Fall is festival season in Arkansas. As the weather finally begins to cool, you can fill your calendar with craft fairs, food festivals, live music, small-town celebrations and some unusual Arkansas traditions.
There are so many events that it can be hard to decide which ones to attend. Here are 12 of our favorite fall festivals in Arkansas!
Some of the Best Fall Festivals in Arkansas
These are located all over the state and celebrate everything from food to crafts to music. The festivals on our list occur in the months of September and October.
If you want to learn about even more great Arkansas fall festivals check out the following:
Ozark Folk Festival in Eureka Springs
The Ozark Folk Festival is an Arkansas classic. It is entering its 77th year and is said to be the longest-running folk festival in America! The multi-day festival features live music, folk traditions and activities throughout downtown Eureka Springs.
In addition to musical events there are workshops for fingerpicking, flat-picking, ukulele and mandolin, as well as jig dancing & spoons.
The Ozark Songwriting Competition showcases songwriters from all over the country. You can also enjoy the Folk Fair in Basin Park with Ozark artists and craftspeople on Friday and Saturday.
More information: Ozark Folk Festival!
If you are planning to attend the Ozark Folk festival we also have more information about the charming town of Eureka Springs
Downtown Food Truck Festival in Little Rock
We love a good food festival and the Downtown Food Truck Festival in Little Rock is one that we try to attend every year!
This is such a fun and tasty festival. 60 to 80 food trucks take over the streets of Downtown Little Rock giving visitors the chance to try all different kinds of food.
The food trucks are both local and from around the country. Thousands of people attend this event, making it the largest food festival in the state.
The festival also includes numerous musicians, vendors, and entertainers across its downtown footprint.
Come hungry to this Arkansas fall festival! One tip that I have is to come with friends so that you can share plates. That way you get to try even more delicious food.
More Information: Downtown Food Truck Festival.
Timberfest in Sheridan, Arkansas
Timberfest is a fun and unique festival usually held the first weekend in October on the courthouse square in Sheridan, Arkansas.
At this festival you can see the Arkansas Lumberjack Championship! This event has even been televised on the ESPN sports network. You can see events such as the Jack and Jill crosscut, the ax throw, horizontal chop, and a chainsaw competition.
There are also plenty of other activities such as a horseshoe tournament, arts and crafts, games, a petting zoo, entertainment, and more.
More Information: Check Timberfest
Arkansas Apple Festival in Lincoln, Arkansas
This is a celebration of delicious Arkansas apples. Did you know that there was a point in time when Arkansas was the largest producer of apples in the country?
The festival is located on the beautiful Lincoln town square. It starts with a parade and afterward you can sample apple slices and apple cider, browse through vendor booths featuring unique crafts as well as homemade apple butter, jams and jellies!
There will be over 100 vendors featuring crafts in addition to the apple products.
Apple dumplings will be served and there will be a kids’ area with inflatables as well as a tractor show. Fun for the whole family.
More Information: Arkansas Apple Festival.
Arkansas Goat Festival in Perryville, Arkansas
The Arkansas Goat Festival has become one of our favorites because it is just so delightful. They showcase all breeds, blends, and types of goats with activities such as goat parades, goat costume contests, and even a goat lingerie show.
In addition to goats there will be retail and food vendors and other fun activities.
I mean, you can’t possibly feel sad when watching goats in costumes.
More Information: Arkansas Goat Festival
King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena, Arkansas
The towns along the Mississippi River are synonymous with the Delta blues. This includes the river town of Helena, Arkansas.
The King Biscuit Blues Festival has been an annual event in Helena since 1986. It is one of the largest musical events in the state and attracts thousands of people to the banks of the Mississippi River for great music and camaraderie.
This festival is typically held the weekend before Columbus Day each October. The purpose is to preserve the music of the Delta. In addition to live music performances the event includes barbecue cooking contests, craft vendors, a 5K run, and much more.
The name stems from King Biscuit Time, the longest-running daily radio show in America.
More Information: King Biscuit Blues Festival
Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival – Hot Springs
The Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival is a little different from the other festivals on this list, but it is one of the most respected annual events in Arkansas.
Established in 1991, this Academy Award®-qualifying festival brings documentary filmmakers and film lovers to Hot Springs for several days of screenings and special events.
