Dawsonville will be home to music, moonshine and motor vehicles this weekend as the 46th Mountain Moonshine Festival gets under way.

The festivities start Friday morning as the old 'shine-running cars pull into the streets downtown.

"We are extremely excited about the upcoming Moonshine Festival," said Christie Haynes, president of the Dawson County Office of Tourism Development. "We have had an influx of calls and requests for visitor information over the last few months in preparation for our big weekend."

Dawsonville will play host to a number of street vendors, musicians and neighbors from out of town as the roads are shut down and the mountain crafts are unpacked for the three-day festival.

"This weekend brings visitors who spend money buying gas, staying in our local accommodations, eating in our restaurants, shopping at our outlets and much more," Haynes said. "We are grateful for the boom to the local economy that the Moonshine Festival brings."

During the day, live acts will entertain festival-goers. At night, the bands come out for two concerts under the stars on Friday and Saturday night.

Visitors will also not want to miss the inaugural induction class of the National Moonshiners Hall of Fame located in the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame.

"I'm really excited about this. It's a big deal for the festival," said Gordon Pirkle, president. "I think it'll fit in perfectly with the Moonshine Festival, especially since it's a national hall of fame. That way, we can get more nationally recognized names in moonshining as the years go on."

According to K.A.R.E. for Kids president Calvin Byrd, the inductees will be recognized during the opening ceremonies Saturday morning.

"In all of the stories I've ever heard, Dawsonville has always been known as one of the birthplaces for moonshine," Byrd said. "We should definitely be one of, if not the first, place to have a nationally-recognized hall of fame for it."

And if racing is more to your liking, the festival has plenty of cars to look at, ranging from a number of old 'shine-running 1940s cars to the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame and a new-car show in the parking lot of the Health Department downtown.

The Dawson Community News has all the information you need for the upcoming festival in our Mountain Moonshine Festival Guide, included in this issue. Find out about the vendors, entertainment or even places to grab a bite to eat or a place to rest is all laid out.

Don't be caught this weekend wondering why the streets are closed or why there is music in the air. Pick up yours today.