When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission. Here’s how it works.
Table of Contents
Fall Festivals celebrate the beautiful fall weather with many exciting events. Some are directly related to the season, and some are scheduled now because the air is fresh and crisp, the days are beautiful, and everyone wants to be outside having fun! Check out the list below of the unique festivals we found within a couple of hours from Winston-Salem.
Brushy Mountain Apple Festival – October 4, 2025
- North Wilkesboro, NC
- Downtown Main Street
- 8am – 5pm
The Brushy Mountain Apple Festival is one of Southeast’s largest arts and crafts festivals. The streets of downtown North Wilkesboro, about 55 minutes from Winston-Salem, are filled with over 300 artists and craftsmen, 50 food concessions, and three stages featuring Blue Grass, Country, Folk, Gospel, and Appalachian Heritage music. Many Appalachian crafts are available, such as woodcarving, chair making, soap making, pottery throwing, and quilting. Cloggers, rope skippers, square dancers, folk dancers, and dulcimer players provide additional entertainment throughout the festival. Of course, there are apples, apple cider, and dried apples from many growers. The Brushy Mountain Ruritan Club information booth at the corner of Main and 9th Streets will have guides available with entertainment schedules and vendors’ locations. See their Website for more information.
Prohibition Hot Rod & Moonshine Festival – September 26 & 27, 2025
- Downtown North Wilksboro
- CBD Loop North Wilksboro, NC
- Sept 26, 7pm – 11pm; Sept 27, 11am – 5pm
The Prohibition Festival celebrates Hot Rods and Moonshine and their history together. Friday night, September 26, is the pre-party at Wisdom Brewery and it is free to attend. The festival, Saturday September 27, features a car show with vehicles from 1989 and older. There will also be live music, vendors, food, and a moonshine tasting and spirits competition. You can register your car to enter the show for a fee. Photo ID (21+) must be presented to obtain a moonshine-tasting wristband at either event, See their Website for more information and tickets.
Photo courtesy of Carolina Renaissance Festival
Carolina Renaissance Festival – October 4 – November 23, 2025
- Huntersville, NC
- 16445 Poplar Tent Road (don’t use GPS, print driving directions from website)
- Saturdays & Sundays, 9:30am – 5:30pm
Travel back to Medieval Times and witness knights jousting, the art of falconry, and life in the small Village of Fairhaven, where history comes alive. Located in Huntersville, NC, just over an hour’s drive from Winston-Salem, you can visit the open-air Artisan Market, see beautiful fairies, mermaids, and friendly dragons, and feast on turkey legs and other goodies. Also, mingle with the costumed characters and enjoy the entertainment, games, and rides there. Every moment is exciting and a delight to the senses. You can dress in Renaissance garb to attend to fully embrace the experience. See our article about the Renaissance Festival for more information, promotion days, and tickets,
Autumn Leaves Festival – October 10 – 12, 2025
- Downtown Mt Airy, NC
- Corner of Rawley Avenue and N Main Street to Pine Street intersection and side streets
- Oct 10 & Oct 11, 9am – 9pm; Oct 12, 12pm – 6pm
The Autumn Leaves Festival in Mt Airy is one of NC’s longest-running, most successful events. More than 200 arts and craftspeople offer unique works in pottery, paintings, textiles, jewelry, and more, demonstrating skills passed down through generations. The festival will also feature music by local musicians, including Old-time, Bluegrass, and Gospel, and there will be “Food for the Soul.” You will want to try the ham biscuits, collards and cornbread, barbecue, ground steak, Amish donuts, and pretzels while you are there. The festival has something for everyone. There is a fun Kidfest area and DIY crafts for the kids, as well as a cornhole tournament for all ages. See their Website for more information.
Yadkin Valley Grape Festival – October 18, 2025
- Yadkinville, NC
- Downtown (parking available near the festival; Free shuttle service from hotels in Jonesville, Yadkinville, and Booneville only)
- 11am – 5pm
The Yadkin Valley Grape Festival features the wonderful wines of the Yadkin Valley Appellation. The festival will include wine tasting, live music, food, and specialty vendors. Admission is free. Wine-tasting tickets are $20 when purchased in advance and $25 at the gate. A photo ID is required. Military Discount at the gate: tickets are $20. If you are staying in the area for the festival, The Yadkin County Chamber of Commerce is offering free shuttle service with pick-ups at certain times from the hotels in Jonesville, Yadkinville, and Booneville only. Arrangements must be made for the service. Contact the Chamber office at 336-679-2200 no later than October 16 by noon to reserve your space on the shuttle. Festival grounds open at 11am. You will receive a wristband and wine glass with your ticket. Tickets are only required for wine tasting and can be purchased in advance at the Chamber office 205S Jackson Street, Yadkinville, or with a printed form online on the website (form must be received by October 3 so they can mail them to you), or ordered on their website and paid through PayPal (click on the “Tickets” box to do this. See the Grape Festival Website for more information and tickets.
