It is that time of year. The crisp, cool air of autumn brings with it the opportunity to participate in hometown fall harvest festivals that are quintessentially American. Although COVID-19 has slowed down a lot of activities, outdoor festivals are safer than large indoor gatherings. There’s nothing like the tang of pumpkin in your mouth or the cinnamon-spiced fragrance of hot apple cider. It’s time to explore what this country has to offer.
Below, check out some of the festivals from Laurren Welch’s July 6, 2020 article “22 Best Fall Harvest Festivals and Events Across America” from The Oprah Magazine.
The Pumpkin Show
When: October 21-24
Where: Circleville, Ohio
What to expect: Free admission, contests, band performances, fun rides and pumpkin everything (including burgers).
For more information, visit pumpkinshow.com.
Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta
When: September 23-27
Where: Santa Fe, New Mexico
What to expect: 90 national wineries partner up with 75 local Santa Fe restaurants for a five-day long celebration full of wine tastings, seminars and cooking demos. The festival ends with a Grand Tasting at the Santa Fe Opera House.
For more information, visit santafewineandchile.org.
Arizona Taco Festival
When: October 24-25
Where: Scottsdale, Arizona
What to expect: Tacos, tequila, and a Chihuahua beauty pageant! A general admission ticket gets you into "taco-topia" where you'll find about 50+ restaurants dishing out tacos, bars serving adult beverages, and live music.
For more information, visit aztacofestival.com.
West Side Nut Club Fall Festival
When: October 5-10
Where: Evansville, Indiana
What to expect: This massive, week-long festival attracts over 200,000 people and features carnival rides, free entertainment, and over 136 food booths. Consider spending a few days at the festival to really get the whole experience. (There’s a huge parade on the last day!)
For more information, visit nutclubfallfestival.com.
Georgia Apple Festival
When: October 10-11 and October 17-18
Where: Ellijay, Georgia
What to expect: This small-town arts and crafts festival features shopping from over 300 vendors (bring something to tote your purchases in!), music, an antique car show, a parade and just about every kind of apple-related treat you could imagine.
For more information, visit georgiaapplefestival.org.
Louisiana Pecan Festival
When: November 6-8
Where: Colfax, Louisiana
What to expect: The sleepy town of Colfax comes alive for a jam-packed weekend of arts and crafts, cooking contests, carnival rides, food, music, and more—all to celebrate the humble pecan! Be sure to stay until the end of the night on Saturday to catch the fireworks show.
For more information, visit lapecanfest.com.
West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta
When: October 17
Where: Tualatin, Oregon
What to expect: Watch kids and adults in costumes as they race to paddle oversized pumpkins down the lake, plus shop hand-crafted fall harvest items, and participate in a medallion hunt or the 5k regatta run.
For more information, visit tualatinoregon.gov/pumpkinregatta.
Arkansas Cornbread Festival
When: November 7
Where: Little Rock, Arkansas
What to expect: This year marks the 10th anniversary of the festival so get ready for all things cornbread, including a best recipe competition. Admission to the festival is free, but you'll need to purchase a tasting ticket if you want sample each competitor's recipe and cast a vote for your favorite.
For more information, visit arkansascornbreadfestival.com.
New Hampshire Pumpkin Festival
When: October 16-17
Where: Laconia, New Hampshire
What to expect: This 40,000+ person event features too many attractions to count (pumpkin carving, zombie walk, and mechanical bull, just to name a few), but most notable is the 34-foot tall tower of pumpkins.
For more information, visit nhpumpkinfestival.com.
Coconut Grove Pumpkin Patch Festival
When: October 24-25
Where: Miami, Florida
What to expect: It's family-friendly activities galore, including a corn maze, carnival rides, a scarecrow village and a pumpkin food court. Plus, a patch with over 2,500 pumpkins to pick from!
For more information, visit coconutgrovepumpkinpatch.com.
Fall Foliage Festival
When: October 3-4 and October 10-11
Where: Bedford, Pennsylvania
What to expect: Over 70,000 people flock to Bedford to see the town's fiery foliage. The festival includes over 400 exhibitors and an antique car parade.
For more information, visit bedfordfallfoliagefestival.com.
