Autumn Leaves Festival - October 9-11 in Downtown Mount Airy

Fall has arrived, and here in Mount Airy, NC we celebrate the changing of the leaves with our annual Autumn Leaves Festival, now in its 49th year! The festival showcases our rich heritage, with food for the soul, music for the heart, and heritage crafts and demonstrations. Admission to the festival is free! The hours of the festival are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 12 to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The entire downtown area is filled to the brim with arts and crafts vendors, delicious food, and plenty of local music, including a main bandstand on Independence Blvd featuring gospel, bluegrass, and old-time music, as well old-time musicians jamming under a tent on N. Main Street. The unique arts & crafts of more than 200 craftsmen line the streets with many demonstrating their talents and skills passed down through the generations. There is plenty of “Food for the Soul” – ham biscuits, collard green sandwiches & cornbread, barbecue, hamburgers, ground steak sandwiches, donuts, hot dogs, baked goods, homemade apple butter, candy apples, funnel cakes, and MUCH more, served with hospitality by our local civic and other community groups. Check out the website at autumnleavesfestival.com for the full bandstand schedule! We have a lot of great bands in the lineup, including The Nunn Brothers, Snow Creek Old Time Band, Mountain Park Old Time Band, The South Carolina Broadcasters, The Country Boys, The Buckstankle Boys, Slate Mountain Ramblers, Marshall Brothers & Highroad, The Zephyr Lightning Bolts, Rich in Tradition, Crossroad, Highway 52, and many more! The Autumn Leaves Festival™ has been consistently ranked as one of the “Top 20 Events” in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society. The festival began as a celebration of the end of the tobacco and apple harvesting season over 45 years ago. Now, we celebrate the breathtaking fall season! Through the years, hundreds of thousands of visitors (nearly 200,000 people will frequent the streets of Mount Airy over the three-day weekend) have enjoyed the true flavor of rural America and its distinctive character, rich heritage and scenic beauty.  This great community once again puts out the “WELCOME” mat and invites one and all to come and experience the true spirit of America’s Hometown!! Autumn Leaves Festival weekend is the PERFECT time to start your holiday season shopping! Vendors will have a vast array of handmade and unique items for purchase including handwoven baskets, quilts, floral displays, textiles, vintage re-purposed items, holiday decorations, jewelry, pottery, woodcarving, oil paintings, photography, children's toys, handmade decorations, unique and one-of-a-kind items, and so much more! Don't forget out about Downtown Mount Airy businesses and restaurants while you are here! Stop by the Mount Airy Visitor Center at 200 N. Main Street for advice on the best things to see and do while you are in the area and pick up a map with the Mayberry attractions, including Andy Griffith Museum and Wally's Service Station. The Mount Airy Museum of Regional History is also located in Downtown Mount Airy! Autumn Leaves Festival weekend is the PERFECT time to start your holiday season shopping! Please take a look at our photo album and don't forget to visit the website at autumnleavesfestival.com. Interested in becoming a vendor? Apply using the online form early next year before spots fill up! **Please remember that ALL PETS are strictly prohibited inside of the festival boundaries. Need lodging for Autumn Leaves Festival Weekend? Go to visitmayberry.com for a full list of accommodations. If you are having trouble finding lodging during this busy weekend, please call the Mount Airy Visitor Center for assistance - 336-786-6116.