” Campbell said some stars keep to themselves, but many get to know the staff. “Some of them sit in here and chat, you know, and just as friendly as they can be,” she said. “Marty Stuart, for one, has sat in that chair numerous times and just talked back and forth. He’s just really nice.” A mainstay at the fairgrounds since the beginning has been the Georgia Mountain Fair Band, which still includes some of its original members. Barry Palmer, 52, of Cleveland began playing banjo regularly with the band in 1977, and in his 34 years

at the fairgrounds, Palmer said he has had every job imaginablethough, like Campbell, it’s all on a volunteer basis. “It was started as sitting around playing, and picking up garbage. Then arranging for other people to come to be here, then booking shows, and now I’m doing emcee work,” he said. The job of the emcee, he said, is “whatever the house may need.” Palmer, who has his own band, The Bluegrass Alliance, is charged with “getting the show going, entertaining people, making sure that the people are happy and the entertainers are happy.” He said he enjoys every show. “I like all the genres that pass this way,” he said. “We are fortunate within the realms of which we try to entertain. We have the absolute best entertainers roll up the road and come through here, so you get to meet and greet and be with all of them.” If you attend a show during the

Georgia Mountain Fall Festival, coming up Oct. 7-15, you can eat like a star at the fairgrounds’ Trout Booth. “They have barbecue that’s done here on the grounds, and then they do that smoked trout here on the grounds,” said Campbell. “They do all of that right down there, and that’s what we feed our artists. The food is brought up from the trout booth, generally about 4 o’clock in the afternoon, and we have a catering room and we serve them from the catering room.” In the music hall, a favorite is the ice cream cones and frozen yogurt. Concertgoers can also pick up pizza, hot dogs or popcorn before settling into the hall’s wooden pews. Campbell said the friendly atmosphere of Anderson Music Hall sets it apart from other concert venues. “I was told yesterday by an artist that this is quite different, in that you do have that personal touch,” she said. n

The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | harvest 2011

A trail off the beaten path. Yonah Mountain’s rocky climb offers beautiful views after a lofty hike BY SHANNON CASAS

Y Photos by SHANNON CASAS | The Times

A boulder marks the overlook at the top of the trail up Yonah Mountain.

scasas@gainesvilletimes.com

onah Mountain is an icon in North Georgia with its sheer rock face overlooking the town of Cleveland. Motorists on their way deeper into the Appalachians, though, may bypass its hiking trail, casting it off because it doesn’t end at an impressive waterfall. But Yonah has its own charms. The trail, which opened in 2003, is just more than two miles long and located between Cleveland and Helen. My husband and I, with dog in tow, hiked it on a late July weekend. I’ve often admired the beauty of the area, visiting a corn maze each fall that rests in its shadow. But I wasn’t aware until recently there was a trail up the mountain. Mitch Cohen, spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service, said it was built to meet public demand after a road was closed that had provided access to the mountain. “That road had been closed to traffic at the request of the property owners,” Cohen said. “It turns out that the Forest Service never really had an easement or a right of way or any

HARVEST 2011 | The Times, Gainesville, Georgia

legal means of using the road across the private property.” So the Forest Service scouted the land and built the trail that now gets modest use, though no numbers are kept. We started our hike around noon. Within 15 minutes, it was clear this was no easy climb — or it was clear I am even more out of shape than I thought, take your pick. But we pressed on. Boulders scatter the mountain, adding interest to the trail. Trees reach into the sky. Wildflowers peep out of the underbrush. They served as excuses to take a short break and pull out my camera. The boulders are certainly the star of the trail. Yonah is composed of mostly granite, similar to Stone Mountain east of Atlanta, according to Brad Herbert, who teaches a geology course at North Georgia College & State University in Dahlonega. Unlike sedimentary rock that breaks off in layers, as granite weathers it breaks off in large hunks, thus creating many

Yonah Mountain hiking trail Length: 2.12 miles How much: Free How to get there: Head toward Cleveland; turn right at Ga. 75 by the Ingles; turn right at the second entrance to Tom Bell Road; turn left onto Chambers Road; turn left at the gravel drive marked with a Yonah Mountain sign What to bring: Hiking boots are a good idea given the rockiness of the trail. Water for everyone, including the dog, since there are no natural sources of water. And of course a camera, snacks and emergency items.

boulders, he said. “Something like Mount Yonah, these rocks are said to be crystalline,” he said. “They’re not like stratified (rocks); they’re more like an interlock-

Trees grow at the top of a cliff on Yonah Mountain.

ing bunch of crystals.” Though colliding masses of land formed Yonah and the Appalachians 325 million years ago, a freeze and thaw process since then works to break off the large pieces of granite, he said. We took a short break for lunch, sitting among some of the boulders to eat while

watching our dog try to lie on the coolness of a sloped rock without falling off. We took one last swig of water and continued, with our Australian shepherd mix pulling us up the stone steps. At one point, the boulders covered the path as if they had landed there after an avalanche. We scrambled across

and picked up the trail. Eventually, we reached a point where a grassy clearing was to our left and the trail diverged in a few different paths. We crossed the grass to an overlook that proved how high we had climbed. We considered whether this was the end of the trail but decided

to follow a sign pointing to the “Lowers.” A few minutes later we sat in chairs made of large stones at the foot of a rock face. The small cliff is impressive and smaller boulders spill across a flat area at its base. Cohen said from there, there’s nowhere to go but down. After a few minutes of rest we started our trek back down the mountain, with the cool water of a short trip to the nearby Chattahoochee River at the forefront of our minds. The hike was quick, but its convenience to home is unmatched. “For a short hike, it’s good if you have limited time,” Cohen said. “It’s very accessible because it’s not too far from the bigger cities, Gainesville for one. It’s just on the south side of the forest.” Though it doesn’t follow the waters of a turning and cascading mountain stream, this trail is worth a stop, especially for those traveling to Helen and beyond. n

The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | harvest 2011

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Like stepping back

TOM REED | The Times

A view of Lake Rabun from the road that parallels the lake.

HARVEST 2011 | The Times, Gainesville, Georgia

in time.’

Lake Rabun’s pristine views and historic hotel part of a gentler era

BY JENNIFER JACKSON WHITLEY

For Harvest

orth Georgia is known for its beautiful roadside scenery and extravagant lakeside views, but Rabun County houses a true hidden gem: Lake Rabun and its many unique attractions. Lake Rabun Hotel, an authentic mountain lodge with a view, is a must-see, according to general manager Sarah Gillespie. “It’s a unique property. Based on what I understand from our owner, it is the laststanding authentic mountain lodge by a lake in Georgia,” she said. “It has the character original to the first settlers of this area. And we’re set apart because we’re located in a tri-state area, so you can drive 20-30 minutes north or east and visit three states.” Gillespie’s family has been in Rabun County since 1817. “I moved away for 20 years to pursue my career, but I couldn’t stay away forever,” she said. Many established businesses in Rabun County have a history. The Lake Rabun Hotel story begins with a 10-year-old named Augustus Andreae. “Augustus Andreae found out about the North Georgia Mountains when he met a well-traveled American woman following a ‘most beautiful places in the world’ guide,” Gillespie said. “When she met young Augustus, she said the developer left one place off the itinerary: the North Georgia Mountains. That’s why he came here and why Lake Rabun Hotel exists.” While there are several lodges in Rabun County for patrons to choose from, Lake Rabun Hotel offers an “all-in-one” package. ■ Please see page 14

The Lake Rabun Hotel has been a landmark on the lake since 1922.

Pontoon boats are a popular form of transportation around Lake Rabun.

A fall scene on Lake Rabun. The lake is much quieter and less crowded during the fall and winter when summer visitors leave after Labor Day.

‘I’ve seen just about every state in the continental U.S. and I’ve traveled the world. In my opinion, there’s simply no place as beautiful (as Rabun County) to me.’

Sarah Gillespie, Lake Rabun Hotel general manager

14 “We offer many services at Lake Rabun Hotel,” Gillespie said. “We have eight guest rooms and we just made our innkeeper’s cottage available as another accommodation — it is very spacious and high-end. Since I’ve been here, we’ve started establishing other services as well.” Among those other services is an evening wine and cheese pontoon boat cruise, where patrons can add a little romance to their stay. “I’m starting to implement special services for our guests,” Gillespie said. “We’re going to start offering guided hikes with picnic lunches served to our guests. We can also organize rafting trips, waterfall hikes — if it’s anything outdoors, we can make it happen.” Lake Rabun Hotel offers an in-house restaurant and bar, winner of Open Table’s Dinner Choice Award for “Best Food” in July 2011. “We have implemented a ‘farm-to-table’ restaurant, ran by executive chef Jamie Allred,” Gillespie said. “Our ‘Featured Farmer Thursday’s,’ where we invite a local farmer to talk about their growing practices and what inspired them to be a farmer, while patrons eat fresh, local food, has been hugely successful. It makes us feel like we’re truly supporting local businesses.” With a hotel, restaurant, bar and an abundance of activities to choose from, Lake Rabun Hotel gives guests a full Rabun County experience. “It is a special place,” said Gillespie. “We, our staff, are all local people; we teach our staff members knowledge of the area and genuine southern hospitality. We give people a flavor of the mountains.” Aside from its historic sites, Lake Rabun is also known for its vintage wooden boats, many of which can be seen when cruising around town. “There are definitely a number of old vintage

