The upcoming 47th annual Mountain Moonshine Festival is being expanded.

A section of Highway 53 will be closed off during the 47th annual moonshine festival, Oct. 25 - 26.

Highway 53 north is going to be shut down starting at Bojangles, Dawson County Sheriff Bill Carlisle said.

Kare for Kids, which sponsors the event, said safety is the primary reason for the change.

We want to make it safer for pedestrians walking from the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame to the downtown area, Kare for Kids President Calvin Byrd said. They have to cross Highway 53 so this makes it a lot safer.

The second reason for the change is to increase the number of vendor booths and entertainment.

We also want to improve the visibility of the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame, its car show, and the Dawsonville Moonshine Distillery, Byrd said.

Last week, NASCAR great Bill Elliott announced a partnership with the Dawsonville Moonshine Distillery and the launch of three Elliott moonshine labels.

Another change in this years festival is Highway 9 will be barricaded starting at Perimeter Road. Only residents living in the area will be permitted to enter.

Artwork for the festival was released Sept. 26 and honors the late James B. Day, a longtime festival supporter who collected a number of cars for his Riverbend Racing Museum in Easley, S.C.

We are proud to have our festival artwork feature J.B. Day this year, Byrd said. He was one of the main reasons that our festival was able to showcase original race cars that were used when races were held on the beach in Daytona.

Days family expects to continue the tradition of showing his collection of rare automobiles at the festival.

The festival artwork is a tribute to J.B. Day and individuals like him whose passion for the preservation of racing history provide opportunities for others to learn and enjoy, according to a press release from Kare for Kids.