Gold Rush Days has no published children’s program. The organizer’s 2026 schedule lists no children’s area and marks no item as being for kids. What it does list is a short run of contests and shows that suit a family, most of them on Saturday, October 17: a pie eating contest, apple bobbing, a talent show and the 3:00 PM parade.
What is on the schedule
These times are copied from the organizer’s 2026 schedule. The festival opens at 9:00 AM on both days.
- Saturday, 9:15 AM and 11:30 AM. Historic Holly Theater Presents Dahlonega’s Got Talent. A third slot is on Sunday at 10:00 AM.
- Saturday, 10:15 AM. Pie Eating Contest.
- Saturday, 11:00 AM. Gainesville Ballet Company.
- Saturday, 1:15 PM. Apple Bobbing.
- Saturday, 1:45 PM. Hog Calling.
- Saturday, 3:00 PM. Gold Rush Parade.
- Sunday, 11:15 AM. Cross-cut Saw Competition.
The schedule does not say who may enter the contests. No entry rule or age group is given for pie eating or apple bobbing, so ask at the festival before you promise a child a turn. It also names no stage and no end time for anything, which makes it hard to plan a nap around.
The parade
The parade is on Saturday only, at 3:00 PM, and the organizer’s parade page says it will proceed rain or shine. It ends in the college Drill Field circle. One thing to know before a child asks: the organizer’s rules say equestrian entries are not permitted, so do not expect horses. The grand marshal is announced at 1:00 PM and the King and Queen are crowned at 2:00 PM, both ahead of the parade.
No primary source recommends a place to watch from. The parade guide links the organizer’s route map.
What the visitors bureau mentions but the schedule does not time
The visitors bureau says the festival features live music, gold panning, a parade, children’s activities and traditional Appalachian demonstrations. It gives no times for them. The organizer’s schedule lists no gold panning contest and no children’s area. Treat those as things you may come across on the day, and do not build the visit on them.
If panning for gold is the main thing your child wants, two mines near town offer it with their own hours and admission. Consolidated Gold Mine says strollers are not allowed on its underground tour. The gold panning page covers both.
What nobody has published
The organizer’s site has no visitor rules page and no FAQ. Its published rules are for vendors and parade entrants. For a parent, that leaves real gaps.
- Strollers. The organizer publishes nothing on strollers, wheelchairs or accessibility at the festival.
- Restrooms. No source says where public restrooms or portable toilets are during the festival.
- Lost children. No source names a lost-child or lost-and-found point.
- First aid. No source says where first aid is located.
So plan for those yourself. Pick a meeting place before anyone wanders off. One fixed landmark is the Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Visitors Center at 13 South Park Street on the square, which lists hours of 10:00am to 5:00pm every day, though it states no festival-weekend hours.
You will also be on foot. The organizer’s vendor page says downtown streets are closed to the general public from 6:00 PM on Friday to 8:00 PM on Sunday, and no visitor parking plan for 2026 has been published. The parking page has what is known. Booths are open until 5:30 PM by the organizer’s standing hours.