The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | harvest 2011

‘A lot of the local people here would intermix with the weekend homeowners. It created a very unique and special environment.’ Sarah Gillespie, hotel general manager

More info

Hall’s Boat House is the center of activity on Lake Rabun. The wooden boats docked at the boat house are typical of the older boats found on Lake Rabun.

wooden boats that have been passed down in families on the lake,” Gillespie said. “There is an annual boat regatta around the fourth of July, a tradition for 32 years now, where all the boats will ride around the lake waving their American flags. It’s a fun treat; other boat owners will line up and create a path for them to come through.” Some of these vintage boats can be seen at Hall’s Boat House, not your average marina. “Hall’s Boat House is right across the street from us,” Gillespie said. “It is a very historic boat marina. They have a showroom, or museum, of boats right on the premises. It’s a throwback of the ‘good ol’ lake life.” At one time, Hall’s Boat House hosted “Pickin’ & Grinnin,” where local bluegrass

The shores of Lake Rabun are dotted with numerous elaborate boat houses.

musicians used their talents to serenade locals. “People would have the best time — that’s part of the reason they got so wellknown,” Gillespie said. “A lot of the local people here would

intermix with the weekend homeowners. It created a very unique and special environment.” Another Rabun County attraction is Tallulah Falls, a series of six waterfalls cascad-

ing through Tallulah Gorge. “They used to call this place ‘little Niagara Falls.’ I wish I could have been alive to see it,” Gillespie said. Rabun County has an annual bluegrass and barbecue festival, corn and tomato festival and is starting to develop a new tradition. “We are starting to implement ‘Sunday Supper at Lake Rabun Pavilion.’ We’re teaming up our chef, Jamie Allred, with one out of Atlanta that works with Watershed of Decatur,” Gillespie said. “I have a feeling it will become an annual event.” Another Rabun County tradition, according to Gillespie, is Annie’s at Alley’s, a historic general store that was operated by the same family for 80 years. “Annie has restored it and given it a rustic charm like

Rabun County, Chamber of Commerce, 706782-4812, www. gamountains.com Convention & Visitors Bureau, P.O. Box 788, Clayton, 705-982-4754. Lake Rabun Hotel & Restaurant, 35 Andrea Lane, P.O. Box 10, Lakemont, GA 30552, 706-782-4946, 800398-5134, www. lakerabunhotel.com

the hotel has,” Gillespie said. Rabun County is a North Georgia staple for outdoor fun, fall foliage and historical sites. Some may even argue it’s the most beautiful place on earth. “I’ve seen just about every state in the continental U.S. and I’ve traveled the world,” Gillespie said. “In my opinion, there’s simply no place as beautiful (as Rabun County) to me. That’s what brought me home. It’s a place you just fall in love with — the natural beauty has this rustic charm about it, it’s like stepping back in time.” n

HARVEST 2011 | The Times, Gainesville, Georgia

Jam bands. 2-day Sautee Jamboree returns Sept. 23-24

From staff reports

For The Times

Horse-drawn wagons and other traditional Appalachian crafts and traditions will be on display at the Foxfire Mountaineer Festival, set for Oct. 1 at the Rabun County Civic Center in Clayton. Games, competitions and demonstrations of old-time craftsmanship will be on display. For more, visit www.foxfire.org.

Fire in the mountains. From staff reports

The 17th annual Foxfire Fall Heritage Festival on Oct. 1 will feature old-fashioned fun, food, crafts and music. Partnering again this year with The Mountaineer Festival for a larger event, festivalgoers will see over 35 exhibits and demonstrations. Among the crafts featured will be pottery, cornshuck dolls, crocheted and knitted items, berry basket making, woodworking, broom-making, flint knapping, blacksmithing, chair-bottoming, folk art painting, nature and wildlife photography, handmade jewelry, stained glass and railroad history. Foxfire Magazine students will also be present to autograph and sell their

Foxfire Heritage Festival What: Games, crafts and demonstrations When: Oct. 1 Where: Rabun County Civic Center, 25 Courthouse Square, Clayton 30525 Cost: $5 per person, $3 for those dressed in 1800s period costume, children 5 and under free. More info: foxfire.org

current and back issues. Events on the field will include archery, greased pole climbing, log tossing, wood splitting, sack racing and greased-pig chasing. The main feature of the day will be a book-signing

Foxfire festival offers oldfashioned family fun

party for The Foxfire 45th Anniversary Book due for release Sept. 8. Other features of the day will be a raffle and live auction of donated items by local and regional businesses and music by The Foxfire Boys, as well as other bluegrass and gospel groups who were interviewed for the anniversary book. Food will also be on sale. Admission is $5 per person. Visitors who dress in an 1800s period costume will get a discounted price of $3 per person. Children age 5 and under are free, with a maximum admission of $20 per immediate family. All proceeds benefit Foxfire’s Local Educational Programs and The Rabun County Mountaineer Festival.

A diverse lineup of artists are scheduled to perform at the Sautee Jamboree twoday music and arts festival Sept. 23-24 at the Sautee Nacoochee Center. A blend of familiar favorites and Sautee newcomers will be featured. “We always try to mix it up a little bit, present something that we know our audience loves as well as something they might not have seen around here before,” said festival coproducer Tommy Deadwyler. “There definitely is that pleasing sense of the old and new coming together at this year’s Jamboree.” The feature performer is

Wet Willie, the iconic Southern rock super-group, which will take the stage between 9 and 10 p.m. Saturday. Returning for a sixth straight Jamboree is Jeff Mosier, the banjo-playing vocalist who will be joined by his guitarist brother, Johnny Mosier, and their longtime collaborator, fiddler wizard David Blackmon. “It just doesn’t feel like a Sautee Jamboree without Jeff and Johnny and David,” Deadwyler said. Davin McCoy and The Coming Attractions return for a second year, as will Michelle Malone. Other artists familiar to the Sautee crowd are Sol Driven Train, Lefty Williams and Carly Gibson.

Among those making their Jamboree debut are American Anodyne, Insonnia, Larkin Poe, Shovels & Rope and Home Grown Revival. Tickets go on sale at 5 p.m. Sept. 23 and again at 10 a.m. Sept. 24. They are $40 for members of the Sautee Nacoochee Community Association, $46 for all others. Free primitive camping is available on site, and campers may begin setting up at noon. There is a limited amount of free parking around the venue, and multiple sites around the Sautee Center at $5 per car. Water, soft drinks, beer, wine and food will be available. For more information, visit www.snca.org or call 706-878-3300.

Fall events

The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | harvest 2011

Murphy

N.C. 441

Blairsville

197

129

HABERSHAM

Cleveland

197

441

384

Clermont Demorest

HALL

Murrayville

365

Cornelia

STEPHENS

Baldwin

Lavonia 85 985

Gillsville

Gainesville

400

BANKS

Lula

SEPTEMBER

Toccoa

365

Clarkesville

DAWSON

FORSYTH

S.C.

WHITE

Dahlonega

Dawsonville

Clayton

Helen

Suches

52 52

RABUN 197

180

TOWNS

UNION

LUMPKIN

Dillard

515

Young Harris

FRANKLIN

HART

Oakwood

Cumming Buford

Braselton 0

10 Miles

hall county ONGOING Vietnam War Exhibit, Northeast Georgia History Center, 322 Academy St., Gainesville. Through Nov. 30. Free. 770-297-5900, www. negahc.org. Dian Fossey Exhibit, Trustee Library, Brenau University, Gainesville. Through Sept. 30. Free. 770-534-6213, mhozey@brenau.edu. Southeastern Pastel Society 2011 Juried Members’ Exhibition, Quinlan Arts Center, 514 Green St., Gainesville, 770-536-2575, www.

JACKSON

85 985

985 985

Sugar Hill Suwanee

Pendergrass

Flowery Branch

Commerce 98 441

JACKSON

Winder

quinlanartscenter.org. Through Oct. 9. “Waters of Time: The Chicopee Woods Story,” permanent exhibit, Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville, www. elachee.org, 770-535-1976. $5 adults, $3 children, Elachee members and children under 2 free. “Searching for Spaceship Earth,” Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville, www.elachee.org, 770-535-1976. $5 adults, $3 children, Elachee members and children under 2 free. Elachee’s Discover Nature Packs, Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive,

Gainesville, www.elachee.org, 770-535-1976. Nature guides, activities, learning games. Elachee’s Adopt-A-Friend, Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville, www.elachee.org, 770-535-1976. “Elachee Explorers, 9:30-11:30 a.m. through Dec. 6, Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville, www.elachee.org, 770535-1976. Georgia Master Naturalist Program, 1-5:30 p.m. Thursdays through Nov. 3. Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville, www. elachee.org, 770-535-1976. $160 for 10 sessions, one field trip, ages 18 and older.

