The Chattahoochee Mountain Fair will open Friday with a ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The remembrance ceremony is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. near the fairgrounds stage. It will include the presentation of colors, remarks about the lasting impact of the attacks, a candlelight observance, the ringing of a bell and ceremonial volleys.
Grant-Reeves Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7720 Commander Bill Miles said the ceremony is intended to honor those who lost their lives while helping younger generations understand how the attacks changed the United States and the world.
“Many of us know where we were that day, or we know somebody who was involved,” Miles said. “Those stories need to be shared with our younger generation so people don’t forget the impact of 9/11 and how it changed our country and the world.”
The Sons of the American Revolution is expected to present the colors at the beginning of the ceremony. During the remembrance, a bell will be rung to mark significant moments in the timeline of the attacks, including when each of the four hijacked airplanes crashed.
The ceremony will conclude with a series of ceremonial volleys. The Sons of the American Revolution will fire the first volley with muskets, followed by the Grant-Reeves VFW Post 7720 Honor Guard. A cannon fired from the grassy area behind the stage will provide the final tribute.
Miles began organizing a local Sept. 11 observance after moving to Habersham County and learning that the community did not have an annual ceremony.
“This community did not have a 9/11 event, which blew my mind,” Miles said.
The ceremony was initially held at the Habersham County Wall of Honor. After serving on the county fair board, Miles proposed moving the observance to the Chattahoochee Mountain Fair and has continued leading the ceremony there each year.
This year’s observance carries added significance because Friday marks exactly 25 years since the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and United Airlines Flight 93.
The ceremony will coincide with opening day of the 2026 Chattahoochee Mountain Fair, which runs Sept. 11–19. Friday’s fair hours are 5–10 p.m., with carnival rides scheduled to begin one hour after the gates open.
The Chattahoochee Mountain Fairgrounds is located at 4235 Toccoa Highway in Clarkesville. Additional information is available on the Chattahoochee Mountain Fair website.
