Christmas Markets and Holiday Light Festivals, plus Food Festivals worth checking out, especially in the South.
Welcome back, Festival Fans!
Santa Claus is coming early to many states this weekend, as Holiday Festivals, Markets and Holiday Shows are popping up all over.
To help prove my point, as well as help you find them, I have highlighted all the Holiday events below in green.
In addition to all the Holiday Fests, there are quite a bit of Food Festivals this weekend. Some of these are:
- Chocolate and Cheese (AL)
- Mac and Cheese (AL and NC)
- BBQ (FL, GA, NC, SC)
- Taco (FL)
- Jerk (FL)
- Rice (GA)
- Chili (GA and TN)
- Jewish Food (GA)
- Pecan (KY)
- Pickle (MD)
- Sausage (NC)
- Sweet Potato (NC)
- Street Food (PA)
- Pie (SC)
- Oyster (VA and GA)
And there are also Medieval/Renaissance Fests, Highland Games, Cultural Fests, Fall Festivals, Veterans Day Festivals, Spirited Festivals, and so much more going on this weekend, especially in the southern states!
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ANNOUNCEMENT:
I have already started adding new states for 2024.
You can get a preview of the 2024 Iowa Festival Guide at
https://festivalguidesandreviews.com/iowa-festivals/
…and the 2024 Minnesota Festival at…
https://festivalguidesandreviews.com/minnesota-festivals/
…with more coming soon.
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Now let’s take a quick look at some interesting festivals in each state:
Alabama
Chocolate and Cheese Festival (Foley), Twisted Fork (Huntsville)
Delaware
Delaware Renaissance Faire III – Townsend
Florida
North Miami Greek Food and Wine Festival (North Miami), Camelot Days Medieval Festival II (Hollywood)
Georgia
Christmas Made in the South (Dalton, Oyster Roast, BBQ and Music Festival (Port Wentworth)
Illinois
3 French Hens Holiday Market (Morris)
Indiana
Wildflower Christmas Market (Terre Haute)
Kentucky
Hickman Pecan Festival (Hickman)
Maryland
The Big Dill World’s Largest Pickle Party (Baltimore)
Michigan
Flapjack and Flannel Festival (Traverse City)
Mississippi
Hernando Dickens of a Christmas
New York
Canandaigua Christkindl Market
North Carolina
Sweet Potato Festival and BBQ Competition (Rocky Mount), CLT Ciderfest (Charlotte)
Pennsylvania
Philadelphia Street Food Festival
South Carolina
Battle of Camden BBQ Festival, Lowcountry Nosh (Charleston)
Tennessee
Home for the Holidays (Mt. Juliet, Christkindlmarkt at Collegedale Commons
Virginia
Oyster and South Festival (Chesapeake, Thomas Jefferson Wine Festival (Lynchburg)
Washington, DC
DC Beer Fest: Fall
West Virginia
Wagging Tails and Nitro Ales (Nitro)
Wisconsin
Winter Art Fair Off the Square (Madison)
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Don’t forget to use the map to see what’s around you (cities can have more than one festival).
And, if you are near or plan to travel to Ohio, you may want to check out this week’s post from my sister site Ohio Festivals – https://ohiofestivals.net/ohio-weekend-111223
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
Until next week…
Love, Peace and Festival Grease!
Upcoming Festival Weekend: November 9-12, 2023
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MAP of festival and fair food cities this weekend.
If you can’t see the map on your smartphone, click HERE.
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My Experiences of this Weekend’s Festivals
No festival reviews this week.
