At 6 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, trick-or-treat opens at the Elberton 12 County Fair on North Oliver Street. At the same hour, the Fall Festival starts at Richard B. Russell State Park, with a hayride, a costume contest and campsites decorated for the night. Both end at 9 p.m.
Families in Elbert County will have to pick one of the two for those three hours. It's the only time in this stretch that happens. From today, Thursday, October 29, through the second Sunday of November, the county's calendar is dense, but nearly every other event starts as another winds down. Downtown runs in the afternoon, the fairgrounds pick up in the evening, and Bobby Brown Park goes until midnight.
Tonight Through Sunday: The Fair's Last Run
The 93rd Elberton 12 County Fair opened October 22 and closes Sunday, November 1. That's 11 days at 425 N. Oliver St. Today is one of the fair's two BOGO Days, and it's also Senior Citizens Day, according to WSGC's opening-day story.
Admission is $5 per person per day for anyone taller than 36 inches. Smaller children get in free with a paying adult. The unlimited-ride wristband costs $31.25 if you buy it online ahead of time. At the gate it's $32 by card or $30 in cash, so paying cash on site is actually the cheapest option.
On the final weekend, gates open from noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday and from 2 to 11 p.m. on Sunday. Every show below is free with admission:
- Circus Murcia, a big-top show with high wire, the Globe of Death, aerialists, jugglers and clowns
- Bengal Tiger Encounter, an educational show about tiger behavior and conservation
- Halloween Magic Show by The Blooms, with several performances a day
- Magic of America: Time Travelers for Freedom, a magic show built around 250 years of American history
Friday Downtown, Before the Weekend Gets Crowded
Main Street Elberton holds its 4th Annual Skelebration on Friday, October 30, from 4 to 6 p.m. on the Downtown Elberton Square. Two hours is short, but a lot fits into it: a trunk-decorating contest with a prize for the most creative trunk, plus a "Thriller" zombie flash mob by A Shoe In Dance. To enter a trunk, email Main Street Elberton at [email protected].
Skelebration ends at 6, and the fair runs until 11 that night. A family can do the square in the late afternoon and still have the whole evening at the fairgrounds.
Saturday, October 31: Two Events, One Window
Halloween is the one day in this stretch where you really do have to choose. The first decision comes at noon. The fair's Kids Day wristband costs $20 for ages 12 and under. It's sold from noon to 5 p.m. and is good until close, and the over-12 wristband stays at $30. So a child whose wristband goes on at noon is still covered through trick-or-treat that evening.
Here's how the evening events line up:
| Event | Where | Time | What's included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trick or Treat at the Fair | 425 N. Oliver St. | 6 to 9 p.m. | Ages 2 to 12, in costume. Anyone under 18 needs an adult |
| Fair Halloween Costume Contest | Fairgrounds | 8 p.m. | Ages 2 to 12. Theme is "250 Years of America." Winner gets $250 |
| Richard B. Russell State Park Fall Festival | The state park | 6 to 9 p.m. | Campsite decorating contest, costume contest, hayride |
The fair also crowns its singing competition that night. The Voice of the Elberton 12-County Fair went through preliminaries on October 22 and 24 and semifinals on October 28, and the championship round is on Halloween night.
The state park is the better pick for families camping there, since the decorating contest is built around campsites. For everyone else, the fair has more going on. Its costume contest at 8 p.m., with a $250 prize, sits in the middle of trick-or-treat, so you don't have to leave one to make the other.
Sunday, November 1: The Afternoon Belongs to Small Festivals
On the fair's last day, the gates don't open until 2 p.m. Several smaller events fill the hours around it. The New Hope Campus Fall Festival runs from 3 to 7 p.m. at 1423 Brewers Bridge Road. It was moved to this date, and it has food, music and games. Vendor spots were still open at last listing, and the contact number is 706-283-5333. Fortsonia Baptist Church's fall festival starts at 5 p.m. with hot dogs, chili, homemade desserts and a cake walk.
You can easily spend late afternoon at one of those and still catch the fair's final evening, since gates stay open until 11.
