Oct 25th - 27th 8am - 5pm
moonshine festival 2024 schedule
Friday, Oct� 25th
• Car show and swap meet: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Moonshine Run check-in: 9 a.m.
• Moonshine Run: Departing from Bearden’s at 10 a.m. and ending at Savoy Automobile Museum in Cartersville
Saturday, Oct� 26th
• Festival, car show and swap meet:
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Car show registration: 8 a.m. to noon
• Car show judging ends: 1 p.m.
• Car show awards: 3 p.m.
• Parade: 9 a.m.
• Opening ceremony: 10 a.m.
• Live music begins: 10 a.m.
Sunday, Oct� 27th
• Festival, car show and swap meet: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Live music begins: 11 a.m.
• Car show judging ends 1 p.m.
• Car show awards: 3 p.m.
• 50/50 K.A.R.E. Raffle drawing: 3 p.m.
• No pets allowed, golf carts not permitted.
• RV parking available.
• Scooter rentals available on Allen Street
official festival parking lots:
Dawson County High School: 1665 Perimeter Rd, Dawsonville, GA 30534
Robinson Elementary: 1150 Perimeter Rd, Dawsonville, GA 30534
Dawson County Junior High School: 109 Allen St, Dawsonville, GA 30534
Lanier Technical College- Dawson Campus: 408 Highway 9, Dawsonville, GA 30534
Dawson Head Start Pre-K: 409 Allen St, Dawsonville, GA 30534
Trail Building: 462 Memory Ln, Dawsonville, GA 30534
Bailey Tower: 32 Jack Heard Dr, Dawsonville, GA 30534
Dawson County Public Health Department: 54 Highway 53, Dawsonville, GA 30534
Grace Presbyterian Church: 170 Highway 9, Dawsonville, GA 30534
Dawson County Board of Education: 28 Main St, Dawsonville, GA 30534
Each lot will have handicap spaces available. Multiple buses will be operating all day Saturday and Sunday from parking lots to the festival area.
RV Parking is available behind Robinson Elementary School. Dawson County Library will be festival vendor parking only.
moonshine festival opening ceremony
Saturday Morning 10:00 am, DJ stage near Winner Circle
Welcome to City of Dawsonville
John Walden
Pledge of Allegiance
Goshen Baptist Youth Choir
National Anthem
Goshen Baptist Youth Choir
Invocation - Abbie Gubernath
Welcome to Moonshine Festival and Recognize K.A.R.E.
Angela Harben
Intro of National Moonshiners HOF
Rhonda Evans
Presentation of Humanitarian Award
Hayley Garrett
Intro of Grand Marshal
Gordon Pirkle, David Sosebee
Grand Marshal - Ronnie Sanders
Theme Song - “I Saw The Light
Goshen Baptist Youth Choir
moonshine festival entertainment schedule
Cat Castleberry Stage
(Located near the basketball court on east side of Main Street Park)
Saturday October 26
Mason Parker 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
ArkAngels Band 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Chloe Thurmond and Miya Sheffield
12:30 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Jordana Flesher 1:15 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Vinyl Influence 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Daniel Fowler 3:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Vinyl Influence 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday October 27
Miya Sheffield and Chloe Thurmond 10:00 a.m. to 11 a.m .
Dylan Renteria 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
CrossBridge Church 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Loggins Family 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Jesse Evans 1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Oak Grove Boys 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
High Cotton Band 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Schedule is subject to change.
