Fall in East Tennessee is bursting at the seams with themed events just perfect for making magical autumn memories. Each one offers a unique brand of seasonal fun, colorful views, and scrumptious food options. With so many fall festivals near Knoxville TN, you’re sure to find one that will please the entire family!
September Fall Festivals Near Knoxville TN
1. Bear-Varian Fall Festival
September 13 – October 31, 2024
Anakeesta, Gatlinburg
Anakeesta will be decked out in stunning fall decor, including tons of nature-inspired pumpkin carvings and fall/Halloween photo props. There will also be a beer-tasting experience and delicious snacks and treats in popular fall flavors.
2. Lenoir City Fall Craft and Car Festival
September 14, 2024
Downtown Lenoir City
Ring in the season at this highly anticipated fall street festival. Attractions include a fun car show, fall-themed arts and crafts vendors, live music, and yummy food trucks.
3. Harvest Festival and Pumpkin Luminights
September 19 – October 28, 2024
Dollywood, Pigeon Forge
By day, Dollywood will be dripping in stunning fall decor and photo props. The park will also be offering a wide variety of special autumn meals and treats like apple cinnamon bread, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin praline funnel cakes. Yum!
At night the park will transform into a Halloween wonderland with tons of lighted displays and Halloween-themed entertainment.
4. Smoky Mountain Harvest Festival
Mid-September – Late November 2024
Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville
The Smoky Mountains kicks off its annual harvest festival, which boasts gorgeous fall decor throughout the area. New decorations are added each year!
5. Smoky Mountain Fall Festival at Ober
September 20 – November 3, 2024
Ober Mountain
Throughout the fall, Ober Mountain will up the ante by covering the park in fabulous fall decor. There will also be several adorable hay attractions including Hay Mountain, a hay bike track, and a hay maze.
Each Friday, there will be Halloween movie screenings with Hocus Pocus, Hotel Transylvania, and more.
The season will also include a special focus on foods and beers in popular fall flavors.
All regular park attractions will also be open for your enjoyment, including ice skating, bumper cars, rock climbing, rides, and all your everyday favorites.
6. Fall Heritage and Bluegrass Festival
September 27-28, 2024
Townsend Visitors Center
Nestled into the scenic backdrop of the Smoky Mountains, The Fall Heritage and Bluegrass Festival places a special emphasis on traditional Appalachian bluegrass music.
There will also be live clogging and square dancing performances, craft vendors, an antique tractor show, apple butter-making demonstrations, kids’ activities, and delicious fall flavors.
7. Scarecrows in the Park
September 27, 2024
Fred Miller Park, Morristown
FREE
Come celebrate the fall season and build your very own scarecrow. After the festival, the scarecrows will stay on display through November 4th.
October Festivals
8. Fall Craftsmen’s Fair
October 3 – 20, 2024
Gatlinburg Convention Center, Gatlinburg, TN
The Craftsmen’s Fair features artisans from all across the United States. There will be tons of fall-themed items and artwork including metal art, fiber arts, paintings, wood crafts, homemade brooms, and more.
9. Fall Antique Festival
October 4-5, 2024
Downtown Clinton
This is downtown Clinton’s biggest event of the year. It boasts a wide variety of musical acts, antique vendors, fall craft vendors, food trucks, and more!
10. Union County Heritage Festival
October 5, 2024
Historic Downtown Maynardville, TN
Downtown businesses will be decked out in their finest fall decor for the Union County Heritage Festival. There will also be live music, food vendors, arts and crafts vendors, a fiddling contest, a pie-eating contest, a kids’ zone, and more.
11. Zoorific Fall Festival
TBA 2024
Little Ponderosa Zoo, Clinton
In addition to tons of cute animals you can feed and pet, guests at Zoorific will enjoy music, inflatables, face painting, games, food, and more!
12. Fall Harvest Festival & Craft Fair
October 5, 2024
Horse Haven of Tennessee, Lenoir City
In addition to fall craft vendors and yummy food, this harvest festival will have a pumpkin patch, pony rides, kids’ activities, and more. Proceeds go to benefit the Horse Haven equine rescue.
13. Fall Fest
October 5, 2024
Fulton-Hill Park, Morristown
FREE
This fun fall festival features crafts, food, music, rides for the kids, and so much more!
14. Newport Harvest Street Festival
October 5-6, 2024
Newport, TN
Take in the stunning fall decor while you enjoy live music, fall craft and food vendors, kids’ activities, and much more.
15. Wears Valley Fall Fest
October 18 – 20, 2024
3179 Wears Valley Road, Sevierville
Wears Valley Fall Fest will feature tons of food trucks, kids’ activities, live entertainment, and various arts and crafts vendors with fall-themed projects and decor.
16. Marble Springs Fall Frolic
October 19, 2024
Marble Springs State Historic Site, Knoxville
FREE Admission
Tour the historic farm and shop for a variety of fall crafts from local artisan vendors. Kids in costume will even be able to trick-or-treat from cabin to cabin. Food will also be available for purchase.
17. October Sky Festival
October 19, 2024
Downtown Oliver Springs, TN
At the October Sky Festival, guests will enjoy live music, food and craft vendors, a car show, kids’ activities, farm animals, and more!
18. Harvest Festival
October 19, 2024
Main Street Bean Station, TN
Bean Station’s Harvest Festival typically has a jack-o-lantern forest, a tractor show, live wood carving demonstrations, arts and crafts vendors, food vendors, kids’ activities, live music, and more!
19. Fall Heritage Day
October 24, 25, & 31 + November 1, 2024
Museum of Appalachia, Clinton
Heritage Day is a living history event where visitors can enjoy live demonstrations of old Appalachian fall chores, activities, and traditions. Presentations will include sheep shearing, herding, broom making, beekeeping, sawmilling, and much more.
There will also be a variety of fun kids’ activities, concessions, and live entertainment.
20. Harvest Craft Fair
October 26, 2024
Maryville College, Maryville
The college has a whole weekend of homecoming events planned, but the craft fair is open to the public.
21. Cherohala Skyway Festival
October 26, 2024
Charles Hall Museum, Tellico Plains, TN
Paint a pumpkin and test your axe-throwing skills at this scenic festival nestled into the foothills of the Cherokee National Forest. As a bonus, fall leaves should be close to peak color during this time.
In addition to beauty, the Cherohala Skyway Festival features a variety of live music, fall decor, arts and crafts vendors, kids’ activities, and more.
22. Kingston Fall Street Fest
October 26, 2024
Roane County Courthouse, Kingston
FREE
The weather should finally be cool for this popular street festival, which boasts pumpkin decorating, a costume contest, trick-or-treating, live music, food vendors, arts and crafts vendors, kids’ activities, and more!
23. Arboretum Fall Festival
October 27, 2024
Knoxville Botanical Gardens and Arboretum
Enjoy arts and crafts vendors, food vendors, kids’ activities, live music, and more, all with a gorgeously scenic garden backdrop.
November Events
In November, there is a good mix of both fall and holiday events. Holiday events will not be listed here. Instead, you can find them on our holiday events page.
24. AMBC Fall Festival
November 1-3, 2024
Knoxville, TN
Outdoor fall fun comes to life at this event focused on mountain biking and outdoor adventure.
25. Regal Turkey Trot
November 28, 2024
Knoxville, TN
Did we miss one of your favorite fall festivals near Knoxville TN? Send us the details so we can add it to the list.
More East TN Family Fun
Erica has lived in East TN for over 10 years. She enjoys exploring this gorgeous region with her husband and 3 lively children. As a former teacher turned homeschool mom, she loves finding fun and affordable activities the entire family will love, especially if they cultivate a love for learning!