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October 2025 brings cooler temperatures to Arkansas, ushering in a season filled with vibrant festivals and fairs! Embrace the crisp air and enjoy all things pumpkin spice, football, and hearty soups. This month also sparks a sense of mystery and spookiness, making it the perfect time to plan a weekend adventure. Get ready to explore all that Arkansas has to offer this fall!
Oct 3–5 | Can’t-Miss Festivals
Big weekends need big variety. These events bring food, music, markets, heritage and all the fall feels.
Arkansas Apple Festival — Lincoln (10/3–10/5)
Small-town charm, apple everything, live music, kids’ activities.
Bikes, Blues and BBQ — Rogers (10/1- 10/4)
Roaring bikes, smoky pits, and a massive crowd-pleaser downtown.
HarvestFest in Hillcrest — Little Rock (10/4)
Hillcrest turns into one big block party with music, vendors, and bites.
Arkansas Goat Festival — Perryville (10/4)
The GOAT of quirky fests. Costumes, goat yoga, and pure joy.
Ozark Trail Fest — Heber Springs (10/3–10/4)
Trails, crafts, and a hometown fall street fair vibe.
Timberfest — Sheridan (10/3–10/4)
Lumberjack competitions + festival fun = classic Arkansas.
Arkansas Renaissance Festival VI — Mt. Vernon (10/4–10/5)
Knights, costumes, and turkey legs galore.
The Homegrown Festival — Siloam Springs (10/4)
Makers, local eats, and live tunes in a walkable downtown.
ArkanSalsa Fest — Springdale (10/4)
Dance, salsa tastings, and spicy energy all day long.
Fairfield Bay Oktoberfest & Car Show — Fairfield Bay (10/3–10/4)
Steins, brats, and shiny classics by the lake.
Manchester Pumpkin Day — Arkadelphia (10/4)
A sweet, family-forward fall staple with pumpkins and games.
Other events this weekend:
10/1-10/5 – Rally Off Exit 85 – Rogers
10/3 – Fiesta en SoMa – Little Rock
10/4 – Atkins Heritage Festival – Atkins
10/4 – Bryant Fall Fest – Bryant
10/4 – Caddo Gap Heritage Festival – Caddo Gap
10/4 – Cherokee Village Oktoberfest and Fall Farmers Market – Cherokee Village
10/4 – Fort Smith Fall Festival – Fort Smith
10/4 – Harrison Harvest Homecoming Festival – Harrison
10/4 – North Pulaski Community Fall Fest – Jacksonville
10/4 – Blessed Sacrament Church Fall Festival – Jonesboro
10/4 – Terrapin Derby Festival – Lepanto
10/4 – Arkansas Honey Festival – Little Rock
10/4 – Turkish Food Festival – Little Rock
10/4 – Frontier Day Festival – Paris
10/4 – High Cotton Festival – Scott
10/4 – The Homegrown Festival – Siloam Springs
10/5 – Fayetteville Falltoberfest – Fayetteville
10/5 – Little Italy’s Italian Festival – Roland
10/8-10/11 – Turkey Track Bluegrass Festival II – Waldron
10/8-10/12 – Hillberry: the Harvest Moon Festival – Eureka Springs
10/9-10/11 – CabotFest – Cabot
Oct 10–12 | Spooky picks + Oktoberfests
This weekend leans spirited—both eerie and… brewed. True Oktoberfests peak earlier/later in the month, so pair these with beer/spirits fests and night-music vibes.
- Ouachita Bigfoot Festival & Conference — Mena (10/10–10/11)
Vendors, speakers, and a dash of cryptid lore. - Little RocktoberFest — Little Rock (10/11)
Craft beer tastings + fall atmosphere = Oktober-ish energy. - Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival — Hot Springs (10/10–10/18)
World-class docs; grab a night screening for cozy-spooky season feels. - King Biscuit Blues Festival — Helena (through 10/11)
Legendary Mississippi River blues—perfect for crisp evenings. - Parker Homestead Festival, Week I — Harrisburg (10/11–10/12)
Vintage demonstrations, heritage crafts, and warm cider vibes. - Yellville Turkey Trot — Yellville (10/10–10/11)
Only-in-Arkansas tradition with parades, contests, and local flavor. - Stringband Music & Arts Festival — Mountain View (10/10–10/11)
Fiddle under the stars in the Folk Music Capital. - Mount Ida Gem, Mineral & Craft Show — Mount Ida (10/10–10/12)
Crystals, crafts, and great leaf-peeping drives. - Vintage Market Days: Team Vintage — Bentonville (10/10–10/12)
Curated market perfect for fall décor and gift finds. - CabotFest — Cabot (through 10/11)
Family rides, live music, and festival food staples.
