It's finally feeling like fall in the Ozarks. If you're looking for things to do during the weekends, here's a list of all the fall festivals within an hour drive of Springfield. From crafts to pumpkins to apple butter, there's no shortage of ways to enjoy autumn in the Ozarks.
Did we miss a festival in the 417 area? Email us at editor@news-leader.com.
Gardener's Orchard Pumpkin Festival
When: Through Oct. 31
Where: Gardener's Orchard, 4455 W. Farm Road 2, Brighton
On Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays in October, guests can visit Gardener's Orchard during its Pumpkin Festival. General admission, which is $14.52 for people between the ages of 4 and 59 and free for children 3 and younger, includes activities such as the corn pit, corn maze, jump pads, hay ride and more.
Discounts available for seniors and military veterans. On Wednesdays, admission is $10 per person. For more information, visit GardenersOrchardAndBakery.com.
Silver Dollar City Harvest Festival
When: Through Oct. 31
Where: Silver Dollar City, 399 Silver Dollar City Parkway, Branson
The annual Harvest Festival is back at Silver Dollar City. The festival features more then 20,000 pumpkins across the park as well as giant pumpkins, craftsmen demonstrating pumpkin carving and western-inspired art, fall flavors and live music. Tickets are available online.
Black Walnut Festival
When: Sept. 24-26
Where: East Spring Street, Stockton
Stockton Lake Sertoma Club is hosting its 66th annual Black Walnut Festival this year, which celebrates the town's heritage of Hammons Black Walnuts. Admission to the festival is free. The event features a parade as well as live music, carnival rides, food vendors, a Black Walnut Festival Queen contest and more.
Wilder Days Festival
When: Sept. 25-26
Where: Mansfield
The 50th Wilder Days Festival commemorates Laura Ingalls Wilder's connection to Mansfield. The Missouri town was the site of her last home, Rocky Ridge Farm, and where she wrote her famous "Little House" series. This year's festival theme is "These Happy Golden Years," Ingalls Wilder's eighth book. It includes a parade, musical performances, craft demonstrations and "Little Laura" and "Farmer Boy" contests.
Branson Downtown Fall Fest
When: Sept. 25-26
Where: Downtown Branson
Fall Fest returns to Downtown Branson with sidewalk sales and store specials, a pumpkin scavenger hunt, face painting, warm cider, live music and more.
Oktoberfest at Wire Road Brewery
When: Sept. 25-27
Where: Wire Road Brewing, 4453 S. Timbercreek Ave., Battlefield
Wire Road Brewery's Oktoberfest is a three-day event this year. Starting at 7 p.m. on Friday, guests can enjoy trivia, live music, wiener dog races and, of course, beer.
Eighth Annual Ozarks Bacon Fest
When: Sept. 26
Where: Ozark Empire Fair, 3001 N. Grant St., Springfield
The 9th Annual Ozarks Bacon Festival celebrates bacon, bourbon and beer. The event features bacon creations from area chefs, local beers and bourbons, live music and a bacon-eating contest. Tickets are 21 and older only and are $35 in advance and $40 day of the event.
Pride on C-Street
When: Sept. 26
Where: Commercial Street, Springfield
Celebrate LGBTQ+ pride right outside of the GLO Center's front door on Commercial Street with Pride on C-Street. The event will feature vendor booths, local food and drink and live performances from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Pierce City Fall Festival
When: Sept. 26
Where: Pierce City South Park, 100 S. Gibbs St., Pierce City
Pierce City's Fall Festival will feature music, fine arts, crafts, food and drink as well as a bounce house for kids and wine tasting for adults.
23rd Annual DogFest
When: Sept. 26
Where: Chesterfield Park, 2511 W. Republic Road, Springfield
Admission is free to the 23rd Annual DogFest. The event features demos and seminars, contests, treats for dogs and humans, and vendors. All proceeds benefit Cruse Dog Park.
Fair Grove Heritage Reunion
When: Sept. 26-27
Where: 38 S. Main St., Fair Grove
The Fair Grove Heritage Reunion is an annual craft fair hosted by the Fair Grove Historical and Preservation Society, t. It features several hundred booths with original and home-made craft items. Admission is free.
Harvest Homecoming Fest
When: Oct. 2-3
Where: Main Street, Lockwood
Hosted by the Optimist Club of Lockwood, the Harvest Homecoming Fest features a parade, vendors, turtle races, a hay maze, a cake walk, a car show and more. The two-day festival will also include a glow run and a beer garden. For more information and a complete schedule, visit HarvestHomecomingFest.com.
Republic Pumpkin Daze Fall Festival
When: Oct. 2-3
Where: J.R. Martin Park, 300 E. Hines St., Republic
Come for the giant produce and to raise funds, stay for the crafts and food trucks. Republic Pumpkin Daze and Kiwanis Club of Republic come together to raise funds for scholarships and community grants during this annual festival. In addition to crafts and food trucks, the festival also features a pet parade, tractor pull and live music.
Cackle Hatchery Annual Chicken Festival
When: Oct. 2-3
Where: Cackle Hatchery, 411 W. Commercial St., Lebanon
For over a decade, Cackle Hatchery has been hosting its annual chicken festival. This free, family-friendly event includes tours of the hatchery, a crowing contest, horse-drawn rides, poultry showcase and on-site vendors.
52nd Annual Ozark Craft Fair
When: Oct. 2-4
Where: Finley River Park, 961 N. Riverside Road, Ozark
Whether you're looking for homemade treats, local honey and jam, flowers or fall decor, there's something for everyone at the Ozark Craft Fair. The Ozark Utopia Club, which supports the local community, has hosted the festival since 1974.
