Pumpkin Daze: Toccoa’s Fall Festival in a Pandemic

On Saturday, November 7, the city of Toccoa held its annual Fall Festival. This year it was titled “Pumpkin Daze” and the name was not the only thing that was different about the festival in 2020. Due to the global pandemic currently ravaging the nation, the city of Toccoa made many changes to the location, size, and layout of the gathering. In years past the festival covered 6 to 7 city blocks downtown. This year, they moved the stage to Main Street and only used 3 city blocks. The city of Toccoa placed signs throughout the festival encouraging social distancing and the use of face masks by participants, but these were mostly ignored by attendees.

The crowds were greatly reduced as well. Many vendors noticed the smaller attendance and were disappointed at the loss in revenue. Though there were several food trucks, it was not the same as it has been in years past.

The Toccoa Dance Studio and the Steve Bryson Band entertained onlookers who were not shopping or sampling the treats from local bakeries and food trucks. They had two groups performing this year, which is a significant reduction in programming. Typically, the Toccoa Falls College choir, ladies' ensemble, and orchestra perform several songs for the crowds, but they were absent this year due to COVID-19 restrictions. It was a beautiful, warm, and sunny day that was enjoyed by many.