October 2026
Sometimes making time for someone begins with a small suggestion: let’s go get apples.
Fall is harvest season, and the table is a good place to gather. These ideas run from a Saturday morning market a few minutes from home to a slow afternoon drive up to apple country.
Before you go: Hours and plans can change, especially for outdoor events, so click through to the official page before heading out.
Saturday morning markets
The Woodstock Farm Fresh Market runs Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Market Street and in Reformation Brewery’s backyard downtown, and this year it continues through December 19. It’s about five minutes from anywhere in town and easy with a stroller.
The Roswell Farmers Market, behind City Hall at 38 Hill Street, is open Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon, and Saturday, October 31, is its closing day for the season. The Marietta Square Farmers Market at 41 Mill Street runs year-round on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Both are about 30 minutes away. The Alpharetta Farmers Market runs Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the Town Green at City Center, 2 Park Plaza, through November 14, also about 30 minutes away. Bring a basket and a friend, and let lunch be whatever you find.
Details: Woodstock market · Roswell market · Marietta Square market · Alpharetta market
Pick your own apples (the dog can come too)
B.J. Reece Orchards in Ellijay is open every day in October, Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 6 p.m., with U-pick tickets sold until 5. Everyone picking needs a farm package (weekdays $8; weekends $13, $18 or $26) plus a bag ($12 half peck, $24 peck, $48 half bushel). Little ones 2 and under are free. It’s walk-up only, with a 3% card surcharge.
Leashed dogs are welcome in the orchard rows, though not in the market or petting zoo. Weekdays are calmer and cheaper. It’s about an hour and five minutes from central Woodstock, and the rows are grassy and gently sloped.
Details: Prices and hours
The Georgia Apple Festival
Ellijay’s long-running harvest fair has its final weekend October 17–18 at the Lions Club Fairgrounds, 1729 South Main Street, Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $10, and kids 12 and under are free. Expect crafts, apple everything and plenty of fried pies.
It’s about an hour away, and Saturdays are crowded, so go early or try Sunday. Pets aren’t allowed at the fairgrounds; if the dog is coming, head to the Apple Arts Festival downtown instead.
Details: Festival details
Free music on a family vineyard’s patio
Cartecay Vineyards, a family vineyard in Ellijay, has free live music on its Chimney Patio every Saturday and Sunday in October from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., with the hay loft of its barn as the rain backup. Bring a friend you’ve been meaning to catch up with, find a seat by the chimney and let the afternoon stretch out.
The farm is at 5704 Clear Creek Road, about an hour from central Woodstock. Pair it with an apple house on the same drive and you’ve got a whole fall afternoon spent with local growers.
Details: October music lineup
Decorate a pumpkin with a local artist
On Sunday, October 18, at 2 p.m., Yonah Mountain Vineyards near Cleveland hosts Pumpkin & Pour, an afternoon of decoupaging pumpkins with local artist Lydia Slaton, with a charcuterie board to share at the table. Tickets were $75, and sales closed October 11.
If you have a ticket, it’s about 70 to 75 minutes from central Woodstock, so make a day of it with a friend you don’t see often enough. If not, keep an eye on Yonah’s events page for the next maker afternoon.
Details: Yonah events
Or make a little room at home
Make a pot of soup, set an extra place and invite someone on a Tuesday instead of waiting for the weekend. Simple food, shared, is plenty.