Kylie Whitcomb If you’re planning a fall trip and want to enjoy a celebration of the season, check out one of these incredible fall festivals.
America is the world’s melting pot, which means various cultures celebrate different festivals throughout the year. In the fall, there are many cool celebrations of the seasons that include the tastes, smells, and events that can only be enjoyed during this time of the year. Some festivals celebrate the harvest and another successful year, others celebrate the spooky season with Halloween at the pinnacle, while still others celebrate events that only take place during the autumn season.
Here are seven incredible fall festivals held in the United States that you might want to check out during your autumn road trip.
Murphysboro Apple Festival
Since 1952, Murphysboro, Illinois, has been home to one of the largest and oldest apple festivals in the country. This wonderful celebration is in honor of the fall harvest, with several contests and foods utilizing apple as the main ingredient. The Murphysboro Apple Festival lasts for five days in mid-October. If you visit this midwestern town during this festival, you’ll enjoy everything from apple pie-eating contests to apple butter-making demonstrations. During this event, you can participate in a 5K run/walk and enjoy live musical theater performances.
The Great Jack O’ Lantern Blaze
If you want to hit one of the fall festivals that lasts a long time, The Jack O’ Lantern Blaze could be perfect for you to enjoy a fantastic autumn event. This festival is held annually from mid-September, and it runs through Halloween in Croton-on-Hudson, New York. This festival features one of the largest Halloween light shows in the world, with more than 7,000 hand-carved pumpkins and lanterns on display.
Duluth Fall Festival
The Duluth Fall Festival brings a northern community together and offers views of hundreds of tall wooden ships at the Duluth Harbor during the event. This festival has been going on for the past 50 years, held in mid-September in Duluth, Minnesota. You can enjoy live music concerts, a parade, a beer garden, market vendors with some amazing local goods, and lots of activities. This festival offers fun for the whole family, with activities for kids and beer pong tournaments for adults.
Trailing of the Sheep Festival
One of the most unique fall festivals you can enjoy is the Trailing of the Sheep Festival. During this event, held in early October, more than 1,500 sheep migrate through the Wood River Valley. This festival is held in Ketchum, Idaho, and has been an annual event since 1996. The event lasts five days and includes a traditional sheepdog trail where border collies to herd the sheep down Main Street. Enjoy the herding and the old-style lamb BBQ, art shows, and live music that make this festival a lot of fun.
Bedford Fall Foliage Festival
New England is where many people go to see the changing colors of fall. If you’re looking for a celebration of this season, head to Bedford, New Hampshire, and enjoy the Bedford Fall Foliage Festival where you’ll see breathtaking colors of the season. This festival begins in late September and runs through early October every year. Experience the parades, live music, fall art shows, and pumpkins being sold during this event. You’ll find a lot of fun activities for adults and kids to enjoy the look and feel of this season.
Acadia Night Sky Festival
This annual festival takes place across Acadia National Park in Maine. The timing is right for this to be one of the best fall festivals in the country. If you head to this park during late September and early October, you can enjoy the wonders of the night skies, which present expansive views of the Milky Way Galaxy and other bright celestial bodies in the dark night sky. Enjoy astronomy lectures, photo workshops, night hikes, and stargazing during this festival.
Scarecrow Festival
Head to Geneva-on-the-Lake during early October, and you can experience the annual Scarecrow Festival with Decorating contests that reflect various themes of the town or times. Visitors get to vote for their favorite scarecrow and enjoy some great activities, including a costume parade, a kid’s zone, live music, pumpkin decorating, and food trucks. This could be one of the most fun fall festivals for you to attend this year during your fall vacation away from home.
Which of these celebrations of the autumn season will you visit and enjoy this year? These seven are among the top ten fall festivals taking place across the United States every year.
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