Philadelphia’s countryside cements its reputation for food, fun, nature and culture every fall with an outstanding lineup of events, festivals and exhibitions.
Towns and main streets in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties play host to music festivals, Halloween-themed programs and delicious Oktoberfests — all within a short drive or train ride from Philadelphia.
Visitors can create and judge scarecrows in Peddler’s Village, cheer on a vintage car race in Coatesville and attend a bike race/beer party in Pottstown.
Plus, fall classics like the Kennett Square Mushroom Festival and Downingtown Fall Fest attract thousands of attendees each at multi-day events.
Read on for our guide to the top fall events and festivals in Philadelphia’s Countryside.
More than 30 performers from the Philadelphia area and beyond come to Havertown for this family-oriented music festival. Headliners include Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams, Teddy Thompson, Amy Rigby and Ryan Montbleau.
Where: Centered at East Eagle & West Darby roads, Havertown
The 10th annual Phoenixville Blues Festival returns to the Chester County town with a massive, free celebration. Nine musical acts entertain guests all day with blues tunes, while vendors sell food and crafts around the perimeter of Reeves Park. About 5,000 are expected to attend this early fall celebration.
Where: Reeves Park, Star Street & Second Avenue, Phoenixville
The Philadelphia Union face off against one of Mexico’s most popular football clubs, Pumas UNAM, in an international friendly at Talen Energy Stadium in early September. The two teams met previously at the Chester County stadium in 2013, where the Union defeated Pumas UNAM.
Where: Talen Energy Stadium, 1 Stadium Drive, Chester
The Doylestown Arts Festival returns for a 28th year with 160 juried artists plus live pottery, glass-blowing, silk-scarf painting and more interactive art-making demonstrations. Local food vendors and live music on five stages round out the fun two-day event located roughly 40 miles outside of Philadelphia.
Where: Centered at Main & State streets, Doylestown
Kennett Square’s 34th annual Mushroom Festival puts the fun in fungi during a weekend of music, food, contests, exhibits and activities in the “Mushroom Capital of the World.”
Where: State Street between Garfield Street and Willow Street, Kennett Square
This reputable professional-cycling event takes place on the second day of the Doylestown Arts Festival. Races for men and women — and a friendly one for kiddos! — take place on a course that surrounds the festival’s footprint.
Where: Start and finish line at East Court Street & Printer's Alley, Doylestown
Shady Brook Farm’s FallFest starts in mid-September with its weekend Apple Fun Days programming and ramps up in October with pumpkin-themed programming. Activities include wagon rides to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch for pick-your-own adventures; pig races; a corn maze; local craft beer and wine from Rose Bank Winery (for the adults!); and so much more. Visitors can even stay late on select evenings for moonlit pumpkin picking and corn-maze wandering at PumpkinFest After Dark
Where: Shady Brook Farm, 931 Stony Hill Road, Yardley
September 9 – November 17 (select dates)
Peddler’s Village buzzes in the fall with exciting family-fun events and festivals, including its Scarecrows in the Village display (September 9 – October 27) and Scarecrow Festival (September 14-15), OctoberFeast (October 12-13), Apple Festival (November 2-3) and the Grand Illumination Celebration (November 15) that kicks off winter holiday celebrations.
Where: Peddler's Village, 2400 Street Road, New Hope
More than 100 tons of pumpkins in all shapes and sizes are just a part of this annual months-long celebration of all things fall at this popular attraction in Media. Harvest hayrides, a corn maze, apple picking, live music, a jack-o’-lantern exhibit and fall treats — like apple cider donuts and caramel apples — round out the autumn fun.
Where: Linvilla Orchards, 137 W. Knowlton Road, Media
The business corridors of Wayne go all out for the 27th annual Radnor Fall Festival, which takes over Wayne and West Avenues between Lancaster Avenue and the Wayne train station. The street fair hosts local restaurants and shops offering their goods, plus carnival rides, live performances and musical acts.
Where: Centered at North Wayne & West avenues, Wayne
Now in its fourth year, Coatesville’s grand prix event turns two miles of the town into a race course, where a single vintage car or motorcycle leaves the starting line at a time, and the fastest lap of the day wins it all. The event, which also includes a food-and-drink vendor area, benefits Coatesville’s Parks & Recreation programs and facilities.
