Crabapple Fest: 2026 Recap, 2027 Status, Parking and Road Closures

Crabapple Fest is Milton’s annual art and antique festival, held on Crabapple Road in downtown Crabapple, Milton, Georgia. The 2026 festival was held Saturday, October 3, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the City says about 20,000 people turned out. The next one is in October 2027; the City had not posted the exact date as of October 18, 2026.

When is the next Crabapple Fest?

The City says the next Crabapple Fest will be in October 2027; the exact 2027 date had not been posted as of October 18, 2026. (City of Milton, checked Oct 18, 2026)

The City of Milton describes the festival as held the first Saturday of October from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The 2026 date fit that pattern. We will post the 2027 date here when the City publishes it, and not before. If you see a 2027 date elsewhere, check it against the City.

What Crabapple Fest 2026 looked like

• Vendors: more than 100 local antique, craft and art vendors along Crabapple Road.
• Music: for the first time, a temporary music stage near the Heritage Walk/Crabapple Chase Drive roundabout end of Crabapple Road, per the City’s 2026 preview.
• Kids: a KidZone behind the Green with three carnival rides, two obstacle courses, a toddler playland and a giant inflatable, plus the Children’s Entrepreneur Market behind the Green, where dozens of young people sell their own products.
• Cost: free to attend.
• Crowd: about 20,000 people, according to the City.

The footprint

The festival runs along Crabapple Road from the Crabapple/Heritage Walk roundabout to the Birmingham Highway/Broadwell Road intersection. Activities also spill onto the Crabapple Market property, including the Green, and into the City Hall parking lot, which is not available for parking that day. The City’s 2026 festival map marked restrooms, the shuttle drop-off and pick-up point, food zones, the KidZone and first aid; see the 2026 map (PDF).

Road closures and detours

For 2026, Crabapple Road closed between the Heritage Walk/Crabapple Chase Drive roundabout and the Mayfield/Broadwell/Birmingham Highway intersection from 10 a.m. on Friday, October 2, per the City’s road closure notice. The City’s festival page says the road reopens around 10 p.m. on festival night.

• Lecoma Trace also closes between Heritage Walk and the south end of the Crabapple Market Green for set-up.
• Heritage Walk is the main detour.
• Other options: Broadwell Road toward Rucker Road, or Birmingham Highway toward Dorris and New Providence roads.

If you live or work on that stretch, the Friday closure matters as much as Saturday.

Parking and the shuttle

Parking moves out of the village. In 2026 free event parking was at Milton Community Church (12760 Birmingham Highway), Crabapple Crossing Elementary School (12775), Northwestern Middle School (12805) and Milton High School (13025), with a free shuttle. Pick your destination below to see the walk from each lot, measured along OpenStreetMap streets and paths at about 3 mph.

From the closest festival lots, walking is a real option: about 9 minutes from Crabapple Crossing Elementary to the Green and about 10 minutes from Milton Community Church. Northwestern Middle and Milton High are about 19 to 20 minutes out, which is where the shuttle earns its keep.

Shuttle details have varied. The City’s festival page says the shuttle runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., about every 20 minutes. The City has named the drop-off two ways: the “Alpharetta Government Center” at the Broadwell and Crabapple roads intersection in one place, and the Crabapple Government Center in newer text. Follow the signs on the day.

Accessible parking. The festival page lists handicap parking at the Crabapple Government Center, 12624 Broadwell Road, across from Broadwell Pavilion, and at the Shell station at the Broadwell/Crabapple/Birmingham Highway intersection. The City’s 2026 preview listed handicapped parking behind the Goddard School, 12665 Crabapple Road, instead. Check the City’s notice each year.

No street parking. Parking on neighborhood streets is strictly prohibited on festival day, and violators risk towing at the owner’s expense. Towed cars go to United Towing Service, 1160 Tidwell Road, Alpharetta; details are on our parking page.

What to bring

• Payment: there is no ATM on the grounds. Many vendors take cards, Venmo, Zelle or cash.
• Dogs: leashed pets are welcome. The City asks owners to bring water and clean up after them.
• Weather: the festival goes ahead rain or shine.
• Shoes: the vendor line runs from the Heritage Walk roundabout to the Broadwell Road intersection, and the outer lots are about 20 minutes on foot.

Crabapple Fest runs rain or shine. (City of Milton, checked Oct 18, 2026)

Who runs it

Crabapple Fest is a City of Milton event. The City says its city-sponsored events are paid for by Hotel-Motel Tax revenue and, in part, by sponsors. For the rest of the year’s calendar, see events; for the antiques side of the village’s past, see the antiques crossroads; and for a plain timeline of how parking and closures have worked, read fest parking and road closures.

Questions people ask