Sept. 1: Keith and Priscilla Jefcoat four-hand piano, Hosch Theater, Brenau University. Free. www.brenau.edu Sept. 3: First Saturday Hike, Reptiles and Amphibians, 10-11:30 a.m. Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville, www.elachee.org, 770-535-1976. $5 adults, $3 ages 2-12, under age 2, Elachee members free. Sept. 3: Stars Over Elachee” at Chicopee Lake, 7:30-9:30 p.m. Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville, www. elachee.org, 770-535-1976. $10 adults, $5 ages 2-12, Elachee members free. Sept. 5-9: Pirate Week, INK Children’s Museum, 999 Chestnut St., Gainesville, $9 children and adults, 770-536-1900, www. inkfun.org. Sept. 6: Homeschool Day, INK Children’s Museum, 999 Chestnut St., Gainesville, half price for home-schoolers, 770-536-1900, www.inkfun.org. Sept. 10: Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, Lake Lanier Olympic venue, Clarks Bridge Park. Free to attend, 404-942-1686, www. dragonboatatlanta.com. Sept. 10: Patriotic Concert, Northeast Georgia History Center, 322 Academy St., Gainesville, $15, $10 members, 770-297-5900, www. negahc.org. Sept. 10: Elachee’s Trail Crew Work Day, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville, www. elachee.org, 770-535-1976. Under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Call to preregister. Sept. 10: Snake Day, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville, www.elachee.org, 770-535-1976. Live native and exotic snakes and reptiles. Adults $5, ages 2–12, $3, members free. Sept. 11: Family Day: The 1960s, Northeast Georgia History Center, 322 Academy St., Gainesville. Free. 770-297-5900, www. negahc.org. Sept. 12-16: 9/11 Week, INK children’s museum, 999 Chestnut St., Gainesville, $9 children and adults, 770-536-1900, www. inkfun.org.

HARVEST 2011 | The Times, Gainesville, Georgia Sept. 13: Forum at the History Center, Northeast Georgia History Center, 322 Academy St., Gainesville, $3, free for members, 770-297-5900, www.negahc.org. Sept. 14-Dec. 4: “Prophecies Adrift: The Lunar and Martian Missions” exhibit, Brenau University’s Sellars and President’s Gallery. Free. 770-5346213. Sept. 15: “A Bird of the Air,” The Arts Council and Gainesville State College Independent Film Series. Dinner 6:30 p.m., film 7:30 p.m., Smithgall Arts Center, 331 Spring St., Gainesville. $15 adults, $13 students and seniors, $38 for series of six films; includes dinner, reception, filmmaker Q&A. 770-534-2787, www.theartscouncil.net, info@theartscouncil.net. Sept. 16-17: Art in the Square, downtown square, Gainesville. Displays from local artists. Free. www.artinthesquarega.com. Sept. 16-18: Atlanta Historic Races, Road Atlanta, Braselton, $15-$99, 770-967-6143, www. roadatlanta.com. Sept. 17: Rivers Alive, Longwood Park Upper Pavilion, cleanup event by Keep Hall Beautiful. Free. 770-531-1102, www.keephallbeautiful.org. Sept. 18: Random Draw Best Shot Doubles Disc Golf Tournament, North Georgia Canopy Tours disc golf course, 5290 Harris Road, Lula, $11$15 to play, free for spectators. 770-869-7272, www.northgeorgiacanopytours.com Sept. 19-23: Elephant Week, INK children’s museum, 999 Chestnut St., Gainesville, $9 children and adults, 770-536-1900, www.inkfun. org. Sept. 24: 23rd Annual Lake Lanier Shore Sweep, hosted by Lake Lanier Association and Keep Hall Beautiful, 770-531-1102, www.keephallbeautiful. org. Sept. 19 - Oct. 30: “Sometimes I Disappear,” exhibit by Melissa Cooke, Castelli Gallery, Brenau University. Free. 770-534-6263. Sept. 20: Stage Tour: “James and the Giant Peach,” Brenau University’s Pearce Auditorium, Free. 678-717-3624. Sept. 25: Taste of Gainesville, Lake Lanier Olympic venue, food from local restaurants and caterers, 770-531-2664. Sept. 25: College Fair, Northeast Georgia History Center, 322 Academy St., Gainesville. Free. 770297-5900, www.negahc.org. Sept. 26-30: Fall Week, INK children’s museum, 999 Chestnut St., Gainesville, $9 children and adults, 770-536-1900, www.inkfun.org. Sept. 28-Oct. 1: 14th Annual Petite Le Mans road race, Road Atlanta, Braselton, $60-$350, 770967-6143, www.roadatlanta.com. Sept. 29-Oct. 8: “James and the Giant Peach,” Gainesville Theater Alliance production, Pearce Auditorium at Brenau University, $6-$12, 678717-3624, www.gainesvilletheateralliance.org

OCTOBER Oct. 1: First Saturday Hike, Fall Migration, 1011:30 a.m. Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville, www.elachee.org, 770-535-1976. Guided hike. $5 adults, $3 ages 2-12, under 2 and Elachee members free. Oct. 1: Trail Crew Work Day, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville, www.elachee.org, 770-5351976. Under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Call to pre-register.

Oct. 1: Stars Over Elachee at Chicopee Lake, 7-9 p.m. Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville, www.elachee.org, 770-535-1976. Call to register. $10 adults, $5 for ages 2-12, Elachee members free. Oct. 3-7: Pumpkin Week, INK children’s museum, 999 Chestnut St., Gainesville, $9 children and adults, 770-536-1900, www.inkfun.org. Oct. 4-Nov. 22: Elachee Explorers, Elachee Nature Center. Hands-on outdoor play and exploration, 4-5 year-olds, $150. 770-535-1976, www. elachee.org. Oct. 4: Homeschool Day, INK children’s museum, 999 Chestnut St., Gainesville, half-price for home-schoolers, 770-536-1900, www.inkfun. org. Oct. 5: “Taste of History Luncheon: A Tribute to Higher Education in Northeast Georgia,” Northeast Georgia History Center event, Chattahoochee Country Club, 3000 Club Drive, Gainesville. 770-297-5900, www.negahc.org. Oct. 5: Blue Sky Concerts, downtown square, Gainesville, local and regional artists. Oct. 5: Book signing with Jack McDevitt, Peach State Bank, 325 Washington St., Gainesville. $25 Pre-registration required. Northeast Georgia Writers, 770-519-7279, www.negawriters.org. Oct. 6: Rain Barrel Workshop, Flat Creek Water Reclamation Facility, sponsored by Gainesville Public Utilities, Keep Hall Beautiful and Upper Chattahoochee River Keepers, $35, includes workshop and barrel, 770-532-7462. Oct. 7-9: Mule Camp Market fall festival, downtown Gainesville. Music, arts and crafts, mule rides, food, live entertainment. Sponsored by the Gainesville Jaycees, 770-532-7714, www. gainesvillejaycees.org. Oct. 7-9: “Arsenic & Old Lace,” The Springs Church, 6553 Spout Springs Road, Flowery Branch. Presented by South Hall Community Theater and Fifth Row Center. $10. 678-3577359, www.fifthrowcenter.com. Oct. 8: Inspired By Nature, Safari Benefit Dinner & Auction, 6:30-10 p.m. Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville, www. elachee.org, 770-535-1976. Cocktails, dinner, jazz, silent and live auctions. Reservations required. $75 per person. Oct. 9: Family Day: “A Harvest of History,” Northeast Georgia History Center, 322 Academy St., Gainesville. Free. 770-297-5900, www. negahc.org. Oct. 10-14: Firefighter Week, INK children’s museum, 999 Chestnut St., Gainesville, $9 children and adults, 770-536-1900, www.inkfun. org. Oct. 11: Forum-Speaker Joseph “Doc” Johnson, Northeast Georgia History Center, 322 Academy St., Gainesville, $3, free for members, 770-2975900, www.negahc.org. Oct. 12: Blue Sky Concerts, Gainesville downtown square, local and regional artists. Oct. 13: Gainesville High School Homecoming Parade & Downtown Tailgate. Parade, music and festivities. Free. Oct. 13-Nov. 27: Members’ Exhibition, Quinlan Arts Center, 514 Green St., Gainesville. Free, 770-536-2575, www.quinlanartscenter.org. Oct. 14: Gainesville State College Alumni and Friends Golf Open, Chattahoochee Golf Club, $125 individuals, $500 teams of four, 678-7173648, www.gsc.edu/alumni.

Oct. 15-16: “Zip Line Open” Disc Golf Tournament. North Georgia Canopy Tours Disc Golf Course, 5290 Harris Road, Lula, 770-8697272, www.northgeorgiacanopytours.com. $25$60 to play, spectators free. Oct. 16: Sept. 18: Random Draw Best Shot Doubles Disc Golf Tournament, North Georgia Canopy Tours Disc Golf Course, 5290 Harris Road, Lula. $11-$15 to play, free to spectators. 770-869-7272, www.northgeorgiacanopytours. com. Oct. 17-21: Police Officer Week, INK children’s museum, 999 Chestnut St., Gainesville, $9. 770536-1900, www.inkfun.org. Oct. 19: Blue Sky Concerts, Gainesville downtown square. Local and regional artists. Oct. 24-28: Halloween Week, INK children’s museum, 999 Chestnut St., Gainesville, $9. 770536-1900, www.inkfun.org. Oct. 20: “Louder Than A Bomb,” 7:30 p.m., The Arts Council and Gainesville State College Independent Film Series, Smithgall Arts Center, 331 Spring St., Gainesville. $7 adults, $5 students and seniors, $38 for series of six films; includes reception, filmmaker Q&A. 770-534-2787, www.theartscouncil.net, info@ theartscouncil.net. Oct. 27-30: WERA Grand National Finals motorcycle races, Road Atlanta, Braselton, $25$50. 770-967-6143, www.roadatlanta.com. Oct. 26: Blue Sky Concerts, Gainesville downtown square. Local and regional artists. Oct. 28-29: Ghost Walk 2011, Northeast Georgia History Center, 322 Academy St., Gainesville. Contact for pricing and reservations. 770-2975900, www.negahc.org.

