11 Virginia Fall Events You’ll Visit For The Plates And The Pageantry

Virginia in the fall feels like a celebration stitched together from food, music, and tradition. Weekends fill with oyster roasts along the coast, apple butter stirred in mountain hollows, and county fairs where recipes are guarded like heirlooms.

Every stop adds a new flavor or ritual; steaming pots, crowded barns, fiddles carrying through crisp night air.

I’ve walked through harvest fields, tasted plates that vanish in minutes, and felt how much these gatherings matter to the people who keep them alive. Here are eleven fall events where Virginia’s season comes alive in food and festivity.

1. State Fair Of Virginia, Doswell

Carousel lights spin, piglets squeal, and midway scents of funnel cake, corn dogs, and barbecue converge in that humid fall air.

Dating back to 1854 and now held at Meadow Event Park in Doswell, the State Fair of Virginia weaves agriculture, concerts, and county exhibits with a massive food court.

Go mid-week. Lines are gentler, food vendors replenish more often, and you’ll get first pick of fried chicken and novelty treats before they vanish.

2. Graves Mountain Apple Harvest Festival, Syria (Madison County)

The orchard leaves crackle beneath your boots, and apple cider tang lifts through the crisp air, blending with wood smoke from cooking stations.

This festival celebrates the apple seasons of central Virginia — orchard tours, live music, craft vendors, and pies, fritters, and doughnuts made from local fruit.

Bring cash and room in your pack. Some booths close once their baked goods sell out, and you’ll want to snag fresh oven-warm slices before they disappear.

3. Poquoson Seafood Festival, Poquoson

Salt wind curls off the water, blending with the aroma of steamed crabs, grilled shrimp, and hush puppies bubbling at fryer edges.

Poquoson’s seafood heritage anchors this festival. Fishermen, cooks, and locals bring fresh catches to the shorefront for tasting tents, cooking demos, and boat tours.

Tip: arrive early for oyster platters. By mid-afternoon, crowds swell, and prime seafood portions often shrink — sometimes leaving only sides.

4. Urbanna Oyster Festival, Urbanna

Gulls wheel overhead, and table tents line the quay, each filled with oysters roasted, fried, and raw, while folklife music drifts over docks.

The Urbanna Oyster Festival began as Urbanna Days in 1957 and later became Virginia’s official oyster festival.

I queued for shucked oysters just as the procession parade passed. That juxtaposition, cresting flavor and town spectacle, made me see the festival in full color.

5. Chincoteague Oyster Festival, Chincoteague Island

Lapping waves echo behind booths steaming with oyster chowder, grill smoke rising and mingling with brackish air that tastes of salt and reeds.

Held in Chincoteague, this oyster festival showcases local aquaculture, shucking contests, seafood plates, and island arts. It underscores the Eastern Shore’s ties to water harvest.

Arrive when tides permit. Some oyster stations pause or close during low water hours, so timing your visit around tidal schedules means more full plates.

6. Richmond Folk Festival, Richmond

Drums, fiddles, voices from stage corners, and the scent of local barbecue and corn pone drift across canal-side stages as afternoon fades to dusk.

Richmond Folk Festival is a multi-day celebration of music, dance, and cultural heritage. Food vendors represent Virginia’s flavor zones, BBQ, soul food, farm fare, alongside international dishes.

Pro tip: start with food before the big acts. As crowds gather, food lines stretch long. Eat early, then settle in for performances without distraction.

7. Blue Ridge Folklife Festival, Ferrum (Ferrum College)

Bluegrass and clogging echo across fields, and smoke from corn roasters and kettle soups drifts past vendor tents. The vibe feels homegrown.

At Ferrum College, this festival honors Appalachian traditions: fiddle, storytelling, local crafts, and regional food like lemon sticks, fried pies, and rockfish plates.

I spent an afternoon watching a potter while sipping sorghum-cane lemonade. That mix of craft and flavor grounded me in place, genuine, unpolished, alive.

8. Fall-O-Ween at Newport News Park, Newport News

Pumpkin patches glint twilight orange, lanterns line woodland paths, while booths dish chili, cider, and roasted corn under starlit sky.

This park-based Fall-O-Ween blends nature walks, family activities, and food stations serving seasonal staples. The forest setting intensifies autumn ambiance.

Wear layers. Evening chill creeps in, and foods taste richer under moonlight. Plus, night crowds tend to eat early, some vendors shut down by dusk.

9. Taste Of Brunswick Festival, Lawrenceville (Brunswick County)

Cornbread muffins, pulled pork sandwiches, biscuits, the lineup leans Southern comfort elevated by small-town pride and local competition.

Taste of Brunswick spotlights county cuisine, BBQ, Virginia ham, local produce, and cook-offs. It’s both culinary showcase and community pageant.

Go hungry and be early. The best entries (champion dishes) tend to vanish before mid-afternoon, leaving only runner-ups and sides.

10. Shenandoah Valley Apple Harvest Festival, Clear Brook (Frederick County)

Fog lifts off orchards while cider presses hum, apple dumplings steam, and leaves crackle underfoot as visitors roam stands.

Held in Clear Brook on the third weekend of October, this festival highlights apple varieties, farm tours, local crafts, live music, and baked-apple delicacies.

I once caught the final cinnamony fritter as the press closed. That crisp bite reminded me: the best flavors often come at festival edges, when things wind down.

11. Hands & Harvest Festival, Highland County (Monterey And County-Wide)

Mountain air tastes of smoke and late-season greens, while historic sites host food tents offering trout, pastured chicken, pies, and heirloom vegetables.

Highland County’s Hands & Harvest Festival, held in October, centers on heritage crafts, storytelling, and local cuisine across farmsteads. It’s sometimes called Virginia’s “Little Switzerland” for its high elevation and fall chill.

Plan to drive between venues. Some food stations stay open only during peak hours, and you’ll miss the freshest trout chowder if you lag behind schedule.