Over 3,000 Special Olympics Georgia athletes, coaches and Unified Partners from across the state will arrive in Gainesville to compete at the Special Olympics Georgia State Fall Games and State Horse Show.

From October 7-9, athletes participating in the State Fall Games will gather at Chicopee Woods Golf Course, North Hall Park and Laurel Park as they compete in Bocce, Cycling, Golf and Softball. Meanwhile, competitors and horses will come together at the Chicopee Woods Agricultural Center for the State Horse Show, participating in events such as dressage, horsemanship, showmanship, english and western riding and unified drill team.

"We are grateful to Hall County and the City of Gainesville for their friendship and hosting the State Fall Games and Horse Show for a third year in a row," said Special Olympics Georgia CEO Georgia Milton-Sheats. "Fans will witness unity, friendship and the strong bond between our athletes, coaches, unified partners and the Special Olympics Georgia community. Our athletes are excited to go for the gold and share the efforts of their dedication and training with family, friends and fans from all corners of Georgia."

The Opening Ceremony for both events will be on Friday, October 7, beginning at 7:30 p.m. The State Fall Games' Opening Ceremony will take place at Gainesville Middle School, while Chicopee Woods Agricultural Center will host the State Horse Show Opening Ceremony. Grand Marshals for Fall Games are Special Olympics Georgia World Games athlete Deon Grant and Atlanta Gladiators Head Coach Andy Brandt, and Hall County Commissioner Billy Powell is the Grand Marshal for the Horse Show.

Special Olympics Georgia would like to thank the Presenting Sponsors for the two events – M3 Accounting + Analytics for the State Fall Games and Hall County Farm Bureau for the State Horse Show. 

Both events are free and open to the public. Those interested in volunteering should contact [email protected]. For more information and a schedule, visit www.SpecialOlympicsGA.org.