Country Living collected a series of "18 of The Best Fall Festivals to Celebrate the Season" by Rebecca Shinners. Each one is different from the next, but they all look like a fun way to celebrate the "the local crops and culture unique to an area." Just the beautiful photography alone is enough to inspire a trip to one of these varied destinations! Check out the list, perhaps there is one close to home! Enjoy and happy fall!
1 Breckenridge Oktoberfest
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| Courtesy of The Breckenridge Colorado Tourism Office |
Where: Breckenridge, Colorado
When: September 11-13, 2015
What to expect: A Munich-style street party in the mountains complete with "oompah" dancers, schnitzel, and traditional polka music.
For more information, visit gobreck.com.
2 Circleville Pumpkin Show
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| Courtesy of Circleville Pumpkin Show |
Where: Circleville, Ohio
When: October 21-24, 2015
What to expect: Parades and delicious fall treats. Plus, more than 10,000 pounds of pumpkins, squash, and guards beautifying the streets!
For more information, visit pumpkinshow.com.
3 Trailing of the Sheep Festival
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| Courtesy of Trailing of the Sheep Festival |
Where: Sun Valley, Ketchum, and Hailey, Idaho
When: October 7-11, 2015
What to expect: This town has turned its annual relocation of livestock from the mountains to their winter pasture into a reason to celebrate. Watch on as the streets fill with sheep!
For more information, visit trailingofthesheep.org.
4 Adirondack Balloon Festival
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| Jason Hupe |
Where: Glens Falls, New York
When: September 17-20, 2015
What to expect: Ride in a hot air balloon, or watch from below as bright colors light up the Adirondacks.
For more information, visit adirondackballoonfest.org/.
5 Cranberry Harvest Fest
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| Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism via Flikr Creative Commons |
Where: Wareham, Massachussetts
When: October 10-11, 2015
What to expect: A bright and colorful harvest on display, helicopter rides or tours of the surrounding bogs, cooking demonstrations, a farmers' market, and activities for the whole family.
For more information, visit admakepeace.com.
6 Madison County Covered Bridge Festival
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| Getty Images |
Where: Winterset, Iowa
When: October 10-11, 2015
What to expect: Celebrate the cultural heritage of Madison County's six covered bridges—five of which are on the National Register of Historic Places—with a parade, games, and entertainment.
For more information, visit mccoveredbridgefestival.org.
7 Autumn at the Arboretum
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| Courtesy of the Dallas Arboretum |
Where: Dallas, Texas
When: September 19-November 25, 2015
What to expect: The highlight of this ongoing event is the pumpkin village, made out of 75,000 pumpkins, squash, and gourds.
For more information, visit dallasarboretum.org.
8 Sonoma County Harvest Fair
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| Courtesy of Sonoma County Event Center |
Where: Sonoma, California
When: October 2-4, 2015
What to expect: Award-winning wines, winery competitions, cow-milking contests, and best of all, the World Championship Grape Stomp, where participants of all ages can join in.
For more information, visit harvestfair.org.
9 Scarecrow Festival
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| Michael Kappel via Flickr Creative Commons |
Where: St. Charles, Illinois
When: October 9-11, 2015
What to expect: Vote for your favorite hand-crafted scarecrow while enjoying live music, a crafts show, carnival, and petting zoo.
For more information, visit scarecrowfest.com.
10 North Carolina Pecan Harvest Festival
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| Courtesy of NC Pecan Harvest Festival Organizing Committee |
Where: Whiteville, North Carolina
When: November 5-7, 2015
What to expect: Parades, musical entertaining, and house tours abound in the town known as one of the top pecan producers in the state.
For more information, visit ncpecanfestival.com.
11 Kona Coffee Cultural Fest
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| Courtesy of Kona Coffee Cultural Festival |
Where: Kona, Hawaii
When: November 6-15, 2015
What to expect: The oldest food festival in Hawaii celebrates the state's coffee pioneers, farmers, and artisans with farm tours, art shows, and a coffee cupping competition.
For more information, visit konacoffeefest.com.
12 Hood River Valley Harvest Fest
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| Ray Perkins |
Where: Hood River, Oregon
When: October 16-18, 2015
What to expect: Seasonal food, local arts, live music, and family-friendly activities.
For more information, visit hoodriver.org.
13 Oktoberfest Zinzinnati
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| Courtesy of Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber |
Where: Cincinnati, Ohio
When: September 18-20, 2015
What to expect: Experience southwest Ohio's rich German heritage with authentic food, music, and beer at the largest Okotberfest celebration in the U.S.
For more information, visit oktoberfestzinzinnati.com.
14 National Apple Harvest Festival
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| Orbital Joe via Flickr Creative Commons |
Where: Arendtsville, Pennsylvania
When: October 3-4 and 10-12, 2015
What to expect: This festival is a total dream come true for anyone who loves apple picking season.
For more information, visit appleharvest.com.
15 Warrens Cranberry Festival
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| Courtesy of CranFest |
Where: Warrens, Wisconsin
When: September 25-27, 2015
What to expect: The world's largest cranberry fest has become an international event with over 100,000 yearly visitors, thanks to marsh tours, local shopping, contests, seasonal treats and a parade.
For more information, visit cranfest.com.
16 Fall Back Beer Fest
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| Courtesy of Fall Back Beer Fest/Facebook |
Where: Estates Park, Colorado
When: October 31, 2015
What to expect: Beer everything, from demonstrations to home-brewing supply giveaways.
For more information, visit visitestespark.com.
17 Heritage Harvest Festival at Monticello
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| Jocelyndale via Flickr Creative Commons |
Where: Monticello, Virginia
When: September 10-12, 2015
What to expect: Garden tours, fruit and vegetable tastings, and gardening lessons to celebrate Thomas Jefferson's legacy as America's "first foodie." Oh, and did we mention the Beekman Boys are headlining this year's event?
For more information, visit heritageharvestfestival.com.
18 Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin' Festival
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| Skyview Images |
Where: Stowe, Vermont
When: September 27, 2015
What to expect: Three rounds of competitive "pumpkin chucking" where people of all ages launch pumpkins as far as they can using trebuchets.
For more information, visit vtpumpkinchuckin.blogspot.com.
Thanks a ton for sharing this list of 18 of The Best Fall Festivals to Celebrate the Season. I knew only about events that I attend at local Los Angeles event venues but it’s great to have this list. It would be great attending one of these events sometime later!!
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