The Festifall at Huntsville Botanical Garden is a two-month celebration of the changing seasons featuring pumpkins, scarecrows, campouts, nature hikes and more.
Art Sunday
More than 70 nationally recognized artists and emerging local creators from across northern Alabama and southern Tennessee gather in Scottsboro the first Sunday in September (September 1, 2024) for a juried show and sale. The Scottsboro Three Arts Club’s 51st Annual Art Sunday event features 70-plus artists and makers, musical entertainment, children’s activities, photography contests and food and beverage vendors. Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for students.
Oka Kapassa Festival
Native Americans will return to share their heritage and history in downtown Tuscumbia on September 13-14, 2024. A celebration of the culture and traditions of the indigenous people who once lived in North Alabama, the free admission Oka Kapassa Festival has been recognized as a top ten event by the Southeast Tourism Society, a National Park Service Centennial Event and an Alabama Bicentennial Event in recent years. Fancy and traditional dance demonstrations, storytelling and music are all on the agenda along with hands-on activities for all ages. Shop authentic Native American artwork and crafts..
Oka Kapassa also welcomes several well-known and revered American Indian cooks who will prepare foods that were developed by their ancestors. authentic Native American foods such as buffalo stew and burgers, fry bread, Indian tacos, fish and roasted corn. traditional Chickasaw pashofa, a stew combining pork and cracked corn.
Monte Sano Art Festival
The Monte Sano Art Festival has been an enjoyable tradition in Huntsville for two decades. The 2024 festival will be September 21-22 and will feature more than 150 of the region’s finest artists in an array of wonderful media. Along with the outdoor festival exhibitors, there will be local food trucks and musicians throughout the park. The Monte Sano Art Festival is always a highlight of the arts calendar!
Hartselle Depot Days
The Depot Days Festival rolls into Hartselle September 21 bringing a day of family-friendly fun and entertainment to the historic depot and downtown area, a tribute to the railroad industry and its contribution to Hartselle and the North Alabama region. Now in its 43rdyear, activities include an art show, food and craft vendors, a tractor and engine show, a car, truck and motorcycle show, live music and fun and games for children. Admission is free. visit www.HartselleDepotDays.com
Alabama Wine Festival
On Saturday, October 26 from 2 p.m-6 p.m. at Wills Creek Vineyards and Winery in Duck Springs, Alabama wineries from across the state will have wine available for sample and purchase. You can enjoy food from local food truck vendors & live music. Adults only; ID’s will be checked. Tickets sold online are $30 per person; at gate $40 per person. No charge for designated drivers 21 years or older.
Bridgeport, Alabama northwest to Waterloo, Alabama Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride
Motorcyclists from across the southeast will come together September 21, 2024, for a scenic ride across north Alabama to honor Native American Indians that once traveled through the region. The 31st annual Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride® travels from Bridgeport in the northeastern part of Alabama to the northwestern town of Waterloo, and along with the celebratory ride, there is a kick-off rally and a three-day Indian Festival. On Friday, Sept. 20 a kick-off rally offers children’s activities, live music, a street dance, fireworks show and other free family fun, including Bottom Holler Band and Nashville’s Benny Carl and the Loose Lips Band.
The town of Waterloo will host a free Indian Festival September 20-22 in remembrance of all those who walked the Trail of Tears. Presented by the Alabama Indian Affairs Commission, the three-day event offers displays from Native American artisans and vendors along with a memorial walk to honor those who experienced the forced journey. Admission is free; https://www.al-tn-trailoftears.net/ or https://www.facebook.com/Trailoftearsmotorcycle.
Eva Frontier Days
A greased pig chase, a frog jumping contest, a parade and antique tractors take center stage when the town of Eva comes together in September for the annual Eva Frontier Days festival, September 24-28, 2024. Over several days events include an arts and craft show, food vendors and an antique tractor and car show. Live entertainment by The Pylant Family, Dry Creek Bluegrass, Abby Huffnagle and Wildcat Ridge.
Sizzle and Smoke
Alabama’s only triple steak cookoffreturns September 27-28, 2024, bringing exciting grilling action and good times to the River City of Decatur, Alabama. Sizzle and Smoke welcomes steak connoisseurs and backyard grill meisters to compete for prize money, bragging rights and a coveted golden ticket – the opportunity to compete at the 2025 SCA World Championships in Fort Worth, Texas. Adding to the fun this year, Real Steel will be hosting their annual charity car show on Saturday, Sept. 28 Food trucks and a steak sandwich sale, raffle prizes and a silent auction round out the event. Admission is free.
Mule Day
Mule Day, a two-day event centered on mules and their role in rural farming, hits the streets of downtown Winfield September 27-28, bringing with it free family fun including a parade of mules, horses, jacks and jennies. Vendors of all kinds, local merchant sales, live music, fireworks show, 5K run, rodeo, car show and antique tractors, mule judging, cornhole tournament, disc golf tournament are on the agenda as the North Alabama town celebrates its agricultural heritage.
Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention
Thousands of visitors and musicians will make their way to the North Alabama town of Athens October 2-5for the “Granddaddy of Midsouth Fiddlers Conventions,” the Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention. Along with the crowning of a new champion, the three-day event offers concerts, food vendors and arts and crafts on a theme of authentic workmanship while celebrating traditional old time music.
The Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention attracts approximately 15,000 folk music fans and more than 200 musicians who will be vying for over $47,000 in prize money in 19 different categories of competition, including several fiddle and guitar categories, mandolin, bluegrass, banjo, old time singing and Appalachian buck dancing.
The convention also includes a variety of food vendors and approximately 150 old-fashioned juried arts and crafts booths offering an assortment of items from traditional artwork to coal-fired metal works with an emphasis on handmade creations will be open for business during festival hours.
Cost of admission is $20 per adult for Friday, $20 per adult for Saturday, or $25 per adult for a weekend pass. Children under 12 will be admitted free with a paid adult. Pets and coolers are not allowed. Festival-goers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs. http://www.tvotfc.org.
Cullman Oktoberfest
Cullman Oktoberfest, October 3-5, 2024, one of North Alabama’s largest and most anticipated events, will take place in downtown Cullman with a multitude of fun activities, including a biergarten, an arts and crafts show, live German music, kids’ activities, costume and bratwurst eating contests, wiener dog races, tapping of the keg and more. A parade filled with Bavarian jugglers and a variety of talented entertainers donning German costumes and playing German instruments, will be led by a new beer wagon pulled by a team of Clydesdales. https://www.facebook.com/cullmanoktoberfest/
Boaz Harvest Festival
Set for October 4-5, the Boaz Harvest Festival invites everyone to downtown Boaz for two days of family-friendly fun at this free event, now in its 60th year. Gospel, country and bluegrass music, arts and crafts vendors, a classic car, truck and jeep show, a cornhole tournament, pumpkin contest and food trucks are all part of the fun.
Scottsboro BBQ Festival
The aroma of slow-cooked barbeque fills the air around the picturesque downtown square of Scottsboro the second Saturday in October (October 12) at the annual Scottsboro BBQ Festival. It’s a Kansas City Barbeque Society and an Alabama Barbeque Association sanctioned event and features three competitions. Festival-goers can purchase a $10 ticket and sample up to 10 butts and up to 10 desserts and vote for their favorite. Other activities include a Barq-Off dog parade with prizes, an official Alabama cornhole tournament, a car, truck and cycle show; a beer garden, food vendors and art and craft vendors. A kids fun zone includes inflatables, games, climbing wall, pumpkin bowling, face painting and more. Admission is free. http://scottsborobbqcookoff.com/.
Blount County Covered Bridge Festival
With three covered bridges still in existence, North Alabama’s Blount County carries the title of Covered Bridge Capital of Alabama, and as a tribute to its roots, the annual Blount County Covered Bridge Festival is set for Saturday, October 12, 2024 in Oneonta. Family fun includes a quilt show, a rib cook-off, car show, live music, great food, self-guided covered bridge tours and more. Peruse booths selling an assortment of homemade items, handmade jewelry, artwork, wood creations and more. Festival goers can also check out the cars, trucks, farm tractors, first responder vehicles and motorcycles at the Cruise-In. www.facebook.com/CoveredBridgeFest
Alabama Gourd Show
An impressive display of unique creations, all handmade from gourds, will be on display when the Alabama Gourd Show returns October 18-19 at the Sparkman Civic Center in Hartselle. The free annual event celebrates the beauty and versatility of gourds and features masterfully created works of art from hundreds of artisans, crafters and growers. Nine different gourd art crafting classes (fee charged) are offered both days.
Athens Storytelling Festival
Some of the nation’s most highly acclaimed storytellers will make their way to North Alabama next month for an annual celebration of storytelling, tall tales and readings. Now in its seventeenth year, the Athens Storytelling Festival returns to the ASU campus October 22-26, 2024. Food vendors, local restaurants and an eclectic mix of shops offering a wide variety of antiques, gifts, gourmet foods, clothing and hardware will be open just a short walk from the festivities. A complimentary shuttle from the festival tent grounds to downtown Athens will also be provided. Tickets range from $25 for partial to $95/adult and $55/16 years and younger.
River Clay Fine Arts Festival
Set for October 26-27, River Clay Fine Arts Festival welcomes 70 local and national artists who will bring their works of art and unique creations to the River City for a celebration of the visual arts. In addition to the artist market, festival-goers are treated to chalk art, student art exhibits, live music and more.
The juried art festival made its debut in 2015 to bring artists and art lovers together. This year, the two-day outdoor art festival features artwork from talented artists from 13 different states who will be selling a variety of original works of art, including ceramics, drawings, fiber, glass, jewelry, metalwork, mixed media, paintings, photography, printmaking, sculptures and wood. Children of all ages are invited to take part in the children’s art area through fun activities to express their creativity.
River Clay is held on the grounds of Decatur City Hall located at 402 Lee Street NE in downtown Decatur. Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, October 26, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday, October 27. Admission is $5 per person for a weekend pass. Children 12 years old and under get in free and must be accompanied by an adult.