Festivals in Arkansas in October (2026)

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 holds true for those of us who live in Arkansas.

I know that October is my favorite month in my favorite state.

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

SO many festivals in Arkansas in October!

Festivals in Arkansas in October (2026)

Here is our list of fall festivals in Arkansas in October.

They are roughly in order by date. The location city is in parenthesis by the name. Weather and other circumstances can impact these festivals so always check the website or Facebook pages before you go!

Let us know if you know of an Arkansas October festival that is not on this list that you think should be included.

For more October fun you might also want to check out our list of pumpkin patches around the state as well as this list of haunted houses!

Bikes, Blues, and BBQ (Rogers)

Bikes, Blues, and BBQ is a non-profit motorcycle rally that benefits women, children, and the underserved members of the Northwest Arkansas community. Over the last 20 years this rally has raised over $3 million for local charities. There are mapped rides, vendors, food, and fun.

Fiesta en SoMa (Little Rock)

Fiesta en SoMa is a colorful and lively event that brings together the diverse and dynamic traditions of various Latin American countries, showcasing the beauty of their culture, art, music, dance, and, of course, mouthwatering cuisine.

Ozark Trail Festival (Heber Springs)

There will be so much going on at this fun festival in Heber Springs; 5K race, a fun run, a car show, live music, a dog show, food vendors, and more!

Timberfest (Sheridan)

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

Peacemaker Music Festival (Fort Smith)

The Peacemaker Festival is a music festival hosted by music lovers, for music lovers. It is set on the banks of the Arkansas River in Downtown Fort Smith at the beautiful Riverfront Amphitheater. At this festival you will find the best Country, Rock, Blues, Red Dirt and Americana acts touring today.

Peacemaker is comprised of a volunteer led team focused on giving proceeds back to local charities, the artists’ charities, and downtown development.

  • Dates: October 2 – 3
  • More Information:  Peacemaker

Hot Springs Arts and Crafts Fair (Hot Springs)

This long-running arts and crafts fair brings more than 200 exhibitors and food vendors to Hot Springs each fall. Browse handmade arts and crafts from vendors from Arkansas and surrounding states while enjoying food and a fun fall weekend!

Arkansas Apple Festival (Lincoln)

This celebration of delicious Arkansas apples is held on the 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, and buy some apple butter, jams and jellies! Apple dumplings will be served and there will be a kids area with inflatables as well.

A close up of apples on an apple tree. This is on a post about the best festivals in Arkansas in October.

Click here for a list of some of the best apple orchards in Arkansas!

Ozark Moonshine & Music Festival (Clinton)

This festival is all about pickin’, sippin’, and dance hall skippin’!

The Ozark Moonshine & Music Festival celebrates Arkansas music, moonshine heritage, traditional crafts, food, and plenty of small-town fun in downtown Clinton.

You’ll find live music, Arkansas distillers, vendors, demonstrations, food, and more throughout the day.

two small glasses of moonshine on a wooden table.

Manchester Pumpkin Day (Arkadelphia)

A fun day in Arkadelphia with pumpkins, hay rides, games, food, music, and so much more.

Alexander Fall Fest (Alexander)

A day of fall fun the whole family will love! This is held at Alexander City Park and will be an afternoon packed with music, food, and festive activities

Caddo Gap Heritage Festival (Caddo Gap)

Hosted by the Gap Mercantile this festival features talks about homesteading and various re-enactments including Bonnie and Clyde and Annie Oakley.

Cherokee Village Oktoberfest (Cherokee Village)

FREE live music and fall farmers market! Bratwurst, Pretzels, & Beer also available for purchase.

Harvest Homecoming Festival (Harrison)

The annual Harvest Homecoming Festival will be held on the town square in downtown Harrison. The festival will include live music, lots of vendors and family friendly activities.

Frontier Day Festival (Paris)

2026 is the 47th year of this event which is located in historic downtown Paris, Arkansas and includes music, pageants, carriage rides, and more.

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.

You might enjoy learning the stories of some of the “real” haunted places in Arkansas. You could even want to stay in the 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 Foliage in Arkansas from Mount Magazine

No matter what, you will enjoy fall in Arkansas!

Arkansas Goat Festival (Perryville)

This might be one of the most unique of the Arkansas festivals in October! 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.

High Cotton Festival (Scott)

You will find yourself stepping back in time at this festival which is located at the historic Scott settlement. You can tour authentic plantation buildings and watch demonstrations of old-time skills such as cooking sorghum, blacksmithing, spinning yarn, needlework, and butter making.

Children will enjoy playing heritage games such as hopscotch, jumping rope, sack races, and walking on stilts. There will also be live music and various vendors.

