10 New Hampshire
fall events worth the drive.
Ten real, dated events across the state, from Highland cattle at Loon Mountain to fires lit on the Androscoggin River. Real 2026 dates, what admission actually costs, and which ones are worth building a whole Saturday around.
A New Hampshire fall,
one weekend at a time.
Kailah grew up in New Hampshire, so this list started as the events she actually grew up going to, then grew to include the ones we've added since having the girls. A Highland Games with caber toss and sheepdog trials. A festival built entirely around pickles. New England's oldest family fair. A month-long trail of pumpkin-headed scarecrows through the White Mountains. And a night where a town lights fires on its own river. Confirm the date and hours on each event's own site before you go — small-town festivals shift these from year to year.
All 10, at a glance.
| Event | Where | 2026 dates | Admission |
|---|---|---|---|
| NH Highland Games & Festival | Loon Mountain, Lincoln | Sep 18–20 | Paid; young kids free w/ adult |
| Waterville Valley Harvest Festival | Waterville Valley | Sep 19 | Free |
| Winchester Pickle Festival | Winchester | Sep 26 | Free to attend |
| Deerfield Fair | Deerfield | Oct 1–4 | $9–$12, 12 & under free |
| Return of the Pumpkin People | Jackson & surrounding towns | Oct 1–31 | Free |
| Apple Harvest Day | Downtown Dover | Oct 3 | Free |
| Warner Fall Foliage Festival | Warner | Oct 9–11 | Free; $10 parking w/ shuttle |
| Sandwich Fair | Center Sandwich | Oct 10–12 | $5–$15 |
| RiverFire | Berlin | Oct 17 | $5, kids 5 & under free |
| NH Pumpkin Festival | Downtown Laconia | Oct 23–24 | Free |
Dates and prices as published on each event's own site as of September 2026. Confirm before you go — we'll refresh this table again next August.
10 New Hampshire fall events,
worth planning a trip around.
In calendar order, mid-September through the last weekend of October.
Caber toss and other Highland athletics, pipe and drum bands, sheepdog trials, Highland cattle, Highland dancing, and White Mountain scenery as the backdrop. There's a dedicated kids' area with Scottish-themed crafts and curling, so this isn't just a spectator day for adults. Official site →
Free, and the easiest way to kick off foliage season in the White Mountains: local food, crafts and local makers, farm-fresh goods, and free inflatables and pumpkin painting for the kids. Mountain scenery is the whole backdrop. Official site →
Possibly the most random fall festival in New Hampshire, and we mean that as a compliment: a pickle-eating contest, a Pickle Parade, pickle competitions, live entertainment, local food and vendors. More than 5,000 people show up for a festival devoted entirely to pickles. Official site →
This is quintessential New Hampshire fall: midway rides, farm animals, agricultural exhibits, competitions and demonstrations, and all the fair food. New England's oldest family fair runs four full days in 2026, with five stages of entertainment across the weekend. $9–$12 admission, kids 12 and under free. Official site →
Businesses and residents build elaborate pumpkin-headed characters throughout Jackson, Bartlett, Glen, Intervale, Conway and beyond — more than 50 displays this year, and free to see. Treat it as a self-guided driving tour against peak foliage scenery, with photo stops the whole way. Official site →
Free, and enormous for a one-day event: the festival draws more than 60,000 people and nearly 350 vendors to downtown Dover. A 5K road race starts at 8:30am, a pie contest runs at 11am, and live entertainment plays throughout the day. Park at Liberty Way and take the free shuttle in rather than fighting for downtown parking. Official site →
Small-town New Hampshire during foliage season: an oxen competition, midway rides, a parade, crafts and a farmers market, a 5K, and live music. Admission is free (parking is $10, with a shuttle running from Nichols Field), and proceeds go back into the local community. Official site →
A true New Hampshire fall tradition dating back to the 1800s: farm animals, agricultural exhibits, a midway, ox pulling, sheep shearing, and classic fair competitions. Honestly, Center Sandwich during foliage season is reason enough to go even before the fair itself. Official site →
This might be the event on this list you've never heard of: fires lit on the Androscoggin River, pumpkins lining the bridge, a costume parade, hay rides, live music, and food and vendors all day. After dark, the fires and jack-o'-lanterns light up the river — the payoff for the whole day. $5 admission, kids 5 and under free. Official site →
The way to end fall festival season: thousands of carved pumpkins on display downtown, family activities, live entertainment, local artisans and food vendors. Free, with a Friday evening soft opening and Saturday as the main event — and you can bring your own carved pumpkin to add to the display. Official site →
Cider donuts and sunflower fields.
