Fall is one of the most beautiful times of the year to visit the Smoky Mountains. The natural scenery comes alive with brilliant fall colors in shades of red, yellow, and orange. To celebrate this special season, there are a number of fall festivals that occur each year near the Smoky Mountains. Here’s your guide to everything you need to know about each Gatlinburg fall festival taking place this year!
1. Anakeesta’s Bear-Varian Fall Festival
During the months of September and October, you can visit Anakeesta’s Bear-Varian Fall Festival to celebrate autumn. At this Gatlinburg fall festival, you’ll get to be surrounded by the changing leaves of fall as well as Halloween-themed decor throughout the mountaintop theme park. See nature-inspired pumpkin carvings at Vista Gardens, and watch as the whole village comes alive at night with colored lights. For an additional add-on, you can also sample drink specials from local and regional craft breweries and enjoy the taste of fall with seasonal food offerings. Savor fall flavors like pork schnitzel, soft pretzels, and bratwurst with sauerkraut. Everywhere you go you’ll be surrounded by the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of fall!
2. Boo Bash at Gatlinburg SkyPark
On the other side of the Parkway is the Gatlinburg SkyPark. This fall, you can experience their family-friendly Boo Bash on top of the mountain. Through the month of October, you can experience this Gatlinburg fall festival included with the price of your regular ticket. You’ll get to see the beautiful Smoky Mountains covered in colorful fall leaves as well as get a great view of downtown Gatlinburg below. The SkyPark itself will be covered in fall decorations to complement the fall scenery all around. On October 27 and 28, you can also visit the SkyPark’s Fall Fest, where you will enjoy fun fall activities for the whole family. There will be face painting, balloon artists, live music, games, and prize giveaways!
3. Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair
Voted one of the Southeast’s “Most Popular Events,” the Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair is a huge fall event that takes place in the 150,000 square feet of the Gatlinburg Convention Center in downtown. You can visit the Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair from October 5 through October 22. You’ll be able to explore two hundred booths with unique, handmade products crafted by artisans from all across the country. Some products that will be available include pottery pieces, copper art, molded leather, candy, and much more. There will also be musical performances for you to enjoy bluegrass, gospel, and country songs.
4. Smoky Mountain Fall Festival at Ober Mountain
From September 29 through October 29 you can experience Smoky Mountain Fall Festival at Ober Mountain. This Gatlinburg fall festival provides fun for the whole family, with a number of events throughout the month. You can listen to music with the Full Moon Concert Series, or catch a Halloween movie on Friday Movie Nights. Kids can climb up hay mountain and slide down, then pedal a bike around the hay track. There will also be a hay maze, Skate Party, and Giant Pumpkin Festival that you won’t want to miss. You’ll even have the opportunity to enjoy specialty foods and German beers when you visit during the festival.
5. Smoky Mountain Harvest Festival
The most widespread Gatlinburg fall festival is Smoky Mountain Harvest Festival. The city of Gatlinburg fully embraces the season, with fall decorations lining the Parkway and many of the storefronts. You’ll get to see plenty of over-the-top fall displays, the most popular of which are the life-size, three-dimensional scarecrow people. Smoky Mountain Harvest Festival will run from mid-September through late November, allowing visitors to enjoy the festival for as long as possible. Businesses in the community compete for Best Harvest Decorations each year. This year, visitors will have the chance to cast their vote in the Smoky Mountain Harvest Festival “People’s Choice Award.” So, make sure you take note of which decorations are your favorite so you can vote!
Stay Close to the Action This Fall
There are so many fun fall festivals and activities to enjoy in Gatlinburg this season. With so much to do, you’ll want to stay close to all the action so you won’t miss a thing. Our Gatlinburg condos are conveniently located just minutes from everything there is to do in downtown Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains this fall. Browse through our condo rentals and start planning your trip today!
