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| Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds | |
|---|---|
| Name | Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds |
| Caption | Grandstand and festival grounds |
| Location | Hiawassee, Georgia |
| Established | 1966 |
| Owner | Town of Hiawassee |
| Operator | Town of Hiawassee / Georgia Mountains Chamber of Commerce |
Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds is a multi-use event complex in Hiawassee, Georgia known for hosting regional fairs, concerts, and cultural gatherings in the southern Appalachian region. The site functions as a focal point for tourism linked to Lake Chatuge, Blue Ridge Mountains, and the Appalachian Trail corridor, attracting visitors from Atlanta, Chattanooga, Asheville, and beyond. Its calendar blends agricultural exhibitions, music performances, heritage showcases, and meetings of civic organizations from Towns County, Union County (North Carolina), and neighboring counties.
The fairgrounds were developed in the mid-20th century amid a wave of regional civic projects influenced by economic development initiatives associated with Governor Jimmy Carter era policies and earlier New South-era infrastructure programs. Early planning reflected partnerships among the Town of Hiawassee, Town of Young Harris, and the City of Blairsville, Georgia business communities, while funding and promotional support drew on tourism strategies used by the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the Georgia Mountain Fair Authority affiliate groups. Initial events linked to agricultural extension programs promoted by University of Georgia Cooperative Extension and North Georgia Technical College helped establish annual attendance patterns. Over subsequent decades the site hosted touring acts associated with the Grand Ole Opry circuit, appearances by folklorists tied to the Library of Congress field collections, and state-level exhibitions coordinated with the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
The complex includes a covered grandstand with capacity for several thousand spectators, an exhibition hall used for trade shows and craft markets, and multiple multi-purpose pavilions suited to equestrian activities tied to Appaloosa Horse Club exhibitions and livestock judging consistent with National FFA Organization standards. Grounds feature permanent vendor booths, a demonstration stage for bluegrass and old-time music linked to traditions of the Country Music Hall of Fame, and recreational lawns adjacent to Anderson Music Hall-type facilities. Infrastructure accommodates RV hookups used by touring performers and agricultural exhibitors visiting from Tennessee Valley Authority-serviced regions. Parking and access roads tie into state routes connecting to US Route 76 and regional transit corridors that serve Northeast Georgia Regional Airport travelers. The site also contains meeting rooms used by civic groups such as Kiwanis International, Rotary International, and regional chapters of AmeriCorps for conferences.
Signature events include the annual summer fair patterned after county fairs in the Southeastern United States, a folk-music series that has presented artists associated with Doc Watson, Ralph Stanley, and contemporary performers from the Bluegrass Hall of Fame. The calendar routinely hosts craft shows featuring artisans linked to the Southern Highland Craft Guild, antique shows that draw collectors from Smithsonian Institution-affiliated networks, and car shows that attract clubs affiliated with the Antique Automobile Club of America. The fairgrounds have accommodated regional political rallies involving Georgia General Assembly delegates, fundraising galas for United Way, and touring theater productions connected to companies like Alliance Theatre Company and Tennessee Repertory Theatre. Seasonal programming includes holiday markets, equestrian clinics co-sponsored by United States Equestrian Federation, and youth competitions aligned with 4-H Club activities.
The fairgrounds generate tourism receipts that support hotels registered with American Hotel & Lodging Association standards and restaurants that participate in Georgia Restaurant Association marketing. Annual events spur occupancy across lodging networks including properties listed in National Trust for Historic Preservation-designated districts near Hiawassee City Hall and stimulate retail sales for businesses in the Georgia Highlands College service area. Cultural impacts include sustaining traditional music repertoires linked to the Smithsonian Folkways collections, preserving craft techniques promoted by the Southern Arts Federation, and providing performing opportunities for regional ensembles connected to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra educational outreach. Economic development initiatives leveraging the fairgrounds have been cited in planning documents from the Appalachian Regional Commission and regional chambers such as the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission.
Operations are overseen through municipal governance involving the Town of Hiawassee leadership in coordination with the Georgia Mountains Convention and Visitors Bureau and event promoters from organizations like Live Nation-affiliated promoters for select concerts. Staffed functions include groundskeeping, event booking, and partnerships with nonprofit programmers such as Georgia Humanities and Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre. Volunteer coordination often taps service organizations including Girl Scouts of the USA and Boy Scouts of America councils for event support and youth engagement. Financial administration combines municipal budgeting processes with earned revenue from ticketed events and vendor fees, and periodic grant applications to entities including the National Endowment for the Arts and the Economic Development Administration.
The fairgrounds are sited within the ecological context of the Blue Ridge bioregion and engage practices to reduce environmental impact through stormwater management influenced by standards from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division and riparian protection measures consistent with guidance from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Sustainability measures have included waste diversion programs modeled on protocols from the Solid Waste Association of North America, energy-efficiency upgrades reminiscent of initiatives supported by the Department of Energy State Energy Program, and native plant landscaping promoted in collaboration with the Georgia Native Plant Society. Conservation programming at events has featured exhibitors from The Nature Conservancy and regional chapters of the Sierra Club to advance awareness about Chauga River watershed stewardship and Appalachian biodiversity.
Category:Fairgrounds in Georgia (U.S. state) Category:Buildings and structures in Towns County, Georgia