Fall Festivals Happening in East Tennessee

The Little Debbie Hamilton County Fair is held Nov. 7-9, 2025 at McDonald Farm in Sale Creek, Tennessee. Enjoy live music from Diamond Rio as you and your family make fall memories at the 2,100 acre McDonald Farm. Fair highlights include lumberjack shows, live music and concerts, fireworks, amusement rides and a rodeo. 

The 3 Sisters Bluegrass Festival Oct. 3-4, 2025, named one of the Top 5 bluegrass festivals by Great American Country. Some of the biggest names in bluegrass have performed at the festival like Bela Fleck, Rhonda Vincent, Del McCoury Band, Greensky Bluegrass and the Steel Drivers. Listen to this talent for free at Ross' Landing in Chattanooga.

Rock City's Enchanted Pumpkin Patch illuminates the gardens on Lookout Mountain Sept. 26-Oct. 31, 2025. Included in general admission, Rock City transforms into a beautiful display of rich, fall colors and new, large-scale, lighted jack-o-lanterns. Find spooky, but never scary, and whimsical displays throughout the gardens. Pumpkin painting, live music, cookie decorating, balloon artists and a petting zoo are some of the activities you can experience all fall.

You can also attend the Chattanooga Oktoberfest, the oldest and largest celebration in the city Oct. 11-12, 2025 at The Chattanooga Market. The festival draws crowds regionally and locally for the German traditions like live oompah music, cultural food offerings and local beers. Festive German attire is enouraged for this free celebration.

Wine Over Water Food & Wine Festival Oct. 25, 2025 is a wine tasting festival offering wine enthusiasts the chance to enjoy curated tastings with small bites and live entertainment along the Tennessee River. The "garden party" gathering space at Renaissance Park will be a magical, fall wonderland with enchanting lighting and live music by Ben van Winkle and the Figments as well as the Chattanooga Fire Cabaret. 

Fall Jamboree at Windrock Park Oct. 16-18, 2025 in Oliver Springs is the ultimate family adventure. The multi-day event includes guided ATV rides, rock crawls, drag races, mud bogs and live music on Windrock's more than 72,000 acres. Special events include a Trunk or Treat, face painting and outdoor movies under the stars that kids of all ages will love.

The annual Mountain Makins Festival takes place Oct. 24-26, 2025 at the historic 1892 Rose Center in Morristown. The festival is a juried fine arts and crafts show. You can also enjoy top regional musical talent, storytellers, craft demonstrations, children's activities and food and expert demonstrations.

Oktoberfest at Ober Mountain is Gatlinburg's original Oktoberfest celebration. The event takes place Sept. 20-Nov. 1, 2025 and celebrates German traditions through food, drink and entertainment each year. The indoor and outdoor festival includes Bavarian food like bratwurst, apple strudel and chicken  schnitzel. Festive photo-ops, stein-holding competitions and live bands on the outdoor sound stage bring the world's most famous beer festival right in the heart of the Smokies.

Harvest Festival at Dollywood brings a beautiful glow to fall Sept. 12-Oct. 27, 2025. The award-winning event features the Great Pumpkin Luminights, Dolly's glowing giant guitar and the enchanting Hoot Owl Hollow. The air fills with country, Southern gospel and bluegrass live music, an abundance of fall treats and thrill rides. Country Fair transforms into Candy Born Country with new characters to meet and fall surprises. 

A three-day celebration of roots music and its impact on today's music takes center stage Sept. 11-13, 2026 at Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion in downtown Bristol. Grab tickets to experience more than 130 bands on 20 stages throughout downtown Bristol, Tennessee. Rhythm & Roots celebrates and showcases the best in Appalachian roots music, keeping the legacy of the 1927 Bristol Sessioins and their worldwide influence alive. Stay tuned for the 2026 lineup that will be full of today's top music artists.

The National Storytelling Festival Oct. 2-4, 2026 in Jonesborough is an event featuring compelling performances by internationally-known professional tellers. Storytellers spin tales to the attending thousands who come from around the country to hear them. A variety of special events take place like Midnight Cabaret - stories suitable for adults only - Ghost Story Concerts and Swappin' Ground, where anyone can tell a tale.

Spend a fall weekend taking in local artists' talents during the Fall Folk Arts Festival Sept. 27-28, 2025 at the Exchange Place Living History Farm in Kingsport, Tennessee. The farmstead welcomes demonstrators, bakers, kettle corn makers and vendors. Bluegrass bands and dulcimer players fill the air will music while guests browse the marketplace stuffed with corn, pumpkins and squash for fall decor needs. Enjoy demonstrations like blacksmithing, weaving, pottery, heart side cooking, apple cider squeezing, rope making, basket weaving, and handmade toys. It's a cozy fall festival you don't want to miss.