We have attended the festival and seen several of the films over the years. One of the fun things about it is that you do not have to commit to the entire festival. You can choose a film or two that interest you, or purchase a pass and attend several screenings.
The documentaries cover a wide variety of subjects, and there are usually opportunities to hear from filmmakers and learn more about the stories behind the films.
The festival also gives you a good excuse to spend some time in Hot Springs. We have attended individual screenings rather than staying for the entire event, but it would be easy to turn the festival into a fall weekend getaway.
More Information: Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
If you plan to attend the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival here are a few links to help you plan your trip to the wonderful town of Hot Springs.
Arkansas Rice Festival in Weiner, Arkansas
If you are not from Arkansas and you are reading this…yes, the name of the town is Weiner. Weiner is located in northeast Arkansas.
Held on the second Saturday in October each year, the Arkansas Rice Festival celebrates all things rice! Why? Because Arkansas is one of the leading producers of rice in the nation!
The festival includes pageants, food and craft vendors, a rice cook-off, an old-time rice threshing demonstration, a parade, a car show and so much more!
More Information: Arkansas Rice Festival.
War Eagle Craft Fair in Rogers, Arkansas
The setting is a big part of what makes the War Eagle Fair so special. The fair is held in the beautiful War Eagle Valley near historic War Eagle Mill and bridge.
The fair was started in 1954 by Blanche Elliott, who was inspired to organize an arts and crafts event after taking a weaving class. It has grown tremendously since then and is now one of the best-known craft fairs in Arkansas.
Almost 300 booths are filled with handmade items, including pottery, jewelry, woodworking, clothing, home decor and all kinds of other crafts. The products must be handmade and are displayed by the people who created them.
War Eagle Fair draws large crowds, so be prepared for traffic and plenty of walking. Even with the crowds, the combination of handmade crafts, fall scenery and the historic mill makes this one of Arkansas’s classic fall events.
More Information: War Eagle Craft Fair.
Hillcrest HarvestFest in Little Rock
Hillcrest HarvestFest is a one-day festival held in the historic Little Rock neighborhood of Hillcrest. It attracts thousands of people from across the state but still manages to maintain the feeling of a fun neighborhood celebration.
The family-friendly festival features local vendors, food trucks, a beer garden, live music, a pie contest, children’s activities, a dog show and plenty of other entertainment throughout the day.
More Information: Hillcrest HarvestFest
Beanfest and Championship Outhouse Races in Mountain View
This is one of the quirkiest and most fun of the Arkansas festivals. It is honestly one of my very favorites because it is just so lighthearted.
First of all it is held in Mountain View which is one of the best Ozark Mountain towns with a great history of folk music and a lovely town square.
Approximately 2,000 pounds of pinto beans are cooked all around the square in huge iron pots. There will be 30 or 40 teams competing for the title of best beans.
Everywhere you look there are beans cooking in huge pots steaming around the square and the smell of baking cornbread in the air.
At noon a lunch of beans and cornbread is served to the hungry crowds! Afterward, everyone gathers to watch outhouses race through the streets of Mountain View.
More Information: Beanfest.
While you are in Mountain View we highly recommend that you visit the Ozark Folk Center State Park!
ScotsFest in Batesville, Arkansas
ScotsFest was established in 1979 on the Arkansas College campus as a way to pay homage to the Scottish heritage of the College’s founders. The festival began as a small Scottish fair on the intramural field as a part of homecoming celebrations.
It has certainly grown since then!
Now held annually in October, at what is now called Lyon College, the Arkansas Scottish Festival has gone from being an obscure fair in the foothills of the Ozarks to one of the best-known Scottish festivals in the South.
It includes pipe bands, solo pipers, drummers, dancers, athletes, Celtic performers, clan representatives, and vendors who travel from all corners of the country to attend and participate in the event.
More Information: Arkansas Scottish Festival
From music and crafts to food, film and some of Arkansas’s quirkiest traditions, these festivals are a great reason to get out and explore the state during the fall.
Whether you are planning a weekend trip or looking for something fun close to home, there is probably an Arkansas fall festival on this list that is worth adding to your calendar.
Which Arkansas fall festival do you look forward to every year?