Carolina BalloonFest Festival – October 17 – 19, 2025
- Statesville, NC
- General Parking: 531 Old Airport Road, Statesville | Free Park & Shuttle: 630 N Main Street, Troutman
- Oct 17, 3pm – 8:30pm; Oct 18, 7:30am – 8:30pm; Oct 19, 7am – 6pm
The Carolina BalloonFest is the country’s second-oldest hot air balloon festival. The festival features hot air balloon morning competitions, mass ascensions, and evening balloon glows. The mass ascensions are an exciting sight as many colorful balloons of different shapes and designs rise into the air simultaneously. There is also live entertainment on two stages at the festival, a kids’ zone, a marketplace, an artisan village, a wine and craft beer garden, and a walk inside a hot air balloon. You can also book a balloon ride. Bring your chairs, sit back, and enjoy the sights and sounds of the day. Tickets are $15-$25 for adults (depending on the day you go), $10 for children 7-12, and Free for 6 and under. General parking is $15, or free parking and shuttle are available. See the Website for more information and tickets.
Woolly Worm Festival – October 18 & 19, 2025
- Historic Banner Elk Elementary School
- 185 Azalea Circle, Banner Elk, NC
- 9am – 4pm
The Woolly Worm Festival celebrates the woolly worm, which is a caterpillar or larva of the Isabella Tiger Moth. It is believed by some that the woolly worm can predict the severity of winter. In the American Northeast, they say that if the woolly worm has more brown on its body than black, it will be a fair winter. The winter will be harsh if the worm has more black than brown. The worm can be found inching along the ground in the fall months, and in Banner Elk at the festival, they race the woolly worms to determine which one will predict the coming winter! The festival, which has over 20,000 attendees, also features over 150 craft and food vendors, live entertainment, children’s activities, and more. The big draw, though, is the woolly worm races, which anyone, adults and children, can enter. Of course, your worm has to have a name, and you need to register your worm at the festival. Since races are limited, you must arrive early and register as soon as you arrive. The races begin at 10am on October 18, with heats consisting of 25 worms racing up strings. Races continue all day until the grand final around 4pm. The winning worm on that day is awarded the honor of predicting the High Country’s winter weather and a $1000 prize. On October 19, the races are for a $500 prize and prestige. Admission to the Festival is $10 for adults, $5 for children 6-12, and free for children 5 and under. For more information about the festival and woolly worms, see the Festival Website.
The Barbecue Festival – October 25, 2025
- Lexington, NC
- Main Street
- 8:30am – 5:30pm
This year marks the 41st anniversary of The Lexington Barbecue Festival, “Celebrating & Serving One Style of Barbecue…Lexington Style!” The festival will feature over 250 vendors, a children’s area and activities, and a 50-ton, pig-themed sand sculpture. There will be six stages with entertainment, as well as street performers. You will also find a car show, a dog stunt show, a bicycle stunt show, and a Cork & Craft Hospitality Garden, where you can sit back, relax and enjoy music from the amphitheater stage. Admission to the garden includes a commemorative glass and access to upscale restrooms. Check out the Festival Website for more information, a map, parking, and schedule.
Whirligig Festival – November 1 & 2, 2025
- Historic Downtown
- Wilson, NC
- 10am – 8:30pm
Watch active artists create masterpieces in real time, visit the art vendors, enjoy the music and performances on four stages, and select delicious food from 40 different food vendors. Kids will also love the extreme inflatables and the Kids Zone. Of course, there will be plenty of wirligigs! You can download a festival map showing stages, booths, bathrooms, and parking. Visit the Whirligig Festival Website for more information.
More Seasonal Activities To Enjoy
The Fall brings many outdoor events for families and adults in and around Winston-Salem. Be sure to see our article about fall activities so you don’t miss the chance for seasonal fun, be it a corn maze, Oktoberfest, an artisan market, or a Halloween scare!
Which fall festivals have you attended? Tell us about it in the comments.
