Chili Cook-Off on the Square

The McDonough Fall Festival and Chili Cook-Off on the Square is this Saturday, October 24th. The McDonough Square is one of those cute, old, downtown squares found in many small Georgia towns with fun shops, antique shops, cute little restaurants and some great grand old homes. The annual fall fair starts at 12pm and ends at 8pm with the chili sampling taking place from 1pm to 3pm. There's not a lot of information out there about the event, but I imagine there will be arts and crafts vendors and live entertainment and is probably free. www.mcdonoughga.org

Boo at the Zoo

Boo at the Zoo is this Saturday, October 24th and Sunday, October 25th and Saturday, October 31st at Zoo Atlanta. This is a great Halloween festival for children and families. There will be treats, costumed characters, a costume contest, the "Monster Mash Disco" and arts and crafts in additional to all the normal fun of Zoo Atlanta. Boo at the Zoo activities take place from 10am to 3pm and are free with general admission and to Zoo Atlanta members. If your children are 6 and older, you might want to consider attending Zoo Atlanta's "Boo at the Zoo NightCrawlers" which includes trick or treating, pumpkin carving and storytelling. The NightCrawlers activities are on Saturday, October 24th and Saturday, October 31st starting at 6pm. For more information on the events and to purchase tickets online, visit Zoo Atlanta's website at www.zooatlanta.org

Chastain Park Arts Festival

I don't have a whole lot of information on this festival. It seems to be new. However, it's an art festival and it's at Chastain Park in Atlanta this Saturday, October 17th and Sunday, October 18th. And it's free! There's supposed to be over 100 artists in different mediums showing at this festival as well as live entertainment. For more information, visit the festival's website at www.chastainparkartsfestival.com

Rock N' Rib Festival

The 2nd Annual Rock N' Rib Festival is this Saturday, October 17th on the square in downtown Lawrenceville from 1pm - 9pm. The Rock N' Rib festival features barbeque from local area restaurants, caterers and cooking teams as well as live entertainment. There will also be a children's area, arts and crafts and a beergarten. You can also catch some college football in one of the tents and if you're game, enter a rib eating contest. Admission is free. For more information, visit the festival's website at www.rocknribsfest.com

Little 5 Points Annual Halloween Festival and Parade

I love Halloween celebrations and one of my favorites is the annual Little 5 Points Halloween Festival and Parade in Atlanta. Little 5 Points is already known for being an eclectic neighborhood and entertainment district and this festival confirms that! The festival starts Friday evening, October 16th, with live performances and movie screenings. On Saturday, October 17th, Finley Plaza in the middle of Little 5 becomes an entertainment hub with children's activities, tarot readings, bands and all sorts of eclectic entertainment. The highlight of the day is the Halloween Parade which begins at 4pm. There will be beverage vendors set up in parking lots throughout the area. There is no admission fee but expect to pay for parking. There are several lots in the area and they all charge for parking for the event. Street parking may be available but very limited and some streets will be closed. I wish I had a picture to share from last year's parade but to see some great photos and learn more about the event, visit the Festival's website at www.l5phalloween.com

End of Harvest Celebration at Wolf Mountain Vineyards

The 7th Annual End of Harvest Celebration and Bluegrass Brunch is happening every Saturday during the month of October at Wolf Mountain Vineyards in Dahlonega. What a great way to experience a fall Saturday in the north Georgia mountains and sample the fruits of a regional vineyard! Wolf Mountain Vineyards offers their Harvest brunch buffet and live bluegrass music for $30 per person. Wine is purchased separately by the glass. For more information, visit their website at www.wolfmountainvineyards.com

Oktoberfest in the North Georgia Mountains

For many years now Helen, GA has been the place in North Georgia to enjoy a German style Oktoberfest complete with beer, bratwurst, bands and more! The annual Oktoberfest in Helen starts in September but enjoys its largest crowds in October. The festival occurs daily through November 1st. If you haven't yet visited Helen, Oktoberfest is a great time to get a feel for this little mock German Alpine town on the Chattahoochee River in the North Georgia mountains. Be prepared for a bit of traffic though! Admission on Saturdays is $9 per person but FREE on Sundays! helenchamber.com