Oct. 28-30: Halloween Hauntings High in the Treetop Canopy, North Georgia Canopy Tours, 5290 Harris Road, Lula. $69-$89. 770-869-7272, www.northgeorgiacanopytours.com. Oct. 29: Family Fall Festival, 2-5 p.m. Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville, www.elachee.org, 770-535-1976. Live animals, games, crafts, hikes, costumed animal characters, face painting. $5 adults, $3 ages 2-12, under 2 and Elachee members free. Oct. 30: Stars Over Elachee, 6:15-8:15 p.m. Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville, www.elachee.org, 770-5351976. Adults and children ages 8 and older. $10 adults, $5 ages 2-12, Elachee members free. Oct. 31: Trick or Treat on the Square, 3-5 p.m., Gainesville downtown square. Free.

NOVEMBER Nov. 1: Homeschool Day, INK children’s museum, 999 Chestnut St., Gainesville. Half-price for home-schoolers. 770-536-1900, www.inkfun. org. Nov. 1-4: Sandwich Week, INK children’s museum, 999 Chestnut St., Gainesville. $9. 770536-1900, www.inkfun.org. Nov. 4-6: SCCA American Road Race of Champions, Road Atlanta, Braselton, 770-9676143, www.roadatlanta.com. Nov. 5: America Recycles Day. 770-531-1102, www.keephallbeautiful.org. Nov. 5-13: Veterans Week Exhibit, Northeast Georgia History Center, 322 Academy St., Gainesville. Artifacts from World War I to present. $3, free for members. 770-297-5900, www. negahc.org.

18 Nov. 6: First Saturday Hike at Elachee, Fall Colors, 10-11:30 a.m. Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville, www.elachee. org, 770-535-1976. $5 adults, $3 ages 2-12, under age 2 and Elachee members free. Nov. 6: Trail Crew Work Day, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville, www.elachee.org, 770-5351976. Under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Call to pre-register. Nov. 10: “Ahead of Time,” 7:30 p.m., The Arts Council and Gainesville State College Independent Film Series, Smithgall Arts Center, 331 Spring St., Gainesville. $7 adults, $5 students and seniors, $38 for series of six films; includes reception, filmmaker Q&A. 770-534-2787, www.theartscouncil.net, info@ theartscouncil.net. Nov. 7-11: Basketball Week, INK children’s museum, 999 Chestnut St., Gainesville. $9. 770536-1900, www.inkfun.org. Nov. 8: Forum: American Patriots, Northeast Georgia History Center, 322 Academy St., Gainesville, $3, free for members, 770-297-5900, www.negahc.org. Nov. 8-19: “Hairspray,” Hosch Theater at Brenau University, Gainesville Theater Alliance production. $14-$24, students free. 678-7173624, www.gainesvilletheateralliance.org. Nov. 11-12: Adopt-A-Stream Training, 6-10 p.m Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville, www.elachee.org, 770-535-1976. Under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult. $5 in

The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | harvest 2011 advance, call to preregister. Nov. 13: Family Day: A Salute to Veterans and Their Families, Northeast Georgia History Center, 322 Academy St., Gainesville. Free. 770-2975900, www.negahc.org Nov. 14-18: X-Ray Week, INK children’s museum, 999 Chestnut St., Gainesville. $9. 770-536-1900, www.inkfun.org. Nov. 17: Jingle Mingle, downtown Gainesville. Open house, food, live music and Santa. Free. Nov. 20: Sept. 18: Random Draw Best Shot Doubles Disc Golf Tournament, North Georgia Canopy Tours Disc Golf Course, 5290 Harris Road, Lula. $11-$15 to play, free for spectators. 770-869-7272, www.northgeorgiacanopytours. com. Nov. 21-25: Thanksgiving Week, INK children’s museum, 999 Chestnut St., Gainesville, $9. 770536-1900, www.inkfun.org. Nov. 26-27: “A Seussified Christmas Carol,” Fifth Row Center, 5509 Main St., Flowery Branch. $12 adults, $10 students, 678-357-7359, www. fifthrowcenter.com.

DECEMBER Dec. 2-4: “The Nutcracker,” Gainesville Ballet, Pearce Auditorium at Brenau University. 770532-4241, www.gainesvilleballet.org. $10-$24. Dec. 2-4: “A Seussified Christmas Carol,” Fifth Row Center, 5509 Main St., Flowery Branch. $12 adults, $10 students, 678-357-7359, www. fifthrowcenter.com. Dec. 2-4: NASA Racing, Road Atlanta, Braselton.

770-967-6143, www.roadatlanta.com. Dec. 3: Mingle with Kringle, Main Street Market, downtown Gainesville. Free. Dec. 3: First Saturday Hike, Holiday Scavenger Hunt, 10-11:30 a.m. Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville, www. elachee.org, 770-535-1976. Guided hike in the Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve. $5 adults, $3 ages 2-12, under age 2 and Elachee members free. Dec. 3: Trail Crew Work Day, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville, www.elachee.org, 770-5351976. Under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Call to pre-register. Dec. 3: Stars Over Elachee at Chicopee Lake, 6:15–8:15 p.m. Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville, www.elachee. org, 770-535-1976. Adults and children ages 8 and up. $10 adults, $5 ages 2-12, Elachee members free. Call for reservations. Dec. 4: Christmas on Green St., Rotary Christmas Tree to Civic Center. Antique car parade, miniature train ride, Santa, ornament-making party at Quinlan Visual Arts Center. Free. 770 503-1319. Dec. 5-9: Christmas Card Week, INK children’s museum, 999 Chestnut St., Gainesville, $9. 770536-1900, www.inkfun.org. Dec. 6: Homeschool Day, INK children’s museum, 999 Chestnut St., Gainesville. Half-price for home-schoolers. 770-536-1900, www.inkfun. org. Dec. 6: John Berry Christmas Concert, Pearce

Auditorium at Brenau University. Gainesville Theater Alliance production. $25-$30. 678-7173624, www.gainesvilletheateralliance.org. Dec. 8: Opening of Tannery Row Artist Colony Winter Exhibit, Quinlan Arts Center, 514 Green St., Gainesville. Free. 770-536-2575, www. quinlanartscenter.org. Dec. 10: Mingle with Kringle, Main Street Market, downtown Gainesville. Free. Dec. 11: Family Day: Christmas Traditions, Northeast Georgia History Center, 322 Academy St., Gainesville, free 770-297-5900, www. negahc.org. Dec. 12-16: Christmas Ornament Week, INK children’s museum, 999 Chestnut St., Gainesville. $9. 770-536-1900, www.inkfun.org. Dec. 17: Mingle with Kringle, Main Street Market, downtown Gainesville. Free. Dec. 18: Sept. 18: Random Draw Best Shot Doubles Disc Golf Tournament, North Georgia Canopy Tours Disc Golf Course, 5290 Harris Road, Lula. 11-$15 to play, free for spectators. 770-869-7272, www.northgeorgiacanopytours. com Dec. 19-23: Christmas Stocking Week, INK children’s museum, 999 Chestnut St., Gainesville. $9. 770-536-1900, www.inkfun.org. Dec. 27-30: New Year’s Eve Crafts Week, INK children’s museum, 999 Chestnut St., Gainesville, $9. 770-536-1900, www.inkfun.org. Dec. 30: New Year’s Eve Celebration, INK children’s museum, 999 Chestnut St., Gainesville. $8. 770-536-1900, www.inkfun.org.

HARVEST 2011 | The Times, Gainesville, Georgia

Banks county SEPTEMBER Sept. 2-4: Annual Holiday Festival, Historic Court-

house lawn, Homer. 706-677-5265. Sept. 15: Banks County Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament, Scales Country Club, Homer. bankscountychamber@windstream.net or call 706-677-2108. Sept. 24: Quarter-Mile Pro Tree Heads Up Index Racing, Atlanta Dragway, 500 E. Ridgeway Road, Commerce. www.atlantadragway.com, 706-3352301.

OCTOBER Oct. 1: Gillsville Pottery Day, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. 706677-3996, 706-677-1528. Oct. 1: Turning and Burning Old Time Festival, Hewell’s Pottery, Gillsville. Pottery demonstrations, sales. 770-869-3469, www.hewellspottery.com. Oct. 2: CVB Car & Truck Show, 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Commerce Crossing Mall at Banks Crossing. $20 entry fee. 706-677-5265. Oct. 13: Banks County Chamber of Commerce Picnic on the Lawn, Ragsdale Mill, Homer. bankscountychamber@windstream.net, 706-677-2108. Oct. 29: KOSS Motorsports East Coast Show ‘N’ Go Tour, Atlanta Dragway, 500 E. Ridgeway Road, Commerce. www.atlantadragway.com, 706-335-2301.

NOVEMBER Nov. 5: Southern Super Heavy Shootout, Atlanta

Dragway, 500 E. Ridgeway Road, Commerce. www.atlantadragway.com, 706-335-2301. Nov. 7: Banks County CVB Chocolate Fair. 706677-5265, bankscvb@windstream.net.