check out the vendors
123 Thearpy
3D East Cobb
4D3D
Agape Sweetery
Angela Nelson
Anglin Insurance Group, LLC
Anut Grandma Ressa Crafts
Around the Globe, LLC
Art Dork Creatioins
Art of Drawers
Art Touch By Angel
Babe Chains
Beautiful Pigeons Crative Designs
Bebo’s Grill
Bellewood Designs
Besties and Brushstrokes
Betina Unique Art
Bitz of Georgia
Blissful Baskets
BLW Woodworking
Boo Boo Bee’s
Brad Nails It
Brighton Shiny
Britt’s Leather
Broad Essentials Inc
Bubble B’s Boutique
BuckTown Creations
C & S Design
C3 Outfitters
Cambria+Clover Boutique, LLC
Cape Woolamai MerchantileDBS-
Rivers Edge Outpost
Caribbean Spice
Cassidy Innovations LLC dba Alumni
Cassie Cakes
CBD Pharmacy
Chattahoochee Candles
Clean Stitches Embrodiery
Cole’s Grace with Southern Taste
Country Cabin Skillet
Crafty Creations By Taryn
Dam Coolers LLC
Damsel in Defense Ind Pro
Danielle Designs
Dawson County Farm Bureau
Dawson County Giddeon’s
Dawsonville Pool Room
Democratic Party
Dick’s Woodworking
DJ
Donna’s Health Corner, LLc
Dough Boys Lemondade Shakeups
Dragonfly Jewelry Creations
DTD
Dunwoody Café
Eddie Ray Custom Knives
Edge Roofing
Face Painting by Kristina
Filament of the Imagination
Fine Food Nashville
Forest and Ether Apothecary
Forever Bows Boutique
FrogFace Studip
Gabbies Freeze Dried
Ginny’s Fudge and Nuts
Greek Tavern
Green Mountain Treasure
Gypsy Brims Hat Co
H C Tumblers
Hard Lucks All American Shop
HB Enterprises
Heaven Saints
more vendors
Heavenly Blessed Creations
Heaven’s Sweet Tooth
Hello Darling Design
HillBilly Café
Hippie Daily Artisanals
Hitch n Post
Holly Manglogiannis -Tupperware
Homestead Crations
In The Potters Hand
Independence Craftwoks
JayBird’s Design
Jeremiah’s Italian Ice
Joleigh’s Hope Designs
Keowee Desgins
Kona Pizza
Konn Kreations
Kreative Kreations By Jessica
Krumm Agengcy, LLC
Lanier Orthodontics
LeafGuard
Liliana Catering LLC
Lilla Rose
Lisa’s Gifts and Appareal
Liuies’s Pickles
Lucas 3D Printing
Lumberjacks Artic Treats
Mad Mikes Tumblers
Made By Bernadine
Made in America Knives
Maggie’s Chic Design
Magnanimouse Beard Products
Magnolia Charms
Magnolia Willow Farms
Mainstreet ice cream and sweets
Martha Tate/Amanda Sheffield
Me Time AQU
Mellow Market
Modern Woodmen of America
Moonfire Boutique
Nantahala Honey Company
Nectar of the Vine
Ninety-Two Boutique
Oh So
Ole Mill Rangers/Herringtons’ Sweets
OlympusMD Wellness
Otherworld Caricatures
Papa & Nana’s Stuff
Papa’s Kitchen Cooks
Party with Pickles the Face Painter
Paw Pals Accessories
PawsPaws Rusty Nails
Pedal Mouse
Peppa + Prim LLC
Permalinx by Jbloomand Jbloom Designs
Perry’s Birdhouses
Phil Hawkins Outddors Store
Pink Daisy Design
PlumCotton Apparel
Polarvision Polarized Sunglasses
Protect the Bear
RAD Resin Art Design
RAO Global Soultions
Red Bud Boutique
Red Panda Prints
Re-Imagined Winewares
River Rocks Church
Saddle Creek Selects
Selena’s Sasssy Sparkles Permament
Shining Cross and Hippe Design
Shop Sandi Ethridge Kids Boutique
& even more vendors
Silly Little Lemons
Silly Rilly Bows
Smart Massage LLC
Smoking Woods
Snuggle Plush
Snuggles & Smooches
Socks and More
Sosebee’s Creations
Soul Full of Sunshine
Souldier Solutions LLC
Southern Showcase
Spray Foam Genie
Squirrel Feather
Sugar Shock Candy and Treats, LLC
Sven’s Rustic Woodworking
Tara’s Pumpkin Patch
Tasty Yum Yum
Tees to Please
Terry Samples
Terry Tee’s
The Flair Blonde
The Groovy Zoo
The Hicks Chicks
The Inked Pig
The Nut House Boiled Peanuts
The Nut House Boiled Peanuts
The Pie Ladies
The Pink Plate
The Republican Party/Trump Bus
The Spice Trade Outpost
Thera-Cubes
Thomas & Co
Tie Dye Mikes LLC
Tiffany’s Monogrammed Treasures
Tim Evans
TimberRidge Dental
TNT Freeze
Trelawny Jamaican Eatz
TT Shots
Two-A- Mobile Boutique
UDK LLC
Under the Apple Tree
Unique Design
Unraveled
Val’s Suga Shack
Vinyl Hound Music
W by L, LLC
Wacky Martins
What’s Cheezin’
Whiskey Barrel Crafts
Wilde Autumn Apothecary & Vintage
Wired Gem Mama
WireWorks Creations Inc
Wood Creations By King
Zo Zo designs
Ronnie Sanders named Grand Marshal
OF THE 57TH ANNUAL MOUNTAIN MOONSHINE FESTIVAL
The 57th Annual Mountain Moonshine Festival, organized by K.A.R.E. for Kids, Inc. In Dawsonville, GA, proudly announces the 2024 Grand Marshal – Ronnie Sanders. Ronnie is from Fayeteeville, GA and has raced all over the United States. He started his racing career in 1967 and has won over 500 races and nine championships. Sanders competed in three Daytona 500s – in 1981, 1987 and 1989. He has competed in Nationwide, Winston Racing Series, ARCA, All Pro and All American Challenge events, among others.
