Georgia Mountain Fair wrapping up 69th year today

HIAWASSEE – Those interested in catching the final day of the 2019 edition of the Georgia Mountain Fair still have time to head to Hiawassee today, July 27.

Gates open at 10 a.m.

“We’re really excited about being in business and promoting tourism here in the North Georgia Mountains and having all these great musicians come here and perform, and all of our arts and crafts and exhibits,” said longtime General Manager Hilda Thomason.

While at the fair, guests can walk through Pioneer Village, an authentically recreated mountain town of yesterday with a post office, one-room schoolhouse, blacksmith shop with demonstrations, log cabin, barn, smokehouse and corn crib, among other buildings.

“Pioneer Village is our heritage,” said Thomason, who is in her 38^th year at the fair. “All those mountain demonstrations, that’s the way people lived back many, many years ago, so we try to have all those buildings open and let people go through and see how the people in the mountains really survived. We’ve got the moonshine makin’ and the board splittin’ and the quilting and the sawmill and blacksmith shop.”

Arts and crafts booths are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

One of those demonstrating artists is Devan Cole, founder and teacher of Hot Glass Academy of Americus, a glass blower who performs his craft throughout the day just past Pioneer Village on the upper loop. This is Cole’s third year at the fair.

“I just love the community,” Cole said. “Just being part of this old traditional, ritual kind of Bluegrass, hill country. There’s just something really special about it that I can’t really put into words.”

Cole said his glass blowing fits right in with other old-time demonstrations, and he enjoys seeing entire families gather to enjoy the fair.

In the exhibit hall, near the banks of the lake, visitors will find the history of the Georgia Mountain Fair, the Kimbrell Collection of Antique Reed Organs dating back to the 1800s, the antique farm museum, antique collection of machinery and tools, local booth displays and jams and jellies.

Across from the exhibit hall is the photo exhibit.

B & K Carnival opens at noon on the lower ballfields at the fairgrounds.

On the way to the carnival, check out one of the day’s three K-9 shows.

Country artist T. Graham Brown and The Grains of Sand Band will perform at 2 and 8 p.m. in Anderson Music Hall.

Along the way, a variety of food booths offer foods such as hamburgers, Frito pie, catfish, trout and typical festival fare.

“There’s something for everyone to see and do,” Thomason said.

Admission is $12 for adults and includes all shows, with children 12 and under admitted free. Parking is free. No pets are allowed.

The Georgia Mountain Fair, a project of the Towns County Lions Club, is held at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds on U.S. 76 just west of Hiawassee.

For more information, visit georgiamountainfairgrounds.com or call (706) 896-4191.

Glass blower Devan Cole, founder and teacher at Hot Glass Academy in Americus, forms the glass stem on a purple pumpkin he just created.

Devan Cole of Hot Glass Academy in Americus demonstrates glass blowing.

Visitors to the Georgia Mountain Fair in Hiawassee can watch demonstrations of old-time ways in Pioneer Village, including the blacksmith shop.

From outside the blacksmith shop in Pioneer Village, fair visitors can view demonstrations.

Fair visits can step back in time inside the old one-room schoolhouse just inside Pioneer Village.

Musicians gather on the porch of the mercantile shop to perform old music.

The Sea Notes from Hayesville, N.C., featuring Capt'n. Gene and Dr. Lucy, are the first people most visitors see upon entering the gates at the Georgia Mountain Fair in Hiawassee. The group performs during the day on the porch of the old post office building.

The exhibit hall features a history of the Georgia Mountain Fair.

Fair visitors can view three rooms of organs dating back to the 1800s.

High Road from Nashville performs on the stage in the Anderson Music Hall on Tuesday, opening two shows for Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder.

Pictures of the Georgia Mountain Fair's 69 years are on display in the exhibit hall.

Musicians perform on the porch of the exhibit hall, one of several locations where old-time music is played during the Georgia Mountain Fair.

Kristen Bearfield of High Road sings on the stage of Anderson Music Hall.

Master of Ceremonies Barry Palmer, a long-time performer at the Georgia Mountain Fair, introduces High Road.

Fair visitors enjoy the shade of the food court near Anderson Music Hall.

B & K Carnival operates on the lower ballfields at the Georgia Mountain Fair.

Jon Williams of Williams Psalteries of High Springs, Fla., shows Lauren Conklin one of the psalteries he builds.

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