Asheville and surrounding towns host various fall festivals and Halloween-themed parties during September and October. From parades to corn mazes to festivals, we've supplied a list of our event recommendations below:
- August 30-September 2, 2024: The North Carolina Apple Festival in Hendersonville covers eight blocks of Main Street with more than 200 vendors. The festival includes continuous live musical entertainment, arts & crafts, apple products, special exhibits, food, and the King Apple Parade. The festival is free to attend, and pets are not allowed.
- September 6-15, 2024: The North Carolina Mountain State Fair - more than 180,000 people attend the 10-day event that celebrates WNC's people, agriculture, art, and tradition. It's fun for all ages, with plenty of exhibits, animals, food, rides, and more. There are also discount days and ticket specials to consider before choosing when to attend.
- September 21, 2024: Highland Brewing's 3rd Annual Clawtoberfest - Hosted at The Meadow at Highland Brewing Co. from 12-10:00 PM, activities will include a Keg Roll, Stein Hoist, Best Dressed Awards for Adults and Groups, and a Meadow Market (Saturday and Sunday). You can also expect beer releases that include their Festbier Party Lager, Mountain Mama Hefeweizen, Clawhammer Marzen Lager, and more. Lagerhosen will be playing from 1-4 PM and Hustle Souls will be playing from 6-9 PM. On-site food trucks include El Kimchi, Mountain View BBQ, The Blue Cardinal, and Smokee’s Pizza. Prost!
- September 15 & October 13, 2024: House of Black Cat Magic Market- Swing by the House of Black Cat Magic in West Asheville for a congregation of local makers and practitioners of all things magical, feline, and magically feline. Stock up on magical supplies in the shop, browse the market of local vendors, pet some panthers in the cat lounge, and finish your day off with an intuitive reading! The market is open from 12-6 PM, and the House of Black Cat Magic is open from 11-7 PM.
- September 20, 2024: Rocky Horror Music Show LIVE- Hosted at The Orange Peel, you'll experience the 50+ year sensation as the cast presents the songs of Rocky Horror in a rock club setting. The costumed characters, an all-star lineup of Asheville musicians, will be playing the songs live with snippets of the classic dialogue you want to hear and on-stage narration telling the story between songs. In the iconic words of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, “Come up to the lab and see what’s on the slab. I see you shiver with antici...pation!”
- September 20-November 3, 2024: The Haunted Farm- Celebrating its 14th season, this attraction has been voted Best Haunted House in NC and stands as one of Western North Carolina’s scariest attractions. Located in rural farmland near Hendersonville, The Haunted Farm sits on a mysterious, blood-soaked stretch of land where the locals claim an age-old Blood Feud between the Lively and Tate families has devastated the local farming community. The haunted history of curses, derangements, ghosts, and terrible bloodshed brings visitors from near and far–hoping to survive The Haunted Farm.
- September 20-October 27, 2024: Eliada Annual Fall Festival & Corn Maze will take place Fridays from 3-7 PM, Saturdays from 10 AM-7:00 PM, and Sundays from 10 AM-6 PM all month long. Expect Corn Cannons, Spider Climbers, Custom Corn Maze, Lawn Games, Hay Rides, Scheduled Face Painting, Pumpkins for purchase, Food Trucks, and MORE!
- September 21, 2024: Autumn in the Mountains Car Show- This annual event will be held at Mills River Brewing Co. from 9 AM-3:30 PM and include more than 100 classic, exotic sports cars. Registration opens July 1, and attendance is free to the public.
- September 27-November 2, 2024: Pinhead's Graveyard- Located in Canton just outside of Asheville, this haunted attraction was voted North Carolina's Best Haunted House in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2023. Focusing on Horror movie characters, there are several celebrity appearances lined up in 2024, including Leatherface from Chainsaw Massacre and Thomas Rickman from Terrifier 2. Surprising to most given the horror-centric name, the graveyard is actually appropriate for all ages and groups, and small children can expect a toned-down version of scares. Although the realism of their haunted house is beyond impressive, they also take pride in being a family-orientated and family-friendly attraction.
- October 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 24-27, 2024: The Haunted Trail at The Adventure Center of Asheville - This event is perfect if you're looking for festive family fun for children ages 3-12. You and your family walk through a haunted trail with spooky sounds and spectacular props. From the Pirates Cove Mermaid and Escape Room to the Treetops Adventure Park Aerial Glow Trail to the Game Field with Monster Games, Contests, and Glow Party, this trail is chock full of ghoulish good times. $1 from each ticket goes to MANNA Food Bank, as they feed WNC by saying BOO To Hunger.
- October 11, 2024: BMCA's Campifireball- Hosted by the Black Mountain Center for the Arts, this "reverse-storytelling" show is all about the audience. Instead of asking folks to sit and passively watch a storyteller, The Campfireball explores various ways of coaxing the people in the audience to share their stories. At the intersection of intimacy and absurdity, this unique 90-minute immersive experience encourages people to surprise themselves, drop their guards, and, by the end, have told a brand new larger, interwoven story of all of us in the room together. Participation is never mandatory, it’s just as much fun to sit back and watch the stories unfold as it is to share. No two events are alike, and none will ever be repeated!
- October 12, 2024: Pickin' and Pullin' at The Funkatorium- Celebrate fall at The Funkatorium's annual Pickin’ and Pullin’ event! Enjoy live music by Red Rock Hill and The Reedy River String Band, indulge in BBQ, sip on pumpkin beers, and have fun with pumpkin painting. Don’t miss out on the fall festivities!
