Pennsylvania's Top 13 Best Fall Festivals to Attend This Year

There is nothing more satisfying than enjoying time outside at a festival, right before it gets cold. In Pennsylvania, no matter where you are, you can find fall festivals to enjoy the changing seasons! But which ones are the best? And what do they offer? Follow along to explore Pennsylvania’s top 13 best fall festivals to attend this year. Choosing just 13 was really difficult!

1. Bedford Fall Foliage Festival

The first fantastic fall festival on our list is the Bedford Fall Foliage Festival, sometimes referred to as Bedford’s Fall Foliage Festival. This event runs on October 7 to 8 and October 14 to 15. It’s a great place to enjoy the nice, cool fall weather and have some family fun outdoors! You can play games, win prizes, and eat delicious festival snacks like fresh pizza, kettle corn, and fried goodies. Visitors can also shop for local favorites at the many booths displayed at the festival. A fun moment for all ages is watching the Antique Car Parade in astonishment on Saturday, August 14 at 2 pm. Live music can also be heard throughout the day.

Next year’s dates are already out! If you’ve missed the Bedford Fall Foliage Festival in 2023, don’t forget to add October 5th, 6th, 12th, and 13th to your calendar. In 2024 is the 60th Annual Bedford Fall Foliage Festival.

2. 5th Annual Fall Harvest Fest (Carlisle Expo Center)

Although in no particular order, the second-best Pennsylvania fall festival to visit is the 5th Annual Fall Harvest Fest in the Carlisle Expo Center. This lovely festival runs from October 28, 2023, to October 29, 2023. On Saturday it’s open from 9 am to 5 pm, and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm.

So, what does the 5th Annual Fall Harvest Fest offer? This free festival has over 110 vendors, food trucks, and games to play. It’s fun for all ages and includes a kid’s zone. On Saturday, kids can dress up and go trick-or-treating at each booth. Guests can also participate in Toys for Tots by donating an unused and unopened toy. If you bring a toy for donation, you receive two door prize raffle tickets for a chance to win amazing prizes.

3. Ashcombe Fall Harvest

Continuing our list of Pennsylvania’s top 13 best fall festivals is the Ashcombe Fall Harvest in Mechanicsburg. This fall festival is open from September 30th to October 29th, Monday through Friday. The hours depend on the day. Not only can visitors enjoy choosing a wonderful pumpkin and enjoying a horse-drawn hayride, but also participate in Scarecrow Making from October 7th through the 9th.

Ashcombe isn’t just a garden center that serves the Central Pennsylvania area. They also offer unique fall-themed craft and garden classes. For example, on November 3, class attendees can learn how to make a pumpkin sugar scrub. To join any of Ashcombe’s classes, it’s important to preregister online as supplies are limited.

4. Autumn Leaf Festival in Clarion

Pennsylvania is also home to the Autumn Leaf Festival in Clarion. This wonderful festival runs from September 30th to October 8, 2023. While here, visitors can enjoy the gorgeous decorations throughout the street. The theme for 2023 is Groovin’ into Autumn.

When visiting, don’t forget to catch the fantastic parade, featuring local marching bands and fantastic floats. This year’s 70th Annual Allegheny Toyota Autumn Leaf Festival also features raffles, vendors, live music, and delicious food.

5. Fall Craft Days at Seven Springs Mountain Resort

A favorite for many locals is the Fall Craft Days at Seven Springs Mountain Resort, also called Autumnfest. It’s a great way to spend time outdoors, watch the colorful leaves fall, and enjoy fall activities. The event is open Saturdays and Sundays from October 7 to October 22. There is so much to do during these three weekends! Visitors can shop till they drop at the over 70 live vendors.

At the Autumnfest, you can listen to live performers, participate in face painting, and take pictures at the pumpkin patch. A hay maze is also available and many crafting activities. Guests can also enjoy a balloon artist, a Petting Zoo, and Kid’s Costume Parade. Although pets are adored, they are not allowed at this festival.

6. Wilcox Farms Corn Maze

Technically, the Wilcox Farms Corn Maze is a corn maze and not a festival, but with so many fun fall activities, it might as well be a festival! The Wilcox Farms Corn Maze is a worthy honorable mention. It’s open for a small fee on Fridays through Sundays. The season runs from September 15th to November 5th.

The Wilcox Farms features a lot more than the massive 8-mile corn maze. This family-favorite fall spot also offers the 13th Annual Car Show, a kid’s play area, and tractor hay rides. The tractor hay rides are given on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 6 pm. The whole family is invited along for this 20-minute drive.

7. Great Pocono Pumpkin Festival

Also on our list of Pennsylvania’s top 13 best fall festivals is the Great Pocono Pumpkin Festival. You can enjoy this fall favorite festival from September 23 to October 29, 2023. It runs from 11 am to 5 pm. Unlike most fall festivals, this one is free to enter and park! While inside, you can enjoy fantastic fall activities like hay rides, the gem mine, the 3D Whacky Shack Fun House, carnival rides, laser tag, and pony rides. A petting farm is also onsite, and free! On the last available weekend, families can enjoy the Kids Costume Party.

