From apple picking to Oktoberfest, here's a look at Georgia's best spots for fall fun

Miguel Legoas, Augusta Chronicle
Updated ·8 min read

The air is cooling and the leaves will soon be changing, which means fall in Georgia is on the horizon.

Over the next few months, it will be hard to be bored with county fairs, festivals and other outdoor activities around every corner. It’s also the perfect time of year for picking pumpkins off the stem and apples off trees. Plus, you get to the tricks and treats of Halloween and the stomach-filling fun of Thanksgiving.

With so much to do and only so much time, here’s a look at the season’s staples and the best places for Georgians to make their autumn memories:

Helen Oktoberfest

FILE - Helen kicks off its annual Oktoberfest celebration with a parade. Though the parade has passed, the rest of the festivities run through the end of October.
FILE - Helen kicks off its annual Oktoberfest celebration with a parade. Though the parade has passed, the rest of the festivities run through the end of October.

1074 Edelweiss Strasse, Helen

Oktoberfest is a fun fall tradition celebrating German culture, drinking and dancing. One of Georgia's best examples of fall festivity is Helen's annual Oktoberfest at the city's Festhalle (pavilion). There, families will enjoy an assortment of delicacies from cheddarwurst and brats to sauerkraut and leberkase. While they fill their stomaches, guests will also fill their ears with live music from various bands.

The festivities run every week through the end of October. Admission starts at $10. For more information, including entertainment schedules, go to helenchamber.com/oktoberfest.

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Georgia National Fair

401 Larry Walker Pkwy, Perry

The 33rd annual Georgia National Fair will be back in Perry, south of Macon, on Oct. 5. Animals are providing some of the headliner events like the 30th annual draft horse show, the barrel blast and the llama show. The concert line-up is an eclectic one including Smash Mouth, Billy Ocean, Randy Houser and more. About 50 food different vendors will be on site. All of that is in addition to the many games and rides. The fair is open every day through Nov. 15. General admission is $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, and is free for ages 10 and under with a paying adult. Season passes and other specials are also available. For more information, go to georgianationalfair.com.

There are also several county fairs scheduled through out the state. Here are some of them:

FILE - Stone Mountain Park is hosting multiple themed-events this time of year in addition to the regular amenities like the cable car that brings guests up and down the 825-foot-tall Stone Mountain.
FILE - Stone Mountain Park is hosting multiple themed-events this time of year in addition to the regular amenities like the cable car that brings guests up and down the 825-foot-tall Stone Mountain.

Stone Mountain Park

1000 Robert E. Lee Blvd, Stone Mountain

With an epic laser show, a ropes course and other amenities, Stone Mountain Park is already a popular place to play just outside Atlanta. But it gets even wilder during this season.

Yellow daisies bloom every year along Stone Mountain's hiking trails in September, inspiring the Yellow Daisy Festival held in early September. The next event is the Pumpkin Festival running Saturday through Oct. 29. It features thematic day-time activities like a pie-eating contest and night-time scenes like a new pumpkin drone show. The park will off multicultural celebrations with the Stone Mountain Highland Games on Oct. 21-22 and the Native American Festival on Nov. 2-5.

Tickets start at $35. For more information, go to stonemountainpark.com.

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Amazing corn mazes, pretty pumpkin patches in Georgia

Corn mazes are highly sought after this time of year. But very few are as big as Uncle Shuck's in Dawsonville. The 15-acre field offers about six miles of trails and runs day and night. Those with steely nerves can also try the night-time haunted maze. There is also a pumpkin patch, a corn cannon, wagon rides and more. Uncle Shuck's is open weekends through Nov. 12. The haunted maze runs Sept. 29 through Oct. 28. Admission starts at $17. For more information, go to uncleshucks.com.

Here are a few more corn mazes featuring pumpkin patches and similar activities:

  • Jaemor Farm and Market in Alto at 5340 Cornelia Highway. This year-round produce farm has loads of fall activities, including a giant corn maze. The corn maze is open through October. Ticket information and hours can be found at https://www.jaemorfarms.com/ .

  • Sleepy Hollow Farm in Powder Springs at 628 Sleepy Hollow Rd. The farm is open weekdays, Wednesday through Sunday, starting Sept. 23 until Nov. 4. General admission is $14, but there's a $2 discount for those come in the mornings. For more information, go to sleepyhollowtrees.com.

