GEORGIA
Flintstone — Rock City's Blowing Springs Farm, through Oct. 28 (Fridays-Sundays only), boasts a new cornfield maze design each year as well as a hay ride, cow train ride, the Critter Coral and more. www.blowingspringsfarm.com
Ellijay — The Dancing Goats FolkFest, through 30, includes a juried folk art show, storytelling, live music. facebook.com/dancinggoatsfolkfest.
Adairsville — The Great Locomotive Chase Festival, Oct. 5-7, has arts, crafts and food vendors, carnival rides, music and fireworks. www.adairsvillega.net.
Tybee Island — Tybee Island Pirate Fest, Oct. 5-7, is a weekend of music, fireworks, food and kids activities complete with a Pirate Victory Parade. tybeeisland.com/pirates.
St Marys — The Rock Shrimp Festival, Oct. 6, features a 5K run, kids activities, a themed parade, fire truckes and tractors, vendors and of course, rock shrimp for dinner. www.visitstmarys.com/rock-shrimp-festival.html.
Hiawassee — The Georgia Mountain Fall Festival, Oct. 12-20, features musical performances, arts & crafts vendors, educational demonstrations, a flower show and the state fiddlers' convention. www.georgiamountainfairgrounds.com.
Blairsville — Georgia's Official Sorghum Festival, Oct. 13-14 and Oct. 20-21, is the place to get mountain-grown sorghum syrup and includes activities such as log sawing, biscuit eating, pole climbing and rock throwing. There's also a craft show. www.blairsvillesorghumfestival.com.
Milledgeville — The Deep Roots Festival, Oct. 20, is a cultural arts and music festival featuring artists and vendors, along with an antique car show and live entertainment. www.deeprootsfestival.com.
Hiawassee — The Appalachian Brew, Stew and Que Festival, Oct. 27, features 21 craft breweries from Georgia and North Carolina as well as food and music. www.georgiamountainfairgrounds.com.
Helen — The annual Oktoberfest, through Oct. 28, features German music, food, drinks and dancing. www.helenchamber.com.
ALABAMA
Bankhead — The Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama Festival and Pow Wow, through Sept. 30, features dancing, food, living history demonstrations, storytelling and more. www.alabama.travel.
Cullman — Oktoberfest, Oct. 3-6, includes an arts and crafts show, wagon rides, kids area, historical tours, and more to celebrate the city's German heritage. www.cullmanoktoberfest.com.
Moundville — The Moundville Native American Festival, Oct. 3-6, seeks to entertain and educate about the culture and heritage that makes Southeastern Indians unique. It includes living historians, arts and crafts vendors, children's area, arts market and performances. 205-371-2234.
Birmingham — The Barber Vintage Festival, Oct. 5-7, is a motorcycle event that features a stunt show, the Globe of Death, demo rides, vendors, a fan zone and more. www.barbermuseum.org.
Steele — The CukoRakko Music & Arts Festival, Oct. 5-7, features Early James and the Latest, Lamont Landers Band, Steady Flow, the New Orleans Suspects and Skydyed. www.cukorakko.com.
Mobile — The Alabama Pecan Festival, Nov. 2-4, features rides, food, face painting, arts and crafts, a classic country and western show and a Sunday gospel show. www.alabamapecanfestival.com.
FLORIDA
Fort Myers — The Island Hopper Songwriter Fest, through Sept. 30, brings more than 80 songswriters, including Hall of Fame musicians, to perform as well as participate in new activities such as resort pool parties, wine pairings and workshops. www.island-hopper.fortmyers-sanibel.com.
Mount Dora — The Mount Dora Bicycle Festival, Oct. 4-7, includes a social ride for breast cancer awareness, a reunion party and two challenges which give participants a chance to be awareded Gran Fondo "King" and "Queen." www. mountdorabicyclcfestival.com.
Port St. Joe — The annual Florida Scallop, Music and Arts Festival, Oct. 5-6, will include Old Soul Revival, the Currys, Baby Gray, Coastal Highway and many more. scallopfestfl.org.
Miami — The South Beach Seafood Festival, Oct. 16-20, not only includes tastes of seafood, but life music, games and culinary demonstrations. sobeseafoodfest.com.
Brooksville — Camping With the Blues, Oct. 19-21, is three days of blues music including Duffy Bishop, Dirty Red and the Soul Shakers, Mark May Band and more. www.campingwiththeblues.com.
