In 1950, Towns County held its first annual Georgia Mountain Fair, which was a three-day agricultural exposition in the local high school recreation field. With just 2,000 attendees for the first fair alone, the event would soon exponentially grow, making the high school too small to host the event. By the 1970s, the Georgia Mountain Fair had nearly 100,000 people attending each year, and fair representatives decided that the event would need to be moved to a larger venue. With local support of the Towns County Lions Club, organizers purchased a large amount of land next to the picturesque Lake Chatuge in Hiawassee, Georgia, and in 1978, the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds hosted its first Georgia Mountain Fair.

Since its opening, the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds has served as the premier event venue for the North Georgia region. It serves as host to countless events including art festivals, world-class bluegrass, country gospel and rock ‘n’ roll performances, visiting conventions and dance shows. In addition, there are 189 camping and RV sites for overnight guests. These sites, which offer modern conveniences such as water, electricity, telephone and cable service, are open year-round and most offer spectacular views of Lake Chatuge. The Fairgrounds, or sections of the fairgrounds, are also available to be rented for private functions.