13 festivals you don’t want to miss this October, including the Greek Festival and Birmingham Oktoberfest

The fall season is headed our way, and you know what that means—festivals galore! Check out these must-attend festivals happening this October across Birmingham.

4^th Brazilian Day Festival

Celebrate Brazilian culture with food, music, games and more during the 4th Brazilian Day Festival.

There will also be:

• A jiu-jitsu presentation
• Cotton candy and snowcones
• Moonwalks
• Slides

When: Sat., Oct. 6
Time: 11am-6pm
Where: Horizon Church. 2345 Columbiana Rd., Birmingham, AL 35216
Admission: Free

Greek Festival

Food. Dancing. Entertainment and culture. Find it all at the Greek Festival this October.

Hosted by the Holy Trinity-Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Cathedral Christian Church, the Greek Festival is a favorite of locals—and with good reason.

• Feast on delicious greek cuisine.
• Stroll through the Greek Market Place and shop for souvenirs.
• Indulge on baklava. 
• Join in on Greek dancing.

Can’t attend the festival? Grab your food and go in the drive-thru line. Be prepared, it’s always a lengthy line!

When: Sat., October 4-6
Where: The Holy Trinity–Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Cathedral Christian Church. 307 19^th St. S., Birmingham, AL 35233
Time: 10:30am-10:00pm
Drive-thru Hours: 10:30am-7:00pm
Admission: Free
Parking: Free. Located in the former Liberty National parking building on 20th St. one block away on 20th St. (Richard Arrington Blvd) between 3rd/4th Ave.

16th Annual Breakin’ Bread, Alabama’s Premier Food, Wine and Beer Festival

Breakin’ Bread—Alabama’s Premier Food, Wine and Beer Festival is one event you definitely won’t want to miss this October.

Established in 2003, Breakin’ Bread is one of the most popular festivals in Birmingham and was recently included among the 21 Best Food and Drinks Festivals in North America by Flight Network. Wow! It was also named as a signature experience for “The Year of Alabama Food” by the Alabama Board of Tourism. Double wow!

This year, they’ll be hitting Pepper Place with over 30 of Magic City’s fare local establishments who will showcase their incredible culinary talents and delight your taste buds with their incredible signature dishes. Mmm, mmm, good!

Along with locally owned and operated restaurants, southern craftsmen will also join the Breakin’ Bread festivities for the first Buffalo Rock Makers’ Market. Handmade art and creations anyone? Me! Definitely me!

All proceeds benefit JVTF’s Urban Farm Project.

• When: Oct. 14
• Time: 1pm-5pm
• Where: Pepper Place
• Admission: General Admission – $35 (includes unlimited food samples, two drink tickets); VIP – $99 (includes unlimited food samplings, unlimited wine/beer, early entrance to event at 12:30pm, access to exclusive lounge area); Kids 12 and under – Free (when accompanied by an adult)

Alabama Butterbean Festival

Are you a butterbean fan? Then attend the Alabama Butterbean Festival—the Southeast’s premier festival, celebrating the one and only butterbean!  (Psst! The butterbean isn’t a bean—it’s actually a legume! Be sure to take this knowledge with you to the festival.)

Here’s what you won’t want to miss:

• Live music
• Carnival rides
• Food
• Petting zoo
• Fireworks
• Local vendors (hundreds!)

Bucky Bean will also be there. You know you want a photo with this hilarious Butterbean!

Estimated travel time from Birmingham to Pinson: 24 minutes

When: Oct. 5-6
Time: Oct. 5 – 6pm-1pm; Oct. 6 – 9am-4pm
Where: Historic Downtown Pinson. 4298 Main St., Pinson, AL 35216
Admission: Free

14^th Annual Barber Vintage Festival

Get read for three days of food, entertainment and motorcycles at the 14^th Annual Barber Vintage Festival.

While you’re at the festival:

• Discover five floors of motorcycle heaven at the museum.
• Experience tons of action at the park with everything from races to parades.
• Bid on plenty of sick bikes at the Bonham’s motorcycle auction.
• And more!

Can you guess who the Grand Marshal will be? It’s Colin Seeley!

When: Oct. 5-7
Where: Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. 6030 Barber Motorsports Pkwy, Birmingham, AL 35094
Time: 8am-5pm
Tickets

55^th Annual Bluff Park Art Show

Over 150 artists will show off their work at the 55^th Annual Bluff Park Art Show this October. If you’re an art enthusiast, this is a must-attend event, so mark that calendar!

No parking is allowed at the park. But be sure to hop on one of the free shuttles available during the event to avoid a long walk.

