In the Poconos, we love fall and the festivals that come with it. So, when the time comes to combine the two, everyone is in on the action. Fall festivals fill the weekends from late September through October.
Fall happenings range from celebrations of harvest and history to festivities of food and fun. And while most autumn events are open to all ages, some have special features just for kids. Read on for 11 upcoming fall family festivals in the Pocono Mountains.
HarvestFest
Camelback Mountain Resort
Date: Saturday, September 22, 2018
Time: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost: Free
Fall festival season kicks off with HarvestFest on September 22, 2018! Experience vendors, activities and fun for the whole family. Bring the kids for a full day of autumn amusements. Expect fall-themed food, children's activities, shopping and entertainment courtesy of the Sherman Theater.
The Great Pocono Pumpkin Festival
Country Junction – World’s Largest General Store
Dates: Saturday, September 29 to Sunday, October 28, 2018
Times: Weekends: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Weekdays: tentatively noon to 4 p.m.
Cost: $10/person; free for children under 2
“The largest pumpkin festival in the Pocono Mountains” is open daily through October 28, 2018. This annual event is fun for all ages, but it’s especially enjoyable for families with small children. Highlights include pumpkin picking, hay rides and mazes, a free petting zoo, bounce houses, carnival rides and games. Enjoy great food and shopping in the “World’s Largest General Store”, or try your luck in the escape room! Some activities are available on weekends only.
44th Annual Harvest Festival
Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm
Dates: Saturday and Sunday, October 6-7, 2018
Times: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: $10/adult; $5/child 3-12
Give the kids a glimpse of the past during the 44th Annual Harvest Festival at Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm. Costumed re-enactors portray farm skills and crafts like spinning, weaving, blacksmithing and yarn dyeing. They cook in the outdoor brick oven, share stories in the one-room schoolhouse and drive horse-drawn wagons around the farm. Additional activities include pumpkin decorating, pony rides and a Civil War encampment. There will be food and folk music for all to enjoy.
Annual Fall Fest and Block Party
Eastburg Community Alliance
Date: Saturday, October 6, 2018
Time: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: Free
Revel in autumn in East Stroudsburg during the community's Annual Fall Fest and Block Party. Enjoy family-friendly activities including pumpkin and face painting, crafts and carnival rides. Tour the Historic Dansbury Depot and Railroad Switch Tower, see a Steamtown train, a fire truck and more. There will be live entertainment plus vendors, displays and refreshments. Come prepared because this event will be held rain or shine.
Autumn Timber Festival
Shawnee Mountain Ski Area
Dates: Saturday and Sunday, October 6-7, 2018
Times: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: Advance: $9/adult; $7.50/child; Gate: $12.50/adult; $8.50/child. Free for children 4 and under
Brilliant fall foliage sets the stage for two days of autumn action at Shawnee Mountain. This annual festival has children’s activities including a special kids’ area for magic shows, fortune telling, juggling, pig races and more fun for little ones. Experience daring demos by lumberjacks, blacksmiths, chainsaw carvers and canines plus live music, food and craft vendors and scenic chairlift rides. Fees apply to certain activities.
Harvest Festival
Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC)
Date: Saturday, October 6, 2018
Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost: $5/car
Celebrate the fall season with PEEC! Your children will experience a fun-filled day packed with arts and crafts, hands-on learning stations, conservation exhibits and old-time activities. Local food, music and other fun will be available amid the stunning fall foliage of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
Harvest and Heritage Days
Downtown Honesdale
Dates: Saturday and Sunday, October 6-7, 2018
Times: Varies
Cost: Free
Head to Honesdale for a weekend of wholesome harvest fun. Enjoy horse-drawn hayrides, pumpkin painting, demonstrations and historical tours as well as entertainment, competitions and lots of opportunities to shop downtown. Honesdale’s Stourbridge Line runs scenic train excursions to Hawley and Lackawaxen during the festival—a memorable way to see the trees! Schedules vary by day; fees may apply.
Jim Thorpe Fall Foliage Festival
Downtown Jim Thorpe
Dates: Saturdays and Sundays, October 6-7, 13-14, & 20-21, 2018
Times: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: Free
Downtown Jim Thorpe turns on the charm during the annual Fall Foliage Festival in October. During the first three weekends, the town-wide celebrations boast a little bit of everything. Encounter events ranging from train excursions and haunted jail tours to craft fairs and headline concerts. Jim Thorpe's Fall Foliage Festival is on PennLive’s list of “28 Things to See or Do in Pennsylvania Before You Die.”
Harvest Lake Stroll
Skytop Lodge
Date: Sunday, October 7, 2018
Time: Strolls depart from noon to 3 p.m.; 11 a.m. early access limited to first 100 guests
Cost: $65/adult, $30/designated driver, $20/child, $75/person early access
All are welcome to attend Skytop Lodge's 13th annual Harvest Lake Stroll. The day will include something for everyone, with entertainment and food samplings set around the private lake. National and local vineyards will be on site to offer samples, and Skytop's culinary team will present a mouthwatering menu that blends the tastes of the season.
Hawley Harvest Hoedown
Downtown Hawley
Date: Saturday, October 13, 2018
Time: 10 a.m.
Cost: Free
Take a scenic drive to Hawley for the annual Hawley Harvest Hoedown. This autumn event is family orientated with great shopping, food, entertainment and fun-filled family activities. When you go, ride US Route 6 for supreme foliage views. National Geographic called the historic highway "one of America's most scenic drives."
Pocono Food Truck & Art Festival
Shawnee Mountain Ski Area
Dates: Saturday and Sunday, October 20-21, 2018
Times: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: Advance: $9/adult, $7.50/child; Gate: $12.50/adult, $8.50/child; Free for children 4 and under
Bring your appetite! Expect food, fun and foliage views at the Pocono Food Truck & Art Festival. Enjoy day-long food, art, shopping and live entertainment. This annual event brings 25+ food trucks from the tri-state area to the base of Shawnee Mountain. Menu items range from classic concessions to funky food fusions. Check out over 65 local artists and crafters displaying their creations.
Browse all our fall fun in the Pocono Mountains to enjoy with your family. Wondering what the leaves will look like during your festival of choice? Check the fall foliage forecast! Updated weekly, our fall foliage forecast compiles information from local foresters to track and predict changes across the Pocono Mountains’ three-color zones. You can also see the trees through our live cameras. Our feeds stream 24/7 from attractions across the four counties.
For help planning your autumn escape, check out ways to experience fall foliage, day trips, happenings and more! Be sure to find all activities, events and places to stay while visiting, too.
