Events · Habersham County, North Georgia
Big Red Apple Festival
The Big Red Apple Festival is Cornelia's oldest and longest-running festival, and the 38th annual edition ran Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM in downtown Cornelia, in Habersham County in North Georgia. The festival celebrates the city's famous Big Red Apple water tower, the landmark unveiled in 1926 that has become the town's symbol. The guide stays up as the record of the event and what to expect when it returns next year.
2026 edition concluded · returns next fall
When
Saturday, September 26, 2026 (concluded)
10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, a single-day festival in downtown Cornelia. The 2026 edition has run; it returns next fall.
10 AM to 4 PM
Where
Downtown Cornelia
Cornelia, Georgia, in Habersham County in the North Georgia foothills, north of Gainesville along U.S. 441. The festival fills the downtown streets of the city.
The 38th edition
Cornelia's longest-running festival
The Big Red Apple Festival is the city's oldest and longest-running festival, and the 2026 edition marks its 38th annual run.
What's there
A day in downtown Cornelia
Straight from the verified notes, the festival packs the downtown with a full day of family-friendly programming: rides and games, a tournament, a car show, vendors, and live music, all under the shadow of the town's famous apple tower.
- Hayrides
- Cornhole tournament
- Car show
- Kids zone
- Arts and crafts vendors
- Food vendors
- Live entertainment
- Historic tours of downtown
The Big Red Apple
Cornelia is home to the famous Big Red Apple water tower, the landmark unveiled in 1926 that still rises over the downtown. The festival is built to celebrate that tower, the symbol of the city for a century now.
The Fall in Georgia guideStraight answers
The questions people ask
When is the Big Red Apple Festival?
The 2026 edition ran Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. It is a single-day festival on a late-September Saturday, and the 2026 run was the 38th annual edition. It returns next fall; the city posts the exact date when the next edition is confirmed.
Where is the festival held?
In downtown Cornelia, Georgia, in Habersham County in North Georgia. Cornelia sits in the foothills north of Gainesville along U.S. 441.
How long has the festival been running?
The Big Red Apple Festival is Cornelia's oldest and longest-running festival. The 2026 edition marks its 38th annual installment.
What is there to do at the festival?
Hayrides, a cornhole tournament, a car show, a kids zone, arts and crafts vendors, food vendors, live entertainment, and historic tours of downtown.
Why is it called the Big Red Apple Festival?
The festival is named for Cornelia's famous Big Red Apple water tower, the landmark unveiled in 1926 that the event celebrates. The tower is the town's best-known landmark, and the festival is its annual salute to that symbol.
Before you go
The 2026 edition ran Saturday, September 26, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, in downtown Cornelia, and has concluded. Dates and details above are from the verified notes for the 2026 edition; the festival is annual, and the city posts the exact date for the next edition when it is confirmed. Admission and vendor counts were not part of the verified notes for 2026, so none are listed here.
Make a North Georgia day of it
Cornelia is a fall Saturday in foothills country, close to the apple orchards and color drives the guide already covers. Pair the festival with the verified apple country trips, and check the fall roundup for what else is running nearby.
Keep exploring
More fall festivals to explore
The other verified festival guides in this seasonal group, each checked against its official source before it runs.
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