Festivals opening this weekend
SEPT. 7- OCT. 29
Oktoberfest: Festhalle, 1074 Edelweiss Strasse, Helen, Ga., 6-10:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 6 p.m.-midnight Friday, 1 p.m.-midnight Saturday, 1-7 p.m. Sunday; $8 Monday-Friday, $10 Saturday, free on Sunday; annual celebration of German food, music, dance. www. helenchamber.com. SEPT. 8-10 Battle of Tunnel Hill: Tunnel Hill Heritage Center, 215 Clisby Austin Road, Tunnel Hill, Ga., camps open 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, $10 ages 13 and up; Civil War re-enactment at 2 p.m. each day, with sutlers, mock surgeries in medical tents, tours of historic Clisby-Austin house. www. battleoftunnelhill.com.
Fried Green Tomato
Festival: Main Street and Kenneth Gable Memorial Park, Niota, Tenn., 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, free admission, individual activity fees. www.facebook.com/ NiotaFGTF
International Cowpea
Festival: Charleston City Park, 103 Worth St. NE, Charleston, Tenn., 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, free; cookoff, crafts and food vendors, family fun field, music. www.cowpea festival.com.
Intertribal Native Festival: City Point Park, 399 First Ave., Dayton, Tenn., 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, $5 ages 11 and older, free to active military and veterans,
teachers and first responders; Native American crafts and food vendors, dancing, Cherokee flute players, Grand Entry 1 and 6 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday. 423-208-5749. Mountaineer Folk
Festival: Fall Creek Falls State Park, 10821 Park Road, Spencer, Tenn., 6-10 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday (all times Central), $3 per person per day or $6 for weekend; arts and crafts, two stages of music. 423-881-5708.
Railfest: Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, 4119 Cromwell Road, Chattanooga, gates open 8:30 a.m., excursion time 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, $25 adults, $20 child, ticket includes train ride; family festival with model trains, music, kids’ activities. www. tvrail.com. White Oak Crafts Fair: Arts Center of Cannon County, 1424 John Bragg Highway, Woodbury, Tenn., 9 a.m.5 p.m. CDT Saturday and Sunday, free admission, $3 parking; 75 artists exhibit along the banks of the East Fork Stones River. www.artscenter ofcc.com. Yellow Daisy Festival: Stone Mountain Park, 1000 Robert E. Lee Blvd., Stone Mountain, Ga., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, admission free with paid parking $15
per day; more than 400 vendors at event voted one of top three crafts shows in nation by Sunshine Artist magazine. www. stonemountainpark.com/ events/yellow-daisy-festival. SEPT. 8-16
Northwest Georgia
Regional Fair: Highway 53/Rome Road, Calhoun, Ga., gates open 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, $5 ages 6 and older; parade in downtown Calhoun 11 a.m. Saturday, fireworks shows on opening and closing nights. www. northwestgeorgiaregionalfair.com. SEPT. 8-17 Tennessee State Fair: Tennessee State Fairgrounds,
500 Wedgewood Ave., Nashville, gates open 5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. Saturday, noon Sunday (all times Central), $8 ages 18-54, $6 ages 55 and older and ages 3-17, unlimited-ride wristbands $25 Monday-Friday, $30 Saturday and Sundays. www.tennesseestatefair.org. Tennessee Valley Fair:
Chilhowee Park, 3301 E. Magnolia Ave., Knoxville, gates open 3 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. Saturdays, noon Sundays; $10 ages 12-64, $8 ages 65 and older, $7 ages 6-11, $10 parking, $20-$25 unlimited-rides wristband; daily concerts include Josh Turner on Tuesday, Kool and the Gang on Friday. www.tnvalleyfair.org.