"It's giving an opportunity for everybody to come together and just have a good time together under silly circumstances." Bobby Youngblood told The Dahlonega Nugget that about The Game Show Dahlonega, the new series he hosts on the mainstage at The Holly Theatre. The show started because The Holly wanted something specific: recurring family events that could run on weeknights.
That changes how the theater's calendar reads from now to Christmas. The Holly at 69 W Main St has two schedules. The weekend schedule is the one most of Dahlonega already knows: musicals with matinees, $35 adult tickets and long runs. The weeknight schedule is newer and cheaper. Through December it also has the closest ties to the town's own holiday season.
Why a Theater Went Looking for Wednesdays
The Game Show Dahlonega comes from Planet Acorn, and The Holly's calendar lists it under that name. Before tickets went on sale, the format got a test run. In July, an invitation-only trial pitted a team from The Holly against the Dahlonega Arts Alliance, and The Holly won.
The first public show was Wednesday, September 2, at 7 p.m. It matched local law enforcement against emergency services, which Youngblood called "a long-time rivalry." Lumpkin County EMS sent Firefighter Dylan Elliot, Lt. Casi Bailey and Battalion Chief Chris Black. The law enforcement side was Deputy Gian Dev, Deputy Lydia Hammack-Dev and Officer Hunter Bauman. Youngblood emcees, local theater advocate Ivana Pelnar-Zaiko is his assistant, and Matthew and Elise Hoyle serve as guest judges.
The format borrows from several classic game shows, with surveys, trivia and other challenges. It's built around local themes and audience participation. Every round puts people you might actually know on that stage, and that makes the show a community event as much as a performance. Youngblood said he hopes it becomes a new local tradition, with more matchups this winter and into 2027.
The Two Weeknights Left in 2026
As of early October, two more Game Show dates are posted, though they're listed differently depending on where you look.
- Thursday, November 5, 7 p.m. The Fall Edition. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and Planet Acorn lists the teams as TBA. This date is on The Holly's own calendar, and tickets are on sale now.
- Wednesday, December 9. Planet Acorn lists Dahlonega's Old Fashioned Christmas Committee against Santa Claus & The North Pole Crew. This one isn't on The Holly's calendar yet, and no start time or ticket price has been posted. Check again before you plan around it.
Youngblood also warned in the Nugget that waiting can cost you a seat. He said Holly audiences tend to buy during the last week, and the first show could sell out ahead of time. The same advice applies to November 5 once the teams are announced and they start rallying their friends.
What a Family of Five Pays, by Night
Pricing is the clearest difference between the weeknight shows and the weekend ones. The Game Show is all-ages, with $15 general admission or a $30 family rate covering two adults and up to three children under 12. The ticketing page for November 5 shows the same prices.
Here's that family of two adults and three young kids at each show left on the calendar, using posted prices:
| Show | Night | Posted prices | Two adults + three kids |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Game Show Dahlonega | Thursday, Nov. 5, 7 p.m. | $15 single, $30 family | $30 |
| Annie | Thursdays Dec. 10 and 17, 7:30 p.m., plus weekends | $35 adult, $32 military, $15 student/child | $115 |
| Fiddler on the Roof | Final weekend, Oct. 9–11 | $35 adult, $15 student/child | $115 |
| Dahlonega's Got Talent | Saturday, Oct. 24, 7:15 p.m. | $50 single, $100 balcony | Fundraiser pricing |
The Game Show isn't a smaller version of a musical. It's a different kind of night. Still, at these prices the family rate covers the whole household for about a quarter of what two musical tickets for adults and three for kids cost.
The Weekend Lane, From Fiddler to Annie
Weekends still carry the big productions. Fiddler on the Roof plays its final shows Friday, October 9, and Saturday, October 10, at 7:30 p.m., closing with a Sunday matinee October 11 at 2 p.m.
Two weeks after that comes Dahlonega's Got Talent, on Saturday, October 24, at 7:15 p.m. It's the most expensive ticket of the fall, and that's because it's a fundraiser. The Nugget's coverage quotes Executive Director Sarah Christopher and says the proceeds support The Holly's educational programs, including children's summer camp. Those programs go well past one camp. The Holly Performance Academy advertises year-round youth performance options, summer camps for ages 3 to 18, and after-school productions. The Holly is run by Holly Theatre Community Center Inc., a private nonprofit Georgia corporation, with David Robertson as board chair.
If you haven't been inside lately, the stage itself has changed. The Holly's site says its renovations are finished, listing elaborate new curtains, better lighting, new backdrops and automated set changes. Annie will be the first big December production to use all of it.
Annie runs from December 4 to December 20, and the weeknight pattern shows up again in the last two weeks:
- Opening weekend: Friday, Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 5 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 6 at 2 p.m.
- Second week: Thursday, Dec. 10 and Friday, Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 12 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 13 at 2 p.m.
- Closing week: Thursday, Dec. 17 and Friday, Dec. 18 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 19 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 20 at 2 p.m.
If the December 9 Game Show happens as Planet Acorn lists it, the middle of December could give the theater a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in a row: a Christmas-themed game show, then two evening Annie performances.
Where Annie Meets Old Fashioned Christmas
The weeknight shows matter most in December, when the square starts filling with holiday events. As of early October, the 2026 Old Fashioned Christmas schedule hasn't been confirmed in local news. Last year's dates are a rough guide. The Lighting of the Square was November 28, 2025, at 6 p.m. The 2025 Christmas Parade went through the Historic District at noon on Saturday, December 13, rain or shine. That same weekend, the Christmas Market ran at the Community House and Hancock Park. That Saturday evening, Dahlonega United Methodist Church at 107 Park St. held its Live Nativity from 6 to 8 p.m.
If the committee sticks with the second Saturday in December, the 2026 parade would fall on December 12. Annie has two shows that day, at 2 and 7:30 p.m. That date is a guess based on last year's pattern, not an announced schedule. Still, it shows why the Thursday Annie performances on December 10 and 17 are worth a look for anyone who wants the show without competing with a downtown event day. Last year's market weekend also filled Hancock Park, and anyone who went through Gold Rush Days street closures knows how much a single event weekend can change getting around downtown.
The December 9 Game Show links the two calendars directly. That night, the Old Fashioned Christmas Committee is scheduled to face Santa Claus & The North Pole Crew on The Holly's stage. When the committee posts its 2026 dates and The Holly adds that show to its calendar, you'll be able to plan both on the same page.
After Annie closes, the next listing on The Holly's calendar is The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] (Again), opening Friday, February 12, 2027, at 7:30 p.m.
Greg Adams follows Dahlonega's calendar the same way his neighbors do, one Main Street evening at a time. If you'd like local recommendations for a night out, or a quick answer about life near the square, Greg Adams is glad to help, and more about the town is on his Dahlonega page. Go with Greg!
