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.
Rich History
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.
In the aftermath of the Great Depression, two World Wars and no future gold rush on the horizon, Dahlonega’s town council was faced with the challenge of finding ways to keep the culture and community alive and thriving.
It was the vision of Madeleine Anthony, an Alabama native who came to Dahlonega with her husband in the 1930s, that brought tourism to Dahlonega and secured its reputation as one the finest small towns in the southern United States.
Anthony spearheaded plans for the Gold Rush Festival, promoting the idea of a celebration of the town’s history and its unique culture all over the state. As there were no hotels in the area at that time, Anthony worked with local churches and neighbors to open their doors and homes for visitors who would attend the one day festival that included a collection of old-fashioned games and particulars: arm wrestling, crosscut saw competition, beard growing, hog calling, a fashion show of aprons, bonnets and overalls, and, of course, homemade jellies, cakes and fixings.
Year after year crowds continued to gather in celebration of these traditions. Families used this weekend to join together in reunions, wrapping generations in the glow of October’s colors while honoring the nuances of unique mountain life. More and more out-of-towners grew curious about this “gold town” and its festivities and were drawn to the county of their discovery.
Tied to Tradition
The popularity and longevity of the Gold Rush Festival, now slotted for the entirety of the third weekend in October, is largely attributed to its adamant hold on the traditions with which it began. Just as the first years of the festival were committed to showcasing “life in Dahlonega” on wagon trains throughout town, each year’s celebration has also included the crowning of a carefully selected King and Queen. Eligible men and women 60 years and over are nominated by their neighbors for their outstanding contribution to the Lumpkin County community. From there, the Gold Rush Festival board members determine the current year’s royalty. Likewise, a Grand Marshal, who meets the same criteria of stellar citizenship and is of any age male or female, is chosen to lead the processional.
Dathan Harbart, Gold Rush Festival board member, describes the festivities as “massively hinged” on tradition: “We close the streets of our beautiful town on a beautiful fall weekend. We welcome each guest as a neighbor making our festival both intimate and enjoyable. We turn it into a homecoming and keep bringing back all the things that tied us together in the past.”
Now festival goers enjoy over 200 vendors whose wares include handcrafted pottery, soap, candles and jewelry as well as several other unique booths. Scores of festival food, funnel cakes, kettle corn and fried pies, are set up alongside food trucks offering the best of local cuisine. With bluegrass and gospel music filling the town square, Gold Rush attendees participate in many of the same contests and entertainment those first years included along with some new traditions and new talent in the mix.
“For the 70th anniversary of the festival we included a pie eating contest that was extraordinarily successful. We started with 10 pies and could have had 50. The fun of the festival is keeping the old ways and pairing them with something new,” Harbart explains.
Giving Gold
From its opening celebration to its 70th, the Gold Rush Festival has been successful, not only in promoting Dahlonega for one glorious weekend, but in establishing various ways to provide for the community. The benefits of Gold Rush trail throughout the year and continually pour back into Lumpkin County.
“We have three goals as we begin to piece together each year of the festival,” Harbart describes. “Our overarching vision is philanthropic as all proceeds made through craft booths, the parade and souvenir T-shirts are funneled back into our community. The festival also allows an opportunity to feature local businesses and renders a supplement to their regular profits. And, finally, we honor Madeline Anthony’s original vision of bringing tourism to Dahlonega.”
Further, the profits attained from Gold Rush are used in scholarships for students who attend Lumpkin County High School, to support the Empty Stocking Campaign to help families with Christmas gifts, and as part of Random Acts of Kindness needed throughout the year.
In the Words of a True Nugget
Attending a lifetime of Gold Rushes, 2025 LCHS Valedictorian Jaedyn Gerrells shares her love for the festival: “I’ve been to this festival each year of my life. It highlights the quirks of our town. It features the spirit of Dahlonega,” Gerrells explains. “There is a moment about an hour before the festival closes when the light starts to fall through the stained glass in the artists’ booths with the gorgeous North Georgia mountains as a backdrop that carries such a contentment. It is that moment that embodies all that is the Gold Rush festival.”
True Nuggets, born and raised in Lumpkin County, Gerrells and her family have been in Dahlonega for generations. The festival continues to be their reunion, one they anticipate and thoroughly enjoy.
Although several towns this fall will host a festival, there is only one Gold Rush. Madeleine Anthony’s vision for the future has come full circle. The festival has become a portal in which festival-goers can enthusiastically experience the past. It is here, in the heart of America’s first gold rush, that hordes of people will once again strike gold.
The 71st annual Dahlonega Gold Rush Festival
Oct. 18-19
Downtown Dahlonega
For more details, visit goldrushdaysfestival.com