You will not do all 10.
Here's how we'd choose.
A lot of overlapping weekends and a state that isn't small once you're driving across it. If you're only picking a few:
Apple Harvest Day and the Waterville Valley Harvest Festival are both free and require zero advance planning — show up, park, wander.
RiverFire and Return of the Pumpkin People are both genuinely White Mountains events, and both pair naturally with a weekend up north even without the festival as the excuse.
Deerfield Fair is the biggest and the most classically "state fair," but the Sandwich Fair is smaller, older, and arguably prettier if you're chasing foliage at the same time.
The NH Highland Games at Loon Mountain and Return of the Pumpkin People both put you somewhere with an actual view, not just a fairground parking lot. See our fall foliage timing guide for when the White Mountains are likely to peak.
Is a small-town festival worth
building a weekend around?
For the free ones — Apple Harvest Day, the Waterville Valley Harvest Festival, the Pumpkin People — yes, easily, because there's no admission to waste if a toddler melts down after 45 minutes. For the ones with a real gate price and a longer drive, Deerfield Fair and the Sandwich Fair both earn it because they're full days, not two-hour visits: budget the whole afternoon. The one we'd skip if you're tight on time is trying to combine a White Mountains event with a Lakes Region one in the same day — this is a big state once you're actually driving it, and pick one.
Looking beyond
New Hampshire?
This list is one state in our fall festival series. See the full regional roundup for events in Maine and Massachusetts too, or skip the research and have us plan the whole trip.
What people ask about
New Hampshire fall events.
What are the best fall festivals in New Hampshire in 2026?
Ten real, dated events across the state, from the NH Highland Games at Loon Mountain in mid-September through the NH Pumpkin Festival in downtown Laconia in late October. The Highland Games, Deerfield Fair, Apple Harvest Day and the Sandwich Fair have the broadest family appeal of the ten.
Which New Hampshire fall festivals are free?
Waterville Valley Harvest Festival, Apple Harvest Day, Return of the Pumpkin People, the Warner Fall Foliage Festival and the NH Pumpkin Festival don't charge admission. The NH Highland Games, Deerfield Fair, the Sandwich Fair and RiverFire all charge a gate fee.
What's the most unusual fall event in New Hampshire?
RiverFire in Berlin, hands down — fires lit on the Androscoggin River after dark, with jack-o'-lanterns and pumpkins lining the bridge above. It's the one on this list most people outside the North Country have never heard of.
Do you need to buy tickets in advance for these fall events?
For Deerfield Fair, the Sandwich Fair and the NH Highland Games, advance tickets are worth buying to skip the gate line. The free events — Waterville Valley Harvest Festival, Apple Harvest Day, the Pumpkin People and the NH Pumpkin Festival — need no ticket at all.
Can you see Return of the Pumpkin People in one day?
You can hit the highlights in an afternoon, but the displays are spread across Jackson, Intervale, Glen, Bartlett and Conway, so treat it as a self-guided driving tour rather than a single stop. It runs the whole month of October, so there's no rush to see it all at once.
The Boston family flight guide.
For when fall turns into "let's actually go somewhere this winter." Which routes run year-round, which are summer only, and the order we book a trip in.
Or have us plan the whole trip from $499.
Keep exploring: 10 New England fall events · fall foliage timing · things every NH kid should do · all Northern New England guides