Always the third weekend in October, always a crowning of King and Queen, and always fraught with handmade items, locals and visitors alike fill the streets in celebration of the much-anticipated Gold Rush Days: the long-standing, beloved Gold Rush Festival in Dahlonega, Georgia.
From its inception in 1954, Dahlonega has hosted one of the seasons most lauded festivals featuring local crafts, neighborly competition, spirited entertainment and live music. Coated in the golden rays of fall sunshine, the unique blend of tradition and creativity overlap in the town square in a way that is nothing short of magical. Each year tens of thousands make the journey to Dahlonega to participate in a radiant celebration of mountain life.
The history of the Gold Rush Festival expands beyond its 1950s beginnings and harkens back to the initial discovery of “gold in them hills” in 1829 and, later, in 1896. Both of these events paired with the quality of Dahlonega’s gold as the “purest in the United States,” placed this gold mining town on the map…