November 2 and 3: The Gap in the Calendar
The quietest two days of the stretch come right after the busiest weekend. Richard B. Russell State Park will be closed November 2 and 3 for a managed deer hunt, and it closes again December 1 and 2. That covers the trails, the beach area and the campground on Lake Richard B. Russell. If you were planning to camp after Halloween or go for a weekday walk on the shoreline nature trail, move it to Wednesday. The park office can answer questions about the closure.
Wednesday, November 4 brings things back to life in town. The Humane Society's Dog Gone Holiday Market is listed from noon to 5 p.m. that day at The Depot on Deadwyler Street. The day before, November 3, is the registration deadline for a free class at the next big event, which is at a different park.
Friday and Saturday, November 6 and 7: Bobby Brown Park Stays Up Late
HauntFest, LLC calls its Elberton event, Harvest of Horrors, a premiere. It isn't a returning Elberton edition. It runs two days at Bobby Brown Park, 2509 Bobby Brown State Park Road. The park's own site lists camping, yurts, archery, disc golf, fishing, boating and trails. WSGC reported on September 8 that the archery course at Bobby Brown Park had reopened.
Here's the schedule from HauntFest's event page:
- Friday, November 6: doors at 5 p.m. The market and festival run 5 to 10 p.m., the haunted trail runs 7:30 p.m. to midnight, and a horror film screens from 10 p.m. to midnight.
- Saturday, November 7: doors at 2 p.m. The market and festival run 2 to 10 p.m. and the haunted trail runs 7:30 p.m. to midnight. The Dead Man's Party goes from 9 p.m. to midnight, with doors at 8.
- Saturday night, for campers: Night Terrors runs from midnight to 2 a.m. in Broad Pioneer. You need a reservation through HauntFest.
The cheapest way in is the $20 presale ticket, which covers both days plus Saturday's party. A $20 ticket at the door covers just one day, and the party if that day is Saturday. Party-only tickets are $10. The haunted trail costs extra, $15 to $20. Parking is $5 per car or $10 per bus. The event page also lists movie screenings put on by the park and a free bouncy house.
HauntFest is also offering a free Scare Actor and SFX Makeup Class at 3:30 p.m. on both days. If you sign up at hauntfest.net by November 3, you get free entry and refreshments.
November 7 Is a Relay
Saturday, November 7 looks double-booked at first, but the two events barely overlap. Main Street Elberton's Granite City Fall Festival and Tractor Show runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with arts and crafts, food, live music, vendors and bounce houses. HauntFest opens its doors at 2 p.m. The makeup class starts at 3:30, half an hour after the festival closes. The haunted trail doesn't open until 7:30.
A family could spend the morning at the tractor show, take a break, and get to Bobby Brown Park for the evening. Other events that day include the Youth for Christ Block Party from 3 to 5 p.m. at the corner of Campbell Street and 2nd Street. The Salvation Army is also taking applications for its Christmas food and toy assistance program from 9 a.m. to noon at The Salvation Army Store, and the number for details is 706-283-1804.
The stretch ends on Sunday, November 8, with the Falling Creek Baptist Church Fall Festival. It starts at 3 p.m. at 1020 Jack McVeigh Drive and has a chili cookoff, boiled peanuts and an old-fashioned cake walk.
After the Leaves: Downtown Takes Over
After November 8, the calendar spreads out and almost everything moves downtown. These are the bigger dates leading up to the holidays:
- November 24, 5 to 8 p.m.: Candle Light Shop Night and Tree Lighting. Merchants offer discounts and stay open late, local performers take the stage, Santa visits, and the downtown Christmas tree is lit. The 12 Days of Christmas Cash drawing is also that night, and you have to be there to win.
- December 1 and 2: Richard B. Russell State Park closes again for its second managed deer hunt.
- December 6, 4 to 5 p.m.: The Elbert County Chamber's Christmas Parade on a Sunday, with the theme "Christmas Songs Brought to Life." It costs $25 to enter a float in the contest.
- December 8, 5 to 8 p.m.: The Christmas Cookie Crawl in Downtown Elberton.
Main Street Manager Crystal Beebe is the contact for downtown events. Reach her at (706) 213-3204.
Weekends like this one are a big part of what it's like to own a home in Elbert County, and if that's on your mind, Haley Powers is glad to talk through how the fair, the parks and downtown fit into a move here, whether you're nearby or still deciding. Book your white-glove consultation, and save the Halloween choice for the fairgrounds or the campground.
