5 Oktoberfest Traditions You Must Join In While In Helen GA
You haven’t truly “done” Oktoberfest until you see Helen’s Oktoberfest!
Helen, Georgia, was rebuilt to bring the best and most charming old-world Bavarian styles to America, resulting in a tiny town nestled in the Appalachians that feels like you’re in the Alps instead. And we’re proud of our German heritage! Helen offers the biggest Oktoberfest celebration in America (and possibly the world), with more than a month of celebrations to experience!
Thousands flock to Helen every year to experience our German festival. Is it time for you to join them? Here’s what you’re missing out on if you stay away.
Five Reasons Helen Is The BEST Place To Experience Oktoberfest
1. The Opening Festival
This year, Oktoberfest kicks off with our world-famous annual parade! Entrants come from far and wide to Northern Georgia, creating an eye-popping blend of traditional German attire, music, floats, and more. The celebration goes on all day – several days, literally – with nonstop parties, music, and fun.
We celebrate Oktoberfest through the end of October, but the opening festivities are the centerpiece of the entire affair. If you can find a way to Helen in time for the parade, you won’t be disappointed.
2. The Festhalle
Following the parade, and for weeks afterward, the Helen Festhalle is the center for German fun during Oktoberfest. Helen’s town hall is modeled after traditional Northern European dining rooms, as princes and royalty enjoyed in the old days. While it serves a variety of purposes during the year, when it’s time for Oktoberfest, the Halle is there for food, music, and oh-so-much beer.
The live music is nearly nonstop, and dancing-on-tables threatens to break out at any time. The beer flows freely, but the atmosphere is never anything but jovial. In fact, the time has been known to warp and distort in the Festhalle during Oktoberfest, and you’ll love every moment of it!
3. The Georgia Apple Festival
Many know North Georgia throughout the world for its unique clay-rich soils, which contribute to some of the best grape and apple groves you’ll find anywhere in the US. The annual Georgia Apple Festival, held in early October, pays homage to harvest festivals of days past while providing mouth-watering apple dishes of all types.
North Georgia is known throughout the world for our unique clay-rich soils, which contribute to some of the best grape and apple groves you’ll find anywhere in the US. The annual Georgia Apple Festival, held in early October, pays homage to harvest festivals of days past while providing mouth-watering apple dishes of all types.
Beyond all the pies, ice creams, cobblers, and cider you can drink, the Apple Festival hosts an annual classic car show. It’s the best of pure Americana, and it absolutely should be part of your Oktoberfest adventures in Helen.
4. The North Georgia Corn Maze
Helen is small enough that it’s hard to actually “get lost,” which might be why we have the nearby North Georgia Corn Maze! This annual tradition features an enormous seven-acre maze full of twisty little passages, all alike. Hundreds of thousands of folks have gotten lost in the maze, although nearly all find their way back out, eventually.
In the meantime, they offer a variety of other amusements, including games, an obstacle course, local beers and wines, and nighttime star-gazing. In fact, if you let the little ones loose in the maze, you’ll probably have all evening with your special someone before the kids manage to get back out.
5. Relaxing In A Cabin Under The Stars
Sure, Oktoberfest means nonstop parties, but you have to sleep sometime. While Helen features many fabulous hotels, for the best Oktoberfest experience, rent a luxury cabin in the woods!
You’ll find Cedar Creek nestled in the foothills of the Southern Appalachians, only a few minutes outside Helen. Your cabin will be secluded, with nothing in view besides trees, mountains, and the endless sky above. On the outside, it looks like your typical rustic cabin, but on the inside, it’s something special.
We give you a full kitchen -along with a full-size refrigerator – that’s perfect for keeping or reheating your Helen goodies. Or, go fishing in the river and cook your dinner from your catch! Our cabins include outdoor facilities, like BBQ grills and fire pits, to make it even easier.
Plus, with full-leather furnishings, big beds, hot tubs, and more, you might not want to leave your cabin to join in the festivities!
Book your cabin now for Oktoberfest. Reservations are starting to fill up.