10/10-10/11 – Bradford Fun Fest – Bradford
10/10-10/11 – Peacemaker – Fort Smith
10/11 – Saint Anne Parish Festival – Berryville
10/11 – Fayetteville Tequila Fest – Fayetteville
10/11 – Sorghum Festival – Mount Ida
10/11 – Mount Judea Heritage Fall Festival – Mount Judea
10/11 – Ozark Square Gathering – Ozark
10/11 – Prescott Fall Festival – Prescott
10/11 – St. John Catholic School and Church Harvest Fest – Russellville
10/11 – Arkansas Rice Festival – Weiner
10/11-10/12 – Van Buren Fall Festival – Van Buren
10/14 – Taste of Texarkana – Texarkana
Oct 17–19 | Craft Fairs Galore
Makers, markets, and miles of booths. If you love handmade, this is your time of year!
- War Eagle Craft Fair — Rogers (10/16–10/19)
The icon. Scenic setting + hundreds of vendors. Arrive early. - Heart of the Ozarks Craft Fair & Fall Festival — Fayetteville (10/16–10/18)
Big, bustling, and easy to pair with Fayetteville eats. - Wishing Spring Arts & Craft Fair — Bella Vista (10/16–10/18)
Shady grounds, quality artisan mix, relaxed pace. - Arkansas Scottish Festival & Homecoming — Batesville (10/17–10/19)
Highland games, pipes, clans, and marketplace shopping. - Rendezvous in the Ozarks — Ozark (10/16–10/18)
Overland rigs, vendors, and outdoor community vibes (gear heaven). - Mid-South Music Festival (formerly Arkadelphia Festival of the Arts) — Arkadelphia (10/17–10/18)
Music, makers, and fall-evening stages. - Downtown Rogers Oktoberfest NWA — Rogers (10/18)
Brats + polka + steins—great add-on after War Eagle. - Eureka Springs Oktoberfest — Eureka Springs (10/18)
Historic streets + festive steins; easy day trip with leaf-peeping. - Morrilton Fall Fest — Morrilton (10/18)
Small-town classic with crafts, food, and live music.
10/18 – Fallin’ Blackbird Festival – Beebe
10/18 – Rocky Comfort Pecan Festival – Foreman
10/18 – Bay Harvest Festival – Lake City
10/18 – Central Arkansas PRIDEFest – Little Rock
10/18 – Downtown Rogers Oktoberfest NWA – Rogers
10/18-10/19 – Parker Homestead Festival II – Harrisburg
Oct 24–26 | Peak Fall + Costume Events
Color is popping, and costumes are out. Check out the spooky, quirky and town-square cozy.
- Eureka Springs Zombie Crawl — Eureka Springs (10/25)
Costumes, makeup, and a hauntingly fun parade at dusk. - Arkansas Paranormal Expo — Little Rock (10/25–10/26)
Ghost tours, speakers, and vendors—make a spooky weekend of it. - Festival of Darkness — Little Rock (10/25)
Nighttime craft-beer festival with a dark, campy twist. - Rentopia Renaissance Faire — Bentonville (10/25–10/26)
Knights, cosplay, and fall-forest vibes—great for families and friend groups. - Bean Fest & Championship Outhouse Races — Mountain View (10/24–10/25)
Free beans, live music, and the most lovable race you’ll ever watch. - Saturday in Stars Hollow — Petit Jean Mountain (10/25)
Where you lead, I will follow. - Downtown Fall Festival & Chili Cookoff — Russellville (10/25)
Chili tastings + crisp air = perfect Saturday. - Gurdon Forest Festival — Gurdon (10/25)
Timber heritage, vendors, and community fun. - Lake Chicot Fall Festival — Lake Village (10/24–10/25)
Lakeside scenery, kids’ activities, and vendors. - Palomino Petals’ Fall Festival — Newport (10/25)
Boutique-style fall market and photo-worthy setups. - Plainview Arkansas Frontier Day — Plainview (10/25)
Frontier demos, costumes welcome.
10/25 – Brinkley Depot Dayz – Brinkley
10/25 – Corning Harvest Festival – Corning
10/25 – Apple Butter Festival – Petit Jean Mountain
Monthlong / Seasonal
• Magic Screams at Magic Springs – Hot Springs (Weekends, Sept 27–Nov 2)
• Experience Daffodil Hill at P. Allen Smith’s Moss Mountain – Roland (Sept 4–Nov 13, Thurs–Fri + select Sat)
A few travel tips for the perfect fall weekend: layer up (cool mornings, warm afternoons), bring cash for small-town vendors and save this list so you can map-hop as plans change. Check event pages day-of for weather updates, enjoy into the moment—share a kettle corn, dance to a street band, cheer at a quirky parade, and catch golden-hour photos under Arkansas’s changing leaves. When you post, tag @onlyinark, your city and a local vendor so more folks discover these festivals.
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