From downtown street festivals to sunflowers, apple butter, and a little bit of magic, here are the fall festivals to know from Staunton to Lexington, Buena Vista, Rockbridge County and Buchanan.

Fall festival season starts earlier than you might think around Lexington.

By late August, downtown streets and parks are already filling with vendors, music and community celebrations. September brings fairs, bluegrass, sunflowers and some of the area’s biggest annual events, while October keeps things going with harvest festivals, Appalachian traditions and plenty of apple butter.

We’ve rounded up the 2026 fall festivals happening in Lexington, Buena Vista, and Rockbridge County, along with a few worth the drive north toward Staunton and south toward Buchanan and Botetourt County.

Some of these events have already passed for 2026, but we’re keeping them in our guide so you can see the full season and put them on your radar for next year.

Before you go: Dates, times, admission and activities can change. Always check directly with the festival before heading out.

August Festivals Around Rockbridge

Rockbridge Community Festival | Lexington

August 29, 2026 | 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Downtown Lexington

Fall festival season gets an early start right here at home with one of Lexington’s longest-running community traditions.

The Rockbridge Community Festival takes over downtown Lexington on the Saturday before Labor Day weekend, filling the streets with arts and crafts, local organizations, vendors, food, live music and family fun.

The festival dates back to 1976 and is organized by the Lexington Rotary Club and Lexington-Rockbridge Jaycees, with proceeds benefiting local nonprofit organizations.

Good to know: The festival is held rain or shine, and several downtown streets close for the event.

Fall Festivals in September Worth a Look

Labor Day Festival | Buena Vista

September 7, 2026
Glen Maury Park

Labor Day is a big deal in Buena Vista.

The city’s annual Labor Day Festival has been a local tradition for more than half a century and brings the community together at Glen Maury Park to close out summer and kick off September.

If you’re building your family’s annual fall calendar, this is one of those longstanding local events worth remembering year after year.

Rockbridge Mountain Music & Dance Festival | Buena Vista

September 10–11, 2026
Glen Maury Park

Bluegrass, old-time music and dancing take center stage at Glen Maury Park during the Rockbridge Mountain Music & Dance Festival.

The September gathering celebrates the musical traditions of the region and gives families another reason to spend an early fall weekend along the Maury River.

Rockbridge Regional Fair & Expo | Lexington

September 10–12, 2026
Virginia Horse Center

You don’t have to leave Lexington for a good old-fashioned fair.

The Rockbridge Regional Fair & Expo returns to the Virginia Horse Center for three days of family fun, competitions, entertainment and fair activities.

The 2026 entertainment lineup includes live entertainment, competitions and mechanical bull riding, making this one of the bigger family events on the September calendar.

Good to know: Activities and entertainment change throughout the three-day fair, so check the daily schedule before you go.

Beaver Dam Farm Sunflower Festival | Buchanan

September 11–20, 2026
Beaver Dam Farm 

Hundreds of thousands of sunflowers make this one pretty hard to miss.

Beaver Dam Farm’s annual Sunflower Festival transforms the Buchanan farm with more than 700,000 black oil sunflowers. On festival weekends, families can explore the fields along with hay wagon rides, farm animals, photo opportunities, live music, children’s activities and more than 100 handmade craft and food vendors.

The farm also offers special events during the festival, including designated days for preschoolers, homeschool families and visitors with special abilities.

Good to know: Children 5 and younger are free. The farm is a working farm, so expect grass, gravel and dirt paths and very little natural shade.

Rockbridge Beer & Wine Festival | Lexington

September 12, 2026
Lime Kiln Theater

For the grown-ups, the annual Rockbridge Beer & Wine Festival brings Virginia craft beverages, food, and live music to the open-air setting at Lime Kiln Theater.

This one isn’t primarily for kids, but it’s still one to mention, especially for moms and dads looking for a date night out. 

September 21–26, 2026
Glen Maury Park

The music doesn’t stop when the bluegrass festival packs up.

The Pickin’ Family Music Rally follows at Glen Maury Park with nearly a full week centered around acoustic music, picking and the community that gathers around it.

If your family loves bluegrass or simply likes the laid-back atmosphere of Glen Maury Park, keep this one on the September calendar.

Botetourt County Honey Festival | Buchanan

September 26, 2026 | 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Buchanan Town Park

This might be the sweetest festival on the list.

The Botetourt County Honey Festival celebrates honey, beekeeping, agriculture and the pollinators that make it all possible.