  • Southern Belle Farm in McDonough at 1658 Turner Church Rd. The farm's season is Sept. 20 through Nov. 5 and opens weekly from Wednesday to Sunday. General admission is about $17, but there's $3 discount for weekday guests. Fore more information, go to southernbellefarm.com.

  • Steed's Dairy in Grovetown at 4634 Wrightsboro Rd. It opens every Saturday and Sunday from Sept. 23 through Nov. 12. General admission is $12 and there's a $3 discount for seniors and military. For more information, go to steedsdairy.com.

  • Warbington Farms in Cumming at 5555 Crow Rd. It's open now through Nov. 4. General admission is about $14 and there's a $3 discount for seniors and military. For more information, go to warbingtonfarms.com.

  • Washington Farms in Bogart, near Athens, at 5691 Hog Mountain Rd. The fall season kicks off on Sept. 23. Admission starts at about $14. For more information, go to washingtonfarms.net.

  • Yule Forest in Stockbridge at 3565 Highway 155 N. It opens each weekend from Sept. 30 through Oct. 29. General admission is $15.95. For more information, go to yuleforest.com.

Fall foliage, leaf peeping in Georgia

While many are putting up decorations this fall, nature is doing its own decorating as the leaves change to beautiful shades of red, orange and yellow. Georgians can immerse themselves in this auburn awesomeness by taking a ride on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. Choose between a two-hour or a four-hour roundtrip journey along the Toccoa River through the North Georgia countryside. The "Fall Foliage Tour" starts next weekend and is available through Nov. 6. Tickets start at $43 for children and $55 for adults. For more information, go to brscenic.com.

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Those wanting to plan a trip their own should visit these spots recommended by Explore Georgia:

  • Amicalola Falls State Park in Dawsonville off Highway 52

  • Cloudland Canyon State Park near Chattanooga, TN off Highway 136.

  • F.D. Roosevelt State Park in Pine Mountain off Route 190.

  • Fort Mountain State Park in Chatsworth off Highway 52.

  • Moccasin Creek State Park on Lake Burton off Route 197.

  • Tallulah Gorge State Park near Clayton off Highway 441.

  • Vogel State Park in Blairsville off Gainesville Highway.

Georgia's haunted happenings

FILE - Netherworld Haunted House in Stone Mountain, GA. The haunted house returns to its fearful tactics on Sept. 22.
FILE - Netherworld Haunted House in Stone Mountain, GA. The haunted house returns to its fearful tactics on Sept. 22.

The star of the autumn season is likely Halloween, the perfect opportunity for thrills and chills. Here are a few of Georgia's haunted houses, trails and tours offering a scary good time:

  • Plantation Blood in Augusta at 4127 Wallie Ave. General admission is $25, but there is a $45 fast pass and a $5 discount for military and first responders. This season's dates have not been released yet. For more information, go to plantationblood.com.

  • Savannah Terrors in Savannah. Tours meet at Oglethorpe Square at 127 Abercorn St. Tours run through out the day and night, every day, year-round. Admission is $25 for adults and $15 for ages 13 and younger. For more information, go to savannahterrors.com.

  • Netherworld Haunted House in Stone Mountain off West Park Place Boulevard. The season opens on Sept. 22. General admission starts at $25. For more information, go to fearworld.com.

  • Camp Blood in Carrollton at 2277 Whooping Creek Rd. The attraction opens every weekend starting Thursday through Halloween. General admission starts at $20. For more information, go to campblood.com.

  • Screamz Haunted Experience in Hoboken, north of the Okefenokee area, at 4902 Main St. E. The season runs every weekend in October. General admission is $20 and is discounted to $10 for adults and $5 for children during the "Family Fun Hour." For more information, go to screamzhaunt.com.

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Apple picking in the Peach State

While pumpkins and other squash are fall icons, this is also a peak time for picking apples right off the tree.

Ellijay, west of the Chattahoochee National Forest, is a prime spot with plenty of options like B.J. Reece Orchards, Hillcrest Orchards and R&M Orchards. It's also home to the annual Georgia Apple Festival which returns the second and third weekends in October to the Ellijay Lions Club Fairgrounds. In addition to apples as far as the eye can see, there will be live music, festival food and hand-made arts and crafts. General admission is $10 but children 12 and under get in free.

Here are a few more notable apple orchards in Georgia:

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Fall festivals, corn mazes, pumpkin patches & more activities in Georgia