More. That’s the unofficial theme of this year’s Chattahoochee Mountain Fair as organizers work to deliver more rides, more entertainment, more vendors, more food, and more fun.
The fair opens Friday night at the Habersham County Fairgrounds in Clarkesville. The grounds were buzzing with activity on Wednesday as crews made final preparations to welcome visitors.
Except for its hiatus during the pandemic, the Chattahoochee Mountain Fair has been an annual staple in Northeast Georgia since 1975. Each year, it attracts tens of thousands of visitors to Habersham County. It’s Shelley Tullis’ job to put out the welcome mat.
As the fair’s general manager, Tullis is tasked with making sure everything and everyone is in place. She says the feedback from fairgoers over the last few years was that they “wanted more,” so the fair committee has worked hard this year to deliver.
Fairgoers can expect more rides geared toward teenagers and adults. That doesn’t mean there will be fewer kids’ rides this year — it just means there will be more rides, Tullis says.
Whereas last year’s fair only had about five or six food vendors, this year there will be twelve. (One had to cancel because of Hurricane Idalia).
More vendors will be set up inside and outside the Dewey H. Tench Pavilion. Over 60 vendors have signed up to sell their arts and crafts and hawk their wares.
Musical entertainment will cut across genres, with rock-n-roll, bluegrass, country, and gospel concerts scheduled at different times during the 9-day event.
Aside from music, there will be entertainers with animal shows and science experiments. Fairgoers will even get an opportunity to ride a camel.
Remy, one of the camels owned by Hog Diggity Dogs and More, joined Tullis and her husband, Adam, for Now Habersham’s photo shoot outside the fair’s rodeo ring. Inside the ring, Habersham County Road Department crews worked to replace worn-out fencing ahead of next week’s competition.
This year’s Chattahoochee Mountain Fair Rodeo will be the biggest ever, with competitors vying for their share of an $18,000 purse. As they’ve done for years, local auto dealer Hayes Chevrolet of Baldwin is sponsoring the rodeo.
“The fair is coming together great,” says Chattahoochee Mountain Fair Board of Directors President Lowell Tench. With all of the extra attractions and vendors added in this year, he says, “I believe it is going to make for a more enjoyable outing for families in the area.”
Tullis says she’s grateful for the generous support they’ve received from sponsors. She set a lofty goal to raise the money needed to expand this year’s fair.
“We exceeded our sponsorship goal, and we couldn’t have done it without all of our sponsors,” says Tullis.
The Chattahoochee Mountain Fair opens at 5 p.m. on Friday, September 8, and runs through Saturday, September 16. Rides open one hour after fairground gates open. Gate admission does not include tickets to ride.
Check here or on the fair’s website for nightly hours, prices, and discounts.
