Fall is festival season, and for good reason. We’re finally finding reprieve from the unforgiving summer heat, and cooler weather is made for playing outside. Start planning your next escape with the best fall festivals throughout the country:
Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, Kissimmee, FL
As if you needed a specific reason to visit Epcot, they have one of the biggest food and wine festivals in the world each year. This four-day event is brimming with international fare, music, demonstrations, and even a cheese seminar.
Oktoberfest at Milwaukee Public Market, Milwaukee, WI
Okay, so this one isn’t exactly like the Oktoberfests you’d find abroad. It’s more of a tasting and demonstration, but still one that no foodie will want to miss. Samplings include top German eats beef rouladen, spaetzle, spinach salad, braised red cabbage, and versunken apfelkuchen (German apple cake).
International Balloon Fiesta, Albuquerque, NM
One of the most iconic festivals in the world is hitting the airwaves again this year October 5-13. During International Balloon Fiesta, more than 500 hot air balloons will take flight, creating a colorful dreamscape befitting the New Mexico skyline.
Festival of the Dead, Salem, MA
What better place for a spooky fest than the same locale of the 1692 Salem Witch Trials? The Festival of the Dead has nightly events throughout the entire month of October, from psychic readings to building ancestral altars to the official Salem Witches Halloween Ball.
Austin Mac and Cheese Festival, Austin, TX
There’s a lot of cheesy goodness going down in Austin on November 10. Part of the Mac and Cheese Festival National Tour, visitors can eat their fill of this delicious comfort food from some of the area’s top chefs and restaurants.
The Unsung Heroes of Festival Season
There’s a lot that happens behind the scenes during every festival, no matter its size. One of the biggest considerations is what comes after all the guests go home. Every cup, napkin, cigarette butt, and trash bag must find its way off the grounds, and festival-goers should be mindful of leaving the area the way they found it.
Cleanup services like PopUp CleanUP work with a variety of festivals and events each year to ensure the space is broken down and cleaned up quickly and thoroughly to preserve the area for future festivals.
For more inspiration, head back to the PopUP CleanUP blog.