- October 18, 2024: Haunted History Tour of Downtown Black Mountain- Hosted by the Swannanoa Valley Museum and History Center, this Haunted History walking tour in downtown Black Mountain will take place from 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM. Traversing the historic district's most storied streets, visitors will learn about the humorous, haunting, and harrowing history of the Swannanoa Valley while being visited by some of its most famous spirits. This event is a fundraiser for the museum, and the cost is $25 for SVM Members and $30 for Non-Members.
- October 19, 2024: Frankenfest at White Labs Brewing- The frightfully fun Frankenfest will take place on Saturday, October 19 from 3-7 PM. This event is a monster mash-up of two crowd-favorite fall holidays: Halloween and Oktoberfest. Head to their Biergarten from 3 PM -7 PM for an evening of frights and Bavarian delights, including the return of fan-favorite beverage, Frankenstout! Das Oompapas will be there to entertain ghosts and ghouls of all ages. Costumes aren't required but they're certainly encouraged!
- October 19, 2024: Apple Harvest Festival- Named one of the "10 Best Fall Harvest Festivals in the Nation," this street festival is held annually in downtown Waynesville. Celebrating all things apple, you can expect delicious treats, arts and crafts, and a variety of shops and restaurants to explore. Admission is free, and the event runs from 10 AM-5 PM.
- October 19-20, 2024: Woolly Worm Festival-held annually in Banner Elk during the 3rd weekend of October, this charming festival is an honored tradition for locals. The Woolly Bear caterpillar has 13 brown & black segments that are said to correspond to the 13 weeks of winter. Lighter brown segments correspond to milder weeks of winter while dark black corresponds to colder and snowier weeks. In addition to the 140+ food and craft vendors, woolly worms race, and the winners help predict the winter forecast based on their stripes. The winning worm on Saturday gets the $1,000 first prize, and the Sunday winner gets a $500 prize. Festival hours are Saturday from 9 AM-5 PM and Sunday 9 AM-4 PM.
- October 25, 26 & 31, 2024: Junior Wolf Howl-O-Ween- This annual event series explores biofacts and offers animal games, a wolf-themed craft, and an opportunity to meet a live animal. After the fun, you'll trek to the on-site wolf habitats for a howling session (please note that during the outdoor portion, you'll be walking on rough terrain in dark conditions for up to one hour). Discover the legends and lore of these top predators and celebrate the spooky season with some sweet treats. This kid-friendly version of their Wolf Howl event is geared toward families. Tickets are $25 for children and $30 for adults. Because this event is close to Halloween, costumes are encouraged!
- October 26, 2024: 7th Annual Asheville Halloween Bar Crawl- This isn't just any bar crawl—it's the ultimate Halloween party where you and your friends can dress up in your most creative costumes and hit the town for a night you won't forget. Meet tons of new people, explore some of the best bars in Asheville, and enjoy an electric atmosphere that only Halloween can provide. Packed with energy and excitement, tickets include 2-3 drinks or shots, entry to the $1,000 National Costume Contest, Custom Crawl With US Stadium Cups (First 400 Check-Ins), Custom Keychain Lanyards With Bottle Openers (First 400 Check-Ins), Custom Halloween Badge, and more!
- October 26, 2024: Fall-O-Ween Fall Festival-while apple picking, leaf peeping, and pumpkin spice define the autumn season for many in the WNC mountains, scarecrows are a notable symbol of farms and the fall harvest in Buncombe County. Every year members from the community construct scarecrows for the annual Scarecrow Festival at Lake Julian Park which can be viewed and voted for the last week of October. The scarecrows will be judged on originality/creativity, design, and workmanship. Winners will be announced in the categories of Traditional, Recycle and Reduce, and Cultural. This is a unique fall activity that will give you a true glimpse into country living.
- October 26, 2024: Heart of Brevard’s Halloweenfest & Spooky Stroll- This Halloweenfest is easily the trickiest, treatiest, most spooktacular celebration around! Held annually the Saturday before Halloween from 10AM-3PM, this fangtastic fall event features a full day of family (and pet) friendly fun, including the Flight of the Vampire running races, downtown trick or treat, costume contest and parade, a lively street festival with plenty of bewitching vendors, old-time music at the Courthouse gazebo, and much more!
- October 26, 2024: Howl-O-Ween Pet Parade and Costume Contest- This annual celebration of the Halloween holiday shines a spotlight on your furry four-legged friends. Starting at 3:00 PM, the parade routes through downtown Black Mountain so your pups can strut their stuff and show off their adorable costumes. After the parade, stick around for the costume contest and award ceremony!
- October 27, 2024: Halloween Mimosa Yoga- Head to Pleb Urban Winery for a spooky morning of mimosas and yoga from 10:30-11:30 a.m. before embarking on a night of Halloween fun. The class is suitable for people of all levels, and there will be a costume contest.
- October 27, 2024: Asheville Outlets Boo Bash-join Asheville Outlets for a SPOOKtacular time at their annual Boo Bash Halloween event on Sunday, October 27 from 5-7 PM. Attendees will enjoy center-wide trick-or-treating, and TapSnap Phototainment will be onsite with a festive photo booth where guests can receive one free 4x6 photo and digital download of a single image while supplies last!