Ozark Fall Farmfest
When: Oct. 2-4
Where: Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, 3001 N. Grant Ave., Springfield
Check out the latest in agricultural products and services at the area at the Ozark Fall Farmfest. Admission and parking for the event are both free.
Rutledge-Wilson Farm Park Harvest Fest
When: Oct. 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, 24-25
Where: Rutledge-Wilson Farm Park, 3825 W. Farm Road 146, Springfield
Each weekend in October, visit Rutledge-Wilson Farm Park for its annual fall tradition, Harvest Fest. Admission is free. Activities such as barnyard races, corn mazes, hayrides, horse rides and more, have a small fee. Guests can also purchase the perfect pumpkin from the Harvest Fest Pumpkin Patch, which is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday from Sept. 29 through Oct. 23.
Sycamore Creek Fall Roundup
When: Oct. 3 through Nov. 1
Where: Sycamore Creek, 2657 Sunset Inn Road, Branson
From 2:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays in October, guests can experience a "magical Hallmark vibe" at Sycamore Creek Family Ranch's Fall Roundup in Branson. Attractions include a six-acre corn maze, hayrides, disc golf, cow train, pony rides and more. Pizza and concessions are available for purchase. Admission can be purchased online ($15 for guests 12 and older, $10 for 3- to 11-year-olds and free for those 2 and younger) or bought at the front gate ($18 for guests 12 and older, $13 for 3- to 11-year-olds). For more information, visit SycamoreCreekFamilyRanch.com/community-events/fall-roundup.
Harvest Moon Festival
When: Oct. 4
Where: Shoals Bend Park, 445 Burmingham Road, Forsyth
Forsyth's Harvest Moon Festival celebrates fall with games, food and drink, raffles, and local businesses and vendors.
Niangua Fall Festival
When: Oct. 3
Where: Niangua Community Building, 172 State Highway F, Niangua
This year's Niangua Fall Festival will feature local vendors, live music, live fencing demonstrations, pageants and a soups, stew and chili cookoff.
Schofield + Gray Fall Festival & Antique Market
When: Oct. 3
Where: Schofield + Gray farmstead, 353 E. Main St., Fordland
The Schoefield + Gray Farmstead will become a pop-up market on Oct. 3, featuring live music, vendors with antique and vintage items, food trucks and dessert stands. Admission is $5 per person at the gate.
Apple Butter Makin' Days
When: Oct. 9-11
Where: Mt. Vernon Square, 319 E. Dallas St., Mt. Vernon
Mt. Vernon'sApple Butter Makin' Days features more than just its eponymous apple butter. In between watching apple butter being cooked on the courthouse lawn, check out the car and truck show, compete in a contest for bubble gum blowing or apple pie eating, and enjoy live music.
60th Annual Maple Leaf Festival
When: Oct. 9-17
Where: Carthage Square, Carthage
Carthage's Maple Leaf Festival is a celebration of the community as well as the fall foliage. The festival features events all week, starting with a barbecue cookoff and chicken pageant and ending with a parade. In between, guests can enjoy arts and crafts, food vendors, live entertainment, a quilt show and more.
Hartville Fall Festival
When: Oct. 10
Where: Hartville Town Square, Hartville
Hartville celebrates autumn with its 48th Annual Fall Festival on Oct. 10. Guests can enjoy local vendors as well as live music, costume contests and a best-decorated pumpkin contest. The day finishes out with a parade.
14 Mill Market Harvest Fest
When: Oct. 10
Where: 14 Mill Market, 203 E. Mt. Vernon St., Nixa
14 Mill Market's Harvest Fest returns this year with apple bobbing for kids, pumpkin painting, live music, local craft vendors and a scavenger hunt.
Hollister Grape and Fall Festival
When: Oct. 10
Where: Historic Downing Street, Hollister
This year's Grape and Fall Festival will feature vendors, crafters, businesses and live entertainment, including a grape stomp competition and dog pageant.
SGF CultureFest
When: Oct. 10
Where: Historic Commercial Street, Springfield
Celebrate cultures, traditions and flavors in the Springfield area at the SGF CultureFest on Commercial Street. The event features vendors, performers, artists, food and more.
31st Annual Art in the Park
When: Oct. 10-11
Where: Sequiota Park, 3500 S. Lone Pine Ave., Springfield
The Southwest Missouri Art Guild is showcasing regional and national artists during its yearly fine art and craft show, Art in the Park.
Sparta Persimmon Days
When: Oct. 16-17
Where: Roller Park, 837 Division St., Sparta
This year's Sparta Persimmon Days will feature food, local vendors and a trunk-or-treat.
Pets & Pumpkins Family Festival
When: Oct. 24
Where: Park Central Square, Springfield
Celebrate fall with your favorite furry friends during the Pets & Pumpkins Family Festival, which includes a costume contest and walking parade. Admission is $2 per attendee.
Frisco Harvest Fest
When: Oct. 17
Where: Frisco Highline Trail Trailhead, 304 E. Jackson St., Willard
Hosted by Hive of the Ozarks, a nonprofit eatery that provides employment opportunities for people with disabilities, Frisco Harvest Fest includes vendors, food trucks and live entertainment.
6th Annual Rogersville Farm + Harvest Festival
When: Oct. 18
Where: Rogersville City Park, 270 County Line Road, Rogersville
Celebrate the season at Rogersville's Farm + Harvest Festival. Admission is free. The festival will feature vendors, food trucks, live entertainment, games, contests, bounce houses, and face painting.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Celebrate the harvest season with these fall festivals in the Ozarks
