Top Fall Events and Festival Picks 2023
As the leaves begin their colorful show, the Blue Ridge Mountains come alive with fall happenings and festivals you won’t want to miss. When you stay at our Blue Ridge Parkway cabin rentals, you can choose from several autumn experiences, from pumpkin picking to cider tastings to Oktoberfests and haunted tours. Here are our top fall picks for 2023:
Ongoing Fall Events
Apple and Pumpkin Picking
Dickie Brothers Orchard
Dickie Brothers Orchard is our favorite place for apple and pumpkin picking. This family farm, established in the 1700s (!), has incredible views at the base of the mountains. Their cider is delicious, and their butternut squash is the sweetest we’ve tried! Pumpkin picking starts in early October.
Bold Bonfires
Bold Rock Hard Cider| Every Friday
Fridays this fall, Bold Rock is hosting Bold Bonfires. Cozy up with your cider in front of one of their fire pits on the Rockfish River. Roast some s’mores while you listen to live music to get your weekend off to the right start.
Blue Ridge Mountain Corn Maze
Blue Toad Hard Cider | September 23 – November 5, 2023
We’re so excited that this year’s Blue Ridge Mountain Corn Maze is moving to Blue Toad Hard Cider, right at the mountain’s base from Love Ridge! After you get lost in the 5-acre corn maze, you can snuggle with farm animals and enjoy other farm kids’ activities like giant slides and apple slingshots. The corn maze starts September 23 and runs through the first weekend of November.
Living with Nature at Wintergreen Hike
Trillium House Parking Lot
Nature lovers should check out the Saturday Hikes series presented by the Wintergreen Nature Foundation. Programs include community plant walks and nature hikes.
Nelson County Farmers Market
3079 Rockfish Valley Hwy, Nellysford, VA 22958 | Saturday mornings through the end of October
The Nelson County Farmers Market is every Saturday morning through the end of October. The best spot to get local produce, meats, and farm products under one tent!
Special events
The Yonder Mountain String Band, Railroad Earth, and Keller & the Keels
Basecamp Brewpub & Meadows | September 29, 2023
Minutes away from Love Ridge, Devils Backbone Brewing Company will host The Yonder Mountain String Band, Railroad Earth, and Keller and the Keels.
Fishersville Antiques Expo
Augusta Expo | October 13-14, 2023
The Fishersville Antiques Expo happens twice yearly and is the largest market in the mid-Atlantic, featuring 300+ vendors. Real enthusiasts should arrive on Friday to get the best items.
JUMP INTO MYSTERY
Hazy Mountain Vineyards & Brewery | October 13, 2023
If you’re searching for a spooky time, head to Hazy Mountain Vineyards, where they’ll host their interactive Halloween Murder Mystery–Murder and Mayhem in Dark Hollow. You’ll play a character, solve clues, and meet new friends.
Fall Festival
Bryant’s Cider Farm | October 21, 2023
The Fall Festival at Bryant’s Cider Farm is a local favorite and an entire family affair with music, vendors, food trucks, pumpkin patches, and other fall-inspired activities. Bryant’s Apple Butter Festival is November 18.
Rockbridge Gravel Grinder
Rockbridge Winery & Brewery | October 29
If you want to bike on some of the most beautiful backroads in the Shenandoah Valley, the Rockbridge Gravel Grinder is hosted by our friends at Rockbridge Winery & Brewery.
WNRN Presents: Rubblebucket with Dante Elephante
1010 E Main St, Waynesboro, VA 22980 | November 11
Check out the upcoming shows at Waynesboro’s Foundry. We plan to see Rubblebucket on November 11th, but many great shows are scheduled. This reimagined warehouse space is a fantastic venue. Great food and beer courtesy of Basic City Brewery and local wines from Commonwealth Crush and the Foundry are all in the historic Virginia Metalcrafters building.
These are just a few of the many happenings around Love Ridge this fall. Book your stay now at one of our Blue Ridge Mountain cabins, and you can enjoy these and more fall events and then return to your peaceful cabin to rest and enjoy the crisp air and colors of a Blue Ridge autumn.
