Fall New Hampshire Festivals

Cornish Fair - Cornish, NH - Aug 16 to Aug 18, 2024
Fairgoers come from all over to see the fruits and vegetable exhibits, horse and oxen pulling, 4-H, crafts, children’s activities, live entertainment, vendors, amusement rides and more. The Cornish Fair is also home to the largest dairy show in all of New Hampshire. Since 1950.

Lancaster Fair - Lancaster, NH - Aug 29 to Sep 2, 2024
The Labor Day week extravaganza spotlights agriculture activities, a large midway, 4-H exhibits, diverse musical entertainment and motorized competitions (pulling events and the ever-popular Demolition Derby). Free parking.

Hopkinton (New Hampshire) State Fair - Contoocook, NH - Aug 29 to Sep 2, 2024
Carnival rides, livestock exhibits, wagon rides, demolition derby, fair food and more. A Labor Day weekend tradition since 1915.

Hillsborough County Agricultural Fair - New Boston, NH - Sep 6 to Sep 8, 2024
Annual agricultural fair with fun for the whole family, including fireworks, exhibits, midway, rides, log cabin, truck pulling, dog show, live entertainment and more. There is a coupon for admission on the event’s website (orange button).

Hampton Beach Seafood Festival - Hampton, NH - Sep 6 to Sep 8, 2024
Over 50 of the area’s best restaurants serving mouthwatering seafood, beverage tent, arts &crafts, chef demo, lobster roll eating contest, live music, skydiving, kiddie land and fireworks.

Granite State Fair - Rochester, NH - Sep 12 to Sep 22, 2024
New Hampshire’s largest carnival midway plus grandstand events, demolition derby, livestock and more. Free rides and free circus. Held for over 140 years!

Hampton Falls Arts & Craft Festival - Hampton Falls, NH - Sep 14 to Sep 15, 2024
Over 75 juried artisans from across New England display their work, including a wide variety of media. Food and live music round out this free family-friendly event, which goes on rain or shine. Friendly leashed pets welcome.

NH Highland Games & Festival - Lincoln, NH - Sep 20 to Sep 22, 2024
The largest Scottish cultural festival in the Northeast. Starts on the third Friday of September. Enjoy tapping events leading up the Highland Games and competitions, plus musical and dance performances, kilted mile race, seminars, youth programming, whisky tasting and more.

New Hampshire Highland Games & Festival - Lincoln, NH - Sep 20 to Sep 22, 2024
There’s something for everyone from Scottish music, dance, food, and fun to heavy athletics, sheep dog trials, and crowd-favorite, massed bands. Try-It classes all day long in street curling, stone lifting, and more. Sign up for a seminar and explore topics ranging from Scottish cooking to genealogy. Fun for all ages with special kids programming and opportunities to shop in Vendor Village

Deerfield Fair - Deerfield, NH - Sep 26 to Sep 29, 2024
New England’s “oldest family fair” has been going on for 140 years. Amusement rides, agriculture and livestock, food, and even camping

Portsmouth Maritime Folk Festival - Portsmouth, NH - Sep 28 to Sep 29, 2024
The streets of Portsmouth will ring with the music of the sea. Singers and musicians wander the sidewalks downtown, and the sounds of sea shanties and forebitters waft through the doorways of nearly a dozen venues all within a block or two of Market Square. The Portsmouth Maritime Folk Festiva is an annual celebration of the city’s rich maritime heritage, which dates back to the original English settlement in 1630 and continues today in the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, across the Piscataqua River in Kittery, and with maritime businesses on both sides of the river. Sea shanties, the rhythmic work songs that helped sailors coordinate their efforts while raising or lowering sails and anchors, recall the whalers and other wooden ships that were built along the Piscataqua and sailed out of Portsmouth in the 19th century. Since 1999.

Dover Oktoberfest - Dover, NH - Sep 28, 2024
A Dover Oktoberfest pub crawl sponsored by Sam Adams

Ammonoosuc Oktoberfest at Schilling Beer Co - Littleton, NH - Sep 28, 2024
Schilling Beer Co and 18 guest brewers keep the beer coming, plus food from 4 beer-friendly food vendors. Proceeds go to local charities

Autumn Craft Festival on the Lake - Meredith, NH - Oct 5 to Oct 6, 2024
Annual arts & crafts show – free admission! Goes on rain or shine. Friendly leashed pets welcome. Over 75 juried artisans from all over New England display their work.

