Fall 2023 Bridges Magazine
Fall in Love with Rome’s Festivals
Every fall Georgia’s Rome becomes a symphony of color that layers the hills and surrounds the rivers. It creates the perfect backdrop for Rome’s vibrant festival season, which is also the perfect time to invite friends and family to discover the charm of Rome!
The festival season begins in mid-September with the Annual Cave Spring Pig Out and Car Show held in Rolater Park. Carnivore lovers will rejoice but act fast because the BBQ tasting tickets sell out. It’s the only way to taste and vote for the best BBQ in Floyd County!
If BBQ is not your vibe, how about mushrooms? Yes, Cave Spring is also home to the Georgia Mushroom Festival. It combines the mega science of mycology with art, food and music where you can learn from expert mycologist, attend workshops and go on guided mushroom walks. It’s not your typical fall festival, but it’s a pretty cool science to discover.
Kicking off the month of October is a local tradition where you’ll enjoy the smell of roasted corn dogs, funnel cakes and deep-fried Oreos. Combine that with sounds of thrills, cheers and laughter and you have the Coosa Valley Fair. For over 70 years, the fair provides five full days of nostalgic fun including rides, games, attractions, livestock, arts, crafts, and the Miss Coosa Valley Fair pageant!
If you love fun and games, along with exploring and solving puzzles, then you need to experience Going Caching. This 5-day mega-event is one of the largest geocaching events in North America! Participants enjoy GPS adventure games, lab caches, newly published geocaches, socials and gatherings. Did we mention it’s free?!
Another free festival we love is Fiddlin’ Fest! Downtown Rome literally transforms into one huge street festival featuring the classic sounds of bluegrass music on two live music stages along with activities on every block of Broad Street. Enjoy the car show, craft vendors, interactive booths and Roman Holiday Riverboat tours. Plan to dine downtown and shop the cute boutiques and sidewalk sales.
For more toe-tappin’ fun, along with cider-sippin’, check out the Chiaha Arts Festival. It offers a diverse mix of quality crafts, fine arts, children’s activities, music and fair food. Most people can’t leave without tasting the fresh popped kettle corn, made the old fashion way in a giant copper kettle!
Speaking of giant, you’ll see both giant and miniature Schnauzers at Rome Schnauzerfest. It’s the cutest celebration of whiskered snouts you’ve ever seen! Festivities include an agility contest, Schnauzer Idol Singing Competition, a Schnauzer Parade and plenty of parties for participants who travel from across the U.S. every year for this event!
Rounding out the fun and culture offered during Rome’s fall festival season is the Rome International Film Festival, known by locals as RIFF. It was named one of 20 festivals worth the entry fee by MovieMaker Magazine! View regional, national, and international films, and participate in film industry workshops. If you want to mix and mingle with filmmakers and people who love films, be sure to get a Patron Pass to enjoy the evening parties.
Our last two events are technically not in the festival category but are too hauntingly good not to mention! The Rome Area History Centers offers Haunted on Broad Trolley Tours for two weekends in October. Hear bone-chilling tales at different sites around Rome. You’ll also want to catch the Where Romans Rest Tours at Myrtle Hill to hear the storied histories of some notable residents of the cemetery.
For more fun ways to explore Rome check out our event calendar.