DECEMBER Dec. 3: Christmas Pottery Sale, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.,

cars. Moonshine Run, 9 a.m. Friday, Cruise-In and live music, 5 p.m.; parade and opening ceremonies, 9 a.m. Saturday, Cruise In, swap meet all day; car show, swap meet Sunday. Proceeds to benefit KARE of Dawson County for children’s aid. www.kareforkids.us.

DECEMBER

2500 U.S. 441, Homer. www.Turpinpottery.com, 706-677-1528. Dec. 4: Christmas Celebration, Historic Courthouse, Homer. 677-3510.

Dec. 1-31: Members Holiday Show and Sale,

Dawson County

forsyth county

SEPTEMBER

Bowen Center for the Arts, Dawson County Arts Council, 334 Ga. 9 N, Dawsonville. 706-2162787, www.dawsonarts.org.

SEPTEMBER

Sept. 5-30: Fiber Art, Chris Hartwell and Com-

pany. Bowen Center for the Arts, Dawson County Arts Council, 334 Ga. 9 N, Dawsonville. 706-2162787, www.dawsonarts.org. Reception, 2-4 p.m. Sept. 10.

OCTOBER Oct. 8-Nov. 12: “Motionality,” ninth annual ju-

ried photography show. Bowen Center for the Arts, Dawson County Arts Council, 334 Ga. 9 N, Dawsonville. 706-216-2787, www.dawsonarts. org. Artist’s reception and awards, 2-4 p.m. Oct. 15. Oct. 21-23: 44th annual Mountain Moonshine Festival, downtown Dawsonville square. Vintage race cars, arts & crafts, live entertainment, food, Parade of authentic moonshine and revenue

Sept. 16-18: Lakewood 400 Antiques Market, 1321 Atlanta Highway, Cumming. $3 per person for full weekend, children free. 770889-3400, lakewood400@earthlink.net, www. lakewoodantiques.com.

OCTOBER Oct. 14-16: Lakewood 400 Antiques Market, 1321 Atlanta Highway, Cumming. $3 per person for full weekend, children free. 770889-3400, lakewood400@earthlink.net, www. lakewoodantiques.com. Oct. 14-Nov. 6: “42nd Street,” 8 p.m. ThursdaysSaturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays. Cumming Playhouse, Cumming Playhouse, 101 School St., Cumming. www.playhousecumming.com.

NOVEMBER Nov. 18-20: Lakewood 400 Antiques Market, 1321 Atlanta Highway, Cumming. $3 per person for full weekend, children free. 770889-3400, lakewood400@earthlink.net, www. lakewoodantiques.com. Nov. 25-Dec. 18: “It’s a Wonderful Life,” 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays, Cumming Playhouse, 101 School St., Cumming. www.playhousecumming.com.

DECEMBER Dec. 13: “Here We Come A-Caroling,” Playhouse Singers Ensemble Holiday Presentation, 8 p.m., Cumming Playhouse, 101 School St., Cumming. www.playhousecumming.com. Dec. 16-18: Lakewood 400 Antiques Market, 1321 Atlanta Highway, Cumming. $3 per person for full weekend, children free. 770889-3400, lakewood400@earthlink.net, www. lakewoodantiques.com. Dec. 20: Christmas Classics, featuring North Georgia Chamber Symphony, 8 p.m. Cumming Playhouse, 101 School St., Cumming. www. playhousecumming.com. Dec. 21: Sounds of Sawnee, Concert Band Holiday Presentation, 8 p.m., Cumming Playhouse, 101 School St., Cumming. www. playhousecumming.com. Dec. 28-31: Branson On The Road “Christmas Style,” Cumming Playhouse, 101 School St., Cumming. www.playhousecumming.com.

• An easy walk to restaurants, shops & activities • Rooms & suites with balconies on the banks of the river • Enclosed heated pool & outdoor activity area for year-round use • Hospitality rooms with jacuzzis, fireplaces & kitchens • Meeting space for 200+ Box 305 • Helen, GA 30545 • www.helendorf.com • Group Inquiries & Revs. 706-878-2271 or 800-445-2271

Habersham county SEPTEMBER Sept. 9-17: 36th annual Chattahoochee Mountain Fair, Habersham County fairgrounds, Ga. 17, Clarkesville. Carnival, livestock judging, arts & crafts, exhibits and demonstrations, live entertainment, Miss Chattahoochee Pageant, talent contests, homemaker’s exhibit, 4H FFA show, food court, pony rides. 706-7784654, mbhorton@clarkesvillega.com, www. clarkesvillega.com. Sept. 10: Jonathan Pilkington Faculty Recital, 4 p.m., Piedmont College Chapel, Demorest. Free. www.piedmont.edu. Sept. 18: Stephen Price, Supernova Organ Series, 4 p.m., Piedmont College Chapel. Free. www. piedmont.edu. Sept. 16-18, 22-24: “The Diary of Anne Frank,” 7:30 p.m., 2 p.m. matinees, Habersham Community Theater, 1370 Washington St., Clarkesville. www.habershamtheater.org, 706839-1315. Sept. 23: Michelle Malone in concert, 8 p.m. Arrendale Amphitheater, Piedmont College, Demorest. $10, under age 5 free. 706-778-3000, ext. 1050. Sept. 24: Taste of Clarkesville, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., downtown Clarkesville. Food, beer, and wine tastings from local wineries, live music. 706-7542220, www.tasteofclarkesville.com. Sept. 29-Oct. 1-2: South Pacific, 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Piedmont College Swanson Center for Performing Arts & Communication, Demorest. $10 general admission, $5 students and seniors. www. piedmont.edu.

OCTOBER Oct. 1: Big Red Apple Festival, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., downtown Cornelia. Arts and crafts, food, chili cook-off, family activities, living history demonstrations, live music. 706-778-8585, www. corneliageorgia.org. Oct. 6: Tiberius String Quartet Concert, 7:30 p.m., Piedmont College Chapel, Demorest. $10 adults, $5 students, children and seniors. www. piedmont.edu. Oct. 8: Hills of Habersham bicycle ride, 9 a.m., Ruby C. Fulbright Aquatic Center, 120 Paul Franklin Road, Clarkesville. Registration begins 8 a.m. $35 before Sept. 30, $40 on day or ride. Courses of 23, 44 and 62 miles. Drinks and snacks provided, T-shirtr to all riders, swimming afterward.706-778-4654, hburke@windstream. net, www.habershamchamber.com. Oct. 14: Terry Lowry Piano Concert, 7:30 p.m., Piedmont College Chapel, Demorest. $10 adults, $5 students, children and seniors. www. piedmont.edu. Oct. 21-22, 28-29: “The Rocky Horror Show,” 9:30 p.m. (Adults only), Habersham Community Theater, 1370 Washington St., Clarkesville. www. habershamtheater.org, 706-839-1315.

NOVEMBER Nov. 1: Cantabile Fall Concert, 5 p.m., Piedmont College Brooks Hall, Demorest. Free. www. piedmont.edu. Nov. 5: Harmonie Universelle, 7:30 p.m., Piedmont College Chapel, Demorest. $10 adults,

The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | harvest 2011 $5 seniors and students. www.piedmont.edu. Nov. 10: Wind Ensemble Fall Concert, 7:30 p.m., Piedmont College Chapel. Demorest. Free. www. piedmont.edu. Nov. 15: Chamber Singers Fall Concert, 7:30 p.m., Piedmont College Chapel, Demorest. Free. www.piedmont.edu. Nov. 17-20: “A Christmas Carol,” 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Piedmont College Swanson Center for Performing Arts & Communication, Demorest. $10 general admission, $5 students and seniors. www. piedmont.edu.

DECEMBER Dec. 1-4, 8-11: “1940s Radio Hour,” 7:30 p.m. evenings, 2 p.m. matinees, Habersham Community Theater, 1370 Washington St., Clarkesville. www.habershamtheater.org, 706839-1315. Dec. 2-3: 23rd Annual Service of Lessons and Carols, 7:30 p.m., Piedmont College Chapel, Demorest. Free. www.piedmont.edu. Dec. 9-18: Christmas In Cornelia, 5 p.m., The Community House & Cornelia City Park, 601 Wyly St. Ice skating, visits with Santa, treats, arts & crafts, Christmas light display at City Park, hayrides, caroling. Call for ice skating reservations, 706-778-8585, ext 280, bht@ corneliageorgia.org.

Jackson county AUGUST Aug. 28: Vineyard Fest, 1-5 p.m., Chateau Elan Winery & Resort, Braselton. Wine tasting, food, wine and food seminars, grape stomping, live music. $75 per person. chateauelan.com, 678425-0900, ext. 41.

SEPTEMBER Sept. 3: Summer Concert Series, Chateau Elan. Live music by The Embers, 7:30-11:30 p.m., shag dance lessons 7:30, concert 8:30. $30. www.chateauelan.com. Sept. 30-Oct. 1-2: Maysville Autumn Leaf Festival, noon-9 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Parade 10 a.m. Saturday, street dances Friday and Saturday evenings, arts and crafts vendors, food. Sept. 17-18: Art in the Park, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 12:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Hurricane Shoals Park, Maysville. Bluegrass, barbecue. Free. hurricaneshoalspark.org. Sept. 23-25: Hoschton Fall Festival, Crafts, food, entertainment, Bark for Life fundraiser Saturday. hoschtonfallfestival.com.

