Georgia Sorghum Festival

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Georgia Sorghum Festival
About North Georgia

Fast Facts:
Where: Blairsville, GA
When: 2nd, 3rd and 4th week of October
What: Small town celebration centered on sorghum, a staple of early Georgia farmers

Sorghum

Sorghum -- The third most popular cereal grain in the United States is a staple throughout the world. Georgia is a major producer of the grain, used in porridge, unleavened bread, cookies, cakes, couscous, and (ahem) malted beverages. Sorghum has been a popular crop in north Georgia since the land was settled in the 1830s, and Blairsville celebrates this early staple on the second, third and fourth weekends each October (the time the crop comes in). In 1995 the Sorghum Festival in Blairsville was designated Georgia's official sorghum festival.

Bank of Blairsville float evokes memories of the historic past of the community with a mill wheel

Mill Wheel
on a parade float

It is truly a festive time as this small town (population 700 according to the Chamber of Commerce site) constructs Fort Sorghum downtown where sorghum products are made from this crop. It is a unique crop because it is one of the few that can be raised in north Georgia that contain sugar, a key ingredient in cooking and (ahem) making distilled spirits. When early settlers cleared the land one of, if not the first crop planted, was sorghum, partly so Mom could use it in her cooking, partly so Dad could make some Saturday Night Special.

Fort Sorghum is the centerpiece of the festival. Here, batches of sorghum syrup are produced and used to make sorghum sweetened products that can be purchased at the "fort", located a block east of the landmark courthouse at the center of town. Blairsville is about 100 miles north of Atlanta, easily reached by taking the Georgia Mountain Parkway. The Union County Courthouse allows visitors to understand what life was like in a rural small town in North Georgia from 1832 (time of the sixth "Land Lottery") through the 20th century.

Kids getting ready to perform

While the fort is the centerpiece of the festival, the parade that begins this three week extravaganza is far and away the most popular event, drawing enthusiasts from the northern third of the state. In spite of the festival's growing popularity the parade has managed to retain its "small-town" flavor, with local businesses and civic groups creating floats, populated by adults and kids (and a dog here and there) who are having fun! Visitors on the side of the road have fun, too, since the parade participants shower the audience with candy and trinkets.

Tending to the sorghum

Other events during the festival include typical fair-style competitions that allow local residents to compete for prizes. Bluegrass music, cloggers and other forms of entertainment enhance the event, which features a wide array of artists and craftsmen who sell handmade goods. The festival is one of the longest in North Georgia, continuing for three weekends, the second, third and fourth weekend of the month of October. Come during leaf change (normally the third weekend of the month at nearby Brasstown Bald, fourth weekend of the month throughout much of the northern tier of the state) and enhance your visit with a scenic drive.

Map to the Sorghum Festival in Blairsville, GA

Directions

Take I-575 north to the Georgia Mountain Parkway, known locally as the four-lane. Follow the Parkway for 62 miles to Blairsville. Turn left on US 129 and turn right towards the courthouse, .1 mile south. Circle the courthouse and head west on Wellborne St. Parking is immediately on the right

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