ArkanSalsa Fest (Springdale)

This is a day filled with all cultures, music, food, parade, art, free salsa and chips, and most importantly, lots of fun!

Falltober Fest (Fayetteville)

An amazing block party on 7 blocks of Dickson Street with live music, a dog contest, beer drinking, and square dancing.

Turkey Track Bluegrass Festival (Waldron)

The annual family-friendly Turkey Track Bluegrass Festival is considered to be one of the best!

A close up of musical instruments. You see a guitar in the background and there is a fiddle in front of that and a saxophone. This is on a post that is a list of the festivals in Arkansas in October.

Hillberry Harvest Moon Music Festival (Eureka Springs)

 Hillberry is a music festival that is focused on delivering the national Bluegrass and Funk artists along with talented local artists. You can expect 5 nights of world-class music & camping.

There will also be workshops, kids activities, art installations, as well as food and craft vendors. There is truly something for everyone!

CabotFest (Cabot)

This festival holds a special place in the heart of the Cabot community because it was originally established in 1978 to celebrate the town’s resilience after a devastating tornado. Today, the CabotFest offers community spirit and fun for everyone.

At this festival you can groove to live music from talented artists across different genres, take a spin on the thrilling carnival rides, or explore the vibrant booths showcasing local crafts and unique finds.

  • Dates: October 8 – 10
  • More Information:  CabotFest

Pickle Fest (Texarkana)

Join in on the 2nd annual Pickle Fest in Texarkana. There will be live music, craft vendors, and celebrations of all things pickle!

October Daze (Booneville)

October Daze is a fun fall festival held in downtown Booneville with food, live music, vendors, a car show, and family activities. The Arkansas Marathon is held the same day and finishes right in the middle of the festival, which adds even more excitement to the day!

Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival (Hot Springs)

This is the 35th 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.

Bradford Fun Fest (Bradford)

There will be live music, bounce houses, a corn hole tournament, silent auction, petting zoo, and SO much more at this fun small town festival!

King Biscuit Blues Festival (Helena)

The King Biscuit Blues Festival may be one of the best known nationally of the Arkansas festivals in October.

It 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 in the US..

Little Rocktoberfest (Argenta – North Little Rock)

This is an epic beer event in Arkansas. You will be able to sample commercial beers from across the world, taste the latest beers from our local Arkansas Craft Breweries, enjoy food trucks, and sample many one of a kind brews from local home-brewers,

Ouachita Bigfoot Festival and Conference (Mena)

Discussions about Arkansas’ own Bigfoot aka the Fouke Monster as well as camping, music, vendors, hiplines, fishing, and food.

Learn more about the Ouachita Mountain town of Mena!

Yellville Turkey Trot Festival (Yellville)

This is the 80th annual Yellville Turkey Trot! Music, food, friends, and fun!

Sorghum Festival (Mount Ida)

Learn about the history of sorghum in Montgomery County!

Ozark Square Gathering (Ozark)

This is the 54th annual square gathering in downtown Ozark, Arkansas. This event is typically attended by more than three thousand spectators. There will be arts and crafts booths along with music, games, great food, and free entertainment throughout the day.

Arkansas Rice Festival (Weiner)

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!

Van Buren Fall Festival (Van Buren)

Experience the annual fall festival in downtown Van Buren where the streets are flooded with local merchants and vendors selling handmade crafts and other collectibles.

Heart of the Ozarks Craft Fair and Fall Festival (Fayetteville)

With over 300 indoor and outdoor booths, food trucks, live music, petting zoo and family fun zone, there’s something at this festival for all ages to enjoy.

Wishing Springs Arts and Crafts Fair (Bella Vista)

This festival is three days of arts, music, food, and fun. Check out the wonderful vendors, great food trucks and concessions, concerts, and a BBQ championship.

It’s Fall Y’all Craft Fair (Bentonville)

It’s Fall Y’all brings more than 100 makers, artists, crafters, and food vendors together at the Benton County Fairgrounds. It’s another great stop during Northwest Arkansas craft fair weekend if you love shopping for handmade items, fall decor, gifts, and unique finds.

Ozark Regional Arts and Crafts Festival (Springdale)

This long-running Northwest Arkansas craft fair is held during the big War Eagle Weekend and features more than 200 booths filled with handmade crafts, art, home decor, clothing, antiques, vintage finds, and more. The festival is held indoors at the Northwest Arkansas Convention Center, so you can shop no matter what the fall weather decides to do!

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!

Hillcrest Harvest Fest (Little Rock)

This is the 32nd year for the Hillcrest Harvest fest. This great festival attracts tens of thousands of people from all around the state. It features live music, tons of vendors, great food and so much more!

Eureka Springs Oktoberfest (Eureka Springs)

At this festival you can sample the finest seasonal beers in the quaint European-like village of Eureka Springs which is nestled in the Ozark Mountains.