OCTOBER Oct. 1-2: Autumn Leaf Festival, Maysville. cityofmaysvillega.org. Oct. 15: Megafest Car Shows & Fly-In, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Gresham Motorsports, 500 Lyle Field Road, Jefferson. Car shows 9 a.m. and 10 a.m., chili cook-off noon-3 p.m., arts and crafts, kids fun area. Parking $3. www.jacksonmegafest. com, 706-387-0300. Oct. 21-22: “All I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten,” Jefferson Community Theater production, 7:30 p.m., Jefferson Civic Center, 65

TOM REED | The Times

Paulette Renfro looks over a selection of gourds made by Karen Albers in a booth at last year’s Gold Rush Days festival in Dahlonega. This year’s event is set for Oct. 15-16. Kissam St. mainstreetjefferson.com. Oct. 22-23: Antique & Holiday Festival, Braselton Park. braseltonfestivals.com.

NOVEMBER Nov. 5-6: Holiday Market, Jefferson Civic Center, mainstreetjefferson.com. Nov. 19: Celebrate the Holidays in Braselton, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Braselton Park. Parade 10:30 a.m. braseltonfestivals.com. Nov. 26: ZOOMA Half Marathon & 5K, 7:30 a.m., Chateau Elan and around Braselton and Hoschton. Free 1K kids run. www.zoomarun. com.

DECEMBER Dec. 10-11: Christmas in Maysville, Maysville. cityofmaysvillega.org. Dec. 31: New Year’s Eve Carnival & Masquerade Celebration, Chateau Elan. 678-425-0900 ext. 6181, www.chateauelan.com.

LUMPKIN county Ongoing Dahlonega Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m Tuesdays and Saturdays through Oct. 29, Hancock Park, Dahlonega. 706-864-6133. Appalachian Jam, 2-5 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 8, Gold Museum State Historic Site, downtown Dahlonega. Free. 706-864-6133. First Friday Night Concert Series, 6:30-8:30 p.m. first Fridays through October, Hancock Park, downtown Dahlonega. 706-864-6133. Sept. 2, Remember When Band; Oct. 7, Andy David Jazz.

SEPTEMBER Sept. 25: Six Gap Century & Three Gap Fifty Bike Ride. Courses of 100, 50 miles through North Georgia mountains. cyclenorthgeorgia.com.

OCTOBER Oct. 15-16: Gold Rush Days, Dahlonega square. Parade, children’s activities, fashion show, gold panning and other contests, clogging, gospel and other live entertainment, food. www. dahlonega.org. Oct. 15-16: Dahlonega Rock & Mineral Show, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Smith House, 84 South Chestatee St. www.dahlonega.org, 706-864-3513.

NOVEMBER Nov. 4-6: HemlockFest, Starbridge Sanctuary, 326 Starbridge Road, Dahlonega. Proceeds to benefit preservation of hemlock trees. Live music, camping, knife throwing, archery, canoeing, arts & crafts, interactive presentations and exhibits, silent auction, food and drink vendors. Tickets $15 Friday, $25 Saturday, $10 Sunday. hemlockfest.org Nov. 10-13: Dahlonega Literary Festival & Writer’s Conference, Dahlonega square. Don Bacek Literary IQ Quiz, scavenger hunt. Featured authors include Terry Kay, Joshilyn Jackson, Sheldon Siegel, Deanna Raybourn, Lauretta Hannon, and Jackson Pearce. Author events free, vendor booths offered. www.literaryfestival. org, sgbacek@america.net. Nov. 25: Old Fashioned Christmas, Dahlonega. Lighting of the Square, parade, daily caroling, entertainment, wine sampling, live theater events. www.dahlonega.org, 706-864-3513.

HARVEST 2011 | The Times, Gainesville, Georgia

RABUN county

$10, plus $5 parking. 706-754-7981, www. gastateparks.org/TallulahGorge.

ONGOING

OCTOBER

Bluegrass on the Square, 7 p.m. Saturdays through November, Main Street, Tallulah Falls. Free. Simply Homegrown farmers market, 9 a.m. to noon, Main Street in front of Butler’s II Gallery, Clayton. www.simplyhomegrown.org. First Friday Fest, 6-9 p.m. first Fridays each month through October, Concerts in the Rock House Park, downtown Clayton.

SEPTEMBER Sept. 2-5: Holiday Gorge Floor Hike, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Tallulah Gorge State Park. Bring lunch and water. Ages 10 and older. $5, plus $5 parking. 706-754-7981, www.gastateparks.org/ TallulahGorge. Sept. 3: Fall tailgate party, noon-3 p.m., Tiger Mountain Vineyards, 2592 Old U.S. 441, Tiger, www.tigerwine.com, 706-782-4777, 706-7829256. Bluegrass and jazz music, barbecue, wine. $20 per person, $5 off for wearing team hat or shirt. Sept. 3: Bluegrass and Fish Fry, 5-9 p.m., Andy’s Trout Farm & Macafee Mountain. Music, food. $20 food and show. $10 show only, kids half price. 706-746-2550. Sept. 3-4: Dillard Art Fest, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Dillard City Hall. 706-897-6179, www. robinrobertspromotions.com. Sept. 3-4: Rockin’ Revelry, Last Days Of Summer Festival, Sky Valley Park and Pavillion. Food, family activities, arts and crafts 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Music by Haywire 5-9 p.m. Saturday, admission $5, ages 6 and under free. www.skyvalleyevents. com. Sept. 11-12: Full Moon Suspension Bridge Hike, 7:30–10 p.m. Sunday, 8-11 p.m. Monday, Tallulah Gorge State Park. Guided hike by moonlight. Register in advance. 706-754-7981, www.gastateparks.org/TallulahGorge. Sept. 12: Rhapsody In Rabun, 6 p.m., Rabun County Civic Center, 201 W. Savannah St., Clayton. Black tie/cocktail fundraiser for local charity. Food from local restaurants, music, dancing, live and silent auctions. 706-782-6737. Sept. 23-24: Barrel Racing Show, 9 a.m., Rabun Arena, Tiger. Proceeds benefit Georgia Fire Fighters Burn Foundation. Food, family entertainment. 770-90-8059, sherrismailbox@ comcast.net. Sept. 24: Kickin’ It Country music concert, Sky Valley Park & Pavillion, Sky Valley. Social hour 5 p.m., dinner 6 p.m., concert by Steve Bryson Band 7:30 p.m. $25 dinner and concert, $22 each for groups of five or more, $5 concert only, ages 6 and under free. www.skyvalleyevents. com. Sept. 24: Annual harvest party, 10 a.m. to noon, wine club members and guests, Tiger Mountain Vineyards, 2592 Old U.S. 441, Tiger, www. tigerwine.com, 706-782-4777, 706-782-9256. Grape picking and crushing, wine, artisan cheeses and breads, live music, gourmet vineyard picnic. $30 per person. RSVPS required (paid reservations before Sept. 16 $25 per person) Sept. 26: Historical Rock Hike, 10 a.m.–1 p.m., Tallulah Gorge State Park. Register in advance.

Oct. 1: Foxfire Mountaineer Festival, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Rabun County Civic Center, 201 W. Savannah St., Clayton. Crafts, blacksmithing, basket making, cornhusk dolls, spinning, broom making, pottery, barbecue, music, children’s games. $4 ages 11 and older, $2 ages 6-10; proceeds benefit Foxfire’s educational programs. www.foxfire.org. Oct. 10-11: Full Moon Suspension Bridge Hike, 6:30–9:30 p.m. Monday, 7-10 p.m. Tuesday, Tallulah Gorge State Park. Guided hike by moonlight. Register in advance. 706-754-7981, www.gastateparks.org/TallulahGorge. Oct. 15: Hambidge Center Fall Festival, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., The Hambidge Center, 105 Hambidge Court, Rabun Gap. Tour of studios, pottery show, performances by Hambidge Fellows, food, music. visit www.hambidge.org. Oct. 15, 22: Leaflooker patio parties, 1-4 p.m., Tiger Mountain Vineyards, 2592 Old U.S. 441, Tiger, www.tigerwine.com, 706-782-4777, 706782-9256. Wine tastings, cheese, live music. $5 tasting fee. Oct. 22: Sugar Mill Creek RV Resort, Chili Cook Off, 4960 Laurel Lodge Road, Lake Burton, 706947-0162. No admission, $10 Chili entry fee, bowls sold after judging. Proceeds to benefit Wildcat Voluntary Fire Department. 706-9470162, www.sugarmillcreek.com. Oct. 22-23: Hay Bales And Harvest Time–Oktober Fest, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sky Valley Park & Pavillion, Sky Valley. Hand-painted and decorated hay bales and pumpkins, arts & crafts, food, music, entertainment. Concert tickets $5, ages 6 and under free. www.skyvalleyevents.com. Oct. 29-30: Rabun Leaf Arts & Crafts Show, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Rabun County Civic Center, 201 W. Savannah St., Clayton. 706-897-6179. Oct. 29: Halloween Hay Day, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Clayton. Halloween festivities, games, arts, crafts, prizes for best costume.

