In March, Donna and Peggy Cannella published a letter thanking Braselton for more than 20 years of support and announcing that their festival was moving to Commerce. The festival had run in downtown Braselton for 23 years, and over that time it grew into one of the region's largest arts and antiques events, with several shows a year.
On Saturday and Sunday, October 24 and 25, the Antique & Artisan Festival holds its first fall show in Commerce. The organizer's own page says October is the largest show in its lineup.
The festival left Braselton when new event rules cut into its streets and parking. Commerce has given it room on State Street, and this show is the clearest test so far of whether crowds that size help the storefronts downtown is trying to fill.
Why a Braselton Tradition Ended Up on State Street
The festival came down to logistics. Donna Cannella told AccessWDUN that new requirements for events in downtown Braselton had raised costs for the organizers and made the show harder to run, as AccessNorthGA reported. The changes included limits on parking for the more than 250 vendors, no more booths on some streets the show had used before, and costs the town used to share now falling on the organizers. Countryside Antiques, the Cannellas' store, is staying in downtown Braselton.
In the same AccessNorthGA story, the organizers explained what brought them to Commerce:
"Commerce is a community experiencing incredible revitalization, energy, and growth, and we are honored to become part of that momentum... streets to fill with vendors, new shoppers to welcome, and new traditions to create."
Commerce has made room on its streets. For the first Commerce show on April 25 and 26, the City Council approved closing portions of State Street, Central Avenue and Cherry Street, plus the public lot on State Street and the Downtown Development Authority's property on View Street, according to MainStreet News. Those closures were approved for April only. Check the city's notices for the October layout.
The same report gives a sense of scale. Natalie Thomas, who was then Commerce's Main Street and Downtown Development Director, told the council the festival usually brings hundreds of vendors, food trucks and live music, and draws 10,000 to 15,000 visitors. That is a lot of people for one weekend on a few blocks of State Street.
The Weekend at a Glance
The details below come from the Art-Tiques Vintage Market home page and its October 2026 show page. The City of Commerce events calendar also lists the market on both days.
| Detail | What the organizer lists |
|---|---|
| Address | 110 State St., Commerce |
| Saturday, Oct. 24 | 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
| Sunday, Oct. 25 | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Vendors | 250 |
| Food vendors | 10 |
| Music | Light live music |
| Admission and parking | Free, with on-site parking and handicap parking up front |
| Shuttle | From Lanier Tech on Elm Street |
| From I-85 | Exit 147 |
The organizer lists woodworkers, metal art, resin art, jewelers, potters, candle and soap makers, and antiques. It also says it hand-picks vendors so that no one category takes over the show.
At the DDA's Aug. 24 meeting, Main Street Director Dana David described a larger October event with about 350 vendors, which that report dated Oct. 23–24, MainStreet News reported. Either way, this show is bigger than the summer ones. At that same meeting, David said the most recent downtown festival drew 125 vendors. A March MainStreet News preview put the festival's usual April and October shows at 250 to 300 vendors and its June and August shows at 125 to 150.
The shuttle from Lanier Tech is especially handy for anyone who lives in town. If you can walk or drive to Elm Street, you can leave the car there and avoid looking for a spot near State Street.
Where the Crowd Spills Over
The organizer's page mentions that Commerce "has a few local Antique stores, restaurants and so much to offer those coming for the festival." These are the ones within walking distance of the booths, all listed in the city's own directories. Hours can change on a festival weekend, so check before you go.
- Two Beans, 47 State St. Its current online shop profile lists Saturday hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Saturday, it opens an hour before the vendors do.
- Nerd U Comics and Collectibles, 55 State St. A comics and collectibles shop, per the city's downtown directory.
- Commerce Drug Lunch Counter, 1751 N. Elm St. Sandwiches, hamburgers, milkshakes and ice cream, according to the city's listing.
- Cherry Street Nutrition, 225 Cherry St. and Friends, 1671 S. Elm St. Both appear on the city's Dine page.
- Back in the Dayz Antiques, 1759 N. Elm St., and M T Sanders Furniture, 1697 S. Elm St. Both appear on the downtown shopping directory. For antique hunters, Back in the Dayz is the obvious stop after the booths.
After an earlier festival weekend, David told the DDA that "every shop I went into on Saturday was busy" and that "the sidewalks were full, which is what we want," per MainStreet News. October will bring roughly twice as many vendors as that August show.
The Storefronts Being Filled for Ordinary Weekdays
The DDA's goal reaches past festival weekends. At the same August meeting, DDA board member Stacey Rucker said, "We're getting a lot of volume downtown, but only on events, and it needs to be every day," MainStreet News reported. She urged the board to recruit a small sandwich, salad or snack business. She noted that visitors sometimes leave downtown when the restaurants are busy or when they want a lighter meal to eat at the outdoor picnic tables.
At that meeting, the board also advanced leases on two DDA-owned buildings:
- 12 Pine Street. A one-year lease for Jonathan Stancil's planned store for law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel and other public safety workers. It is expected to carry uniforms and tactical gear and offer on-site embroidery. The building used to house the Commerce Recreation Department.
- 1645 South Elm Street. A lease for John Freeman's planned candy shop in a building of about 368 square feet. Planned stock includes bulk and nostalgic candy, gourmet chocolates, seasonal treats and locally sourced sweets. Earlier discussions included later hours and removing a flower bed to make room for outdoor seating.
Neither shop has announced an opening date. Both leases followed months of festival weekends, and both buildings are within walking distance of the booths.
Even the sidewalks are part of the effort. The city's 2026 sidewalk contract covers repairs and new construction meant to improve pedestrian safety and ADA access and to connect parks, community facilities and planned event spaces. Work is listed on Homer Street, Ridgeway Street and Carson Street. The Homer Street section starts at 95 Homer Street and runs about 400 feet to Homer Road. The city posted the award to CGS for $64,329.21 on September 22, 2026.
The people steering all this are fairly new too. The city announced in June that Dana David would take over as Downtown Development and Main Street Director in mid-July. That makes this October show the first big fall festival under her watch.
Six Days Later, Halloween Downtown
The festival weekend leads straight into a busy week. The City of Commerce calendar lists:
- Wednesday, Oct. 28: Halloween Dress-Up Little Movers at 10:30 a.m.
- Friday, Oct. 30: Trunk or Treat, plus BOO Fest at 5:30 p.m.
The calendar doesn't give a location or program for either Friday event, so check the city's page that week before you head out. Looking further ahead, the city's annual events page lists Hometown Holidays, with the tree lighting and Commerce by Candlelight, along with the Merry Makers Market and the Christmas Parade. The page doesn't give their 2026 dates yet.
If you own a home or a downtown building in Commerce and want to talk about how a downtown on the upswing plays into your next move, the team at Sold by Ashley & Associates will be glad to sit down with you, ideally after you've enjoyed the festival. Schedule a Consultation, and we'll talk through what's changing on State and Elm and what it could mean for you.
