The Best Fall Festivals to Check Out This Season in Philly
Fall is coming, so mark your calendars to celebrate, eat, and explore your way through Philly.
Scenes from the Philly AIDS Thrift Block Party, just one of Philly’s many fall festivals / Photograph by Kelly Burkhardt
School’s back in session, pumpkin spice lattes have the audacity to be sold already, and fall is almost here. So get your sweaters out of storage and start marking your calendars for the fall festivals sure to give you all the cozy vibes around town.
Be sure to check back here, as things are constantly changing and being added.
And don’t despair, spooky season enthusiasts: Halloween events will be in a whole separate article later this month (and pumpkin-related festivities, which are somehow different than Halloween). Looking for Oktoberfests? Check back soon for those, too.
Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll
West Philly restaurants and other vendors offer $1, $3, and $5 food specials for over 10 blocks of Baltimore Avenue. Plus, live music, activities, and a block party at 48th and Baltimore.
September 3rd, 5-8 p.m., Baltimore Avenue from 40th to 51st streets.
Philadelphia Fringe Festival (and related events)
This annual citywide celebration of contemporary art and performance features over 1,000 events throughout the city. Whether you’re into dance, circus, comedy, avant-garde performance art, theater or music, there’s truly something for everyone — including kid-friendly shows and free stuff, too.
Concurrent with Fringe is the independently produced Cannonball Festival at Crane Arts’ Icebox Project Space, Asian Arts Initiative, and Box Spring Gallery. See the lineup here.
September 8th-27th, multiple locations.
Philadelphia Honey Festival
Now in its 17th year, the Philadelphia Honey Festival brings a day of bee-centric activities to Wyck Historic House. The festival has fun for all ages, with beekeeping demos and talks, food trucks, vendors, and even a guy with a beard of bees!
September 12th, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Wyck Historic House, 6026 Germantown Avenue.
Kennett Square Mushroom Festival / Photograph by G. Widman for Visit Philadelphia
Mushroom Festival
Kennett Square is the “mushroom capital of the world,” so of course they’re going to go all out for fungus. The two-day festival has plenty of mushroom-centric food, plus live music, kids’ activities, music, cooking demos, and more.
September 12th & 13th, 101 South Union Street, Kennett Square.
Spring Garden Sunflower Festival
This family-friendly block party includes a full schedule of live music, more than 50 artists and vendors, food trucks, a beer garden, and a kids’ zone with crafts and games.
September 12th, noon-8 p.m., 1700 to 1900 Fairmount Avenue.
Open Streets: West Walnut
The Best of Philly-winning event returns. Take to the streets as 18th from Locust to Chestnut, and Walnut Street from 15th to 19th streets will be closed to vehicular traffic. From 10 a.m to 5 p.m. on those days, the streets will be open to pedestrians, along with live entertainment (think music, dance troupes, strolling performers) and a kids’ zone with free activities.
Sundays from September 13th through October 25th, 10 a.m-5 p.m., 18th Street from Locust to Chestnut and Walnut Street from 15th to 19th.
Feria del Barrio
This North Philly celebration of Latino culture dates back to 1979, and includes live music and dancing, food, arts and crafts, and much more.
September 13th, noon-5 p.m., North 5th Street between Huntingdon and Lehigh.
Philadelphia Fall Arts Fest
Head to the Kimmel Center as Ensemble Arts Philly gears up for its new season with live performances from their resident companies, free activities with regional arts and cultural organizations, ticket deals, giveaways, and more.
September 19th, 11 a.m, Kimmel Center, 300 South Broad Street.
Family Fest Block Party at Evil Genius
Evil Genius Beer Company is celebrating its 15th anniversary with a block party featuring live music all day. Plus, food, vendors, and plenty of beer.
September 19th, noon-11 p.m., 1727 North Front Street.
Upper Darby International Festival
Upper Darby calls itself “The World in One Place,” and this festival, now in its eighth year, pays homage to that with plenty of food, music, dancing, a kids’ zone, and a Parade of Flags.
September 19th, 1-6 p.m., Five Points Intersection at 100 Garrett Road, Upper Darby.
Block Party at the Rail Park
Friends of the Rail Park are teaming hosts its annual fall block party: an afternoon of music, hands-on arts activities, food trucks, and local neighborhood organizations.
September 19th, 1-4 p.m., 1300 Noble Street.
South Wayne PorchFest
Like West Philly’s summertime event, but on the Main Line! Stroll the neighborhood for a day of free music played on the porches of south Wayne (Midland Avenue, St. Davids Road and Windermere Avenue). The streets will be closed to motor traffic, so you can enjoy nearly a mile of music (or just bring a blanket and post up somewhere, there are no rules).
September 19th, 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m., Midland Avenue, St. Davids Road and Windermere Avenue, Wayne.
