Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables said, “I’m glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” I think this quote especially hold true for those of us who live in Arkansas.

By September we are tired of summer and ready for something different. In fact, I suspect that many Arkansans would say that October is their favorite month of the year.

The weather cools off…finally…the leaves begin to turn, hiking season begins, and best of all are the multitude of fall festivals in Arkansas!

A photo of a fiddle, a saxophone, a guitar, all around an old fashioned microphone. There is nothing else in the photo. The background is grey. The photo is to represent the King Biscuit Clues Festival in Helena, Arkansas. This is one of the great fall festivals in Arkansas.

October Fall Festivals in Arkansas

Here is our list of the best fall festivals in Arkansas that happen during the month of October. Let us know if we have missed one that you think should be included!

King Biscuit Blues Festival – Helena, Arkansas

The King Biscuit Blues Festival attracts tens of thousands of people to the banks of the Mississippi River in Helena, Arkansas. This festival is held the weekend before Columbus Day each October. The purpose is to preserve the music of the Delta. The name stems from King Biscuit Time, the longest-running daily radio show.

Musicfest – El Dorado

The south Arkansas town of El Dorado has one of the best music scenes in the state. This is a 2 day festival with 3 stages and a variety of musical acts. There will also be lots of activities for all ages and venders selling both food and merchandise.

Timberfest – Sheridan, Arkansas

At Timberfest you can see the Arkansas Lumberjack Championship! There will also be entertainment, food, a Baggo tournament and other fun activities. Best of all is the BBQ cookoff where you can taste some of the best BBQ around.

Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival – Hot Springs

This is the 32 annual Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival. The main hub of the festival and two of the viewing venues are at the Arlington Resort and Spa. Another venue is at the Oaklawn Event Center. A number of documentary films are shown each day of the festival.

Hillberry Harvest Moon Festival – Eureka Springs, Arkansas

5 nights, 2 stages, all the best of bluegrass, Americana, and Funk. The event is held at The Farm in Eureka Springs which is a campground & concert venue located in the beautiful Ozark Mountains. Primitive camping is available onsite.

Some More Great Things About Fall in Arkansas

Fall is truly a special time in the state of Arkansas. Besides the amazing Arkansas festivals, here is a list of some of the best things to do in fall in the Natural State.

Of course, October is also Halloween, the spooky season. If you like to be scared perhaps you would want to check out some of the great haunted houses in the state!

Even if you don’t like haunted houses you might enjoy learning the stories of some of the “real” haunted places in Arkansas. You could even want to stay in the countries most haunted hotel, the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs.

Of course, fall in Arkansas is the perfect time for outdoor activities. Check out this list of some of our favorite hikes in the state. Or you might want to visit one of the incredible Arkansas State Parks.

Fall is also the season for Arkansas apples! Enjoy our list of the best apple orchards in the state!

No matter what, you will enjoy fall in Arkansas!

Arkansas Goat Festival – Perryville

What a fun Arkansas festival! There is a goat parade, live music, food trucks, and even a goat lingerie show! There will be a baby goat petting area for the human “kids.”

A photo of two baby goats peeking around the corner of a building. The goats are staring right at the camera and the background is green and blurry. The Goat Festival is one of the most unique fall festivals in Arkansas.

Arkansas State Fair – Little Rock

The Arkansas State Fair has it all! Exciting rides on the midway, all kinds of fried foods from the concession stands, concerts and entertainment on the Main Stage, and livestock shows and competitions. You can’t miss the Arkansas State Fair!

Octoberfest Beer Festival – Rogers Downtown

Octoberfest is a beer festival in downtown Rogers with many different breweries participating. They even have a home brew section which should be super interesting. The price of the ticket includes as much beer as you want to drink. They also have wine for non-beer drinkers.

The photo shows a close up of two hands holding cold glasses of beer and clinking them together.

Arkansas Rice Festival – Weiner, Arkansas

This is a fun community festival that celebrates the fact that Arkansas is one of the largest 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, car show and so much more!

Fallin’ Blackbird Festival – Beebe, Arkansas

This festival is named for a mysterious event that took place in Beebe on New Year’s in 2010 and again in 2011 when thousands of blackbirds fell from the sky. The festival provides a perfect opportunity for families and friends to come together and enjoy a day of fun, food, and live entertainment. The festival includes a 5k run, a fun run for kids, vendors, food trucks and a variety of entertainment.

War Eagle Fair – Rogers

This is one of the most impressive and largest crafts fairs that you will ever attend! It is held in a beautiful fall setting near the gorgeous War Eagle Mill on the banks of War Eagle Creek. There are more than 250 booths of all handcrafted products displayed by their creators.

ScotsFest – Batesville, Arkansas

Batesville is the oldest city in Arkansas and is host to Scotsfest which is one of America’s most popular Scottish festivals. Pipers, drummers, dancers, athletes, Scottish clans, and vendors travel from all over the country to attend this event.

A close up of a mans arm, and you can see that he is wearing a plaid - probably a kilt and has his sporran and belt. You only see a bit of all of this as it is so close. There is another person in a kilt front of him but the perspective is close and blurry. This photo is to represent the Scotsfest in Batesville, Arkansas. One of the great fall festivals in Arkansas.

Beanfest and Championship Outhouse Races – Mountain View

This is one of the quirkiest and most fun of the Arkansas Festivals. 30 or 40 teams compete for the title of BEST beans. In fact, approximately 2,000 lbs. of pinto beans are cooked all around the square in huge iron pots. At noon a lunch of beans and cornbread is served to the hungry crowds for free. After lunch everyone gathers to watch the outhouse races!

  • Date: October 27-28
  • Information: Beanfest

Downtown Fall Festival and Chili Cookoff – Russelleville

Events, vendors, and chili cooking teams will be set up all around the blocks of downtown Russelleville. Some of the events include pumpkin decorating, best kids costume, various length runs, and of course Chili tasting!

We hope that you enjoy attending some of the amazing and unique fall festivals in Arkansas! Let us know your favorites!

Karen and Emily

Hey y'all! Thanks for stopping by.

We are Karen and Emily, a mother and daughter duo who write this blog together. We are based in Central Arkansas but love to travel all around our beautiful home state and share our discoveries with you!

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