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ALABAMA
11/6-11/12 – National Peanut Festival II – Dothan
11/10-11/12 – Homestead Hollow Christmas Arts and Crafts Festival – Springville
11/10-11/12 – Christmas Jubilee – Mobile
11/11 – Chocolate and Cheese Festival – Foley
11/11 – Brierfield Ironworks Historical State Park Veterans Celebration – Briefield
11/11 – West Dallas Antique Tractor, Car, Gas Engine and Craft Show – Orrville
11/11 – Fall Festival at Carters’ Country Store – Ashville
11/11-11/12 – Coastal Alabama Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival – Gulf Shores
11/11-11/12 – Battles for the Armory – Tallassee
11/12 – Twisted Fork – Huntsville
11/12 – Magic City Mac N’ Cheese Festival – Birmingham
11/12 – Holiday Market at MidCity – Huntsville
DELAWARE
11/11-11/12 – Delaware Renaissance Faire III – Townsend
FLORIDA
11/6 – Casselberry Food and Wine Festival – Casselberry
11/6-11/12 – Foo Foo Festival II – Pensacola
11/8-11/11 – Emerald Coast Cruizin’ Car Show: Fall – Panama City Beach
11/9-11/11 – Palatka Fall Bluegrass Festival – Palatka
11/9-11/12 – St. Demetrios Greek Festival – Daytona Beach
11/9-11/12 – Santa’s Enchanted Forest I – Hialeah
11/9-11/12 – The Seaside Seeing Red Wine Festival – Sebring
11/9-11/13 – Farm to Grass Harvest Music Fest – Fort Pierce
11/10-11/11 – Big Belly BBQ Battle – Davenport
Weekend continues below…
11/10-11/11 – St. Helen’s Harvest Festival – Vero Beach
11/10-11/12 – Electric Daisy Carnival – Orlando
11/10-11/12 – Maitland Rotary Art Festival – Maitland
11/10-11/12 – North Miami Greek Food and Wine Festival – North Miami
11/10-11/12 – Historic Lincolnville Festival – St. Augustine
11/10-11/12 – Native Rhythms Festival – Melbourne
11/10-11/12 – Orlando Museum of Art’s Festival of Trees I – Orlando
Weekend continues below…
11/10-11/13 – Siesta Key Crystal Classic International Sand Sculpting Festival – Sarasota
11/11 – The Wonders of Wildlife Festival – Plant City
11/11 – Reggae Fest – Boynton Beach
11/11 – Ocala Pride Festival – Ocala
11/11 – Grand Lagoon Bloody Mary and Music Festival – Panama City Beach
11/11 – November Jax Veg Fest – Jacksonville
11/11 – Honey Bee Festival and Craft Fair – Bartow
11/11 – Boca Raton Wine and Food Festival – Boca Raton
11/11 – Central Florida Fall EGGfest – Longwood
11/11 – Shells and Tails Festival – Sopchoppy
11/11 – Candy Cane Lane Festival – Clermont
Weekend continues below…
11/11 – Downtown Melbourne Food and Wine Festival – Melbourne
11/11 – Cows ‘n Cabs – Winter Park
11/11 – Sugar Cane Festival – White Springs
11/11 – Pensacola Hot Diggity Dog Fest – Pensacola
11/11 – New Times Tacolandia Taco Festival – Miami
11/11 – Holy Smokes! the Fourth – Destin
11/11 – Pioneer Heritage Day – Plant City
11/11 – Great Day in the Country Arts and Crafts Festival – Oviedo
Weekend continues below…
11/11-11/12 – Country Bay Music Festival – Miami
11/11-11/12 – Homosassa Arts, Crafts and Seafood Festival – Homosassa
11/11-11/12 – Raprager Family Farm’s Fall Pumpkin Festival VIII – Odessa
11/11-11/12 – Tinez Farms Fall Festival X – Miami
11/11-11/12 – Lady of the Lakes Renaissance Faire II – Tavares
11/11-11/12 – Camelot Days Medieval Festival II – Hollywood
11/11-11/12 – Naples Fall Fine Arts Show – Naples
11/11-11/12 – Temple Terrace Arts and Crafts Festival – Tampa
11/11-11/12 – Miami Rum Renaissance Festival – Coral Gables
11/11-11/12 – Sarasota Medieval Fair II – Myakka City
Weekend continues below…
11/11-11/12 – Ocali Country Days Festival – Ocala
11/11-11/12 – Tampa International Food and Arts Festival – Tampa
11/12 – Alachua Main Street Harvest Festival – Alachua
11/12 – Goldenfest – North Fort Myers
11/12 – Flutterby Arts Festival – Panama City Beach
11/12 – Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival – Miramar
11/12 – Orlando Japan Festival – Kissimmee
11/12 – Naples Veg Fest – Naples
11/12 – Miami Book Fair I – Miami
GEORGIA
11/9-11/11 – Mistletoe Market – Marietta
11/10 – Madyson Square Gardens and Black Barn Antiques Christmas Bazaar – Jefferson