Where: Start and finish line at North Third Avenue & Lincoln Highway, Coatesville
Linvilla Orchards’ annual fall arts bash features three live musical acts each on Saturday and Sunday, as well as vendors selling arts, jewelry and handmade crafts. The two-day festival takes place during PumpkinLand, so festivals visitors can also enjoy hayrides, pumpkin picking and more.
Where: Linvilla Orchards, 137 W Knowlton Road, Media
Live music leads the entertainment at this year’s Fall Fest in Downingtown, while East Pennsylvania Avenue and Green Street play host to food trucks, local vendors and kid-centric activities. Festival attendance is free, and tables at Kardon Park offer a perfect outdoor dining spot in the fall weather.
Where: Centered at Green Street & East Pennsylvania Avenue, Downingtown
October 3 & 5, 2019
King of Prussia’s giant beer festival returns to the town for two days of beer-drinking fun. Craft breweries from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and beyond (including Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company, Yards Brewing Co., Troegs Independent Brewing and more) serve up samples of their finest fall pours, while King of Prussia restaurants offer bite-sized treats to attendees.
Where: 160 N. Gulph Road, King of Prussia
This year, Longwood Gardens’ chrysanthemum showcase features two large-scale bamboo and natural-element displays by Akane Teshigahara, headmaster of the renowned Sogetsu School of Ikebana headquartered in Japan.
Where: Longwood Gardens, 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square
Wednesdays through Mondays, October 5, 2019 – January 5, 2020
Live Nation’s new interactive pop-up sets up shop in the King of Prussia Mall following an installation in Las Vegas. The immersive, photo-worthy exhibit features dynamic, hands-on fun, including a confetti-filled space, a ball pit big enough for adults and an enchanting flower-filled display. The space is open Wednesdays through Mondays, with timed tickets available in advance.
Where: King of Prussia Mall, 160 N. Gulph Road, King of Prussia
More than 50 published authors and illustrators — including headliner Anna Quindlen — are part of this annual event in Doylestown, which offers panels, a pub crawl and an outdoor fair. The schedule on Saturday, October 12, includes an illustration workshop, children’s storytime and a three-pub crawl with authors, as well as the author event with Quindlen. On Sunday, October 13, the daylong outdoor BookFest includes live music, a book store, vendors and author panels.
Where: Various locations including Stacks Co., 54 E. Oakland Avenue, Doylestown
At this annual event at Sly Fox Brewery, guests enjoy an entirely different kind of pairing: beer and cyclocross. The adventurous bike race traverses a variety of terrains and obstacles, and beer is available all around the race track for spectators to enjoy.
Where: Sly Fox Brewing Company, 331 Circle of Progress Drive, Pottstown
Prost! ’Tis the season for Oktoberfests and fall beer festivals, and there are plenty in Philadelphia’s Countryside this year. Those in search of an authentic Oktoberfest experience — think juicy bratwurst, traditional music, warm Bavarian pretzels and steins overflowing with German beer — can find a ton of happenings this fall at events like Bucks-Mont Oktobefest (Saturday, September 7), Ardmore Oktoberfest (Saturday, September 28) and Conshohocken Beer Festival (Saturday, October 12), plus many more!
Farms and attractions throughout the Philadelphia region celebrate the fall harvest season in a big way each year. A variety of top attractions delight both locals and visitors eager to pick out the perfect pumpkin, assemble a scarecrow, explore a fun corn maze and admire beautiful fall foliage. This year’s harvest festivals include the Chaddsford Winery Harvest Festival (Saturdays and Sundays, September 7-22), the Apple Butter Frolic in Harleysville (Saturday, October 5) and the Pumpkin Days Celebration at Tyler Arboretum (October 12-13).
Fall brings dozens of new exhibitions and art installations to the region’s museums and attractions. The Brandywine River Museum of Art hosts Reality Reassembled: The Halloween Paintings of Peter Paone (September 14 – November 3) and Cinderella & Co. – Three Fairy Tales Reimagined (October 5 – January 5). Visitors to the Mercer Museum can see Forging a Link: Metalsmiths Respond to the Mercer Collection (September 28 – January 5) and Pigskin Peanuts, featuring 50 Charles Schulz comic strips (November 19 – February 9). And Michener Art Museum hosts Impressionism to Modernism: The Lenfest Collection of American Art (September 29 – January 5).
Where: Various locations including Michener Art Museum, 138 S. Pine Street, Doylestown
The Visit Philly Overnight Package — booked more than 190,000 times since 2001 — comes with free hotel parking (worth up to $100 in Center City Philadelphia), overnight hotel accommodations and choose-your-own-adventure perks.