Richmond Hill Convention & Visitor Bureau

We don’t have to tell you twice why Richmond Hill is such a great place to be.

We have a rich history that includes being the Southern home of Henry Ford, the home of the Civil War-era Fort McAllister, and the place where natural history is always on full display.

Nature is part of the fabric of Richmond Hill. The Ogeechee River is at the heart of our beautiful coastal town and the Coastal Bryan Heritage Trail shows off all the beauty that has attracted people here for generations.

Then there are the people, folks who we know you will want to meet when you visit. There is no better way to do that than attending one of our fantastic fall events. There are so many fall festivities around the bend in Richmond Hill, you need to start making your plans to Head for the Hill now, so you won’t miss a second of the fun.

Labor Day Fireworks Show at Fish Tales – Sept. 5

Cars and Coffee – Oct. 2

2021 Kids Fishing Rodeo – Oct. 2

BEERFEST! – Oct. 9

42nd Annual Candle Lantern Tour – Oct. 15-16

Tickets go on sale Sept. 15 and space is limited, so act quickly. Cost is $25 per person. Call the park office at 912-727-2339 for tickets or for more information. Or just drop in at 3894 Fort McAllister Road in Richmond Hill

To learn more, visit the Facebook page for the event.

Great Ogeechee Seafood Festival – Oct. 15-17

This is the big one, folks. The Great Ogeechee Seafood Festival is the signature event in Richmond Hill and one of the largest seafood festivals in the Southeast. Nowhere else will you find the flavors of the South and everything that is great about Coastal Georgia wrapped up into one tasty package. Every year in October, more than 25,000 people flock to J.F. Gregory Park in Richmond Hill over a three-day weekend for amusement rides, arts and crafts, the best of Southern music, and the headliner, enough seafood to inspire a mighty fish tale.

Food vendors flock to the festival every year to show off the depth and character of seafood as only we can do it in the South. Accompanying the succulent food is a festival of music. The shows begin at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 15, with Thomas Claxton and The Myth. Lance Stinson Band then takes the stage from 7:30-9 p.m. Tobacco Road Band closes the night from 9:30-11:30 p.m.

The music is back on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. with Grandville. Kinchafoonee Cowboys, who own the record for the most shows played at the Georgia Theater in Athens, Ga., take the stage next from 7:30-9 p.m. Headliners Blackberry Smoke close Saturday’s festivities from 9:30-11 p.m. with their Atlanta-based Southern rock.

Blackberry Smoke has become known for its classic-rock, blues, country, and folk inspired original music. Since debuting in 2004, Blackberry Smoke has independently released six full-length albums. Their relentless touring has attracted hordes of fans and boosted them to recent success. The band’s 2015 album Holding All the Roses was the first independently released record in modern history to hit No. 1 on the Billboard country album charts. The follow up, Like An Arrow also went to No. 1. Find a Light and The Southern Ground Sessions, released in 2018, out sold previous albums and You Hear Georgia, the band’s newest release, is already tearing up the charts. Blackberry Smoke has appeared on The Tonight Show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Conan O’Brien, Live with Jools Holland and Last Call with Carson Daily.

Friday, Oct. 15, festival hours are from 5-11 p.m. Pre-sale tickets for Friday are $10 plus a small fee for for ages 6 and older. Ages 6 and younger get in free.

Saturday, Oct. 16, festival hours are from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Presale tickets, Oct. 16, are $13 plus a fee for ages 6-15, and $18 for ages 16 and older. The $18 tickets include the live music in the evening.

Sunday, Oct. 17, hours are from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets for Sunday are $5 during the presale.

The festival is hosted by the Richmond Hill-Bryan County Chamber of Commerce. For more information, go to www.goseafoodfestival.com.