Love fall festivals, pumpkin patches and state fairs? This post is for you!

Cooler weather and colorful leaves make me ready for carnival rides, fried food, local art and live music. Good thing I compiled this list of area events happening now through October!

Whether you want to stay in the Birmingham metro area or venture out for a day trip, these family-friendly happenings offer a variety of experiences. So, eat your heart out, ride the Ferris wheel, buy some art, pick out a pretty pumpkin, get lost in a corn maze and enjoy all that fall in Alabama has to offer.

Birmingham Greek Festival
September 21-23
Times are 10:30 AM to 10 PM, and there will be music, church tours, a drive-through for food pick up and more. The Birmingham Greek Festival began in 1972 and is one of Birminghamʼs oldest cultural food festivals. Admission is free, and food plates are individually priced.The Greek Market Place will feature Mediterranean and Orthodox Christian souvenirs. Free parking in the former Liberty National parking building on 20th Street. Here’s the link for more information.

Cullman County Fair
September 21-30
The fair features rides, food a parade, 4-H/FFA shows and exhibits, talent contests, crafts, a petting zoo and more. Check out this link for hours, tickets, directions and more information.

Homestead Hollow Arts and Crafts Festival, Springville
September 22-24
Hours are 9 AM to 5 PM
Handmade, hand decorated one-of-a-kind arts and crafts festival in a recreated pioneer setting. See demonstrations of blacksmithing, soap making, wood carving, weaving, open hearth cooking, candle making and the only licensed moonshine still in the state of Alabama. Live entertainment, children’s activities and food. Here’s the link for tickets, more information and directions.

The Great Pumpkin Patch, Hayden
Open September 23-October 31
Open during these hours:
Monday through Thursday: 8 AM to 4 PM
Friday and Saturday: 8 am to 6 PM
Sunday: 1 PM to 6 PM
Wagon rides, night rides, extreme bungee, train rides, pony rides and an inflatable park are available. Check out this link for more information and directions.

Breakin’ Bread
September 24
Hours are 1 PM to 6 PM.
The 15th Annual Breakin’ Bread benefits Jones Valley Teaching Farm’s Woodlawn High School Urban Farm Project. Over 30 of the Magic City’s favorite local establishments will showcase their culinary talents. For more information, tickets and directions, follow this link.

Griffin Farms Pumpkin Patch, West Blocton
Opens September 30
The pumpkin patch will be open the last weekend of September through every weekend in October, with these hours:
Monday through Friday: 9 AM to 2 PM but reserved for group/schools only
Saturday: 9 AM to 6 PM
Sunday: 12 PM to 6 PM
Enjoy an animal farm, bounce houses, a corn maze, playgrounds, a zip line and a climbing wall. Here’s the link to more information, ticket prices and address.

Old Baker Farm, Fall Harvest, in Harpersville
September 30-October 31
Open to the public during these hours:
Weekdays: 3 PM to Dark
Saturdays: 9 AM to Dark
Sundays 1 PM to Dark
Pick out a pumpkin from a real working farm worked by the Baker family for over 100 hundred years and check out their fall events, as well as their Christmas trees. Follow this link for more information, tickets and directions.

Fiesta: Linn Park
September 30, 2017
Celebrate Hispanic culture and heritage from noon to 8 PM in Birmingham’s Linn Park. There will be Latin American art, music food and dance. Check out this link for more information, tickets and directions.

Whistle Stop Festival, Irondale Historic District
September 30
More than one hundred vendors will be selling art, crafts and food. Entertainment on the Main Stage on 1st Avenue South will start at 10 AM. The Historic Irondale Café will be open throughout the day and a shuttle will be onsite to transport festival goers. Check out this link for more information, tickets and directions.

68th Annual Shelby County Fair, in Columbiana
Oct. 2-7
Located at the Shelby County Exhibition Center, this year’s county fair theme is, “Make it, grow it, sew it and show it”. Enjoy rides at the midway, competitive exhibits and more. For more information, tickets and directions, follow this link.

Moundville Native American Festival, Moundville Archaeological Park October 4-7
Performances, education, crafts, artists and more, all centered around the uniqe culture of the South’s Native American history in Alabama.
Check out this link for more information, hours, tickets and directions.

51st Old Time Fiddlers’ Convention, Athens
October 5–7, 2017
Thursday: gates open at 6 PM
Friday: gates open at 8 AM
Saturday: gates open at 7:30 AM
Enjoy live bluegrass music, arts and crafts, food vendors and more. Bring a lawn chair and camp for free! Follow this link for tickets, more information and directions.

Alabama Butterbean Festival, Pinson
October 6-7
Hours: Friday 6 PM to 10 PM and Saturday 9 AM to 4 PM
Fireworks, arts and crafts, food, a carnival, live entertainment and butter beans! Check out this link for more information, hours, tickets and directions.

Barber Vintage Festival, Leeds
October 6-8
Get on over to Barber Motorsports Park for demo rides, stunt shows, a swap meet, a vintage motorcycle show, a Ferris wheel and more. Follow this link for hours, tickets, more information and directions.

Bluff Park Art Show, Hoover
October 7
Hours are 9 AM to 5 PM in the front of the Bluff Park Community Center. Art, food vendors and hands-on art activities for kids, as well as music will by high school jazz bands. For more information, tickets and directions, follow this link.

Smoke on the Water, BBQ Competition, Lake Guntersville State Park Campgrounds
October 7
Smoke on the Water is a Backyard BBQ Competition that is held on Lake Guntersville each year in October. For more information hours, tickets and directions, follow this link.

National Shrimp Festival, Gulf Shores Public Beach Area
October 12-15
Hours are ​Thursday through Saturday: 10 AM to 10 PM and Sunday: 10 AM to 5 PM. Live music, art, childrens’ activities, food (Shrimp, of course, and more!) and a sand sculpture contest. For more information, tickets and directions, follow this link.

Oktoberfest Trussville
October 14
Hours: 9 AM to 3 PM
German food, rides, games and more. Located at the Holy Infant of Prague Catholic Church in Trussville. Here’s the link for more information, tickets and directions.

Oktoberfest Birmingham, Caldwell Park
October 15
Hours: 1 PM to 6 PM
Enjoy a variety of beers, German food, live music, games and Oktoberfest themed activities. Check out this link for more information, tickets and directions.

Kentuck Festival of the Arts, Northport
October 21-22
Now in its 46th year, Kentuck features over 270 folk, visionary and contemporary artists and expert craftspeople presenting their work. Also, live music, spoken word and more. For hours, more information, tickets and directions, here’s the link.