Candler Park Fall Festival

So sad that so many of the events I'm writing about for this weekend can be affected by the potential rainy weather! But the Candler Park Fall Festival is a good one if you live in Atlanta and want to stay in town this weekend. The festival is this Saturday, October 10th and Sunday, October 11th at Candler Park in Atlanta. There's usually a good number of vendors offering a variety of goods including folk art and photography. There will be plenty of food choices available, live entertainment, fun for the kids and the Candler Park Tour of Homes which is a great opportunity to see some of the fabulous old homes in the area. Expect some great local musical artists including the ever eclectic and entertaining Kingsized. Admission if free. Parking is tricky though as the park is in a residential neighborhood so you might want to consider taking MARTA. www.candlerparkfallfest.org

A Few More Fairs and Festivals for this weekend

Here are a few more fairs and festivals happening this weekend. Thankfully most of them are continuing past this weekend in case you want to hold out for better weather.

Georgia Mountain Fall Festival. October 9th through October 17th at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds in Hiawassee. Quite the lineup of well know country artists performing at this festival. Arts and crafts and such. $9 admission and $2 for parking. georgiamountainfairgrounds.com/fallfestival

Coweta County Fair. October 8th through October 17th at the Coweta County Fairgrounds in Newnan. Arts, crafts, midway rides, food, live entertainment, beauty pageant and such. Hours of operation vary. $5 admission; free for children under 6. www.cowetacountyfair.org

Cumming Country Fair and Festival. October 8th through October 18th at the Cumming Fairgrounds in Cumming. Midway rides, petting zoo, mini circus, arts, crafts, food, live entertainment and so on. Charlie Daniels Band is performing and I'd bet you'll get a little "Devil Went Down to Georgia". Admission is $7 for adults; $3 for children age 5 to 18; free for children under 3. $3 parking. www.cummingfair.net

5th Annual Rice Festival. October 10th from 11am - 5pm at the Peachtree Hill Shopping Center in Duluth. Asian traditional dance, music, performers, food and vendors. Free admission. aarc-atlanta.org

Disc Dog World Finals

The Disc Dog World Finals is this weekend, October 10th and 11th at Dellinger Park in Cartersville. If you like dogs, have dogs, especially dogs who can catch and compete, you'll like this event. There will be players from 16 different qualifiers from around the world. There will also be events that you and your dog can participate in such as agility, toss and fetch and herding. Admission is free. For more information visit the USDDN's website at www.usddn.com.

Fest-of-Ale Thursdays

The Atlanta Botanical Garden hosts the Fest-of-Ale event every Thursday from 5pm-10pm in October. It's a wonderful opportunity to enjoy some seasonal brews and live music in the gardens as well as a "beer school". Bring a flashlight to explore the Scarecrows in the Garden and Moore in America exhibitions at night. Admission to the gardens is $15 per person. www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org

Taste of Atlanta

The 8th Annual Taste of Atlanta Festival is this weekend, October 10th and 11th from 11am - 6pm in Midtown Atlanta at 5th and Spring Street. Sample food from more than 80 Atlanta restaurants, beer and wine tastings and cooking demonstrations from national and local celebrity chefs. There will also be a Farm to Festival Village showcasing the local sustainable movement with live cooking demonstrations and a farmers market filled with locally grown products. And as with most festivals there will be live entertainment. This is an outdoor event and we are looking at a rainy forecast for this weekend so you may want to plan accordingly. Tickets to the festival are $25 in advance and $30 at the gate. There is also a $65 per person VIP package. For more information, visit the Taste of Atlanta website at tasteofatlanta.net.

Tybee Island Pirate Fest

The 5th Annual Tybee Island Pirate Fest is this weekend, October 8th through October 10th on Tybee Island, of course! There will be a lot of pirates, a Buccaneer Ball, a parade, fireworks, costume contests, live entertainment, children's activities and a "thieves market". This festival sounds like a whole lot of fun. And it's on one of the barrier islands! Great idea for a weekend getaway! For more information on the fest, visit their website at tybeeisland.com/tybeepiratefest.

Georgia National Fair

The Georgia National Fair starts this Thursday, October 8th and runs through October 18th. This huge fair is being held at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry. There will be a variety of performing acts from national acts such as Montgomery Gentry to puppeteers. There's a midway full of rides, a circus, a shopping area, a petting zoo, pony rides, fireworks and much, much more! Admission to the fair is $8 and children under 10 are free. For more information on the fair, visit their website at www.georgianationalfair.com.

