Best Fall Festivals in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge & Sevierville
It’s fall festival time in the Smokies! Plan your visit around one or more of the exciting goings-on up here this fall, and treat yourself and your family to some good, old-fashioned fun. Wholesome activities in the crisp fall air of our Great Smoky Mountains mean a satisfying day and a great night’s sleep after!
Dollywood’s Harvest Festival & Great Pumpkin Luminights
Dollywood, Pigeon Forge’s iconic theme park, does fall up right. The venue is lavishly decorated for the season, a fact that will get you hankering for apple cider and a donut before you can think twice! Dollywood’s Harvest Festival runs September 12th through October 27th. Take family photos in front of the 40-foot pumpkin tree on display during the park’s Great Pumpkin Luminights! Enjoy live music and get your fill of yummy fall treats in between rides on the park’s many thrilling attractions.
Skyland Ranch Apple Harvest Festival & Family Fun
Skyland Ranch in Sevierville also celebrates the most glorious season in the Smokies with panache! Their Apple Harvest Festival, which runs from September 5th through November 1st, features dynamic live “wild west” themed entertainment and great food, including apple-based treats to eat ranging from mouth-watering baked goods to caramel apples!
Moos and Boos – Kid-Friendly Halloween Fun
Skyland also hosts Moos and Boos (reservations are required and may be made at skylandranch.com) on certain nights from September 5th through November 1st. This is a special, western-themed event for families with children aged 12 and under. Costumes are welcomed! You may even win a prize for yours! You’ll be able to trick-or-treat, pet adorable miniature animals and enjoy beautiful photo ops!
Ghost Town – Western-Themed Family Spooktacular
Now for the truly eerie event…Skyland will host Ghost Town on select nights during the same time frame as Moos and Boos. Reservations are required. Mysterious (but delicious) food will be available at 5 p.m. Take a walk through a ghost town from the old West…find yourself thrilled and chilled, but not scared (totally family friendly)!
Anakeesta’s Bear-Varian Fall Festival in Gatlinburg
From August 29th until November 2nd, you can go high above Gatlinburg to the wonderful Anakeesta attraction, a special world unto itself, for the Bear-Varian Fall Festival!. Fall-inspired food, beer tasting and gorgeous fall décor are just a few of the attractions to this lovely event in an even lovelier venue. There will be plenty of live music (you may see some musicians in spooky costumes) and all of Anakeesta’s regular adventures, including zip-lining, a mountain coaster and more!
Gatlinburg Harvest Festival & Scarecrow Scavenger Hunt
Speaking of Gatlinburg, you’ll love being in town in September and October! The Gatlinburg Harvest Festival features some of the best fall décor around (think epic family photos)! You can even participate in the Scarecrow Scavenger Hunt around town! Simply download the Visit Gatlinburg app for clues to locate each of the 30 specially designed scarecrows scattered downtown. You’ll then need to share your scarecrow selfies using #GatlinburgFall. How much fun is that? Get ready for plenty of giggles and lots of adventure for kids of all ages.
Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair – Handmade Treasures
If you’re in Gatlinburg between October 2nd through the 19th, stop in at the Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair in the Gatlinburg Convention Center. Artisans and craftspeople from all over the country will have their beautiful work for sale! Seems fitting to come away from “God’s Country” with something made by hand.
Kyker Farms Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch in Sevierville
No fall trip to the Smokies, or anywhere in the United States, for that matter, would be complete without a trip to a corn maze. Kyker Farms in Sevierville, which has been in the same family for nine generations, has a corn maze with four distinct maze patterns within it. You’ll love it. It may take a group effort to find your way out, but you’ll make a memory in the meanwhile. The farm also offers hayrides, a pumpkin patch, slides, swings and much, much more! This multi-feature attraction is open from September 27th through October30th.
Sevierville’s Smoky Mountain Harvest Fest
Sevierville, like Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, invests in gorgeous décor for what is known as the city’s Smoky Mountain Harvest Fest. You’ll find seasonal food on menus throughout the city, discover fun fall events and products at various local businesses, and make time to take nearby fall foliage driving tours. In short, you’ll celebrate autumn right along with this special city. Local companies will have the welcome mat out for the area’s fall tourist influx. This is their “go” time!
Wears Valley Fall Festival – October Tradition
If your fall trip to the Smokies happens to include the dates of October 17-19, you have to head to the nearby Wears Valley Fall Festival! Featuring everything from fun activities for children to enjoy to delicious seasonal food, this festival is a “must-do.” Craft vendors will have a beautiful variety to choose from. You can get some early Christmas shopping in! All of this irresistible fall fun and in the shadow of the majestic Smoky Mountains.
Townsend Fall Heritage Festival & Appalachian Traditions
If you’d like to spend some time on “The Peaceful Side of the Smokies” this fall, have we got the event for you! Townsend, Tennessee, a stone’s throw from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, has a wonderful event for music lovers September 26th and 27th! The Townsend Fall Heritage Festival has a crazy-good lineup of live bluegrass performances by a variety of artists along with a full-scale celebration of all things Appalachian. Authentic Appalachian food, Appalachian demonstrations explaining tradition, children’s games from a bygone era, and enough arts and crafts to satisfy any shopper round out this amazing event.
If the scenery, stunning colors of the fall foliage, and perfect weather aren’t enough to draw you to the Smokies this fall, certainly all the celebrations, big and small, in our area will do the trick. We look forward to seeing you at The Village Shops making your fall vacation souvenir photos!