When the Blue Ridge Mountains begin to glow with golden leaves and the scent of apple cider fills the air, Central Virginia becomes a spectacular playground for families. From hayrides and handmade crafts to trick-or-treating and heritage celebrations, there’s something magical about fall in Charlottesville.
Haunted houses, craft fairs, apple picking, book festivals, and more can become annual traditions for your Cville child. We’ve gathered the most beloved autumn festivals in the area so you can plan weekend adventures filled with fun, flavor, and family memories. Below you will find the biggest Fall Festivals that we all look forward to each year and be sure to watch our popular CharlottesvilleFamily Magazine Events Calendar too. Enjoy the flavors fo the season when you get home with treats like our Virginia apple fritter recipe.
AUGUST & SEPTEMBER FAMILY EVENTS IN CHARLOTTESVILLE
Virginia Sunflower Festival
July 24-August 17, 2025
Celebrate the end of summer at the Virginia Sunflower Fest at Chiswell Farm & Winery in Greenwood, VA. Wander through vibrant sunflower fields, enjoy live music and food trucks on weekends, capture unforgettable moments with family, and sip local wine or a fruit slushie. From sunflower picking to a shady area for sharing peach donuts and riding the cozy coupe, it’s the ultimate country escape. On the weekend, there is a tractor-pulled barrel train ride that every Cville child loves, along with scheduled butterfly releases, and even princess visit dates.
Charlottesville Back To School Bash
August 2, 2025
Get ready to kick off the school year with fun, resources, and community connection at the 13th Annual Back-to-School Bash! All families are invited to this exciting, free event designed to help students start strong in the new school year.
The Back-to-School Bash is a community celebration where families can receive free backpacks and school supplies, meet ACPS staff, and connect with community resources. The whole family will enjoy a fun and festive atmosphere with music, student performances, and activities. Don’t forget to take part in the Downtown Passport Scavenger Hunt, where you can enter to win exciting prizes!
Paint the Town Orange
August 29, 2025
Turn your Cville child into a Cavaliers fan and celebrate UVA football with the team’s season opener against Coastal Carolina. Wear your UVA orange gear and join the pep rally downtown, family-friendly tailgates, and themed community activities. Themed activities for the whole community continue throughout the season each time there’s a home football game!
C’ville VegFest
September 14, 2025
Head over to IX Park for a free vegan community event with a mission to ensure that everyone has access to healthy food! The day-long event will feature plant-based foods, live music, local vendors, speakers, children’s activities, and yoga. The C’ville VegFest stage lineup will include bands, multiple DJ sets by Cake Pop, a vegan pie-eating contest, and more! Bring the whole family to celebrate community, inclusivity, and delicious food. CharlottesvilleFamily Magazine is proud to be a sponsor!
C’ville Sabroso
September 20, 2025
This vibrant Latino cultural festival brings the community together! Stop by for a day filled with traditional food, Latin music, dance performances, craft activities, and interactive cultural experiences. It’s a colorful way for kids and adults to celebrate Hispanic heritage right here in Charlottesville. C’ville Sabroso will be hosted at the Ting Pavilion in Downtown Charlottesville. CharlottesvilleFamily Magazine is proud to be a sponsor of this cultural event.
Fall Into Fun Festival
September 21, 2025
The Fall Into Fun Festival is an annual event hosted at Chiles Peach Orchard in Crozet to celebrate the opening of their pumpkin patch. Enjoy seasonal activities like apple picking, pumpkin painting, hayrides, games, hands-on making, and more. Be sure to check the daily schedule to see when there will be live music, and don’t forget to stop by the pumpkin patch! No tickets are needed for the festival.
Healthy Birth, Healthy Baby Expo
September 27, 2025
Connect with local birth professionals, learn about pregnancy wellness and early childhood resources, and shop baby products at this supportive and informative expo for new and expecting parents. The expo is held at Carver Recreation Center and is completely free to attend. Find more resources on pregnancy care, doulas, and preparing for birth. CharlottesvilleFamily Magazine is proud to be a sponsor and support new moms and babies in Charlottesville!
Loop de’Ville Festival
September 27, 2025
If you’ve got a Cville child who loves the outdoors, you can celebrate local trails and promote an active, outdoor lifestyle at the Loop de’Ville Festival! The day features guided group walks, hikes, bike rides, and runs around Charlottesville’s Rivanna Trail loop. Enjoy music, kids’ bike activities, food trucks, and giveaways along the Rivanna Trail! In case of inclement weather, the Loop de’Ville rain date is October 5.
Liberty Mill Fall Farm Festival
September 27-28, 2025
The Fall Farm Festival at Liberty Mill is well worth the half-hour drive from Charlottesville. Enjoy the nationally-recognized corn maze, grown in a new design every year, along with hay rides, a pumpkin patch, farm playground, you-pick flowers, local food vendors, pumpkin ice cream, and more.