NOVEMBER Nov. 5: Wine release, 1-4 p.m., Tiger Mountain Vineyards, 2592 Old U.S. 441, Tiger, www. tigerwine.com, 706-782-4777, 706-782-9256. Food, music. $10 per person. Nov. 10-11: Full Moon Suspension Bridge Hike, 5:30–8:30 p.m. Thursday, 6:15-9:15 p.m. Friday, Tallulah Gorge State Park. Guided hike by moonlight. Register in advance. 706-754-7981, www.gastateparks.org/TallulahGorge. Nov. 11: Veteran’s Appreciation Dinner, 5:30 p.m., Rabun County Civic Center, 201 W. Savannah St., Clayton. Rabun County Chamber of Commerce, 706-782-4812, www.gamountains. com. Nov. 11-13: Northeast Georgia Arts Tour, Rabun, Lumpkin, Habersham and White counties. 1-5 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Interact with artists at various sites in the mountains. www.artstour.org. Nov. 24: Clayton Cluckers Turkey Trot, 5K road race, downtown Clayton. Proceeds to benefit Rabun County Food Pantry. Entry fee plus canned food donations requested. 706-9821284, fromageclayton@yahoo.com.

scott rogers | The Times

Phoenix Society of Gainesville volunteers Cynthia English, right, and Sandra Hunt, left, keep the funnel cakes coming during last year’s Mule Camp Market fall festival in downtown Gainesville. This year’s event is set for Oct. 7-9.

22 Nov. 25-26: Festival of Trees, Rabun County Civic Center, 201 W. Savannah St., Clayton. Holiday shopping, handmade arts and crafts, jewelry, food. Proceeds benefit local charity. www. rabunciviccenter.com. Nov. 25: Christmas In Downtown Clayton. 5-8 p.m. Santa Claus, caroling, music, luminaries, door prizes, free refreshments. Merchants collecting for Rabun Food Pantry. Nov. 26: Children’s Heritage Days, 9 a.m.–3 p.m., Foxfire Museum & Heritage Center, Mountain City. Hands-on workshops, old-timey games, other activities. $40 per child, $5 discount for additional sibling. Lunch and snacks provided. 706-746-5828, www.foxfire.org.

DECEMBER Dec. 3: Rabun County Christmas Parade, 5-7 p.m., downtown Clayton. Dec. 9: Full Moon Suspension Bridge Hike, 5–8 p.m., Tallulah Gorge State Park. Guided hike by moonlight. Register in advance. 706-754-7981, www.gastateparks.org/TallulahGorge. Dec. 10: Holiday open house, noon-5 p.m., Tiger Mountain Vineyards, 2592 Old U.S. 441, Tiger, www.tigerwine.com, 706-782-4777, 706-7829256. Holiday music. Free, $5 tasting fee.

TOWNS county SEPTEMBER Sept. 4: Fire on the Water Labor Day Celebration, The Ridges Resort & Marina, 3499 U.S. 76 W, Young Harris, 706-896-2262. Music, barbecue, fireworks. Sept. 9: Bright Lights & Hot Bikes, 2011 State H.O.G Rally, 6 p.m. to midnight, The Ridges Resort & Marina, 3499 U.S. 76 W, Young Harris, 706-896-2262. Fireworks, music, barbecue.

OCTOBER Oct. 7-15: Georgia Mountain Fall Festival, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays, Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds, 1311 Music Hall Road, Hiawassee, 706-8964191, www.georgiamountainfairgrounds. com. Music, arts and crafts, pioneer village with demonstrations, official state Fiddlers’ Convention. $10 adults, free for kids age 9 and younger; $5 craft show, $7 music show Oct. 8; $2 parking each day. Oct. 15: Pumpkin carving, 2 p.m., The Ridges Resort & Marina, 3499 U.S. 76 W, Young Harris, 706-896-2262. Oct. 22: Harvest Festival, Crane Creek Vineyards, 916 Crane Creek Road, Young Harris, 706-3791236, www.cranecreekvineyards.com. Oct. 23: Fallabration and Trunk or Treat, 2-5 p.m., The Ridges Resort & Marina, 3499 U.S. 76 W, Young Harris, 706-896-2262. Lawn games, wakeboard park (fee), pontoon boat rides, candy for children, prizes for best business decorations. Oct. 28-29: Haunted Hike & Hay Ride, The Stables at Brasstown Valley Resort. $15 per person, includes hike and hayride. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Refreshments on sale. brasstownvalley.com, 706-379-4606.

NOVEMBER Nov. 25-26: Arts & Crafts Show, 10 a.m. to 5

The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | harvest 2011 p.m., Brasstown Valley Resort, Hiawassee. Free. Children’s craft area on Saturday. brasstownvalley.com, 706-3479-4606.

Blairsville campus. Arts and crafts, homemade soups, sandwiches and treats. 706-896-0932, www.mtnregartscraftsguild.org

DECEMBER

Dec. 2-4: Wine Highway Weekend, area vineyards. Crane Creek Vineyards, 916 Crane Creek Road, Young Harris, 706-379-1236, www. cranecreekvineyards.com Dec. 10: Children’s Holiday Workshop, 10 a.m. to noon, Brasstown Valley Resort. Free, ages 2-12. Gingerbread house decorating, refreshments, Brasstown Dance Centers performers. Breakfast with Santa Claus, 7-10:30 a.m., reservations required. brasstownvalley.com, 706-379-4606.

Dec. 3: Christmas Parade, 2 p.m., downtown Blairsville. Santa Claus arrives, tree lighting, holiday festivities. 706-745-5493, www. unioncountyhistory.org Dec. 10: Christmas Tree Lighting, 4-6:30 p.m., Vogel State Park. Tree lighting, caroling, hayrides, Santa Clause visit, bonfires, hot chocolate and cider. “Gift A Gift Toy Drive” sponsored by Union County Sheriff’s Department; bring an unwrapped gift for ages infant to 12 (no toy guns, knives or dangerous items). 706-745-2628, www. gastateparks.org.

UNION COUNTY SEPTEMBER Sept. 3-4: Mountain Heritage Festival, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., The Heritage Center, Butt-Mock House, Blairsville. Mountain arts and crafts, music, living history activities, farm animals, and games for children. 706-745-5493, www. unioncountyhistory.org Sept. 10: Mountain Music & Arts & Crafts Festival, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Vogel State Park. Appalachian, bluegrass and gospel music; arts and crafts along with demonstrations on spinning, blacksmithing and bowl carving; & food. 706745-2628, www.gastateparks.org Sept. 16-18: Bluegrass Festival, 6-10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, downtown Blairsville. Bluegrass music, jamming and square dancing, music workshops, crafts and food vendors. 706-745-5493, www. unioncountyhistory.org

OCTOBER Oct. 1-2: Indian Summer Festival, 9 p.m. to 5 p.m., Woody Gap School, Suches. Arts and crafts, antiques, pottery, leather, local produce, folk art, homemade goodies, good food. Includes Run Above the Clouds road race. 706-747-2401, www.indiansummerfestival.org Oct. 8-9, 15-16: Sorghum Festival, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Meeks Park, Blairsville. Arts and crafts, syrup making, games, music, face painting. Sorghum Parade, 11 a.m. Oct. 8, downtown Blairsville. 706-745-4745, www. blairsvillejaycees.org Oct. 15: Car Show, 9 a.m., United Community Bank, Blairsville. Good Neighbors Auto Club 828-837-8539, 706-745-3985, www. blairsvillejaycees.org Oct. 15: Fall Hoedown, noon-8 p.m., Vogel State Park. Cakewalk at 2 p.m., hayrides at 4:30 p.m., chili and drinks for sale at 5 p.m., campfire and dancing at 6:30 p.m., professional storyteller around a bonfire at 8 p.m. Parking $5. 706-7452628, www.gastateparks.org Oct. 29: Hometown Halloween On The Square, 5-7 p.m., downtown Blairsville. Games, costume contests, trick or treating. 706-994-4837, www. downtownblairsville.com

NOVEMBER Nov. 19-20: Mistletoe Market and Sugarplum Tea Room, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, North Georgia Technical College,

white county SEPTEMBER Sept. 1: New Vogh Label Art Contest deadline, Yonah Mountain Vineyards, 1717 Ga. 255, Cleveland. www.yonahmountainvineyards.com, ym.vineyards@gmail.com, 706-878-5522. Sept. 1-11: Gallery Exhibit “Vibrant Colors,” Helen Arts & Heritage Center, 706-878-3933. Sept. 2: First Friday, 6-9 p.m., Yonah Mountain Vineyards, 1717 Ga. 255, Cleveland. www. yonahmountainvineyards.com, ym.vineyards@ gmail.com, 706-878-5522. Wine, food, music. Free. Sept. 2: First Friday Music, “Pickin’ on the Porch,” 6-9 p.m., Sautee Village. Music, free food, donations welcome for Charles Smithgall Humane Society. 706-878-0144. Sept. 3: Folk Life Festival, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sautee Nacoochee Center, 283 Ga. 255 N, Sautee Nacoochee, 706-878-3300, www.snca. org, www.folkpotterymuseum.com. Native American, European and African-American crafts, culture and music. Free admission and parking, donations accepted. Barbecue noon-2 p.m., $8 a plate, refreshments available. Civil War anniversary commemoration to include period food and music, 6 p.m., $20 for adults. Sept. 3: Crush Fest harvest festival, Yonah Mountain Vineyards, 1717 Ga. 255, Cleveland. www.yonahmountainvineyards.com, ym.vineyards@gmail.com, 706-878-5522. Grape-stomping, music, food, wine tasting. $15 per person; $5 for desiginated drivers; 16 and under free. Sept. 9-24: Sautee Jamboree Outdoor music festival, Sautee Nacoochee Center, 283 Ga. 255 N, Sautee Nacoochee, 706-878-3300, tedgar@ snca.org, www.snca.org. $46 weekend pass. Sept. 10, 24: Tour de la Cave & Barrel Sampling, Yonah Mountain Vineyards, 1717 Ga. 255, Cleveland. www.yonahmountainvineyards.com, ym.vineyards@gmail.com, 706-878-5522. $25. Sept. 10, 17, 24: Wine song, picnic and music at Sautee Village. Yonah Mountain Vineyards, 1717 Ga. 255, Cleveland. www. yonahmountainvineyards.com, ym.vineyards@ gmail.com, 706-878-5522. Sept. 10: Hand Weaving workshop, 8 a.m. to noon, Sautee Nacoochee Center, 283 Ga. 255 N, Sautee Nacoochee, 706-878-3300, www.snca. org. Registration deadline Sept. 2. $45 for SNCA

