These Fall Festivals Will Give You a Hankering For Hot Cider, Hay Rides, and Chunky Sweaters

Updated on 10/2/2018 at 12:00 PM

Fall is this glorious season where the air is crisp, the sweaters come out, the wine is spiced, and weekends are spent indulging in seasonal sweets like caramel apples and pumpkin pie. It's also one of the best times to visit a festival. With apple and pumpkin season in full swing, Oktoberfest kicking off, and the tail end of wine-making season all converging in Fall, there are so many things to do to get in the mood for snuggle season. And there are some specialty festivals, too, that only come around once a year during the Fall.

Want to know what festivals are happening this year around the country? Grab your comfy boots and your favorite seasonal sweater, because we know where to be when it comes to celebrating the season. Hit them all up before it's time to hibernate for the Winter.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta runs from Oct. 6 to Oct. 14 in New Mexico and has been doing so in the Fall for the last 48 years. During this time, hot air balloons fill up the sky during the day, but the real treat happens during several nights of the event. The balloons light up the sky beginning at dusk and continue until dark, a sight that you won't want to miss.

National Apple Harvest Festival

While there are many apple festivals around the country, this one takes top honors. The National Apple Harvest Festival in Biglerville, PA, is held during the first two weekends in October. It features a petting zoo, dancers, apple pie eating contests, a pie auction, entertainment, and a wide range of things to eat — especially those of the apple variety.

New Hampshire Pumpkin Festival

The New Hampshire Pumpkin Festival should not be missed — especially if pumpkins are your thing. It takes place for only two days in October in the town of Laconia, NH. The festival includes live entertainment, a pumpkin cook-off, a pumpkin pancake breakfast, and the pièce de résistance: more than 20,000 carved pumpkins clustered around downtown and lined up on a 34-foot tower.

Oktoberfest Zinzinnati

While there are Oktoberfest celebrations around the US, Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, located in Cincinnati, is the one to hit if you love all things German. The festival runs at the end of September, which coincides with the Oktoberfest dates in Germany, and claims to be the largest Oktoberfest festival in the US. So bring on the beers, brats, and pretzels, and kiss Summer goodbye with a bang.

Sonoma County Harvest Fair

Whether you're a wine-lover or not, the Sonoma County Harvest Wine Fair is a seriously special way to ring in the new season. For 44 years, this fair has been commissioned to show off the winemakers' harvest and has morphed into a foodie's dream. Eat, drink, and watch the World Championship Grape Stomp during the first weekend in October.

North Carolina Pecan Harvest Festival

Held in Whiteville, NC, the North Carolina Pecan Harvest Festival runs from the end of October until the beginning of November. Highlights from this Fall fest include a pecan cooking contest, a pecan run 5K, and a parade. The festival is also presided over by its Pecan Queen and several Pecan Belles.

Cranberry Harvest Celebration

Not to be missed, the Cranberry Harvest Celebration is a one-of-a-kind Fall treat in Wareham, MA. Attendees can actually put on a pair of waders and stand in a bog full of cranberries, enjoy treats and cooking demonstrations by the area's acclaimed chefs, browse the shopping area full of local goods, or even take a helicopter ride to see the cranberry bogs from above. The foliage is an added bonus.