As the days get shorter and the summer draws to a close, there’s one thing on everyone’s mind: fall! Pumpkin spice, scary movies and all the other delights we associate with the season are creeping into our thoughts, and if you’re a Gwinnett native then you’ve probably already begun planning your trip to the iconic Duluth Fall Festival, a Gwinnett fall staple since 1983. If you haven’t had the pleasure of attending, then let me break down the event!
The festival will kick off on Saturday September 26th with an enormous parade led by the Grand Marshal, Brooks Coleman, followed by the Opening Ceremony on Festival Center Stage. With the festival now in full swing, the Center Stage will be the site for continuous entertainment for two days, featuring live music, breathtaking dance performances and a Sunday morning worship service. For our runners, there is the Duluth Donut Dash 5K, an early Sunday morning run motivated by Dunkin’ Donuts at the finish line and supporting Wellroot Family Services’.
When you’re not enjoying a parade, live performances or 5K run, you have to check out the vendors! With over 180 arts and crafts booths and 40 food booths, you could spend an entire day exploring rows of arts, crafts, food and drinks. And get this, all products must be handmade or hand-decorated, so every piece of furniture, pottery, soap, jewelry, clothing and anything else can only be bought from these vendors! Searching through one-of-a-kind treasures is hard work, luckily you can refuel with classic autumn treats. No fall festival experience is complete without a turkey leg, but if that’s not your style there are funnel cakes, caramel apples, roasted corn, gyros and so much more delicious food to sink your teeth into.
The Duluth Fall Festival is an event held by the community for the community. It is managed and operated by over 400 volunteers, who see roughly 65,000 attendees throughout the weekend. On top of that, all the proceeds go to the City of Duluth and nonprofit organizations in Duluth, so by attending the festival you’re funding resources that go right back to the community.
“The award-winning Duluth Fall Festival is the biggest and best festival in Gwinnett County and is completely run by volunteers,” says President of the Duluth Fall Festival, Kay Montgomery.
Anyone who has attended Duluth’s Fall Festival knows it is an experience you look back on when picturing the ideal fall day, so this year go and make some memories that will last! The festival is being held September 26th, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and September 27th, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit DuluthFallFestival.org for more information!