Mid-South Music Festival (Arkadelphia)

Named the Arkansas Festival and Events Association’s 2021 “Best New Festival or Event,” the Arkadelphia Festival of the Arts proudly celebrates the musical, visual, and culinary artists at its annual October festival.

Oktoberfest NWA (Rogers)

Get ready to immerse yourself in the vibrant spirit of the annual Downtown Rogers Oktoberfest NWA! 

This event has a German Oktoberfest theme and transforms the Railyard Park into a haven of enjoyment, with around 25 regional breweries, wine options, and even home brewers joining the festivities.

War Eagle Fair (Rogers)

This is one of the most impressive and largest crafts fairs that you will ever attend! It is considered to be one of the best crafts fairs in the country.

The War Eagle Craft Fair 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.

War Eagle Mill and Bridge. There is a very old bridge across a creek. The bridge is in the photo on the left side. Across the creek on the right side is a water mill painted red with white trimmed windows. There is light green spring foliage on the trees. This site is the setting for the War Eagle Craft Fair which is one of the most important festivals in Arkansas in October.

Fallin’ Blackbird Festival (Beebe)

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 unexpectedly 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.

Plainview Arkansas Frontier Day (Plainview)

Frontier Day is a special occasion for the town to unite and honor the heritage and traditions of the past.

This lively festival showcases the town’s rich history with mobile cafes, a glow-run race, shopping vendors, a parade, live entertainment, delicious food, exciting games, and activities for the entire family to enjoy.

Morrilton Fall Fest (Morrilton)

This festival is held at the Conway County Fairgrounds and includes food, crafts, games, a chili cook-off, a car show, and more!

Rocky Comfort Pecan Festival (Foreman)

This festival celebrates all things pecans with street dancing, a wild game cook-off, vendors, face painting, a classic car show and so much more.

ScotsFest (Batesville)

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 in October. In fact, I would say that it is one of my favorite festivals in the state at any time of year.

30 or 40 teams compete for the title of best beans. In fact, approximately 1,000 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 23 – 24
  • Information: Beanfest

Güdrun: Northwoods MTB Festival (Hot Springs)

Arkansas is a HUGE mountain biking state, and this festival is all about celebrating the trails!

Held at the Northwoods Trails in Hot Springs, Güdrun is a three-day mountain biking festival with races, group rides, kids’ events, live entertainment, and plenty of opportunities to get out on the trails.

Whether you want to compete or just ride, this is a fun weekend for mountain bikers of all levels.

Fort Smith Fall Festival

The Fort Smith Fall Festival is the largest history-themed event in Fort Smith! It is a day filled with history, fun, and entertainment.

Here is some more information about the town of Fort Smith!

Atkins Heritage Festival (Atkins)

The Atkins Heritage Festival is extra special in 2026 as the town celebrates its 150th anniversary! Enjoy a full day of community fun with a parade, vendors, food, activities, a birthday celebration, and fireworks to end the evening.

Lake Chicot Fall Festival (Lake Village)

The Lake Chicot Fall Fest is a vibrant celebration that embodies the warmth and hospitality of the American South. At this festival you will find a wide range of activities including live music, regional and local food, vendors selling local products, and an exciting lineup of carnival rides and games.

You will also love the Fire on the Water BBQ Cook-Off, where talented pit-masters gather to compete and show off their skills.

Best of all this festival is set against the beautiful backdrop of Lake Chicot – the largest oxbow lake in the US.

Apple Butter Festival (Morrilton)

Celebrate the harvest season with an old fashioned apple butter cook off! These are fresh apples cooked down all day on an open fire in large copper kettles following old age traditions. After cooking to perfection the apple butter is poured into jars and will be sold on site at this event.

There will also be vendors and crafters set up with various wares. There is also pickin’ in the yard so bring your instrument and join in this event.

Corning Harvest Festival (Corning)

This is a celebration of the harvest, past and present with arts & Crafts, antique Cars, antique tractors and farm equipment, a 5-K run, children’s area and food vendors.

Gurdon Forest Festival (Gurdon)

The small town festival has an excellent car show, pumpkin painting contest, pageants, vendors, live music and so much fun!

Have you heard of the Gurdon Lights? They are a natural phenomenon in the forest surrounding the town.

Downtown Fall Festival and Chili Cookoff (Russellville)

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!

Whew!

We have compiled the information to the best of our ability, but I’m sure there are some we have missed. Let us know if you have a favorite that should be on the list!

Also ALWAYS check the dates and hours before you go. Festivals can change due to weather or other circumstances.

We hope you have a wonderful time enjoying some of the amazing and unique fall festivals in Arkansas!

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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