8. Jim Thorpe Fall Festival

Another fall festival to add to our list is the Jim Thorpe Fall Festival in Josiah White Park. Although it’s free to enter, some activities require a fee. This fun fall festival has something for everyone, regardless of age. Nature lovers can enjoy the scenic mountains by taking a 45-minute round-trip train ride. The Jim Thorpe Fall Festival runs from October 7, 2023, to October 29, 2023. The festival is in full swing on Saturdays and Sundays, although you can enjoy the town’s charm any day of the week. During the weekend though, you can stroll through the streets talk to local vendors, and enjoy live music. If you’re in the mood for a spooky affair this fall, you can attend the festival during the day, and book a ghost tour for the night! A favorite for many is the Ghost Walks in Old Mauch Chunk.

9. FallFest at Shady Brook Farm

If the last eight fall festivals weren’t enough for you, we have another incredible one to highlight. The FallFest at Shady Brook Farm is well worth a visit, especially if you have little ones. There are endless opportunities for fun and a lot to see. For a small admission price, visitors can enjoy over 25 attractions, which include an affordable and scenic pumpkin patch, gorgeous sunflower fields, BarnYard Animals, FarmYard Adventure Course, and a 4-acre Corn Maze. That’s not all, through October 29, 2023, visitors can enjoy live music, mouthwatering food, and exciting wagon rides. Did you the FallFest at Shady Brook Farm also features a Drone Show? You can catch this show at 9:50 pm on October 20, 21, 27, and 29.

10. Fall Fest Weekends at Highland Orchards

Have you ever been to the Fall Fest Weekends at Highland Orchards? Now is the best time to go. The Fall Fest Weekends at Highland Orchards is located in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The hours of this even vary depending on the exact activity. For instance, the farm market and bakery are open on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 am to 5 pm and Tuesdays through Fridays from 9 am to 6 pm. The Pick-your-own-pumpkin hours are shorter. You can pick a pumpkin Tuesdays through Fridays from 9 am to 4 pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 am to 3 pm. This family-favorite fall festival doesn’t just offer pumpkin picking, but also hayrides, fun games, and apple picking. You can also test your luck at the Corn Maze.

11. Froehlich’s Farm Fall Festival

The eleventh event on our list of Pennsylvania’s top 13 best fall festivals is Froehlich’s Farm Fall Festival in Furlong. This year, 2023, is the 12th Annual Froehlich’s Farm Fall Festival. It’s open on Saturdays and Sundays from September 30th through October 29th. On Saturdays, you can enjoy the fall activities from 10 am to 6 pm, and on Sundays from 10 am to 4 pm.

So, what can you expect to see and do at Froehlich’s Farm Fall Festival? This exciting festival has a hay ride, Pumpkin Shoot Out, Monster Slide, delicious fall-favorite foods, and live music from local bands! Adults can also enjoy beverages from the Proper Brewing Company or Sand Castle Winery. Also available on the farm are bonfires and s’mores kits for a fee. Even if you can’t make it to Froehlich’s Farm Fall Festival, Froehlich’s Farm and Garden hosts events throughout the year including live reindeer photo ops in winter.

12. Fair Haven Farms Fall Festival Weekends

If you’re anywhere near Grove City, you can take a trip to the next fall festival on our list, the Fair Haven Farms Fall Festival Weekends. They are open every weekend from September 15 to October 29 from 11 am to 6 pm.

Each weekend is special. For example, opening week is themed as Parachuting into the Pumpkin Patch. The last weekend open is a costume contest and parade. Not only can you enjoy themed events while at Fair Haven Farms Fall Festival Weekends, but pick pumpkins at the pumpkin patch and brave into the corn maze. Enjoy your trip to the pumpkin patch on a hay ride, which is included in your admission! You don’t have to leave the farm to eat either as the Food Shack is open Saturdays and Sundays. Here you can eat local favorites like Amish-made jams and raw honey. A highlight for all visitors is saying hello to the farm’s friendly goats!

13. Soergel Orchards Fall Festival Weekends

Last but not least is the Soergel Orchards Fall Festival Weekends in Wexford. This family-owned farm is a hidden gem with so many things to do! The fall festival weekends are open Saturdays and Sundays from September 16th through October 29th. Saturday hours start at 10 am and end at 5 pm, while Sunday hours are from 11 am to 5 pm. One of the best parts about this festival is how fun, wholesome, and affordable it is. Soergel Orchards Fall Festival Weekends are open to the public, for free. Each activity is priced separately. Guests can enjoy tractor rides, delicious foods like kettle corn and apple cider, and a cornstalk maze and straw tunnel. You can also opt to pick pumpkins, apples, or even both.