Find out about more than 40 fun festivals and special events taking place in the Southeast during the month of October. Selected festivals and events in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and North Carolina are on this page.
Go to page 2 for festivals and events in South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
For Halloween happenings and destinations, visit Halloween Fun in the Southeast.
Alabama Festivals and Events
- BayFest
October 2 - 4, 2009 - Mobile, Alabama
Over 125 live musical acts for three days and nights on the streets of downtown Mobile. - National Shrimp Festival
October 8 - 11, 2009 - Gulf Shores, Alabama
One of the nation’s premier outdoor festivals, held each year during the second full weekend in October, featuring more than 300 fine art, arts and crafts and retail marketplace vendors plus lots and lots of shrimp. - Greater Gulf State Fair
October 23 - November 1, 2009 - Mobile, Alabama
Features traditional fair midway fun and livestock exhibits, plus multicultural entertainment and activities. - Kentuck Festival of the Arts
October 17 - 18, 2009 - Northport, Alabama
A two-day outdoor juried arts festival featuring more than 300 booths with artists from throughout the United States, plus performances by legendary musicians, children’s arts activities, and unique Southern and ethnic food specialties. - Alabama Renaissance Faire
October 24 - 25, 2009 - Florence, Alabama
Always held on the fourth Saturday and Sunday in October, Alabama's Renaissance Faire is a major tourist event, featuring two days of medieval festivities.
Georgia Festivals and Events
- GA Seasonal Fall Festivals
Various Dates and Locations
Find out about popular multi-week festivals including AutumnFest at Callaway Gardens, Oktoberfest in Helen, Georgia and the Annual Pumpkin Festival at Stone Mountain Park.
- Georgia National Fair
October 8 - 18, 2009 - Perry, Georgia
Family-oriented entertainment and educational fun, showcasing Georgia's agriculture, plus exciting rides and other midway fun, fireworks, shows and more.
- Oktoberfest on the River
October 2 - 4, 2009 - Savannah, Georgia
A weekend of free family fun on Savannah's historic River Street, featuring non-stop entertainment, wiener dog races, sausage eating contests, local and German foods and more.
- Georgia Mountain Fall Festival
October 9 - 17, 2009 - Hiawassee, Georgia
A 9-day event featuring musical performances, educational demonstrations, a flower show and the popular Georgia’s Official State Fiddlers' Convention. - Taste of Atlanta
October 10 - 11, 2009 - Atlanta, Georgia
Open-air global epicurean adventure, featuring 80 of Atlanta's best restaurants, cooking demonstrations, celebrity chefs, entertainment and more. - More Atlanta Events
About.com's City Guide to Atlanta provides information about many community events.
Kentucky Festivals and Events
- October Court Day2
October 16 - 19, 2009 - Mount Sterling, Kentucky
Eastern Kentucky's annual trading days, initiated in the 18th Century and known as the granddaddy of all flea markets attracts over 100,000 people to buy and sell arts and crafts plus more.
North Carolina Festivals and Events
- NC Seasonal Fall Festivals
Various Dates and Locations
Find out about popular multi-week festivals in the Southeast, including the Tweetsie Railroad Ghost Train Halloween Festival. - North Carolina Seafood Festival
October 2 - 4, 2009 - Morehead City, North Carolina
North Carolina's second largest festival features, seafood, entertainment, arts and crafts, rides and more along the Morehead City waterfront.
- Riverfest
October 3 - 4, 2009 - Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington, North Carolina celebrates life and culture on the Cape Fear River during Riverfest featuring fun for all ages, including live entertainment, a street fair, exhibits, visiting ships, food vendors, Invasion of the Pirates Flotilla and Treasure Hunt and more.
- Festifall
October 4, 2009 - Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Downtown Chapel Hill celebrates fall with a fun street fair on West Franklin Street. - North Carolina State Fair
October 15 - 25, 2009 - Raleigh, North Carolina
North Carolina's largest fair features midway fun, exciting grandstand entertainment, an interactive farm life exhibit, racing pigs, farm animals and farm crops competitions and exhibits, nightly performances, nightly fireworks and much more. - MUMFest
October 10 - 11, 2009 - New Bern, North Carolina
An award-winning family festival featuring an array of attractions, including live entertainment, outdoor concert performances, amusement rides, activities for kids, roving dance troupes and street performers, local arts and crafts, food vendors and more. - Swansboro Mullet Festival
October 10 - 11, 2009 - Swansboro, North Carolina
Charming Swansboro's annual festival featuring great food, arts and crafts, beach music and lots of family fun.
- Carolina BalloonFest
October 23 - 25, 2009 - Statesville, North Carolina
Family fun featuring 50 hot air balloons, competitions and rides, a balloon glow, aviation displays, activities for kids, arts and crafts, entertainment and a wine tasting festival. - The Barbecue Festival
October 24, 2009 - Lexington, North Carolina
Attracting more than 100,000 barbecue lovers, this festival features legendary Lexington barbecue, entertainment, exhibits and more, always on a Saturday in late October.
