The Georgia Peach Festival takes place every June and is shared between Fort Valley and Byron. Each year, it also features the “World’s Largest Peach Cobbler,” measuring 11 feet by 5 feet. The festival is the only state-sanctioned food festival. Peach blossoms offer a different seasonal view of the area: around Fort Valley, the landscape is covered in blossoms every spring. A recurring June festival and the annually recurring spring landscape thus represent two distinct facets of peach growing.

Gardens, Blossoms and Local Tastings

In Fort Valley, Massee Lane Gardens are devoted to the plant world, with more than 1,000 varieties of camellias. The gardens also include the Abendroth Japanese Garden. The extensive camellia collection and the named Japanese garden give visitors a specific focus within the grounds. By contrast, peach blossoms shape the landscape around Fort Valley in spring. If you want to experience garden plants and seasonal landscapes in different ways, the collection and blossom season offer two clearly distinct perspectives.

Byron also offers culinary highlights. Barbour Farms serves peach and strawberry soft-serve ice cream, while GeorgiaBob’s Uncorked is a wine-tasting room where wine tastings are offered. The offerings differ: Barbour Farms features two soft-serve flavors, while wine tasting is the focus at GeorgiaBob’s Uncorked. Together with the festival’s annual cobbler, they offer a selection of specific food and tasting experiences, without describing the same kind of visit.

Byron: Local History and Getting Around

The Byron Historic District is the historic commercial and residential center of Byron. The Byron Depot is a restored historic railway depot with a caboose dating to around 1870. Byron’s old jail was built around 1875. These places highlight different aspects of local history: the district represents the commercial and residential center, the depot tells the story of the railroad, and the jail is another type of building from that era.

There is also a specific detail to help you get your bearings: Byron is located at Exit 149 on I-75 and on Highway 49. Its road connections help situate the town, while the Historic District, depot and old jail explore different themes in the town’s history.

Fort Valley: Theater, Collections and Experiences

The Austin Theatre was restored from the former Peach Theatre. Anderson House, the oldest building at Fort Valley State University, is located on campus. It houses the Biggs Collection of historic furniture and other historical objects. The Blue Bird Body Company Museum in Fort Valley offers a different kind of collection history: it displays the original Blue Bird Number One. The theater, furniture and other historical objects, and an original vehicle offer different ways to explore cultural and industrial history.

Fort Valley State University offers in-person campus tours led by student ambassadors; reservations are required. If you are interested in the university, this requirement is part of planning your visit. For a different activity, Pine Needles Country Club in Fort Valley offers a regular 9-hole golf course. The two options appeal to different interests: a guided campus tour or a round of golf on a course with a designated nine-hole format.

Walking Tracks and Golf

North Peach Park is in Byron and is one of two parks in Peach County. Both parks offer walking tracks, among other amenities. Together with the golf course in Fort Valley, these are two different ways to stay active: walking tracks in the county parks and golf on a regular 9-hole course. Which activity best suits your stay depends on whether you would rather use a walking track or plan a round of golf.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Fort Valley, Byron, Thomas County, Screven, Columbia, Bacon, Grady, Stephens County.

For the broader travel overview: Georgia.