The 50th annual Mountain Moonshine Festival will continue as planned this weekend, rain or 'shine, according to K.A.R.E. for Kids President David McKee.

Traffic will shut down the streets of downtown Dawsonville starting at 3 p.m. today.

The square will remain open to traffic, but Hwy. 9 N from the square just past Grace Presbyterian Church will be closed, as well as Hwy. 53 E. from Jack Heard Road into town. Academy Avenue will be closed as well as smaller downtown streets and a portion of Allen Street. Check the map below for full details of road closure and vendor spaces.

The festival parade, currently scheduled for 9 a.m. Oct. 28, could be delayed due to rain, McKee said Thursday night. The National Weather Service currently predicts a 90 percent chance of rain in Dawsonville by noon Saturday.

K.A.R.E for Kids will make the decision at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 28 whether the parade will go on as scheduled or if it will be pushed back to 1:30 p.m.

The festival kicked off this morning with the car show at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame. The festival will open to the public at 8 a.m. tomorrow and close at 7 p.m. The festival will also be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 

Over 300 vendors have signed up to peddle their wares at the festival, and multiple acts are scheduled at three stages downtown.

Parking will be $10.

Follow moonshine festival updates on our Facebook page as well as the 2017 50th annual Mountain Moonshine Festival event page.

For more information about K.A.R.E. for Kids visit www.kareforkids.org.