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Mount Hood in fall

7 Pacific Northwest Fall Festivals You Won’t Want to Miss this Year

Pacific Northwest culture calls for outdoor recreation, good eats, and a ton of festival-going. Fall is the perfect time to visit the PNW for so many reasons—farmers markets, fall foliage, and less-crowded trails—and on top of it all are the festivals that range from holiday gift markets to music festivals to local food extravaganzas. Remember, if you choose to attend the craft beverage festivals, choose a designated driver. We’ve put together an admittedly small list of some of our favorite Pacific Northwest fall festivals you won’t want to miss this year. If you have other favorites, add them to the comments below!

Pacific Northwest craft beer tasting

Photo Credit: Pure ADK.

1. Bumbershoot – Seattle, Washington

Born from a desire to showcase the arts culture of Seattle, Bumbershoot was established in 1972 as a multi-disciplinary arts festival featuring comedy, dance, film, literary arts, music, performing arts, visual arts, and more. The festival is held on the grounds of the Seattle Center, a campus originally built for the 1962 World’s Fair, over Labor Day weekend. For more information, visit bumbershoot.com.

2. Fremont Oktoberfest – Seattle, Washington

The Fremont Oktoberfest is known as Seattle’s largest fall beer festival and often features more than 100 local and international craft beers. It’s staged in the spirit of traditional German Oktoberfests, so expect to find beer gardens, food trucks, and live music as well as special events like the Fremont Oktoberfest Street Scramble race and a Chainsaw Pumpkin Carving Contest, and more. For information, visit fremontoktoberfest.com.

3. Harvest Wine Tour – Olympic Peninsula, Washington

The Harvest Wine Tour, the third of our Pacific Northwest fall festivals, showcases the Olympic Peninsula’s nine artisan wineries and cideries on a weekend of touring and tasting. Each of the craft beverage makers pair fall appetizers with their beverages and tickets also include a souvenir wine glass and the chance to win a harvest-inspired gift basket. For more information, visit olympicpeninsulawineries.org.

4. Hood Salmon, Mushroom, and Bigfoot Festival – Mt. Hood Village, Oregon

The annual Mt. Hood Salmon, Mushroom, and Bigfoot Festival celebrates the rich Native American cultural heritage of the salmon, seasonal foods, and the legend of Sasquatch. Featured events include a huckleberry pancake breakfast, a Native American salmon bake, Sasquatch talks, and a scarecrow-making contest. For more information, visit cascadegeographicsociety.com.

5. Oregon Independent Film Festival – Portland, Eugene, Oregon

The Oregon Independent Film Festival brings independent cinema from around the country and globe to Oregon every year. The festival holds in screenings in Portland and Eugene and includes ceremonies for the winners, premieres, press events, and talks with the cast and directors. In 2019, the festival will be held from September 14-30, 2019. For more information, visit oregonindependentfilmfest.com.

 

Table Rock and Mount Hood at sunrise in fall

Photo Credit: Bureau of Land Management Oregon (Flickr)

6. Holiday Food & Gift Festival – Eugene, Oregon

As one of the largest holiday celebrations in the Pacific Northwest, the annual Holiday Food and Gift Festival features more than 100 local vendors, offering crafts, fine art, jewelry, clothing, Christmas décor and more. The market also includes a gourmet foods area where you can find locally made tea, chocolates, pasta, meats, and sauces. Santa also makes an appearance to spread some holiday cheer! For more information, visit hfgf.com.

7. The Portland Book Festival – Portland, Oregon

More than 100 authors gather annually for the Portland Book Festival, a day full of presentations, readings, writing workshops, and a book fair. The Portland Art Museum also hosts pop-up readings in its galleries. This event is perfect for readers of all ages. For more information, visit literary-arts.org.

Looking for more road trip itinerary ideas? Check out our Quintessential Oregon Road Trip Loop for more places to visit in Oregon!

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