Pro tip: Don’t miss the flashlight maze on Saturday night, held from 6-10pm! Perfect for teens, tweens, and adventurous parents.
OCTOBER FALL FESTIVALS IN AND AROUND CHARLOTTESVILLE
Fall Fiber Festival
October 4 – 5, 2025
Hosted at James Madison’s Montpelier, this two-day celebration of fiber arts features craft vendors, workshops, and family-friendly activities. Crafters can submit their work into one of the event’s many competitive divisions. And don’t forget to take the kids to the festival’s annual sheepdog trials! This fall event is a great destination for lovers of knitting, spinning, and hands-on learning.
Massanutten Fall Festival
October 11, 2025
Celebrate the season at Massanutten Resort’s annual Fall Festival with live music, craft vendors, kids’ activities, and delicious food and drinks. Families will love pumpkin painting, games, and creative crafts, while parents can enjoy the Beer & Wine Garden and scenic chairlift rides with sweeping mountain views. Proceeds benefit the McGaheysville Volunteer Fire Company, making this fun-filled day a chance to give back while creating lasting memories. Learn more »
Graves Mountain Apple Harvest Festival
October 4–5, 11–12, and 18–19, 2025
Syria, VA
Celebrate fall the old-fashioned way at this beloved mountain festival nestled in scenic Madison County. Plan for what you and your Cville child can expect at the Graves Mountain Apple Festival, then get ready for bluegrass music, hayrides, a hay maze, pony rides, apple picking, and a charming petting farm. The festival features fresh-pressed cider, handmade crafts, and plenty of apple treats, from fritters to butter. With tractor-pulled wagon rides and crisp mountain air, it’s a fun and relaxing day trip for all ages. Admission is free, and parking is $5.
Pro tip: Bring wagons or strollers for little ones, and plan for some things to be cash-only.
Foxfield Family Day Races
October 5, 2025
This annual steeplechase is a Charlottesville fall tradition, offering a family-focused day at the races. With tailgating, pony rides, face painting, and plenty of space to picnic and play, it’s a local favorite for autumn fun. Tickets can be purchased online, including a discounted family pack. And don’t forget to prepare by reading our expert tips for taking kids to the Foxfield Races.
Crozet Arts & Crafts Festival
October 11-12, 2025
Held at Claudius Crozet Park, this juried show features fine arts, crafts, live music, delicious eats, and an interactive children’s area. A beloved tradition for nearly 40 years, the Crozet Arts & Crafts festival is perfect for a crisp fall weekend. Read our tips for attending with kids.
Batesville Apple Butter Weekend
October 11-12, 2025
Stop by Batesville Field (on Plank Road) for the annual Batesville Community Club’s Apple Butter Weekend. Watch the whole process of making apple butter from start to finish on Saturday as it is brewed in two giant copper kettles in the middle of the field. Then come back on Sunday for a pancake breakfast and to pick up a jar or two! Proceeds from sales support the club’s work in the community.
CASPCA Fall Fest
October 18, 2025
Bring the whole family—four-legged members included!—to North Fork Discovery Park for this heartwarming festival filled with adoptable pets, live music, kids’ games, and food trucks. Proceeds support the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA.
Touch-A-Truck
October 19, 2025
A family favorite, this hands-on event lets kids climb into fire trucks, diggers, ambulances, and more! Local heroes are on hand to answer questions and spark imaginations. Touch-A-Truck is hosted by the Junior League of Charlottesville (JLC) and will be at the Albemarle Campus of the Boys and Girls Club of Central Virginia on Lambs Lane. Proceeds benefit the JLC and its mission to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration, and training.
Virginia Film Festival
October 22 – 26, 2025
The VAFF, now in its 38th year, is one of the country’s premier regional film festivals and one of Virginia’s biggest arts events. This incredible fall celebration features more than 100 films from around the world. For five days, you’ll find filmmaker panels, student showcases, and community screenings in venues across town. Check the schedule for family-friendly selections, and embrace an international arts experience with your kids!
Crozet Book Fest
October 25, 2025
This local book festival launched in 2024 and is returning in 2025! Run by Bluebird & Co. bookstore and sponsored by dozens of local businesses, it spotlights both national bestsellers and local Virginia authors. The attending authors include every genre and age range, from picture books to young adult and adult novels, so there’s sure to be something for the whole family. Admission is free (though books are for sale at each event). All the events are located in downtown Crozet within walking distance of each other, making it an easy way to spend a family-friendly day embracing the literary life! CharlottesvilleFamily Magazine is proud to be a sponsor! Come see us at the Crozet Library, where we will be hosting the kids’ festival events!
