Dahlonega
Did you know that Dahlonega is the best Christmas town in Georgia, according to HGTV.
Making the list of best small town in each state for the holiday spirit, Dahlonega showcases its “Old Fashioned Christmas” with carriage rides, lighting of the downtown square, Santa Claus appearances, food truck vendors and plenty of photo opportunities.
HGTV also mentioned that the “Christmas market, holiday concerts, tree decorating, live Nativity scene, parade and caroling,” make Dahlonega a great town to visit during the Christmas season.
The north Georgia town also made Southern Living’s list of best destinations for a “classic Southern Christmas.” Movie-makers have keyed in on the charm of the town with Dahlonega being the backdrop for Hallmark movies such as “Christmas in the Smokies,” “Christmas in Homestead” and “A Taste of Christmas.”Dahlonega is a small city in northern Georgia, approximately sixty minutes to the Northern corridor of Atlanta.
Just to give you some history of this charming town, Dahlonega was named “Talonega” by the Georgia General Assembly on December 21, 1833. The name was changed from Talonega by the Georgia General Assembly on December 25, 1837, to “Dahlonega”, from the Cherokee word Dalonige, meaning “yellow” or “gold”. The first discovery of gold, Senator John C. Calhoun of South Carolina 7th Vice President of the United State, owned the Calhoun Mine, just south of the city square.
Dahlonega and Lumpkin County have been recognized as “the heart of the North Georgia Wine Country”. The county features multiple vineyards and numerous licensed wineries that attract hundreds of tourists.
The historic Dahlonega Square is a popular destination, with gift shops, restaurants, art galleries and studios, and wine-tasting rooms. In 2015, Senator Steve Gooch introduced Georgia Senate Resolution 125 officially recognizing Lumpkin County as the Wine Tasting Room Capital of Georgia.
The cities local festivals draw thousands of visitors each year. “Bear on the Square”, an annual three-day festival held the third weekend in April, marks the day that a black bear wandered onto the square. It features bluegrass and old-time music. The Gold Rush Days event held the third weekend in October, attracts over 100,000 people for the two-day event.
Real estate in Dahlonega consists of small subdivisions, farms, a luxury golf course community (Achasta) as well as homes with acreage, farms, river properties, cabins, mountain homes, and estates. Dahlonega is the home to North Georgia University with over 14,000 students and is a tourist and retirement community. The past year has seen a huge increase in the sales of the second home market as well as the sale of land tracts ranging from 1 acre to 150 acres.
If you want to live in a quaint, small-town community, Dahlonega would be at the top of your list!