Despite cancellation Oct. 10 & 11 due to concerns over Hurricane Isaias moving up from the Gulf, 2026’s Sorghum in the Mountains Festival enjoyed outstanding attendance in its second and final weekend.
The cloudy, gray skies that rolled in Saturday morning made way for blue skies by evening, and according to volunteers manning the front gate at Sorghum Field in Meeks Park, it was a “record-breaking day” with more than 5,000 visitors coming from near and far to enjoy a Union County tradition.
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Sole Commissioner Harold Collins and County Manager Tony Hughes were helping make syrup that day, sharing that syrup production was going off without a hitch.
The previous week, volunteers did their best to make as much of the sticky sweet stuff as possible before the storm so that the cane that was already harvested didn’t go to waste. Luckily, there was no shortage to be seen, and the line of viewers interested in seeing how sorghum was processed made a winding trail well outside of the building.
Multiple vendors on the main field echoed the sentiment of a wildly successful weekend. In fact, Abigail “Abby” Newman of the North Georgia Pottery Company said she sold out of more than half of her inventory in one day.
“We love the Sorghum Festival,” Newman said. “The way that they handled (the cancellation) was so thoughtful. They gave us two days’ notice; it would not have been safe for us to set up last weekend with wind gusts at 40 miles per hour.”
Abram Miller of Locals Design and Apparel was selling his clothing at the festival for the first time and was, like Newman, impressed.
“It is the best venue I’ve been to before. I think it is amazing. I’ve had a wonderful time,” said Miller, already making plans to come back next year. “A couple people thought it wasn’t going to be cold today, so I sold a couple of extra hoodies.”
One of several old-time demonstrations, Frank the Moonshiner’s holler had a popular addition this year, with 10-year-old Tennessee White teaching festivalgoers about the parts of a still and how moonshine production works.
“But if it starts making this noise right here, that means you have two options,” he began, pounding on the top to mimic the thumping of building pressure. “Number one is to try and fix it; number two is to run because it’s going to blow.”
New this year was an area set aside for children across the covered bridge. Bouncing Jellybeans was present with several bouncy houses, inflatable games and slides, with nearby Trinity Trackless Trains offering ride in barrels drawn by a four-wheeler.
Some of those manning the secluded little corner reported less attendance than the rest of the festival, but the kids who found their way there nevertheless enjoyed themselves.
No matter where they were, the consensus among guests was that the festival was as enjoyable as ever. Jim and Marilyn Brown had made a full day of enjoying the festivities by listening to music, browsing what the vendors had to offer, and trying new foods.
“We were actually in the parade this morning,” said Jim, with Marilyn agreeing that while their experience with the downtown parade was fun, they were thoroughly charmed by White’s informative moonshine presentation that was as humorous as it was educational.
Nancy Olsen was impressed with the weather and the turnout, playfully guessing among friends how many people were present. While some, like Olsen, were well-acquainted with the festival, others, like Katherine Eitel, were visiting for the first time.
Having driven up from Cumming, Eitel was impressed by the organization on display, and in general said she had a lovely day out with a friend.
In all, Sorghum in the Mountains saw a fun-filled weekend, marking a unique but no less positive year. The heritage festival will return for both syrup-sopped weekends in 2027, complete with games, more than 100 vendors, and ample opportunities for guests to make new memories.