When: Oct. 6
Where: Bluff Park Community Center. 517 Cloudland Dr., Hoover, AL 35226
Time: 9am-5pm
Admission: Free

Cotton Pickin’ Celebration and Skirmish

Looking for the ultimate fall festival? You’ll find it at the Cotton Pickin’ Celebration and Skirmish at Old Baker Farm.

There will be hours of entertainment for everyone with:

• Food
• Horseback rides
• Mule-driven wagon rides
• Hay rides
• Live bluegrass and gospel music

Kids will also love the Cotton Bounce, Cotton Patch, Corn Maze, Hay Maze and Hay Mountain.

Don’t miss your chance to grab some pumpkins while you’re there—just visit the patch and pick your own!

Estimated travel time from Birmingham: 37 minutes

When: Oct. 27-28
Where: Old Baker Farm. 184 Furrow Lane, Harpersville, AL 35078
Time: 9am-5pm
Cost: $10 per person; Ages 2 and under – Free

Fall Fest 2018

Fall Fest 2018 in Alabaster will have everything you need for a killer time, including:

• Food
• Family fun
• Games and Prizes
• Inflatables
• Hay rides
• And more!

When: Oct. 19
Where: Westwood Baptist Church. 1155 Alabaster Blvd., Alabaster, AL 35007
Time: 6pm-9pm

Birmingham Oktoberfest 2018

Put on your lederhosen and head to Birmingham Oktoberfest—the biggest German-themed party in town! Enjoy delicious cold beer, German food, live music and lots of Oktoberfest-themed games and activities.

General Admission tickets includes:

• Souvenir 22oz Beer Stein
• 1 complimentary beer

Bier Lover’s tickets include:

• Souvenir 22oz Beer Stein
• 4 complimentary beers
• Commemorative Birmingham Oktoberfest T-shirt

When: Sat., Oct. 6
Where: Railroad Park
Time: 12pm-5pm
Tickets

Oktoberfest Trussville

When: Sat., Oct. 13
Where: Holy Infant of Prague Catholic Church. 8090 Gadsden Hwy., Trussville, AL 35173
Time: 9am-3pm
Admission: Free

Barktoberfest

Woof! Woof! Celebrate Oktoberfest Hand-in-paw style at Barktoberfest.

• Eat
• Drink local beer
• Participate in a doggie costume contest
• Listen to live music
• Get a caricature of your pup.

Be sure to bring your pup—this event’s also for them!

When: Thurs., Oct. 11
Where: Cahaba Brewing Company. 4500 5^th Ave S., Birmingham, AL 35222
Time: 6pm-10pm
Admission: $20
Tickets

2018 Moundville Native American Festival

Music, dance, food, and culture can be found at the 2018 Moundville Native American Festival.

During the festival:

• See Native American performers
• Check out cool demonstrations and craft vendors
• Hear from living history teachers
• Learn about pottery firing, textiles, beadwork and other crafts

You can even learn to throw an atlatl at the tools and weapons range!

There will be plenty of vendors to satisfy your hunger, too, with Native American foods as well as traditional festival eats like hamburgers, hotdogs and shaved ice.

Estimated travel time from Birmingham to Moundville: 1 hr. 8 min.

When: Oct. 3-6
Where: Archaeological Park and Museum.
Time: Oct. 3-4 – 10am-4pm; Oct. 5 – 10am-6pm
Admission: Adults – $12; Seniors (55 years and older) – $10; Students – $10

47^th Annual Kentuck Festival of the Arts

Join over 270 artists and thousands of art enthusiasts at the 47^th Annal Kentuck Festival of the Arts.

Though this festival is in Northport, AL, it is definitely worth the travel time. Why? Because Kentuck has been delighting art fans since 1971, and has been ranked as one of the top 10 attractions in the state by the Alabama Board of Tourism! How cool is that?

At the festival, discover art of all kinds, including:

• Folk
• Contemporary
• Traditional and heritage crafts
• And more!

There will also be music, storytelling, spoken word performances, food and drinks, and lots of kid-friendly interactive, hands-on activities such as a tie-dye station and musical petting zoo.

Want the VIP experience? You will when you learn it includes:

• Free admission
• Preferred parking
• Access to a catered party on Friday night
• Early entry to the festival on Saturday
• Access to catered meals, snacks and beverages

Be sure to take advantage of shuttle transportation that will be giving free and continuous rides to and from the festival.

Estimated travel time from downtown Birmingham to the Kentuck Festival of the Arts: 59 minutes

When: Oct. 20-21
Where: Kentuck Park. 3501 Fifth Street, Northport, AL 35476
Time: 8am-5pm
Admission: Weekend Pass – $15; Daily Pass – $10; Children (12 and under) – FREE
Tickets

What festival looks most exciting to you?