Who says cooling temperatures are a signal to put festival season on ice for the year? Not us! In fact, Northeast Ohio's fall festival calendar is packed full of action-packed events, no matter whether your speed is bicycling or beer.
Cleveland Oktoberfest
Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds, Sept. 4-13
Dubbed "Northeast Ohio's Largest Annual Outdoor Festival," Cleveland Oktoberfest is an exuberant bacchanalia devoted to beer, brats and family-friendly fun. Besides music that includes tribute bands Das Böaterhead (Yacht Rock), Diamond Project (Neil Diamond) and U2 Desire (U2), polka enthusiasts like the Chardon Polka Band, Alex Meixner and other Oktoberfest big bands, the Labor Day weekend event boasts shopping, art, children's activities and a belly-busting menu.
Crocker Park Wine Festival
Crocker Park, Sept. 18-19
Sip on a selection of 150 wines (or craft beers and spirits, if that's more your thing) while noshing on food and enjoying art and music outside Crocker Park's South Main Street. Best of all, the festival is for the benefit of University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital.
Fresh Fest
Rid-All Farm + Otter park, Sept. 12
Get ready to groove and grub at Fresh Fest, Cleveland’s annual bash celebrating arts, urban agriculture and healthy living. This year, the legendary MC Lyte, a Grammy Award-nominated hip-hop icon, will be headlining the festival along with other local artists. Expect live music that'll get you dancing, a mouthwatering lineup of food trucks, arts and crafts that'll unleash your inner Picasso, workshops that make wellness fun and activities galore.
Village Peddler Festival
Lake Metroparks Farmpark, Kirtland, Ohio, Sept. 12-13
Chances are, one of the 175 vendors at this annual two-day marketplace will have something you'll like — whether your tastes run toward furniture, home décor and jewelry, or delicacies such as produce, maple syrup and sweets.
Tremont Arts & Cultural Fest
Tremont, Sept. 19
Located in Lincoln Park, the 26th annual Tremont Arts & Cultural Fest highlights the enduring arts community in one of Cleveland's most beloved neighborhoods.
IngenuityFest
St. Clair-Superior, Sept. 25-27
One of the longest-running celebrations of the city's cutting-edge creative community, IngenuityFest, will take place at the community hub Hamilton Collaborative in late September. This year's festival theme, “America Dreams,” will feature half a dozen stages with hundreds of musicians, dancers, poets and performances of all types, maker and innovator exhibits, fine art and so much more.
Woollybear Festival
Vermilion, Oct. 4
As any Clevelander will tell you, the woollybear is a type of caterpillar that's said to predict how harsh winters might be in a given year. The annual festival, spearheaded for decades by beloved local meteorologist Dick Goddard — who will be on hand this year — pays tribute to these fuzzy prognosticators. Not only is there a huge parade, but the all-day festival boasts the Woollybear 500 Race, a King & Queen Woollybear Costume Contest and a Woollybear Animal Look-A-Like Contest.
Ohio Mart
Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, Akron, Oct. 1-4
Art aficionados, rejoice: The 57th annual Ohio Mart is a well-curated shopping paradise boasting sculptures, jewelry, textiles, ceramics, glass, dried flower arrangements, books and clothing. Best of all, Ohio Mart is also a fundraiser for Stan Hywet — so you can scarf up some hot gingerbread and cider without guilt.
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