Sunday in the Park

Sunday in the Park is a Victorian Street Festival at historic Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta and is happening this Sunday, October 4th from 12pm - 6pm. There will be live entertainment, storytellers, living history demonstrations, an artist market, a scavenger hunt and in the children's area, the Teddy Bear Tea. Guest are encouraged to participate in the Victorian costume contest and the photography contest. Food will be available from an array of local restaurants including The Varsity and Six Feet Under. There will also offering free walking tours of the cemetery as well as carriage tours and the opportunity to enter some of the mausoleums. The suggested donation is $3 per person and parking is free. It's a fantastic opportunity to spend an entertaining afternoon at historic Oakland Cemetery. www.oaklandcemetery.com/sundayPark

More Events Worth Mentioning

Here is a list of a several more events going on this weekend that I think are worth mentioning. Have fun!

The Big Red Apple Festival in downtown historic Cornelia is this Saturday, October 3rd from 10am - 5pm. There is not a lot of information on this festival on the internet but one can assume that there will be the usual festival activities with food, music, arts and craft vendors, activities for children and...apples. Cornelia is about an hour and a half drive north of Atlanta. It's a probably a good excuse to head up to the mountains this weekend!

Another event happening in the mountains this weekend is the Indian Summer Festival in Suches, Saturday, October 3rd and Sunday, October 4th from 9am - 5pm. Suches is about a 2 hour drive north of Atlanta and is between Dahlonega and Blue Ridge. Clogging, mountain music, festival food and arts and crafts. This festival also boasts having lots of pies as well as an archery demonstration and a country square dance Saturday night. $4 admission and parking is free. suches.com/festival

The Andersonville Historic Fair is also this weekend, Saturday, October 3rd and Sunday, October 4th in Andersonville. In addition to mock civil war battles, this festival boasts old world craftsmen at work, "extensive" activities for children, a parade, arts, crafts, antiques and live entertainment. www.andersonvillegeorgia.com

It's the last weekend for the Rockdale County Fair which ends on Sunday, October 4th. The fair is being held at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers. www.rockdalecountyfair.com

It's also the last weekend for the North Georgia State Fair ending on Sunday, October 4th. The fair is being held at Jim R. Miller park in Marietta. www.northgeorgiastatefair.com

Wine and Food in Midtown Atlanta

The 6th Annual Harvest Midtown Festival is this Sunday, October 4th from 1pm - 5pm at the newly renovated historic Georgian Hotel . Sample food from some of the most celebrated Atlanta chefs paired with wines from around the world. For your entertainment, there will be live jazz, art displays, dance performances and a fashion show. Sounds divine. General admission tickets are $45 in advance and $55 at the door. For details, address and more information visit the Harvest Midtown Festival website at www.harvestmidtown.com.

Oliver Hardy Festival

The 21st Annual Oliver Hardy Festival is this Saturday, October 3rd in Harlem. Harlem, GA is the birthplace of comedian Oliver Hardy of the legendary comedy Laurel and Hardy. The event boasts thousands of visitors each year. There are parades, a “look-a-like” contest, arts and craft vendors, children’s rides and entertainment, live entertainment, BBQ and Laurel and Hardy movies. Admission and parking are free. For more information and directions, visit Harlem’s website at www.harlemga.org.

Downtown Historic Madison Chili Cook-Off and Fall Festival

The 5th Annual Downtown Chili Cook-Off and Fall Festival in Madison is this Saturday, October 3rd from 10am – 4pm. There is not a lot of information available on the web about this event but I imagine there will be vendors and live entertainment in addition to the chili cook-off. If you have not been to Madison yet, this might be a good time for you to visit. It’s a beautiful historic town with some great little shops and is only 45 minutes away from Atlanta. For more information on the festival and Madison, visit their website at www.madisonga.org.

Free Admission Saturday at the High Museum

Fulton County residents can visit the High Museum for free the first Saturday of each month. Show proof of residency in Fulton County and view the special exhibitions as well as the permanent collection for free! The offer is available for walk up ticket purchases only from 10am – 5pm.