LOUISIANA
New Iberia — The Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival, through Sept. 30, has parades, a carnival, live Cajun and Zydeco music, sugar cookery, a horticulture show, artists competitions and more. hisugar.org.
Alexandria — Funktoberfest, Oct. 5-6, offers live music with craft beer samples, a home brewers competition and more. www.funktoberfestcenla.com.
Monroe — The Bloody Mary Fest, Oct. 6, offers four hours of tasting handcrafted bloody marys from multiple restaurants and bars and voting for your favorite. www.downtownrivermarket.com.
New Orleans — The Beignet Fest, Oct. 6, features beignet dishes from restaurants and food trucks from around NOLA and includes live music, kids activities, and an artist music. www.beignetfest.com.
Madisonville — The Wooden Boat Festival, Oct. 13-14, attracts more than 100 classic boats and hundreds of spectator boats and includes live music, children's activities, arts and crafts, a cruise-in and more. lpbmm.org.
Avondale — The Country Smooth Fest, Oct. 20-21, features live music from Hunter Hayes, Whiskey Myers, Tyler Farr, Raelynn, Josh Abbott Band and more. countrysmoothfest.com.
MISSISSIPPI
Gulfport — Cruisin' the Coast, Sept. 30-Oct. 7, features cruise-ins, bands, a swap meet, auto auction. and more. cruisinthecoast.com.
Natchez — The Great Mississippi River Balloon Race, Oct. 19-21, starts with a balloon glow Friday night and continues with flights over the weekend, live music, sports tent, kids carnival and more. natchezballoonrace.com.
N ORTH CAROLINA
Mount Airy — Mayberry Days, through Sept. 30, celebrates yesteryear with shows, a parade, special guests, contests, a barbecue cook-off, silent auction and more. www.mayberrydays.org.
Morganton — Revolutionary War Days, through Sept. 30, starts with a re-enactment of the Overmountain Men crossing the Catawba River and activities follow. www.historicburke.org.
Cashiers — Cashiers Leaf Festival, Oct. 5-7, features vendors and two stages of entertainment with a chance to see the leaves beginning to change. www.discoverjacksonnc.com.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Charleston — The MOJA Arts Festival, through Oct. 7, is a celebration of Gullah culture with African music, cultural arts and Caribbean cuisine in the form of dance, literature, music, theater and visual arts. www.mojafestival.com.
Rock Hill — The Blues & Jazz Festival, Oct. 4-5, has concerts at venues throughout town over two days. There's a kick-off party and a restaurant crawl as well. www.yorkcountyarts.org/14thbluesandjazz.
Pamplico — The Pamplico Cypress Festival, Oct. 5-6, features arts and crafts vendors, a pageant, car show and food vendors. www.townofpamplico.com.
Beaufort — The Beaufort Shrimp Festival, Oct. 5-6, offers samples from local restaurants, a Friday night concerts in the park, a run/walk, arts and crafts and more. www.beaufortchamber.org/beaufort-shrimp-festival/
Aiken — The Western Carolina State Fair, Oct. 19-28, has cotton candy, corn dogs, funnel cakes and carnival rides. westerncarolinastatefair.com.
TENNESSEE
Chattanooga — Dread Hollow, through Oct. 31 (select dates), is a haunted house from the masterminds behind Ruby Falls Haunted Cavern. www.hauntedcavern.com.
Hurricane Mills — The Tennessee Motorcycles and Music Revival, Oct. 4-7, is held at Loretta Lynn's ranch and includes concerts, flat track racing, the Wall of Death and camping. www.motorcyclesandmusic.com.
Livingston — The annual Rollercoaster Yard Sale, Oct. 5-7, is a 150-mile long yard sale where you can start and stop anywhere along the route. www.therollercoasteryardsale.com.
Cleveland — Junkin' It! Craft & Vintage Market, Oct. 6-7, specializes in handmade/homemade crafts of any type, farmhouse, boutique clothing and antiques, and includes a petting zoo, food trucks and children activities. www.touchtheskyevents.com.
Lookout Mountain — Rock City's Rocktoberfest, Oct. 6-Oct. 28, includes live German music, polka lessons, German food and more. www.seerockcity.com/rocktoberfest.
Red Boiling Springs — The Haunted Hotel Overnight Ghost Hunt, Oct. 12-14 (and other dates), offers the chance to explore the notoriously haunted Thomas House Hotel. www.ghosthuntweekends.com/ghw/thomas-house_main.html.