Bellair Farm Fall Festival
October 25, 2025
Enjoy a day on the farm with the family at the Bellair Farm Fall Festival! The festival includes activities for all ages, such as square dancing, visiting farm animals, barrel train rides, and photo ops on real tractors for the young vehicle enthusiasts in the family. Food, arts, and crafts vendors will be on site all day long. The event is free to attend, and all beer sales will support Appalachian Sustainable Development.
Pro tip: Don’t miss the after-hours kick off the evening of Friday, October 24th, which will feature farm-to-table plates, wine tastings and sales, and live music on the farm!
JackFest
October 26, 2025
JackFest is an annual fall celebration that’s a favorite with families all around Albemarle County! You’ll find dozens of kid-focused activities, including races, inflatables, obstacle courses, arts activities, food vendors, a truck touch, and more. JackFest is all about fun, community, all while raising money to help families battling childhood cancer. Proceeds benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Charlottesville and UVA childhood cancer programs, helping ensure that children can access cutting-edge care close to home in Virginia. Admission is free to the Foxfield event grounds, and everyone is welcome.
Boo Bash Halloween Festival
October 2025
Join this annual family-friendly event at the Virginia Discovery Museum to kick off your Halloween celebration! Kids and grownups alike can dress in costume and stop by to enjoy Halloween-themed carnival games, crafts, science experiments, a costume contest, and spooky fun for all ages. It’s the perfect not-too-scary celebration for little ghouls and goblins. Tickets go on sale in September.
Trick-or-Treating on the UVA Lawn
October 31, 2025
This Charlottesville tradition offers a safe and charming way for your Cville child to trick-or-treat. UVA students and faculty welcome families for a festive stroll through the historic Lawn. Everyone will be in costume as students hand out candy with Cavalier cheer to little trick-or-treaters. You might even want to DIY a Boo Bag for collecting treats.
NOVEMBER FESTIVALS IN THE CHARLOTTESVILLE AREA
Albemarle CiderWorks Apple Harvest Festival
November 1, 2025
Enjoy an afternoon of orchard fun with cider tastings, farm vendors, local food, and family activities at this annual event celebrating Virginia’s apple season. Enjoy live music, sample different ciders, or take the kids on a hayride. The festival happens rain or shine, so check the weather before you leave the house, and be ready to bring your boots!
Artisans Studio Tour
November 8 – 9, 2025
Meet some of the region’s finest artists and makers as they open their working studios to the public. This free, self-guided tour across Charlottesville and Albemarle includes live demonstrations, educational programs, and one-of-a-kind handmade gifts. There are 24 studios located all around Charlottesville and the surrounding counties; you can find a map on the website to plan your visits. CharlottesvilleFamily Magazine is proud to be a sponsor and support local art!
FESTIVALS HAPPENING ALL SEASON LONG
Blue Ridge Mountain Maze Festival
September 20 – November 9, 2025, Weekends
Blue Ridge Mountain Maze features five acres of corn maze fun with panoramic views. Perfect for all ages, it offers live music, apple slingshots, corn cannons, giant slides, a haybale maze, and a night maze with flashlights. Each weekend, enjoy the country store, fresh ice cream, playground, tug-of-war, petting zoo, and private campfire rentals. Ideal for families and groups seeking outdoor adventure
Sarah’s Pumpkin Patch Festival
September 27 – October 26, 2025, Weekends
Sarah’s Pumpkin Patch is a true you-pick experience, where visitors clip the pumpkins from the vine. Over 20 different varieties of pumpkins are grown, where you can find everything from traditional large orange carving pumpkins to pink, blue, white, and striped pumpkins in the field and more! Every weekend during their season, you can also make your way through the 4 acre corn maze, pet farm animals, buy snacks, play on swings, slides and climbing structiures plus take a hayride, or choose from the almost 10,000 sunflowers that are planted!
As the days grow cooler and the leaves begin to fall, Charlottesville’s festival season is just warming up. Whether you’re sampling cider, cheering at a parade, or watching the kids delight in a hayride, there’s no better way to embrace autumn than with these seasonal events. Be sure to bookmark this guide and check back often for updates, and don’t forget to get our email and follow us on Instagram and Facebook for reminders, ticket links, and photos from your favorite fall festivals! Support local!
Fall is full of fun family adventures! Check out our guides to corn mazes and the best apple-picking spots. After all that farm fun, be sure to check out our family recipe collection for some yummy fall treats, including a pear witch.
Don’t miss a thing—sign up for our free CharlottesvilleFamily e-Mag for weekly event highlights and family fun ideas. And be sure to meet our valued partners who serve local families.