Sanders won the prestigious Snowball Derby in 1977. He was the NASCAR Southeast Regional Champion in 1982 and finished second in the national championship that same year.
In 1987, Sanders set a track record at Bristol International Raceway. His record of 122.787 mph stood for ten years as the fastest time ever turned on a half-mile track.
Sanders retired from driving at the end of 2008 and continued as a successful car owner on the short tracks around the country.
Here in Dawsonville, we recognize Ronnie as a 2009 inductee into the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame and a very familiar face at the Mountain Moonshine Festival and a supporter of the children of Dawson County through the efforts of K.A.R.E. for Kids, Inc.
moonshiner inductees
Johnny Virgle “Pee-Wee” Bearden
JULY 13, 1936 – NOVEMBER 8, 1982
At the age of 16, Pee-Wee started making moonshine with his brothers. In the early 1960’s, he was pulled over by local law enforcement while running shine in a 1961 Ford Hotrod from Dawsonville to Atlanta. He was arrested and released upon making bail. He was caught a second time in Dawson County for making moonshine. He was taken to jail, released on bail, and given probation. Pee-Wee continued in the moonshine business until the late 1960’s when he stopped after hearing rumors of being busted. He ultimately decided to stop because it wasn’t worth losing his family. Moonshining was hard work, but it was the main source of income for many families. As a native from Dawsonville, GA, moonshining helped provide a home for his family and was his way of making a living for a short time.
George Odom
JUNE 19, 1930 – NOVEMBER 25, 2012
George grew up in the moonshining business with his family. He started at age 14 watching for revenuers and continued to work on stills and delivering supplies. By his 20’s, George was a wellknown tripper – honest, hard-working, and could be trusted to get the job done. He always kept his business dealings confidential.
George was arrested in 1963 and served time in prison. Families and other moonshiners stepped up to help women and children when moonshiners were sent off. This was also the case with George.
George was an upstanding man of his word and no one ever spoke a bad word against him.
James (Jim) Pruitt
FEBRUARY 11, 1920 – MAY 10, 1997
Jim Pruitt was born in Wilkes County, NC on Feb. 11, 1920. He went to public school where he quit after the fourth grade. He made moonshine almost all of life in Traphill, NC. The first time he was arrested, he served 5 years in the penitentiary in Atlanta, GA. He sold moonshine to the life of Lee Petty and Junior Johnson and was well-loved by all that knew him. Jim was married to Edwina Walker Pruitt, and they had 4 children. Jim almost always had a big smile on his face. He loved guns, fast cars, dogs, and enjoyed feeding and watching the birds and squirrels. Jim passed away May 10, 1997 at the age of 87.
parade route
Two men’s classic cars will be featured on this year’s shirts for the Mountain Moonshine Festival
By Erica Jones
This year’s Mountain Moonshine Festival will have two options of t-shirts for purchase, showcasing the work of a local photographer and classic cars belonging to two local men.
Local nonprofit K.A.R.E for Kids, which puts on the Mountain Moonshine Festival each year, always has a special t-shirt for sale during the festival, and proceeds from the shirts go toward supporting the nonprofit’s Christmas program that provides presents to Dawson County children in need. Rhonda Evans, who has been a part of K.A.R.E. for Kids since its inception, said that as they were talking about this year’s shirt design, the idea arose to make two different shirts.
“Our plan is to do a shirt with a Chevrolet on it and a shirt with a Ford on it,” Evans said.
“You’ll have to decide if you’re a Ford or a Chevy person, and if you’re both then you can buy two.”
So Evans reached out to longtime Dawson County business owner David Disharoon, who owns Disharoon Automotive. David owns a 1957 Ford, and his nephew Lance Disharoon owns a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, so the pair agreed to bring their cars to be the subject of a photoshoot for the shirt design.
