🍎 Make It a Mountain Weekend: Your Guide to Picnic on the Farm in Blue Ridge
- gafoundationag
- Jul 28
- 3 min read
Looking for the perfect excuse to sneak away to the mountains before fall hits full swing? We’ve got you covered.
Picnic on the Farm is headed to Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge on August 23, and we’re making a weekend out of it. If you’ve never been to Blue Ridge—or even if you have—this is the kind of trip that’s good for the soul. Here’s how to turn a Saturday picnic into a full-blown weekend adventure:
Friday Evening – Hit the Road
Leave after work, roll the windows down, and head north to the mountains. Blue Ridge is just a few hours from most parts of Georgia, and the views are worth every mile.
✨ Where to stay (affordable but great):
Comfort Inn & Suites Blue Ridge – clean, walkable, and convenient
Blue Ridge Rustic Inn – a charming roadside option close to town
Or rent a cozy cabin with friends or family → Find cabins here
Saturday Morning – Fuel Up Before the Fun
Start your day with a local breakfast and mountain air.Top picks:
The BumbleBee Café – a cozy local favorite for classic breakfast plates, biscuits, and good coffee
Serenity Garden Café – charming spot with outdoor seating and Southern-style breakfast
The Trailer Drive-In – a true local gem with no-frills breakfast and early hours
Saturday Afternoon – Picnic on the Farm at Mercier Orchards
Here’s the main event:
Hard cider + wine tastings
Picnic lunch, homemade at Mercier's farm market + Mercier's Famous Fried Pies
Live bluegrass music
U-pick apples
Whether you come for the food, the music, the views, or just to take a deep breath and reconnect, you’re going to leave feeling good.
📍 Mercier Orchards | August 23 | 1 PM - 4 PM (12 PM VIP Early Entry)
🎟️ Ticket deadline: August 8 → https://www.gafoundationag.org/picnic
Saturday Evening – Wind Down in Downtown Blue Ridge
After the picnic, take a stroll through downtown Blue Ridge, shop a bit, and grab dinner and drinks at some local favorites:
Browse local boutiques and shops. Be sure to swing by Oyster Fine Bamboo Fly Rods. A one-of-a-kind stop where you can watch artisan fly rods being handcrafted
Enjoy dinner and drinks at Harvest on Main, Black Sheep, The General Ledger, Chester Brunnenmeyer’s Tavern, or Blue Ridge Brewery, all walkable, and perfect for relaxing after a day on the farm
Wherever you land, you’ll find good food, great drinks, and a welcoming vibe to wrap up your mountain weekend.
Sunday Morning – Coffee + One Last Stop
Before heading home, slow down and soak up the mountain air:
Start your morning with coffee at Das Kaffee Haus, where you can sip from the balcony and watch the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway roll by
Grab a sweet treat from The Sweet Shoppe of the South, yes, the Cupcake Wars winners!
Pop into Huck’s General Store for nostalgic snacks, old-fashioned candy, and small-town charm
Or try something unexpected at the Blue Ridge Olive Oil Company. Taste your way through specialty oils and vinegars and take home a foodie souvenir
A slow Sunday stroll through downtown is the perfect way to close out your Picnic on the Farm weekend.
Plan Your Trip Checklist
Save your favorite stops from this guide
Invite a friend or two
Pack your farm-chic picnic outfit & a good appetite
Ready to join us?
Tickets are on sale through August 8, and this is one of our biggest fundraising events of the year. Purchase tickets or learn more here.
All proceeds support agricultural education, student scholarships, farmer mental health resources + disaster recovery, and Georgia Farm Bureau programs like Ag in the Classroom and Young Farmers & Ranchers.
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