Families can meet local beekeepers, sample honey, browse vendors and farm products, grab something from the food trucks and check out interactive exhibits and activities for kids. Live music rounds out the day at Buchanan Town Park. Don’t forget to walk acorss their iconic swinging bridge while you’re in town.

Queen City Mischief & Magic | Staunton

September 26–27, 2026
Downtown Staunton

For one weekend each September, downtown Staunton gets a magical makeover.

Queen City Mischief & Magic spreads throughout downtown with costumed characters, themed activities, performances and plenty of opportunities for kids and grown-ups to join the fun.

Rather than taking place at one festival ground, downtown itself becomes part of the experience, with activities tucked into streets, alleys and businesses.

Costumes are welcome, so this is your chance to let the kids go all in.

Good to know: This is a popular event and involves plenty of walking. Give yourself extra time for parking and exploring downtown.

October Fall Festivals to Add to the Calendar

Apple Day at the Jackson House Museum | Lexington

October 3, 2026 | 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
Jackson House Museum

Step back into 1850s Lexington during the Jackson House Museum’s annual Apple Day. Families can try an antique hand-cranked cider press, learn 19th-century dances, listen to storytelling, and take part in old-fashioned games and crafts. Kids can make dolls and wooden toys, play apple toss and try other hands-on activities throughout the morning.

Good to Know: Apple Day activities and demonstrations are free and open to the public. Lexington, Buena Vista and Rockbridge County residents also receive free admission to tour the museum. Washington Street between Main and Randolph streets will be closed from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for the event.

Mountain Magic in Fall | Buchanan

October 3, 2026 | 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Buchanan Town Park

If you’d rather head south, Buchanan has its own fall celebration happening October 3.

Mountain Magic in Fall fills Buchanan Town Park with local artisans, food trucks, live music, and a car and tractor show.

The park’s location along the James River, surrounded by mountains, doesn’t hurt either. Once October rolls around, the drive down Route 11 is part of the fun.

Rockbridge Vineyard Harvest Festival | Raphine

October 3, 2026 | 10 a.m.–8 p.m.
Rockbridge Vineyard

Celebrate fall in Raphine at the annual Rockbridge Vineyard Harvest Festival. Spend the day at the vineyard enjoying a seasonal celebration in the heart of Rockbridge County. It makes an easy addition to a fall Saturday out, especially with several other local events happening the same weekend.

Good to Know: Check the vineyard’s event details before heading out for the latest schedule and activities.

Mountain Day | Buena Vista

October 10, 2026 | 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Downtown Buena Vista

One of the biggest fall celebrations close to home returns to downtown Buena Vista in October.

Mountain Day celebrates the region’s Appalachian culture with arts and crafts, live music and dance, local history, demonstrations, food, community organizations and children’s activities along Magnolia Avenue.

The celebration expands to three days in 2026. A free showing of Sounder kicks things off Friday evening, October 9, followed by the main street festival Saturday and a Gospel Sing Sunday afternoon.

If you’re looking for a classic community fall festival without a long drive from Lexington, this is an easy one to put on the calendar.

Wade’s Mill Apple Butter Festival | Raphine

October 17, 2026 | 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
55 Kennedy-Wades Mill Loop, Raphine, VA 24472

It doesn’t get much more fall-in-the-Valley than apple butter bubbling over an open fire.

Wade’s Mill celebrates its 30th Annual Apple Butter Festival in 2026 at the historic mill in Raphine.

Visitors can watch apple butter being made the old-fashioned way in a copper pot more than 130 years old and even take a turn stirring it with the long wooden paddle.

Artisans and craftspeople, demonstrations, food and live music round out the day. Bring a blanket or lawn chair if you want to settle in and stay awhile.

More Fall Fun Near Lexington

Festivals are only the beginning of fall around Lexington.

Pick your own apples, find the perfect pumpkin, tackle a corn maze or take a drive just to see where the day leads. From Staunton through Lexington, Buena Vista and Rockbridge County and south toward Buchanan, you can find something different to do nearly every weekend of the season.

And because some of our favorite festivals happen before the leaves really start changing, don’t wait until October to start checking things off your fall bucket list.

Keep the fall fun going

Lexington Family LIFE is your family resource to fun and life in Lexington, Buena Vista, and Rockbridge County. Check out our guides to Pumpkin Patches Near Lexington, Corn Mazes Worth the Drive and Where to Pick Apples Near Lexington & Rockbridge County.