“It was the Friday night of the summer solstice and it was that strawberry moon,”
Evans said. “We were at Thompson Creek Park and we ended up being out there until like 10:30 or so but it was so much fun.”
Local photographer John Seibel volunteered his time to take the photos, and the group spent the evening at the local park capturing the beauty of the classic cars, the “strawberry moon” and Lake Lanier.
“It’ll be the cars and the moon and the lake, because we haven’t ever featured the lake,” Evans said. “I just think that moon was so spectacular; they turned out so so good.”
The plan is to have some sort of friendly competition between the two shirt designs, she said, and K.A.R.E. for Kids will announce more details on that closer to the festival. But either way, the money raised by both shirt designs will go to benefit the same worthy cause.
“There are shows that are known to be a Ford show or a Chevy show, but we want to stress that all makes and models are
Local men David Disharoon (left) and Lance Disharoon (right) will have their classic cars featured on this year’s shirts for the Mountain Moonshine Festival. (Photo courtesy of Rhonda Evans)
David Disharoon owns a 1957 Ford, and his nephew Lance Disharoon owns a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air. They agreed to bring their cars to be the subject of a photoshoot for the shirt design.
welcome here — there’s classic cars, there’s newer models, there’s Jeeps — it is just a show to help raise money for needy children in our county,” Evans said.
Both David and Lance Disharoon expressed their excitement to see their cars on the finished shirts at the festival.
“I wasn’t expecting all that but my uncle called me and told me the whole deal and I said yeah let’s do it,” Lance Disharoon said.
“I’ve not seen any of the proofs yet, but I’m sure it’ll turn out great and I’m excited to see them.”
And it’s especially exciting for them, they added, because the two cars have been part of the family for so long.
“I built the car; I started on it about 14 years ago and spent about four years building it,” David Disharoon said about his Ford. “We built it and every piece was new or reconditioned, even underneath the car. It was a four-year project to do it.”
“Our plan is to do a shirt with a Chevrolet on it and a shirt with a Ford on it. You’ll have to decide if you’re a Ford or a Chevy person, and if you’re both then you can buy two.”, said Rhonda Evans.
“My car has been in the family for a really long time; since probably ’98. It was my dad’s previously and I grew up in the car, and now I own it so it’s pretty neat,” Lance Disharoon said about his Chevy. “And the Ford is my uncle’s, so it’s a pretty neat deal — I actually wired his whole car and my dad, David’s brother Gary, painted it; we did a lot of work on that car.”
The collaboration of local photographers, local car owners and the local scenery is exactly the kind of project that K.A.R.E. for Kids likes to put itself behind, Evans said, and she’s excited to unveil the final shirt designs closer to the festival in October.
“We like to showcase our county — local talent, civic organizations, churches — it’s our county on display here and we welcome any volunteers for parking, entertainment, vendors,” Evans said. “It’s a great opportunity for the county and the community, and we are so, so grateful for everybody’s support.”
CHRISTMAS APPLICATION
If you have any questions concerning K.A.R.E. for Kids, please call 706-216-KARE (5273) or email us at KAREFORKIDSCHRISTMAS@GMAIL.COM
K.A.R.E FOR Kids office is located at 66 Highway 53 West
Office hours beginning on Nov. 1 are Monday-Wednesday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving week
K.A.R.E. For Kids Website https://www.kareforkids.org/christmasassistance
Online applications are open as of Oct. 1
You must bring copies of each of the following with you for us to accept your application:
- GA drivers license OR State ID
- Proof of residency (utility bill, lease agreement, property tax statement, tax return)
- School report card (if child(ren) is of school age) or birth certificate if not school age
- Documentation from daycare or preschool in the county
- Income verification for the last 2 months for ALL persons employed in the household
- Court documents if you are the guardian of the child(ren) You will need to know:
- Your child(ren)’s EXACT clothes and shoe sizes
- Specific clothing needs for your child(ren)
- Please give K.A.R.E. a list of gift suggestions for your child(ren) that they would like for Christmas
In order to qualify for assistance, you must meet ALL of the following requirements:
- You must live full-time in Dawson County along with your child(ren) that you are applying for assistance for. Your child(ren) must live with you.
- If your child(ren) is school aged, they must attend Dawson County schools.
- You must not receive assistance from any other agency, church, or school for this Christmas season.
