The Georgia History Festival is the signature K-12 educational program of the Georgia Historical Society (GHS), reaching hundreds of thousands of students statewide. Beginning with the new school year in September, a variety of public programs, exhibits, events, and educational resources bring history to life for students of all ages and encourage Georgians to explore the richness of our state’s past. In addition to new online and in-person programming, the Festival includes popular annual events, such as the Colonial Faire and Muster living-history program; Super Museum Sunday, the Georgia Day Expo, and the Governor’s induction of two modern-day Georgia Trustees at the elegant Trustees Gala.
From Town Halls to the National Mall: Civic Engagement in American History
Each year, GHS selects a significant topic in Georgia’s history as the focus of the Georgia History Festival’s educational programs and resources. In recognition of the 250th commemoration of the founding of the United States, GHS programs, resources, and publications explore the vital role that democratic institutions play in sustaining a republican form of government.
The 2026-2027 Festival will explore the vital role of citizenship, voting, constitutional amendments, and the history that has shaped them in Georgia and the United States. How did the right to vote and the meaning of citizenship expand and evolve during those years? How has the right to vote been challenged over time? What is the role of frequent, free, and open elections, and how have Americans participated in them? What does history say about the peaceful transfer of power?
Aligned to the Georgia Standards of Excellence, this study will support students’ understanding of the historical struggles, constitutional developments, and civic responsibilities, that continue to shape participation at the local, state, and national level in American democracy today.
View the official Georgia History Festival brochure.
