Build your Blairsville day
Pick a date and what you like. The planner lays out a day from this guide’s checked hours, events, market days and closures.
Three days that work (the planner needs JavaScript; these don’t)
- Half day on the square: the Old Courthouse Museum (free; Mon–Fri 10–4, plus Sat 11–3 May–December), lunch from the places around the square, then the Mountain Life Museum a block south.
- A mountain day: Brasstown Bald when the visitor center opens at 10 (about 20 miles; $10 per adult), lunch back in town, then the 0.2-mile walk to Helton Creek Falls.
- Tuesday or Saturday, June–October: the Union County Farmers Market from 8 AM, then the square and an afternoon at Lake Nottely.
Getting here
Distances are measured from the courthouse square with OpenStreetMap routing and assume no traffic, so treat the times as minimums. Mountain roads and Atlanta rush hour both run slower.
| From | Distance | Time, no traffic | Route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown Atlanta | about 98 miles | about 2 h 10 min | US 19/129 and GA 400 |
| Atlanta airport | about 109 miles | about 2 h 25 min | US 19/129, GA 400, I-85 |
| Chattanooga airport | about 92 miles | about 2 h 5 min | US 19/129, US 64/74, I-75 |
| Dahlonega | about 34 miles | about 45 min | US 19/129 over Neel Gap |
| Blue Ridge | about 23 miles | about 30 min | GA 515 / US 76 |
| Helen | about 38 miles | about 50 min | US 129 and GA 75 |
| Murphy, NC | about 21 miles | about 30 min | US 19/129 |
When to come
- June to October: the farmers market on Tuesdays and Saturdays (market site).
- May to October, and December: Friday night concerts at the Old Courthouse.
- October: the sorghum festival and fall color; also the busiest weekends.
- December: the Christmas parade on the first Saturday, the Cookie Crawl and the Tour of Trees.
The events calendar has every organizer-published date.
Before you go
- Vogel’s lake loop and Trahlyta Falls are closed while Lake Trahlyta is drained.
- The Track Rock petroglyph site is temporarily closed.
- Pets aren’t allowed in Meeks Park, where the big festivals happen.
- The Old Courthouse Museum is closed on Sundays, and on Saturdays from January through April.
Planning questions
Where is Blairsville, Georgia?
Blairsville is the county seat of Union County in the North Georgia mountains, on US 19/129 about 98 miles north of downtown Atlanta and 21 miles south of Murphy, North Carolina. It is not Blairsville, Pennsylvania.
Source: City of Blairsville
Is the Old Courthouse Museum free?
Yes. Admission to the Union County Historical Society's museum in the 1899 courthouse is free, and a small donation for upkeep is appreciated.
Source: Union County Historical Society
What are the Old Courthouse Museum's hours?
Monday to Friday, 10 AM to 4 PM, all year. From May through December it is also open Saturdays, 11 AM to 3 PM. It is closed on Sundays.
Source: Union County Historical Society
When is the Union County Farmers Market open?
Tuesdays and Saturdays, 8 AM to 1 PM, June through October, at 290 Farmers Market Way. The county runs it; the office number is 706-439-6043.
Source: Union County Farmers Market
How far is Blairsville from Atlanta?
About 98 miles from downtown Atlanta by US 19/129 and GA 400, roughly 2 hours 10 minutes with no traffic (OpenStreetMap routing). Allow more at rush hour.
How far is Blairsville from Dahlonega?
About 34 miles south on US 19/129, roughly 45 minutes, crossing the mountains at Neel Gap (OpenStreetMap routing, no traffic).
Dates, hours and fees change. For anything official, the city has the final word: City of Blairsville official site
