Fall Fairs and Festivals: A guide to 110 regional events

Cruise through the Tennessee River Gorge for spectacular views of Mother Nature's fall handiwork. The Tennessee Aquarium is hosting River GORGEous fall color cruises on Oct. 25 and Nov. 1 aboard the River Gorge Explorer, shown here. Two departure times are offered each day to cruise to Hale's Bar Lock and Dam. Cruises on Oct. 25 will coincide with the Fall Color Cruise at Hale's Bar Marina. Call 423-267-3474 for prices and reservations. The Southern Belle riverboat will also offer color cruises from Oct. 1-Nov. 21. Call 423-266-4488 for prices and reservations. Cruise through the Tennessee River Gorge for spectacular views of Mother Nature's fall handiwork. The Tennessee Aquarium is hosting River GORGEous fall color cruises on Oct. 25 and Nov. 1 aboard the River Gorge Explorer, shown here. Two departure times are offered each day to cruise to Hale's Bar Lock and Dam. Cruises on Oct. 25 will coincide with the Fall Color Cruise at Hale's Bar Marina. Call 423-267-3474 for prices and reservations. The Southern Belle riverboat will also offer color cruises from Oct. 1-Nov. 21. Call 423-266-4488 for prices and reservations.

By Susan Pierce September 6, 2015 20 min read

Photo Gallery

Fall Fairs and Festivals: A guide to 110 regional events

A Cherokee powwow is part of Pumpkintown in Athens, Tenn., on Oct. 10.

Hayrides to the pumpkin patch and a pumpkin slingshot are part of the fun at Old McDonald's Farm Fall Festival, which runs weekends from Sept. 12 to Oct. 31.

Emilyi Hennis, left and Joyce Shafer paddled the millstream at last year's Ketner's Mill Country Fair. At this year's fair, set for Oct. 17-18, visitors browse more than 100 food and craft vendors, canoe, tour the working mill, watch sugar cane ground in an old-fashioned press and enjoy bluegrass music and clogging.

It's all about kids at the Autumn Children's Festival on Oct. 3-4. A variety of art activities and carnival games will be set up in the Tennessee Riverpark for children's enjoyment, with proceeds benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chattanooga. Madison McDowell, left,
and Sophia Creelman paint pumpkins at last year's festival.

Farrier George Bercaw adjusts a horseshoe while giving a demonstration at last year's Hamilton County Fair, which is set this year on Sept. 26-27 at Chester Frost Park.

The Wurst Brats play for Oktoberfest in Chattanooga Market, which kicks off with an art show on Oct. 14.

Mark Your Calendars

* RiverRocks: Adventure sports events and music. Each weekend in October. www.riverrockschattanooga.com* Three Sisters Music Festival: Oct. 2-3, Ross’s Landing. www.3sistersbluegrass.com* Chickstock Music Festival 2015: Sept. 19, Greenway Farms. www.northchick.org

Margaret Long, Dianne Mason and Deborah Lofton are three friends who travel the Southeast together each fall in search of barn sales.

“We all have a love of vintage, antiques, crafting, repurposing, decorating and have often talked about how much we would love to have a barn sale in our area. This year we decided to make it happen,” says Lofton.

So their Sunflower Stables Barn Sale and Market will make its debut Oct. 16-17 in Cleveland, Tenn. – one of 110 festivals and fairs listed in the Times Free Press’ Fall Festival Guide. One-third of this year’s events are new to our annual list, making it the paper’s largest festival guide to date.

Readers will find dates for old favorites – Ketner’s, Prater’s, New Salem – as well as other new festivals to try such as Bird & Barn at Black Fox Farm in Cleveland, Tenn., or the Hobby Anonymous Festival in Red Bank.