From 1961 through 1978 the folks in northeast Georgia came together in Rabun County to eat great food, test their strength and agility, dare each other to attempt great feats, dance, listen to mountain music and generally have a lot of fun. After an absence of 30 years – the Mountaineer Festival returns on September 19th and 20th. Now you can take a break from the hectic pace of two thousand eight – step back in time several decades and revel in the fun of days gone by.

The revelry kicks off on Friday evening with an old fashioned Square Dance on South Main Street in downtown Clayton. From 6:00pm to 10:00pm Curtis Blackwell and the Dixie Bluegrass Boys will provide the toe-tapping music and a professional Square Dance Caller will lead you through the steps. You might want to bring a chair to rest between dances!

On the grounds of the Rabun County Civic Center, Saturday from 10:00am to 4:00pm the hale and hearty of all ages will compete for prizes in such events as: Climbing the Greased Pole to win the $50.00 bill on top; Catch a Greased Pig and win a trophy and Wood Choppin’ and Wood Sawin’ winners will receive gift certificates! The Archery Competition, sponsored by Reeves Hardware, yields a 50 caliber CVA Muzzle Loader for the adult winner and a brand new Bow for the youth winner! All the little kids will enjoy competing too – Hula Hoop – Bubble Gum Bubbles – a Potato Roll or Cookie Stacking!

Judges will stroll the grounds all day in search of the best beard on a fellow and the best costume on a lady. They will also select a “Mountaineer Lassie” and a “Mountaineer Lad” from among the young folk in costume.  Participants and spectators are encouraged to bring a chair and spend the day in great, old-fashioned, mountain revelry!

Bring along someone that you’d really like to see behind bars – a $10.00 donation will get them tossed in our Mountaineer Jail – and they have to pay $10.00 to get out! Our very first Mountaineer Sheriff, Lloyd Hunter, dusts off his badge for this re-birth!

Ladies and gentlemen, work on your vocal abilities for the Hog Calling competition –and dust off those dancing shoes for the Buck Dancin’ contest -- in addition to braggin’ rights, you can go home with a trophy! Cooks may enter their favorite Apple Pie for a chance to win the “Best Apple Pie in the Mountains” – pies must be presented by noon in the “Apple Pie Tent”.

For the less competitive there will be Pony/Donkey Rides; Cart and Buggy Rides; great foods; crafts; demonstrations; terrific music throughout the day; photographs and more!

Beauty Pageants inside the Rabun County Civic Center throughout the day will crown: a Baby Miss, a Tiny Miss, a Princess, a Petite Miss, a Sweetheart, a Junior Miss, a Teen Miss and a 2008 Miss Mountaineer Festival. For information and entry forms visit www.sgpageants.com or call Melinda Rolader at 706-982-2304.

The Mountaineer Festival will culminate at about 6:00pm with a re-introduction of several Mountaineer Queens from yesteryear and pageant winners of 2008 plus a rip-roaring concert by the Foxfire Boys in the Rabun County Civic Center – we might even have some Storytellers!

Admission is FREE – but to compete you’ll buy an arm band for $5.00 or get bands for the whole family for $20.00! Don’t miss the re-birth of a mountain tradition where having fun might get you a little dirty but the preacher may be right beside you, getting just as dirty as you do! September 19th and 20th in downtown Clayton, Georgia. 706-212-0349 for more information.