High Country Guide

Fall Festivals in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Fall is festival season in the High Country. From the Valle Country Fair to Woolly Worm and the Banner Elk Fall Festival, these gatherings showcase local food, mountain crafts, and live music as the leaves turn. The list below updates automatically as new dates are announced.

Upcoming events in this guide

Updated automatically from our events calendar.

Sep1

Festivals & FairsMitchell County

NC Hellbender Festival 2026

Tue, Sep 1, 2026

12:00 PM

Spruce Pine

Sep3

Festivals & FairsAvery County

2025 Avery A&H Fair

Thu, Sep 3, 2026

5:00 PM

Avery County Extension Center

Sep5

Festivals & FairsMitchell County

NC Hellbender Festival

Sat, Sep 5, 2026

7:00 AM

Downtown Spruce Pine

Sep5

Festivals & FairsAvery CountyMulti-day

Labor Day Weekend Art on the Greene

Sep 5 – Sep 7, 2026

12:00 PM

Cultural Arts Center at the Historic Banner Elk School

Sep7

Festivals & FairsAvery County

Labor Day Weekend Art on the Greene

Mon, Sep 7, 2026

12:00 PM

Banner Elk Chamber of Commerce

Sep12

Festivals & FairsWatauga County

"Rooted in Resilience" Appalachian Literacy Summit

Sat, Sep 12, 2026

12:00 AM

College of Education Building, 124 A, B, C

Sep12

Festivals & FairsAvery County

Beech Mountain Mile-High Kite Festival

Sat, Sep 12, 2026

12:00 PM

Beech Mountain

Sep12

Festivals & FairsWatauga County

Buskers Fest

Sat, Sep 12, 2026

1:00 PM

Downtown Boone

Sep15

Festivals & FairsWatauga CountyMulti-day

Blowing Rock Plein Air Festival

Sep 15 – Sep 19, 2026

12:00 AM

Downtown Blowing Rock

Sep15

Festivals & FairsWatauga CountyMulti-day

Plein Air Festival

Sep 15 – Sep 19, 2026

5:00 AM

Blowing Rock Art & History Museum

Sep15

Festivals & FairsWatauga CountyMulti-day

Plein Air Festival

Sep 15 – Sep 19, 2026

9:00 AM

Blowing Rock Art & History Museum

Sep15

Festivals & FairsWatauga CountyMulti-day

2026 Blowing Rock Plein Air Festival

Sep 15 – Sep 19, 2026

9:00 AM

Blowing Rock Art & History Museum

Sep15

Festivals & FairsAvery County

Beech Mountain Mile-High Kite Festival

Tue, Sep 15, 2026

12:00 PM

Banner Elk Chamber of Commerce

Sep17

Festivals & FairsAshe County

West Jefferson Antiques Fair

Thu, Sep 17, 2026

5:00 PM

Ashe County Chamber of Commerce

Sep18

Festivals & FairsAshe County

High Country Honey Festival

Fri, Sep 18, 2026

8:00 AM

Ashe County Chamber of Commerce

Sep18

Festivals & FairsAshe CountyMulti-day

West Jefferson Antiques Fair

Sep 18 – Sep 19, 2026

8:00 AM

Downtown West Jefferson

Sep19

Festivals & FairsOther County

2026 Blue Ridge Mountain Heritage Festival

Sat, Sep 19, 2026

10:00 AM

Intersection Main & Whitehead

Sep19

Festivals & FairsAvery County

Beech Mountain Mile-High Kite Festival

Sat, Sep 19, 2026

12:00 PM

Beech Mountain

Sep21

Festivals & FairsWatauga County

Career Fair Prep with Gamma Iota Sigma

Mon, Sep 21, 2026

5:00 PM

Peacock Hall, 3019

Sep26

Festivals & FairsMitchell County

NC Hellbender Festival 2026

Sat, Sep 26, 2026

12:00 PM

Spruce Pine

Sep27

Festivals & FairsMitchell County

NC Hellbender Festival 2026

Sun, Sep 27, 2026

12:00 PM

Spruce Pine

Sep29

Festivals & FairsWatauga County

The Construction, Architecture Design, and Renewable Energy Technology Career Fair

Tue, Sep 29, 2026

12:00 PM

Holmes Convocation Center, Arena

Sep30

Festivals & FairsWatauga County

Internship & Job Fair

Wed, Sep 30, 2026

12:00 PM

Holmes Convocation Center, Arena

Sep30

Festivals & FairsWatauga County

VIP Social for Walker Business Connections

Wed, Sep 30, 2026

4:00 PM

North End Zone Facility, Grandview Ballroom

Oct1

Festivals & FairsWatauga County

Walker Business Connections Career Fair

Thu, Oct 1, 2026

12:00 PM

Holmes Convocation Center, Arena

Oct3

Festivals & FairsAshe County

High Country Honey Festival

Sat, Oct 3, 2026

9:00 AM

Ashe Ag Center

Oct3

Festivals & FairsAvery CountyMulti-day

Oktoberfest at Sugar Mountain Resort

Oct 3 – Oct 4, 2026

12:00 PM

Sugar Mountain Resort

Oct10

Festivals & FairsAvery CountyMulti-day

Oktoberfest at Sugar Mountain Resort

Oct 10 – Oct 11, 2026

10:00 AM

High Country Visitors Guide

Oct10

Festivals & FairsOther County

Thistle Meadow Wine Festival

Sat, Oct 10, 2026

12:00 PM

Thistle Meadow Winery

Oct11

Festivals & FairsAvery CountyAll day

Polka Dance Your Way to Sugar Mountain Resort’s 35th Annual Oktoberfest, October 11 & 12

Sun, Oct 11, 2026

Sugar Mountain Resort

Oct12

Festivals & FairsAvery CountyAll day

Don your Dirndl and Lace up Your Lederhosen for Sugar Mountain Resort’s 34th Annual Oktoberfest, October 12 & 13

Mon, Oct 12, 2026

Sugar Mountain Resort

Oct12

Festivals & FairsAvery County

Woolly Worm Festival

Mon, Oct 12, 2026

12:00 PM

Banner Elk

Oct17

Festivals & FairsOther County

Woolly Worm Festival 2026

Sat, Oct 17, 2026

12:00 AM

High Country Visitors Guide

Oct17

Festivals & FairsAvery CountyMulti-day

Woolly Worm Festival

Oct 17 – Oct 18, 2026

12:00 PM

Downtown Banner Elk

Oct17

Festivals & FairsWatauga CountyMulti-day

Valle Country Fair

Oct 17 – Oct 18, 2026

12:00 PM

Valle Crucis

Oct18

Festivals & FairsAvery County

Woolly Worm Festival

Sun, Oct 18, 2026

12:00 PM

Downtown Banner Elk

Oct18

Festivals & FairsAvery County

Sugar Mountain Area Festivals & Events Calendar: Valle Country Fair

Sun, Oct 18, 2026

6:00 PM

See Sugar

Oct30

Festivals & FairsWatauga County

Education Career Fair

Fri, Oct 30, 2026

12:30 PM

Holmes Convocation Center, Arena

Oct31

Festivals & FairsWatauga County

Blowing Rock Halloween Festival

Sat, Oct 31, 2026

4:30 PM

Memorial Park

Oct31

Festivals & FairsWatauga County

Blowing Rock Halloween Festival & Monster March

Sat, Oct 31, 2026

5:30 PM

Main Street