Fall Festivals Around Winston-Salem

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 5, 2024

• 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 – October 5 & 6, 2024

• Hickory Motor Speedway
• 3130 US 70, Newton, NC
• Oct 5, 11am – 9:30pm; Oct 6, 11am – 5pm

The Prohibition Festival celebrates Hot Rods and Moonshine and their history together. This festival features a car show featuring all 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. Awards will be given out Sunday 4:30pm – 5pm. Photo ID (21+) must be presented to obtain a moonshine-tasting wristband. See their Website for more information and tickets.

Carolina Renaissance Festival – October 5 – November 24, 2024

• 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 11 – 13, 2024

• Downtown Mt Airy, NC
• Corner of Rawley Avenue and N Main Street to Pine Street intersection and side streets
• Oct 11 & Oct 12, 9am – 9pm; Oct 13, 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 19, 2024

• 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 17 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. The day’s entertainment schedule includes noon-2pm, Incognito, and 3pm – 5pm, Camel City Yacht Club. 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 4 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 18 – 20, 2024

• Statesville, NC
• General Parking: 531 Old Airport Road, Statesville | Free Park & Shuttle: 630 N Main Street, Troutman
• Oct 18, 3pm – 8:30pm; Oct 19, 7:30am – 8:30pm; Oct 20, 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 kid’s 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, 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 19 & 20, 2024

• 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 19, 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 20, 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 26, 2024

• Lexington, NC
• Main Street
• 8:30am – 5:30pm

This year marks the 40th 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 dinosaur exhibit, 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.

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.