11/10-11/11 – Richland Pig Fest – Richland
11/10-11/12 – Christmas Made in the South – Dalton
11/10-11/12 – Winter Lantern Festival I – Lawrenceville
11/10-11/12 – Festival of Trees at Town Center at Cobb I – Kennesaw
11/10-11/12 – Riceboro RiceFest – Riceboro
11/11 – RAD Eco + Arts Fest – Rome
11/11 – Alapaha Station Celebration – Alapaha
11/11 – Sportsman’s Festival – Warrenton
11/11 – Christmas in the Mountains Marketplace – Blairsville
11/11 – Suwanee Chili Cook Off and Music Festival – Suwanee
11/11 – Dunwoody United Methodist Church Holiday Festival – Dunwoody
Weekend continues below…
11/11 – I’d Rather Be In Tignall – Washington
11/11 – Winterfest Craft Festival – Thomasville
11/11 – Atlanta Fall Wine Festival – Atlanta
11/11 – Oatland Island Wildlife Center Harvest Festival – Savannah
11/11 – Oyster Roast, BBQ and Music Festival – Port Wentworth
11/11-11/12 – Turtle Creek Fall Arts Festival – Dallas
11/11-11/12 – The Christmas Arts and Crafts Festival – Cumming
11/11-11/12 – Stone Mountain Christmas I – Stone Mountain
11/12 – Shalom Y’all Jewish Food Festival – Savannah
ILLINOIS
11/10-11/11 – 3 French Hens Holiday Market – Morris
11/10-11/12 – Lightscape at the Chicago Botanical Garden I – Glencoe
11/12 – Wine Festival at Pere Marquette Lodge – Grafton
INDIANA
11/10-11/11 – 3 Little Birds Holiday Market – Valparaiso
11/10-11/12 – Festival of Trees I – Indianapolis
11/10-11/12 – Christmas Nights of Lights I – Indianapolis
11/11 – Wildflower Christmas Market – Terre Haute
11/11 – Christmas Fair at the Monroe County Fairgrounds – Bloomington
11/11 – Christmas in Pendleton – Pendleton
11/11-11/12 – Only in Indiana LLC. Holiday Market – Bloomfield
KENTUCKY
11/6-11/12 – Patti’s Festival of Lights II – Grand Rivers
11/9-11/11 – GypsyMoon Marketplace II – Bowling Green
11/10-11/11 – Louisville Book Festival – Louisville
11/10-11/12 – Lights Under Louisville I – Louisville
11/10-11/12 – Festival of Trees and Lights – Louisville
11/10-11/12 – Legends of Bourbon County Festival – Paris
11/10-11/12 – Bourbon County Secretariat Festival – Paris
11/11 – Holly-Day on 68/Mistletoe Market – Benton
11/11 – Hickman Pecan Festival – Hickman
11/10-11/12 – Holly Day Market – Lexington
MARYLAND/WASHINGTON, DC
11/10-11/12 – Maryland Irish Festival – Timonium
11/10-11/12 – Waterfowl Festival – Easton
11/11 – Whiskey Wine and Fire – Baltimore
11/11 – Rock the Core – Washington, DC
11/11 – Christmas Arts and Crafts Festival – Pocomoke City
11/11 – The Merry Market (Second Saturday) I – Cambridge
11/11-11/12 – The Big Dill World’s Largest Pickle Party – Baltimore – RESCHEDULED DATE
11/11-11/12 – Maryland Alpaca and Fleece Festival – West Friendship
MICHIGAN
11/10-11/11 – Women in the Arts Festival – East Lansing
11/10-11/12 – Yuletide Festival – Blissfield
11/10-11/12 – Festival of Trees – Midland
11/10-11/12 – The Festival of Trees – Traverse City
11/11 – Flapjack and Flannel Festival – Traverse City
MISSISSIPPI
11/10-11/12 – Christmas City Gift Show – Biloxi
11/11 – Olde Towne Holiday Market – Clinton
11/11 – Gingham Tree Arts and Crafts Festival – Lucedale
11/11 – Stringer Alpaca Festival – Stringer
11/11 – Hernando Dickens of a Christmas – Hernando
11/11-11/12 – Nereids Arts and Crafts Festival – Bay Saint Louis
11/11-11/12 – Highlands and Islands Celtic Heritage and Music Festival – Gulfport
NEW YORK
11/10-11/12 – Canandaigua Christkindl Market – Canandaigua
11/10-11/12 – Holiday Shoppes – Syracuse
11/11 – Holiday Valley Beer and Wine Festival – Ellicottville
NORTH CAROLINA
11/9-11/12 – Southern Christmas Show I – Charlotte
11/9-11/12 – Highlands Food and Wine – Highlands
11/11 – The Hub Craft and Brew Festival – Oxford
11/11 – CLT Ciderfest – Charlotte
11/11 – MACdown: Mac-N-Cheese and Craft Beer Festival – Charlotte
11/11 – Veterans Salute, Brew and Que – Troy
Weekend continues below…
11/11 – Hickory Nut Gap Sausage Fest – Fairview
11/11 – Catawba Veterans Festival – Catawba
11/11 – St. James Waccamaw Siouan Festival – Lake Waccamaw
