Cumming's Fall Runs on Two City Stages, and After October 18 Most of It Is Free
October 15, 2026
October 15, 2026
Cumming has two fall venues this year, and the City of Cumming is behind both. The city organizes the Cumming Country Fair & Festival on Castleberry Road, which charges at the gate and is open through Oct. 18. Cumming City Center on Canton Road is city-owned. Almost every event it has listed between now and the Nov. 21 Holiday Market comes with free admission and free parking. So the town's fall really runs as one season, with a handoff in the middle. For about ten days the fair is the main event. After that, the free schedule on Canton Road fills almost every weekend until the Fairgrounds reopens with lights in late November.
Here is how those weeks look in order, starting with the stage that closes first.
The fair's own site promotes 2026 as "Celebrating 31 years." That count includes 2020, when the fair was canceled for the first time in its history, as Appen Media reported. This year it runs Oct. 8 through 18 at the Cumming Fairgrounds, 235 Castleberry Road.
Gate admission is $10, and children 10 and under get in free. The $7 advance tickets stopped selling Oct. 7, and the free-gate promotion was for opening day only. The remaining unlimited-ride specials and posted hours look like this:
| Date | Unlimited-ride special | Fair hours |
|---|---|---|
| Mon., Oct. 12 to Thu., Oct. 15 | $25 | 4 to 10 p.m. |
| Fri., Oct. 16 | $30 | 4 p.m. to midnight |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | $35, valid 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. | 10 a.m. to midnight |
| Sun., Oct. 18 | $30 | Opens 12:30 p.m. |
The two sources disagree on Sunday's closing time. The fair's website says 10 p.m., and the BigTickets listing says 9 p.m. If you're planning a late visit on closing day, check before you go.
Two acts are new this year: the Zerbini Family Circus and Rosaires Royal Racers. They join returning names like Oscar the Robot, the North Georgia Petting Zoo, Jay Mattioli's Electrifying Magic Illusion, the Ready Go Dog Show, the Fireguy Show and the Four Scythes Haunted Attraction. The arena series includes 406 FMX, micro wrestling and bull riding. Beyond the midway, which is run by the Great James H. Drew Exposition and includes the Georgia Mountain Lift, the fair lists a Native Indian and Heritage Village, farm animals and free shows.
The fair's last weekend is the first of two stretches this fall when both venues have big programs on the same days. The second comes in mid-November.
On Friday, Oct. 16, City Center hosts its 3rd Annual Community Touch-A-Truck from 1 to 4 p.m. Kids can climb into construction and emergency vehicles. That evening, Stereo Superstar plays the Lou Sobh Amphitheater from 7 to 9 p.m. Over on Castleberry Road, the fair stays open until midnight.
Saturday, Oct. 17 is the most crowded day of the season. The fair opens at 10 a.m. and sells its $35 ride special until 5 p.m. At the same time, City Center runs a GA vs. AU Game Day Watch Party at the amphitheater from noon to 7 p.m. Admission and parking are free, and lawn chairs and blankets are welcome. Outside food, drinks and coolers are not allowed.
That rule matters if you're planning a full game day, and it makes the newest restaurant at City Center worth knowing about. Tavern Off the Green, at 400 Vision Drive, is built around watching games, with more than 40 televisions and a large central screen. North Atlanta Star described a Louisiana-leaning menu with crawfish étouffée pot pie, po'boys and gumbo, priced from $10 for six wings to $31 for a 12-ounce ribeye. The outlet listed hours of 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday, and until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Its first week included a short closure soon after its Sept. 11 soft opening, as Forsyth County News reported, so it's smart to call ahead on a big game day. If you're looking for more places to eat around town, our earlier post on Cumming's new restaurants picks up from there.
The fair closes on Oct. 18. From then on, City Center hosts something almost every weekend, and nearly every listing says admission and parking are free. The rest of October looks like this:
Saturday mornings have their own routine. The Cumming Farmers Market is scheduled for Oct. 17, 24 and 31, then Nov. 7, 14 and 21, from 8 to 11 a.m. in the Vision Parkway parking lot. On Oct. 24, you could go to the market in the morning, Howl-oween in the late afternoon and the movie at night, all without paying for admission.
Most of the evening events this fall are at the amphitheater, and the concert listings all post the same rules:
Because outside food isn't allowed, the restaurants around Vision Drive end up being part of a night out. More may be on the way. Simple Man Distillery is hiring ahead of a planned distillery, cocktail bar and tasting room at 430 Vision Drive, but it hasn't announced an opening date.
The early November schedule leans toward live music. Jackson Chase plays the amphitheater on Nov. 6 from 7 to 9 p.m. The Page Brothers Band follows on Nov. 7 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. On Nov. 8, Glitter Star Fest brings headliner Tori Gideon and an art contest with a $1,000 prize. It starts at 4 p.m. One part of the listing says it ends at 7 and another says 8.
On Wednesday, Nov. 11, American Legion Post 307 and the City of Cumming host the Annual Veterans Day Ceremony at the amphitheater from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome.
The weekend of Nov. 13 and 14 is when the Fairgrounds starts to come back into the picture. The Cumming Steam, Antique Tractor & Gas Engine Exposition runs at the Fairgrounds both days from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. That Saturday morning, the Forsyth County Fire Department's Hometown Heroes 5K & Fun Run starts at City Center at 8 a.m., with proceeds going to B.A.D.G.E. The event page doesn't list a registration price. The farmers market is also scheduled that morning, so both venues are busy on Nov. 14.
The Fairgrounds fully takes the lead again on Nov. 20, when Nights of Lights opens at 235 Castleberry Road. It runs through Dec. 27, from 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The calendar page doesn't list a price.
City Center has one more big day after that. The fifth annual Cumming City Center Winter/Holiday Market takes over 423 Canton Road on Saturday, Nov. 21, with more than 100 vendors, Santa, live entertainment and a kids zone. Admission is free. The page's header lists an early-morning start, but the description says 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the description is the safer time to plan around. A farmers market is scheduled that same morning, so you can buy produce at 8 and holiday gifts by 10. The market listing also shows Saturday dates on Dec. 5, 12 and 19.
Over the whole season, the ticketed event comes first and lasts eleven days. Then the city's free stage hosts something nearly every weekend for five weeks. In late November, the Fairgrounds takes over again for the holidays. Our Cumming neighborhood guide covers the rest of the area beyond these two addresses.
At Ligas & Co, we follow what's happening at City Center and on Castleberry Road the same way you do, because our clients live here too. If a fall weekend in Cumming has you thinking about your next home, whether it's a bigger yard for the dog that loves Howl-oween or a shorter drive to Saturday's market, we'd be glad to walk you through your options. Start the conversation with our family whenever you're ready.
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