Fall is one of the best times to visit the Smoky Mountains area. The scenery comes alive with fall colors, the air gets cooler, and fun events happen all around! Some of the most fun events are fall festivals! Here’s your guide to the various fall festivals in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg that you should definitely visit this fall:
Dollywood’s Harvest Festival
One of the most well-known fall festivals in Pigeon Forge is Dollywood’s Harvest Festival. This seasonal festival takes place throughout Dollywood and features fall-themed decorations, foods with fall flavors, thrilling rides, musical performances, and craft demonstrations. One of the biggest highlights of Dollywood’s Harvest Festival is Great Pumpkin LumiNights. After dark, the theme park comes alive with the glow of thousands of carved pumpkins set up in creative structures and scenes! Look for larger-than-life pumpkin structures like the Pumpkin Tree, Dolly’s Guitar, and Pumpkin Spider. There’s plenty of daytime and nighttime fun at this fall festival in Pigeon Forge, and you can enjoy it from early September until the end of October.
Wears Valley Fall Fest
Presented by Keep Sevier Beautiful, the annual Wears Valley Fall Fest celebrates fall with all sorts of activities and entertainment! You can explore 16 acres of family fun with interactive activities, children’s events, a variety of food options, live entertainment, antique tractors, and more than 240 craft booths! Because this fall festival is outdoors in stunning Wears Valley, you’ll be surrounded by beautiful fall scenery and mountain views all around! The Wears Valley Fall Fest takes place each year for a Friday through Sunday in mid-October, giving you an entire weekend to check it all out!
Anakeesta’s Bear-Varian Fall Festival
If you are looking for a fun fall festival in Gatlinburg, check out Anakeesta’s Bear-Varian Fall Festival. This fall festival takes place at the top of Anakeesta and features a variety of autumn-themed decorations and seasonal entertainment throughout the park! Another great part of Anakeesta’s Bear-Varian Fall Festival is the opportunity to sample drink specials from local and regional craft breweries as well as seasonal food offerings full of Bavarian flavors! Enjoy savory foods like Bavarian Jumbo Pretzel, Pork Schnitzel Plate, Loaded German Baked Potato, and Beer Braised Brat, as well as sweet treats such as Warm Apple Strudel Crumble and Black Forest Crepe.
Oktoberfest at Ober Mountain
A Gatlinburg fall festival that offers fun for the whole family is Ober Mountain's Oktoberfest! You’ll have the chance to experience the ultimate Bavarian-style beer festival with live music and all sorts of festive fall fun for the entire family, including a craft market, kids crafts, beer stein holding competitions, and more! Don’t forget to try specialty food and drink items such as Yee-Haw Brewing's exclusive Oktoberfest brews, chicken schnitzel, smoked turkey legs, giant pretzels, pumpkin fudge, and so much more!
Gatlinburg Harvest Festival
From early September through early November, you can celebrate fall with the Gatlinburg Harvest Festival. This fall festival spans throughout downtown Gatlinburg, with a number of shops and restaurants taking part in the festivities. You’ll see over-the-top displays and decorations, including life-size, three-dimensional scarecrow people! The entire community competes for Best Harvest Decorations, and visitors are invited to vote for their favorite fall decorations in the Gatlinburg Harvest Festival “People’s Choice Award.” You can also participate in a Scarecrow Scavenger Hunt! So, as you stroll through downtown Gatlinburg enjoying all the fall decor, take note of which displays are your favorite and see if you can find all 30 unique scarecrows!
The Island in Pigeon Forge
Though not one of the official fall festivals in Pigeon Forge, The Island in Pigeon Forge is a must-visit autumn destination! The Island comes alive with all sorts of custom decorations and fall photo ops, including scarecrows, pumpkins, tractors, and more. You’ll also get the chance to enjoy seasonal desserts and moonshine flavors that match the fall theme! On Halloween, your family can dress up and participate in Trick-or-Treat at The Island! This is a fun, safe way for your kids to go trick-or-treating if you’re spending Halloween in Pigeon Forge!
More Ways to Experience Fall in the Smokies
These fall festivals in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are some of the best ways to have autumn fun during your Smoky Mountain vacation. If you are looking for more ways to experience fall in the Smokies, check out these top scenic drives that are perfect for enjoying the beauty of Smoky Mountain fall foliage!