members, $65 nonmembers. Sept. 10: Felt craft workshop, 1-5 p.m., Sautee Nacoochee Center, 283 Ga. 255 N, Sautee Nacoochee, 706-878-3300, www.snca.org. Registration deadline Sept. 2. $45 for SNCA members, $65 nonmembers, $20 materials fee. Sept. 15-Oct. 23: Adult Artist Competition & Artists’ Competition, noon-4 p.m. Helen Arts & Heritage Center, 25 Chattahoochee St., Helen, 706-878-3933, www.helenga.org. Artists’ reception, 5-7 p.m. Sept. 15. Sept. 17: Fall Festival, 9 a.m., Babyland General Hospital, 300 NOK Drive, Cleveland, 706-8652171, www.cabbagepatchkids.com. Sept. 17: Youth Fishing Days at Buck Shoals, 8 a.m. to noon, Smithgall Woods, 706-878-3087. Sept. 17: Contra Dance, 8-11 p.m. historic gymnasium, Sautee Nacoochee Center, 283 Ga. 255 N, Sautee Nacoochee, 706-878-3300, tedgar@snca.org, www.snca.org. $8 adults, $4 students. Sept. 17-18: Photography workshop, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sautee Nacoochee Center, 283 Ga. 255 N, Sautee Nacoochee, 706-878-3300, www.snca.org. Registration deadline Sept. 9. $175 for SNCA members, $195 nonmembers. Sept. 22-25, Sept. 26-Oct. 30: Oktoberfest, Helen Festhalle. 6-10:30 p.m. Monday–Thursday, 611 p.m. Fridays, 1-11:30 p.m. Saturdays, 1-7 p.m. Sunday. German music, dancing, food, drink. Parade, noon Sept. 24. $7 weekdays, $9 Saturdays, free Sundays. www.helenga.org. Sept. 24: Outdoor Adventure Day, Unicoi State Park, 1788 Highway 356, Helen. 800-573-9659, ext. 305. Sept. 24: Agri-Fest & Country Market, downtown Cleveland, 706-865-5356. Sept. 24: Pottery Comes to Town, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., downtown Cleveland. White County Historical Society, 706-865-3225, White County Chamber of Commerce, 706-865-5356.

OCTOBER Oct. 1-2: Plein air watercolor workshop, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Smithgall Woods, Sautee Nacoochee Center, 706-878-3300, www.snca.org. Registration deadline Sept, 23. $160 for SNCA members, $180 nonmembers. Bring sack lunch. Oct. 1: Hiking in Helen, 1 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 29, 2011, Unicoi State Park Lodge, 1788 Ga. 356, Helen. 800-573-9659, ext. 305. Oct. 7: First Friday Music, “Pickin’ on the Porch,” 6-9 p.m., Sautee Village. Music, free food, donations welcome for Charles Smithgall Humane Society. 706-878-0144. Oct. 8: Fall Celebration, noon-4 p.m., Smithgall Woods, 61 Tsalaki Trail, Helen. 706-878-3087. Free, $6 parking fee. Oct. 8, 22: Tour de la Cave & Barrel Sampling, Yonah Mountain Vineyards, 1717 Ga. 255, Cleveland. www.yonahmountainvineyards.com, ym.vineyards@gmail.com, 706-878-5522. $25. Oct. 14-15: Georgia Literary Festival, Sautee Nacoochee Center, 283 Ga. 255 N, Sautee Nacoochee, 706-878-3300, tedgar@snca.org, www.snca.org. Poets Live! 8 p.m. Friday, Center theatre, $16. Oct. 15: Lilies of the Valley, 8 p.m., Sautee Nacoochee Center gymnasium, 283 Ga. 255 N, Sautee Nacoochee, 706-878-3300, tedgar@ snca.org, www.snca.org. $22.

HARVEST 2011 | The Times, Gainesville, Georgia

The beer, music and fun will flow at the Helen Festhalle during Oktoberfest. Alpine yodeler and singer Helen Schaefer leads a circle dance through the crowd at the Helen Festhalle during a recent celebration. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bavarian festival is set to open the weekend of Sept. 22-25, then run daily from Sept. 26 through Oct. 30.

SCOTT ROGERS | The Times Oct. 21, Nov. 11, 18: Plein air oils workshop, noon-4 p.m., Sautee Nacoochee Center, 283 Ga. 255 N, Sautee Nacoochee, 706-878-3300, www.snca.org. $50 SNCA members, $70 nonmembers. Oct. 21-29: Mansion of Terror Haunted House, midnight, downtown Cleveland. White County Chamber of Commerce, 706-865-5356. Oct. 27: Late Night Off-Center, 9:30 p.m., Sautee Nacoochee Center theater, 283 Ga. 255 N, Sautee Nacoochee, 706-878-3300, tedgar@ snca.org, www.snca.org. $4 plus a roll of the dice. Oct. 27: Gallery Exhibit, Holiday Treasures, noon4 p.m. through Jan. 2. Helen Arts & Heritage Center, 25 Chattahoochee St., Helen. 706-8783933. Artistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; reception 5-7 p.m. Oct. 27. Oct. 29: Contra Dance, 8-11 p.m., Sautee Nacoochee Center gymnasium, 283 Ga. 255 N, Sautee Nacoochee, 706-878-3300, tedgar@ snca.org, www.snca.org. $8 adults, $4 students.

NOVEMBER Nov. 4-5: Oil painting workshop, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sautee Nacoochee Center, 283 Ga. 255 N, Sautee Nacoochee, 706-878-3300, www.snca. org. Registration deadline is Oct. 28. $185 for SNCA members, $205 nonmembers. Nov. 19: Tellabration featuring Minton Sparks, 8 p.m., Sautee Nacoochee Center theater, 283 Ga. 255 N, Sautee Nacoochee, 706-878-3300, tedgar@snca.org, www.snca.org. $22. Nov. 19: Appalachian Christmas, Babyland General Hospital, 300 NOK Drive, Cleveland, 706-865-2171. Arts and crafts, games for kids. 706-878-2181, www.cabbagepatchkids.com. Nov. 25: Annual Lighting of the Village, 6-8:30 p.m., Helen. Christmas lights, visit from Santa. www.helenga.org. Nov. 25: Festival of Trees, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Dec. 10. Unicoi State Park, 1788 Ga. 356, Helen. 800-573-9659, ext. 305. Nov. 25-27: Christkindlmarkt, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., downtown Helen. 706-878-1908, www.helenga. org. Gifts and decorations, foods, drinks. Nov. 26: Contra Dance, 8-11 p.m., Sautee Nacoochee Center gymnasium, 283 Ga. 255 N, Sautee Nacoochee, 706-878-3300, tedgar@ snca.org, www.snca.org. $8 adults, $4 students. Nov. 26: Tour de la Cave & Barrel Sampling, Yonah Mountain Vineyards, 1717 Ga. 255,

Cleveland. www.yonahmountainvineyards.com, ym.vineyards@gmail.com, 706-878-5522. $25. Serenity Cellars New Vogh Release Party.

DECEMBER Dec. 2-4: Wine Highway Weekend, includes various wineries in North Georgia. For schedule and participating vineyards, visit, www. georgiawine.com. Dec. 3: Deck the Halls, 3-6 p.m., Unicoi State Park, 1788 Ga. 356, Helen, 800-573-9659, ext. 305. Holiday crafts, hayrides, food, music. Dec. 3: Christmas Parade, 2 p.m., downtown Helen, 706-878-2181, www.helenga.org. Dec. 3: Christmas in the Mountains Celebration, downtown Cleveland, 706-969-3336. Lighted Parade 7 p.m., Christmas characters, floats, Santa. Dec. 3-4: Christkindlmarkt, 10 a.m-6 p.m., downtown Helen. 706-878-1908, www.helenga. org. Gifts and decorations, foods, drinks. Dec. 9-11: Community Chorale, 8 p.m. FridaySaturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Sautee Nacoochee Center theater, 283 Ga. 255 N, Sautee Nacoochee, 706-878-3300, tedgar@snca.org, www.snca.org. $10-$16. Dec. 10: Tour de la Cave & Barrel Sampling, Yonah Mountain Vineyards, 1717 Ga. 255, Cleveland. www.yonahmountainvineyards.com, ym.vineyards@gmail.com, 706-878-5522. $25. Dec. 31: New Years Eve Party, 8 p.m., Sautee Nacoochee Center gymnasium, 283 Ga. 255 N, Sautee Nacoochee, 706-878-3300, tedgar@ snca.org, www.snca.org. Music, food, drink.

The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | harvest 2011

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