Mount Sunapee Fall Festival - Newbury, NH - Oct 5, 2024
Live music, beer and food. Skyrides will be running. Past activities have included pumpkin carving contest, face painting, hay wagon rides, inflatables, games including water balloon toss and wheelbarrow races, and more. Duck drop and 5k as well

Powder Keg Beer & Chili Festival - Exeter, NH - Oct 5, 2024
Nearly 40 breweries serving craft beers. 20 restaurants participate in the People’s Choice Cook-Off. Advanced general admission tickets available.

East Hill Farm Oktoberfest - Troy, NH - Oct 6, 2024
Delicious menu of German food and live Oompah music at the Inn at East Hill Farm

Milford Pumpkin Festival - Milford, NH - Oct 11 to Oct 13, 2024
35,000 attend this annual event. Giant pumpkins, live music, craft fair, make your own scarecrows for kids, haunted trail, corn hole toss competition and more.

Warner Fall Foliage Festival - Warner, NH - Oct 11 to Oct 13, 2024
Annual event with proceeds donated to community organizations and projects. Pie baking contest, craft fair, farmers market, 5 mile road race, fun run, live entertainment, kids corner and more. Since 1947.

NH Brew Fest - Portsmouth, NH - Oct 12, 2024
Held on the grounds of beautiful Cisco Brewers Portsmouth, formerly Redhook Ale Brewery, this event is presented each year as a special fundraiser for the Prescott Park Arts Festival in partnership with Master Brewers Association of America and WHEB’s The Morning Buzz. Admission includes entry to the event, 5 oz. souvenir sampler cup, beer samples and live music and entertainment. VIP ticket gets you early admission to the first of two sessions.

The Sandwich Fair - Sandwich, NH - Oct 12 to Oct 14, 2024
A family fair on Columbus Day weekend. Gates open at 8 AM daily. Parade, antique auto show, 4-H livestock shows, tractor pull, photo contest, art and more.

Attitash Oktoberfest - Bartlett, NH - Oct 12, 2024
Annual Oktoberfest at Attitash Mountain Resort on Columbus Day Weekend. It features German music, food, and a biergarten with local breweries. They are having a stein hoist competition on both days and a keg toss contest once again. Children’s activities will include inflatable adventure course, slackline, kinderplatz and cornhole deck. Location: 775 U.S. 302, Bartlett, NH 03812

White Mountain Oktoberfest - Lincoln, NH - Oct 12 to Oct 14, 2024
Loon Mountain Resort hosts this Oktoberfest with beer, bratwurst, and Alpiner Oom-pah Band. Contests have included children’s games, cornhole tournament, water balloon tossing, stein holding and keg toss. In the past, they have had a climbing wall, bike rentals and bungee trampoline. It’s the final weekend of their summer attractions, and timed to coincide with peak foliage season. Location: 60 Loon Mountain Rd, Lincoln, NH 03251

New Hampshire Film Festival - Portsmouth, NH - Oct 17 to Oct 20, 2024
Screens more than 100 films during the course of the event. Includes Young Filmmaker’s Workshop and closing ceremonies with presentation of the Granny Awards.

NH Pumpkin Festival - Laconia, NH - Oct 22 to Oct 31, 2024
Festival in downtown Laconia, with over 40,000 attendees, 20,000 Jack O Lanterns (carve at home or at the festival!), food and craft vendors, 10K/5K, beer garden, live music, kids activities, zip line and climbing wall, horse drawn hay ride, and more!

Hampton Falls Fall Craft Festival - Hampton Falls, NH - Sep 17, 2023
Annual arts & crafts show – free admission! Goes on rain or shine. Friendly leashed pets welcome.

Sausage Fest - Portsmouth, NH - Sep 16, 2023
A celebration of marzen and sausage.

Great Brats and Brews at Anheuser-Busch Merrimack - Merrimack, NH - Oct 1, 2022
Head to the Anheuser-Busch location in Merrimack for an authentic Beerhall for an entertaining night of live music, food, and beer

Labor Day Weekend Craft Fair at the Bay - Alton, NH - Sep 3 to Sep 5, 2022
Annual arts & crafts show – free admission! Goes on rain or shine. Friendly leashed pets welcome.

NH Fall Festival - Portsmouth, NH - Oct 12, 2019
Strawbery Banke’s Fall Festival showcases traditional New England handmade crafts, heritage breed and farm animal demonstrations, and the museum’s heirloom gardens and seed-saving program. The event also incorporates the 5th Annual Children’s Book Festival, featuring 20+ local authors and illustrators