Events · North Georgia
Mountain Moonshine Festival & Car Show
The 59th annual Mountain Moonshine Festival & Car Show fills downtown Dawsonville with more than 300 craft, artisan and food vendors, a classic car show, live music, and the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame inductions. The 2026 edition ran Friday October 23 through Sunday October 25, 8 AM to 5 PM, and has concluded; it returns next fall with free admission and a parking fee.
The 2026 edition, at a glance
Mountain Moonshine Festival 2026
When
October 23-25, 2026 (concluded)
- Friday to Sunday
- 8 AM to 5 PM each day
- The parade
- Saturday at 10 AM
Confirmed for 2026
Where
Downtown Dawsonville
The Georgia Racing Hall of Fame and Main Street Park, in downtown Dawsonville, Georgia.
Racing Hall of Fame & Main Street Park
Admission
Free, with a parking fee
The festival is free to enter; parking carries a fee. Plan for the car show, vendors, and the Saturday parade.
59th annual festival
Dates, hours, admission, and the vendor count were verified October 24, 2026 against the official sources: destinationdawsonville.com and kareforkids.org. Confirm with the organizers before you travel.
What's there
Cars, crafts, and moonshine history in the mountains
The Mountain Moonshine Festival celebrates Dawsonville's running heritage and the mountain moonshine history around it. More than 300 craft, artisan and food vendors fill the grounds at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame and Main Street Park, classic cars line the streets, and the Saturday parade steps off at 10 AM. Live music and Racing Hall of Fame inductions round out the weekend.
- More than 300 craft, artisan and food vendors
- A classic car show across the festival grounds
- The festival parade Saturday at 10 AM
- Live music and Georgia Racing Hall of Fame inductions
The racing connection
Dawsonville is the home of the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame, and the festival sits on Main Street beside it. The car show and the inductions are the festival's racing heartbeat, with the mountain backdrop that gave this part of Georgia its moonshine legend.
The Fall in Georgia guideStraight answers
The questions people ask
When was the Mountain Moonshine Festival in 2026?
The 59th annual festival ran Friday, October 23 through Sunday, October 25, 2026, from 8 AM to 5 PM each day, and has concluded; it returns next fall. The festival parade stepped off Saturday at 10 AM.
Where is the festival held?
At the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame and Main Street Park in downtown Dawsonville, Georgia.
What does it cost to attend?
Admission is free and parking carries a fee, per the official festival sources.
What is there to see and do?
More than 300 craft, artisan and food vendors, a classic car show, the Saturday parade at 10 AM, live music, and the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame inductions.
Where can I confirm the details?
The official references are the festival page at destinationdawsonville.com/events/mountain-moonshine-festival/ and the Kare for Kids page at kareforkids.org/mountain-moonshine-festival. Confirm before you drive up.
Before you go
The 2026 festival ran October 23-25, 8 AM to 5 PM daily, at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame and Main Street Park in downtown Dawsonville, and has concluded. Admission was free and parking carried a fee. When it returns next fall, October in the mountains turns cool by late afternoon, so bring layers, and confirm the schedule with the organizers before you travel.
Make a fall weekend of it
Dawsonville sits on the mountain side of the metro, an easy base for the same weekend's fall festivals and the guide's scenic drive loops.
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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