It’s October and we find ourselves back in Hiawassee, GA and the Georgia mountains. We are staying at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds on the side of the highway opposite The Fairgrounds. This time we decided to check out the annual Georgia Mountain Fair. The Fair has been ongoing for longer than I have been alive. It offers everything you would expect from a traditional fair. Food vendors, Arts and Crafts, Kids rides, antiques, pig races and live music. One of the differences between the Georgia Mountain Fair and other similar fairs that I’ve attended in the past, is that the fairground are permeant with booths that are used for events year round and they are styled after an old barn.
The fair has some historic type buildings and they have areas setup with demonstrations of how things were made back in the day. Cathy really enjoyed the pig races and took the checkered flag a couple of times. If you have never seen a pig race you need to give it a try.
After a hot day of pig races and crafts we headed over to our favorite watering hole in Hiawassee. The Sandbar and Grille. This is a super fun place. It’s open air with a great mix of covered and uncovered spaces and yes a large portion is sandy like a beach. It features adequate bar food, great bartenders, stage with live music, corn hole, beach volleyball and lots of tv’s to watch the game. It gets rowdy on an SEC Saturday in the fall.
We never go here without meeting new friends, we are friendly people and I wish I could share the stories and pics, but I didn’t get permission so if you want to hear them you will just have to run into us on our travels and maybe we can share them around the campfire. If you stop by the Sandbar and Grille be sure to order a Loaded Corona.
October in the Georgia mountains is beautiful, depending on the time of month you may see fall colors. Days will be warm, but mornings and nights will be chilly. Plan to use a little heat or blankets and take some sweatshirts and other warm clothes.
I do want to share a beer tip here. The local Publix has a good selection of not just craft beer, but local, Georgia and nearby North Carolina beers. I picked up a sixer of one of my favorites from Southern Brewing Company in Athens, GA.
We also had a small food adventure on this trip. For several years I have been wanting to try a restaurant that we would drive past on our way to Hiawassee. It sits up on a hill of the main highway just outside of Blue Ridge, GA. The restaurant is Cucina Rustica and I highly recommend it. I would also recommend reservations. You will not be disappointed if you stop in and try this place.
The saddest part is always heading home after a fun weekend trip. We cannot recommend Hiawassee as a destination strongly enough. There’s a great mix of southern charm, good food, good beer, culture, nightlife and outdoor activities.