Philly AIDS Thrift’s annual birthday block party / Photograph courtesy of Philly AIDS Thrift
Philly AIDS Thrift 21st Anniversary Block Party
Everyone’s favorite donation-drop-off spot and treasure-hunting destination is turning 21 and they’re throwing a birthday bash in Queen Village. The nonprofit thrift store benefiting HIV/AIDS service organizations will celebrate in style with live music, DJ Robert Drake, carnival games, a celebrity dunk tank, food trucks, shopping, a pie-eating contest, and more merriment.
September 26th, noon-6 p.m., 710 South 5th Street.
Delaware River Festival
This “coast-to-coast” event brings a family-friendly fun and water-centered learning to both the Philadelphia and Camden waterfronts. You can ride the RiverLink Ferry between the two locations which will both host environmental exhibitors who will talk about preserving the watershed. Plus, there will be free kids’ activities, crafts, games, paddle-boating, live bird shows, floating tai chi, and tall ship tours. You can also explore Independence Seaport Museum for free that day.
September 26th, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Penn’s Landing, Philadelphia and Wiggins Park, Camden, NJ.
DesignPhiladelphia
The oldest design festival of its kind in the country, DesignPhiladelphia celebrates the history, artists, and innovation that makes Philadelphia such an attraction for culture and design with over 100 open houses, workshops, exhibits, a kids’ festival, and more across two weeks.
October 1st-11th, multiple locations.
Mid-Autumn Festival
Chinatown hosts its annual celebration at the Friendship Gate with lion dances, a mooncake-eating contest, art activities and games, and a lantern parade at night.
October 3rd, noon-8 p.m., 102 North 10th Street.
Out and About in MNYK
In honor of National Coming Out Day in October, Manayunk hosts a festival on Main Street and beyond. Entertainment includes live music, vendors, artists and LGBTQ+ organizations. Expect drag queen storytime, roller derby, a karaoke dance party, a drag show, and a live shadowcast of Rocky Horror Picture Show (tickets for that here).
October 3rd, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Main Street, Manayunk.
Revolutionary Germantown Festival
For over four decades, Germantown has hosted a day of family entertainment, food, music, and reenactments of the Battle of Germantown around the neighborhood’s historic sites. It’s a fun way to learn about the people who lived through and fought in the Revolution right here in Philadelphia.
October 3rd, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Cliveden, 6401 Germantown Avenue.
Mt. Airy Arts Festival
For its fourth year, Allens Lane Art Center hosts an afternoon of free art-making activities for all ages, plus live music, art exhibits, food trucks, and vendors.
October 3rd, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Allens Lane Art Center, 601 West Allens Lane.
St. Nicholas Festival
St. Nicholas of Tolentine Italian Festival
This annual festival takes over the 1700 block of South 9th Street, starting with a procession of saints and filling the day with Italian food, live entertainment, kids’ rides and games, and a joyous dance party.
October 4th, noon-8 p.m., 1700 block of South 9th Street.
Chinatown Night Market
Neighborhood restaurants and local food trucks converge on Chinatown for a nighttime street festival that also includes live performances, arts and crafts stations, and a marketplace.
October 8th, 6-10 p.m., 10th and Race streets.
Made in Philadelphia Fall Fest
Get a jump on fall shopping at Dilworth Park’s Made in Philadelphia Fall Market, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Browse handmade jewelry, art, accessories, home goods, skincare and other wares from local makers, while enjoying a seasonal beer garden and family-friendly games and activities.
October 9th & 10th, Dilworth Park, 1 South 15th Street.
Photograph courtesy of Made in Philadelphia
OURfest
In celebration of National Coming Out Day, Pride 365 is planning a festival including a parade and a block party with grassroots organizations, live entertainment, food trucks, a beer garden, dance spaces, and interactive art installations.
October 11th, 13th Street from Walnut to Pine and 12th from Locust to Pine.
Chestnut Hill Fall for the Arts Festival
This festival welcomes the season with over 100 arts and craft vendors, live art demonstrations, live music, shopping, food, and fun for the family all along Germantown Avenue.
October 11th, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Germantown Avenue between Willow Grove and Rex avenues.
Chestnut Hill’s Fall for the Arts Festival / Photograph courtesy of Chestnut Hill
Manayunk Fall Fest
Manayunk’s Fall Fest returns to Main Street with live music, food trucks, vendors, and kids’ activities. But wait, there’s more: There’ll be a Mac n’ Cheese Crawl, where Manayunk restaurants will put their own spin on the classic comfort food.
October 17th, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Main Street, Manayunk.
Weirdo Fest
After taking last year off, Kensington’s wonderfully weird street fair returns. Expect outsider art, oddness, music, food, beer, eclectic performances, stuff for kids, and more. Wizards, circus performers, wrestlers … and you? Why not?
October 19th, 2-10 p.m., Philadelphia Brewing Company, 2440 Frankford Avenue.
