Clermont came alive over the weekend for its annual Clermont Days Festival. This two-day celebration brought families, neighbors, and visitors together for small-town charm and big-time fun.
The weekend offered live music, rows of vendors, and plenty of food. Saturday featured the parade rolling down Main Street, along with a car show, tractor show, and a fireworks display that lit up the night sky.
A kaleidoscope of color and creativity
One of the festival’s most popular stops was The Bow Fairy’s booth. Rows of handmade bows and headbands hung like a kaleidoscope, each one a small work of art. For many children, these bows are more than accessories—they have become traditions tied to school photos, recitals, and milestones. As one little girl exclaimed when she dashed into the booth, “It’s a dream! It’s an absolute dream!”
Food also drew long lines. Families crowded around El Elote’s famous street corn and wandered toward Wacky Martin’s booth, where fried gator, crawfish tails, and frog legs arrived hot from the fryer. At Birch and Thyme, fiber artist Isis Bickerstaff offered crocheted goblins, felted squirrels, and jars of handmade “potions,” greeting customers like she had stepped straight out of a storybook.
Moonshadow Concessions kept festivalgoers refreshed with cherry limeade poured over ice. When a visitor asked for sugar-free lemonade, vendors Linn Madison and Blake Hodges squeezed fresh lemons on the spot.
A festival dressed in autumn
The festival grounds were decorated for fall. Archways crowned with wreaths of leaves and miniature pumpkins framed family photos. Scarecrows pointed the way to food stalls, games, and rides. Children darted between attractions while parents lingered with neighbors, enjoying the relaxed pace of small-town life.
Clermont Days also impressed with its organization. Parking was easy, booths were accessible, and vendors represented a wide mix of local talent. Generational farmers such as Charlie and Barbara Thomas of Charlie Thomas Farms sold fresh produce alongside musicians, crafters, and artisans. The blend made the festival feel more like a community quilt than a vendor market.
A community tradition
From the morning parade to the evening fireworks, Clermont Days Festival turned two days in September into a celebration of the season and of the community itself. With its mix of food, crafts, music, and fellowship, the festival once again showed why it remains a cherished Northeast Georgia tradition.
