Jasper, Ga. – With a hint of fall in the air and a burst of color from the changing of the leaves, you know it’s time for the Georgia Marble Festival. Held the first full weekend of October in beautiful Jasper, Georgia, the entire Marble Valley of Pickens County celebrates the history of Georgia Marble. The Georgia Marble Festival is proud to be the new home of the “Georgia State Bluegrass Championship.”

The Georgia Marble Festival offers a full weekend of activities for everyone. The Marble Festival Road Race hosted by the Jasper United Methodist Church kicks off Saturday morning, followed by the Festival Parade down Jasper’s Main Street. Then come on down to the festival grounds to see local artist’ wares, a multiple medium juried art contest, and the outstanding children’s area including Peachtree Rides.

On the festival grounds, the Georgia State Bluegrass Championship will begin competitions at 10:00am. Competitions will include Flat Pickin’ Guitar, Bluegrass Banjo, Mandolin, Fiddle, and will end with the Bluegrass Band competition. Prizes will be awarded to all categories, and following the competition our headlining act, award-winning Lonesome River Band will perform at 8:00pm on Saturday. Local bluegrass gospel bands, such as, Bruce Weeks Family Band and many others will be performing on Sunday.

With the addition of the Georgia State Bluegrass Championship, the festival hours have been extended on Saturday from 10:00am to 10:00pm. The children’s rides and vendor booths will all stay open to accompany our entertainment into the night. The hours on Sunday will be 10:00am-5:00pm. We have also added a variety of admission price options for everyone: Adults – $5.00, Children 12 & under – $3.00, Children under 5 FREE, Veterans/Seniors – $3.00, Family Weekend Pass $20.00 (up to 6). FREE PARKING AND SHUTTLE TRANSPORTATION is available all weekend.

For those that would like to tour the Marble Valley & mines on one of the Quarry Tours, those tours will be offered both Saturday and Sunday. The cost for tours is Adults – $12.00, Children 12 & under – $10.00, Children under 5 FREE. These prices include festival admission. It is strongly encouraged that you pre-purchase tickets to these tours by calling the Pickens County Chamber of Commerce at 706-692-5600 or online at www.georgiamarblefestival.com.

The Georgia Marble Festival has something for everyone, and several new additions to enhance the entertainment value this year. Thousands of people come to experience the rich heritage of the area, learn about the marble industry and see the beautiful mountains of Pickens County dressed in their fall splendor.

“Connecting Our Heritage With Your Future”