Moonshine running, backwoods racing and motorsports glory - Dawson County, Georgia, revels in its heritage and celebrates it in grand style each year during its free, family-friendly Mountain Moonshine Festival.
The 44th Annual Mountain Moonshine Festival, Oct. 21-23, taking place on the square in downtown Dawsonville, features vintage race cars, live entertainment, a car show, a swap meet, arts and crafts, great food and souvenirs.
Highlights include the Opening Ceremonies and the parade of authentic moonshine and revenue cars with Grand Marshal and NASCAR champion Rex White at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22, and the opening of the new Dawsonville Moonshine Distillery.
Dawson County lets its mountain spirit shine on during this festival that explores its history during Prohibition and the Great Depression - when running moonshine through the foothills of the Northeast Georgia Mountains was a way of life. On Friday, a Moonshine Run takes place at 9 a.m. and the Cruise-In with live music rolls out at 5 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, a cruise-in, swap meet, entertainment and arts and crafts are planned all day, served up along with favorite festival foods.
Check out the souped-up race cars. Tour an old moonshine still. Listen to stories from both "Trippers" and Revenuers. Stop by the new Dawsonville Moonshine Distillery for a tasting of "white lightning."
Headlining Sunday's fun will be the Car Show. Dennis Gage, the handlebar-mustached host of the weekly TV series, "My Classic Car," will be attending the festival and taping the Car Show for use in an episode to air on the SPEED channel during the 2012 season.
Dawson County has plenty of family fun at the Mountain Moonshine Festival and around town: Test your quest skills at Uncle Shuck's Corn Maze and Buck's Corn Maze. Choose a pumpkin or two at Bradley's Pumpkin Patch & Christmas Trees or Burt's Pumpkin Farm. Pick up Indian corn and ornamental gourds. Sip some apple cider. Take a hayride into the pumpkin patch.
Visit the "Saturday Night Drive-In Theatre, a themed exhibit at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame, where you can sit in old cars to watch a movie. Bite into a famous made-from-scratch Bully Burger and fresh-cut fries at the Dawsonville Pool Room, where a family atmosphere blends with a fun collection of history and memorabilia on Bill Elliott's NASCAR career and early moonshine runners.
Hike into Amicalola State Park, just west of downtown Dawsonville, to see the cascading 729-foot waterfall - the highest east of the Mississippi. Explore the more than 1,000 acres of nature ablaze with the colors of autumn and enjoy the view from the Lodge restaurant while enjoying a home-style buffet.
All proceeds from the Mountain Moonshine Festival go to KARE for Kids, Inc., a non-profit organization in Dawson County that provides for the children in the county. KARE uses the funds to provide gifts at Christmas, as well as needed items throughout the year, including winter coats, shoes, clothing, medicine, eye glasses, educational resources and summer school fees, among other things.
For more information about the festival and Dawson County fun, visit www.Dawson.org or call 706 265-6278 or 877 302-9271.