The Great Jack O' Lantern Blaze
When: September 18-20; 25-27; October 1-31; November 1; 6-8; 13-15; 20-21
Where: Croton-on-Hudson, New York
What to expect: A sight for the eyes, you'll witness more than 7,000 intricately carved pumpkins light up this festival. It's perfect for the 'gram.
For more information, visit hudsonvalley.org.
Trailing of the Sheep Festival
When: October 7-11
Where: Sun Valley, Ketchum, and Hailey, Idaho
What to expect: Touted as one of the best festivals in the world, the annual event celebrates the migration of 1,500 sheep from the mountains to their winter pasture. Between the sheep parade, wool fest, a folklife fair and sheepdog trials, you'll want to stay for several days.
For more information, visit trailingofthesheep.org.
AppleJack Festival
When: September 18-20
Where: Nebraska City, Nebraska
What to expect: Classic fall festival events (shopping, car show, parade) plus apple pies, apple fritters, apple cider, candy apples...you get the idea. The yearly event draws thousands of people to Nebraska City to celebrate the fall harvest season.
For more information, visit gonebraskacity.com.
Autumn at the Arboretum
When: September 19 – November 1
Where: Dallas, Texas
What to expect: Get ready for a kaleidoscope of fall colors, including 150,000 fall-blooming plants, and a "Pumpkin Village" featuring more than 90,000 pumpkins, squash, and gourds. Plus, you can enjoy a three-course Harvest Tea experience.
For more information, visit dallasarboretum.org.
Country Living Fair
When: Postponed until June 4-6, 2021
Where: Nashville, Tennessee
What to expect: Last year's fair included vintage and antique dealers, craft demonstrations, food trucks, and a chance to meet the magazine's editors.
For more information, visit countryliving.com.
Wellfleet OysterFest
When: Postponed until October 16-17, 2021
Where: Wellfleet, Massachusetts
What to expect: Love oysters? This two-day, family friendly festival celebrating the town's oysters (they're the highest-rated in the country) is the event for you. Although this year's festival has been postponed, organizers are planning some virtual events that you can tune into online.
For more information, visit wellfleetspat.org.
Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival
When: Postponed until October 16-17, 2021
Where: Half Moon Bay, California
What to expect: Rain or shine, over 100,000 locals and out-of-towners gather together in Half Moon Bay for pumpkin-inspired food and activities, live music, and a giant pumpkin weigh-off. While most activities are postponed until next year due to coronavirus, the 2020 Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off will still happen on October 12, 2020.
For more information, visit pumpkinfest.miramarevents.com.
Bayfield Apple Festival
When: Postponed until October 1-3, 2021
Where: Bayfield, Wisconsin
What to expect: You'll have to wait until 2021 to tour the orchards and wineries, browse arts and crafts, and sample local fare at this autumn harvest celebration. “Bayfield is resilient and I have no doubt that we will all work together to make 2021 the best Apple Festival ever," said said David Eades, executive director of the Bayfield Chamber & Visitor Bureau.
For more information, visit bayfield.org.
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
When: Postponed until October 2-10, 2021
Where: Albuquerque, New Mexico
What to expect: Over 500 balloons lift off from Albuquerque's Balloon Festival Park during this massive nine-day event. Due to COVID-19, the 49th International Balloon Fiesta has been postponed until 2021.
For more information, visit
National Apple Harvest Festival
When: Postponed until October 2-3 and October 9-10, 2021
Where: Biglerville, Pennsylvania
What to expect: As you may have guessed from the title, this event is all about apples! The festival is huge and there's no on-site parking (you have to take a shuttle from a specified point), so we recommend spending the weekend in the area to really make the most of it. Unfortunately, organizers decided to cancel this year's festival due to ongoing uncertainties around COVID-19 but make a note in your calendar for 2021!
For more information, visit appleharvest.com.
Warrens Cranberry Festival
When: Postponed until September 24-26, 2021
Where: Warrens, Wisconsin
What to expect: One of the world's largest cranberry festivals, this three-day event offers tons of activities including marsh tours, a parade, and over 1,300 retail booths so you can shop 'til you drop. Although this year's festival has been postponed until 2021, you can still shop from the event's vendors online.
For more information, visit https://www.cranfest.com.
Comments