Festival attendance tops 50,000 for both weekends

With fall in the air and rain out of sight, the 50th annual Georgia Apple Festival’s second weekend, Oct. 16-17, welcomed approximately 15,000 Saturday and approximately 8,000 Sunday, according to the Gilmer Chamber. More than 26,000 attended the first festival weekend, Oct. 9-10.
Apple Festival vendor Mal McEwen lets the sawdust fly as he entertains festivalgoers with a display of his chainsaw carving technique Saturday, Oct. 16.
A hive with live bees in it was a popular attraction at a booth operated by Ball Ground beekeeper BJ Weeks.
Blacksmith John Zeigler, of Murphy, N.C., strikes while the iron is hot.
Lions Club members Jan Morris, Cindy Biehl, Charlie Dixon and Karen Dorne were busy serving food at the Lions barn Saturday.
Ken Moulder, right, and son, Jackson, of Concord, get ready to put a pan of freshly made apple dumplings in the oven.
Colorful Apple Festival vendor John Padgett explains the inspiration behind some of the wind chimes made by him and wife, Evelyn. Padgett dyes his beard a different color for every event they attend.
Pony rides drew smiles from many young festivalgoers.
Lion Club member Richard Biehl takes money at the festival’s busy south entrance, where shuttle buses parked to let passengers off.
The A&B Express was a popular way for both children and grown-ups to explore the festival.
A shuttle bus loads at festival’s north entrance under the supervision of Ellijay Lion Ben Arp.
Jake Callihan, of The Pink Pig, stirs a good-size pot of the Cherry Log restaurant’s Brunswick stew.

With fall in the air and rain out of sight, the 50th annual Georgia Apple Festival’s second weekend, Oct. 16-17, welcomed approximately 15,000 Saturday and approximately 8,000 Sunday, according to the Gilmer Chamber. More than 26,000 attended the first festival weekend, Oct. 9-10.