Prater's Mill Country Fair

Prater’s Mill Country Fair, held the second full weekend in October, is a local vacation getaway.  One of the Southeast’s most popular fall festivals, the fair features live entertainment, fine Southern foods, and activities for the whole family.  In other words, it has everything needed for fun and relaxation right in your own backyard. 

A family-friendly jaunt through history, the Fair showcases an old water-powered, operating gristmill which was established in 1855 by Benjamin Franklin Prater and T.H. Pitner to grind wheat into flour and corn into meal.

The Fair celebrates North Georgia’s rich history of Appalachian traditions through living history exhibits and handmade crafts and original art created by nearly 200 talented artists and artisans.  Demonstrations include blacksmithing, quilting, weaving, woodcarving, rug hooking, and hand tufting, the precursor to the famous machine tufted carpet industry of Dalton, Georgia. 

Educational exhibits include a living Civil War encampment, antique engines in operation, antique cars, and “Peacock Alley,” a clothesline display of hand-tufted bedspreads.  In addition to self-guided tours of the mill, visitors may also enjoy shopping in the country store, investigating the Shugart Cotton Gin, or acquainting themselves with farm animals at the Westbrook Barn with a Petting Zoo adored by children and adults alike.  Also in the barn see the Goodner-Smith Farm Collection revealing the way of life in the early1900’s.

The whole family can experience canoe rides on Coahulla Creek or take a short hike down the nature trail.  Pony rides are always at the top of kids’ to-do list.  A continuous entertainment schedule on two stages offers traditional fare such as clogging and square dancing exhibitions, country bands, and gospel singers. A contingent of Appalachian-Style wandering musicians - including dulcimer players - roam the grounds entertaining the throngs while storytellers keep folklore alive with their captivating tales.

For many the highlight of the Fair is the food. The Dalton Pike Church of God serve authentic Southern dishes - chicken and dumplings, collard greens, and cornbread cooked on a wood stove - near the 1898 Prater’s store (located just across the road from the mill). Hot meals of meats, vegetables and homemade desserts are served in the Prater Store. Other regional favorites are served at various points on the festival grounds. These include delicacies such as John's Family pit-cooked barbecue, Cochran Family fried apple pies, North Georgia apple cider, Varnell Elementary School’s homemade lemonade, and Miss Ruby's fresh-churned ice cream.

The Prater’s Mill Country Fair is sponsored by the Prater’s Mill Foundation, a non-profit organization of volunteers dedicated to historic preservation and education. Nearly 40 civic clubs, churches and schools also participate in the community event. The Fair is a featured destination in the National Geographic MapGuide to Appalachia, NationalGeographic.com/Appalachia.

Fair hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $5; children 12 and under enter free. There is no charge for parking. Visitors are urged to dress casually and wear comfortable shoes.

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