Fall brings harvest festivals offering food and fun for all ages.
We’ve put together a tasty sampling of events in September and October. For even more options, check these listings: U.S. News’s 24 Top Fall & Harvest Festivals in the U.S., Funtober’s Fall Festivals 2022, and Taste of Home’s The Best Harvest Festival in Every State.
9/10-11/2022—Schmidt’s Columbus Oktoberfest, Columbus, OH
If you like beer and bratwursts or want to try your strength at some unusual contests, then the Schmidt’s Columbus Oktoberfest is the perfect place to kick off your fall festival adventures. The event includes delicious German food, music, events and shows, and Gemütlichkeit Games, including Steinstossen (Stone Throw), Keg Press, Keg Hold, Keg Toss, and Steinheben (Bavarian stone lift). Bringing little ones? Make time for the Kinderplatz: a beautiful free area that the entire family can enjoy. Stroll through the Ohio Stone path and learn about stones native to Ohio or try different kid-oriented arts and crafts.
10/19-22/2022—Circleville Pumpkin Show, Circleville, OH
Four days of pumpkin-oriented fun — that’s what the Circleville Pumpkin Show has for visitors. Parades with more than 50 floats, entertainment, and contests including pie-eating, egg-tossing, big wheel race, and hog-calling. Get your pumpkin fix during the four-day show, with everything from pumpkin burgers, pumpkin taffy, and pumpkin ice cream to pumpkin milkshakes, pumpkin soups, and pumpkin waffles. And of course, pumpkin pies with about 23,000 pies sold during the festival.
9/17-10/31/2022—The Great Pumpkin Farm, Clarence NY
A five-acre corn maze, hot and cold cider, and of course, lots and lots of pumpkins — that’s what you’ll find at The Great Pumpkin Farm. Bring your appetite so you can compete in the adult pie-eating contest or just watch the pros doing their best to beat last year’s record of eating 56 pieces of pumpkin pie in 10 minutes. The festival also has a petting zoo, Zombie paintball Train, amusement park rides, an old-fashioned candy store, and “IndePumpkins Day” on Friday, September 30, with live music and a pumpkin squashplosion!
9/23-25/2022—Warrens Cranberry Festival, Warrens, WI
The Warrens Cranberry Festival is about more than that tart little fruit. Start with more than 1,300 booths featuring arts and crafts, flea markets and antiques, fresh fall produce, honey, and soaps and lotions. Come in costume and win special prizes or enter the Cranberry Chiffon Pie Eating Contest. You can also test your sleuthing skills by searching for the hidden medallion on festival grounds and win a cash prize! Once you’ve worked up an appetite, visit any of the 100-plus booths featuring unique foods. And it’s all for a good cause. Over the years, the festival has given over $2 million in donations, which have benefited several community organizations, including a scholarship fund for college students.
9/24-25/2022—Duluth Fall Festival, Duluth, GA
One of the most successful festivals in the southeast, with more than 100,000 attendees annually, The Duluth Fall Festival is a two-day/two-venue event. From bands and dance acts to street performers and the Duluth Donut Dash 5K Race, there’s plenty to enjoy. Bring back souvenirs available from more than 180 arts and crafts vendors — all handmade or hand-decorated. And to tickle your taste buds, there are more than 25 booths offering food and refreshments for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. All proceeds from the festival are used toward improving and beautifying Historic Downtown Duluth.
10/8-9, 10/15-19/2022—Georgia Apple Festival, Ellijay, GA
The Georgia Apple Festival has two weekends filled with fun, food and activities. More than 300 vendors display their handmade, hand-crafted wares along with demonstrations. The festival also has a parade and antique car show, and of course, lots of apples!
9/30-10/1; 10/7-10/8, 10/14-15/2022—Leavenworth Oktoberfest Markt, Wenatchee, WA
It may be held now in Wenatchee, but it’s still known as the Leavenworth Oktoberfest. This year marks its 24th anniversary. What will you find during the three-weekend long event? Two venues of continuous live entertainment, including oom-pah, polka music, and Bavarian dancing groups, a Keg Tapping Ceremony at 1 p.m. every Saturday, and a variety of foods, both German and American. Shoppers can find a variety of crafts, souvenirs, and German items, while for the young ones, there’s a “Kinderplatz” with a bouncy house, L-bow the Clown, and more.
10/1-10/31/2022—Fall Harvest on the Farm, Moorpark, CA
The Fall Harvest on the Farm has five themed weekends of entertainment and fun: Friends of the Farm Weekend (Public Safety Weekend), Farm Country Weekend, Antique Tractor Weekend, Wild West Weekend, and All About Pumpkins Weekend. Activities include tractor-drawn wagon rides, a corn maze, Farmer Craig’s Chicken Show, and a corn stalk labyrinth, just to name a few. You also have access to pick-your-own fields: acres of pumpkins, fruit, and vegetables just waiting for you!
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