11/11 – Sweet Potato Festival and BBQ Competition – Rocky Mount
11/11-11/12 – Mistletoe Market – Summerfield
11/11-11/12 – Carolina Renaissance Festival and Artisan Marketplace VII – Huntersville
11/12 – Fall Festival at The Fields – Charlotte
OHIO
Ohio Festivals can be found at ohiofestivals.net/ohio-festivals/
PENNSYLVANIA
11/10-11/12 – Koziar’s Christmas Village II – Bernville
11/11 – Ullr Fest at Camelback Resort – Tannersville
11/11 – Christmas on Main Street – Volant
11/11 – Kutztown Area Historical Society Holiday Festival – Kutztown
11/11 – Montage Mountain Rhythm and Brews – Scranton
11/11-11/12 – Philadelphia Street Food Festival – Philadelphia
11/11-11/12 – German Christmas Market – Harmony
SOUTH CAROLINA
11/8-11/12 – Denver Downs Farm Fall Festival VIII – Anderson
11/9-11/11 – Penn Center Heritage Days – St. Helena Island
11/9-11/12 – Dickens Christmas Show and Festivals – Myrtle Beach
11/9-11/12 – Carolina Christmas Show – York
11/10-11/11 – Battle of Camden BBQ Festival – Camden
11/10-11/12 – Holiday Festival of Lights I – Charleston
Weekend continues below…
11/10-11/12 – Charleston Holiday Market – Charleston
11/11 – Holiday Jingle Craft and Vendor Fest – Greer
11/11 – Lowcountry Pie Festival at Jedburg Junction – Summerville
11/11 – Holy Smokes BBQ Festival – Charleston
11/11 – Fall Fest at Boondock Farms – Jackson
11/11 – Clover Highland Games – Clover
11/11-11/12 – Mythical and Medieval Fest I – Myrtle Beach
11/12 – Lowcountry Nosh – Charleston
TENNESSEE
11/7-11/12 – Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas II – Pigeon Forge
11/9 – Gatlinburg Chili Cookoff – Gatlinburg
11/9-11/12 – Wonders of Light Christmas Village I – Pigeon Forge
11/10-11/11 – Host of Christmas Past – Fayetteville
11/10-11/11 – The Christmas Connection Artistic Creations Fair – Kingsport
11/10-11/12 – The Dancing Lights of Christmas I – Lebanon
11/10-11/12 – A Country Christmas at Gaylord Opryland I – Nashville
Weekend continues below…
11/11 – Fall Color Cruise Festival – Chattanooga
11/11 – Home for the Holidays – Mt. Juliet
11/11 – Cookeville Handmade Christmas Marketplace – Cookeville
11/11 – The Traveling Bazaar’s Holiday Barn Sale – Limestone
11/11 – Indian Springs Community Fall Festival – Kingsport
11/11-11/12 – Christkindlmarkt at Collegedale Commons – Collegedale
11/11-11/12 – Memphis Crafts and Drafts Festival: Holiday Market – Memphis
VIRGINIA
11/6-11/7 – Cox Farms Fall Festival IX – Centreville
11/9 – Woodbridge International Festival – Woodbridge
11/10-11/12 – Bull Run Festival of Lights I – Centreville
11/10-11/12 – Meadowlark Gardens Winter Walk of Lights I – Vienna
11/10-11/12 – Busch Gardens Christmas Town I – Williamsburg
11/10-11/12 – Garden of Lights I – Norfolk
11/11 – Franklin Holiday Open House and Craft Fair – Franklin
11/11 – Yorktown Maritime Festival – Yorktown
Weekend continues below…
11/11 – Bright Leaf Brew Fest – Danville
11/11 – Thomas Jefferson Wine Festival – Lynchburg
11/11 – Oyster Harvest Festival – Montpelier
11/11 – Halifax County Virginia BBQ and Pizza Festival – Halifax
11/11 – Oyster and South Festival – Chesapeake
11/11 – Cocktail and Dessert Festival – Fredericksburg
11/11 – Oyster Roast at Reedville Fishermen’s Museum – Reedville
11/11 – Thomas Jefferson Wine Festival – Lynchburg
WEST VIRGINIA
11/9-11/12 – Oglebay’s Winter Festival of Lights I – Wheeling
11/11 – Wagging Tails and Nitro Ales – Nitro
WISCONSIN
11/10 – Flannel Fest I – Appleton
11/11 – Flannel Fest II – Madison
11/11 – Christmas in the Village – Ripon
11/11 – Uncorked: Milwaukee Wine Festival – Milwaukee
11/11 – Old-Fashioneds Up North – Eagle River
11/11 – Polish Heritage Club Christmas Market – Middleton
11/11 – Manitowoc’s Holiday Faire Extraordinaire – Manitowoc
11/11-11/12 – Winter Art Fair Off the Square – Madison
11/12 – Brookfield East FFA Holiday Arts and Craft Fair – Brookfield
Miami | Tallahassee/Florida Panhandle | Tampa
Akron/Canton | Cincinnati | Cleveland | Columbus | Dayton | Toledo
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