It is disheartening to see Alabama being overlooked or given a bad reputation as a top tourist destination in the United States. But after listening to all the negativities about the states, the tourists who decide to still visit are usually pleasantly surprised to learn that the state has so much to offer. With the beaches, museums, vibrant art scenes, and state parks, Alabama promises that you will never tire of what to do and see. It features amazing accommodations such as yurts and Airbnb vacation rentals as well. However, if you want to get the most out of your visit, and explore the deep cultures of the south, it is recommended that you time your visit to coincide with the plethora of festivals held in the region. This is a better way to indulge in the histories and cultures, and also to interact more closely with the ever-friendly people of the south. If this sounds like a plan, then read below for a brief look at some of the top festivals in Alabama, USA.
1. Jewish Food Festival & Treasure Market, Montgomery [Last event in 2019]
The Jewish Food Festival & Treasure Market is to celebrate the vibrant and rich Jewish culture in Alabama. The state enjoys a decent Jewish population, and as it is the norm in most states across the country, this is one of their most cherished festivals. The event features a myriad of fun activities suited for all members of the family. Featured heavily are delicious Jewish foods, unique treasures visitors can buy, and short lessons to teach more about the Jewish culture.
Jewish Food Festival & Treasure Market, Montgomery
Address: 2246 Narrow Lane Rd, Montgomery, AL 36106, United States
Website: Jewish Food Festival & Treasure Market, Montgomery
Takes place: February
2. Mardi Gras Day, Mobile
Mardi Gras Day is considered among the oldest annual Carnival celebrations in the United States, having started way back in 1703. It is a three-week celebration that features lots of festivities, marching bands, and parades. One of the most unique things about this carnival is the fact that it is not aligned towards a particular religion or ethnicity since it brings together many cultures and traditions, including Africans, Creole, Americans, French, Italian, Germans, and Swedish among others. It is a fun-filled affair, with something for everyone.
Mardi Gras Day, Mobile
Address: Downtown Mobile , Alabama
Website: Mardi Gras Day, Mobile
Takes place: Usually held in March
Price: Free entry
3. Annual Christmas Lighted Boat Parade, Gulf Shores
This is one of the popular Alabama December celebrations you must never miss when you are in Gulf Shores on the second Saturday of December, every year. The parade begins at 5 pm at Gulf Shores, then snakes its way through the Intracoastal Waterway Canal before it terminates at Orange Beach at about 7:30 pm. Typical characteristics of the parade include the boat parades (more than 40 of them), a merry market where visitors can buy a variety of Christmas-themed items, and a variety of fun events, including ice skating, and concerts.
Annual Christmas Lighted Boat Parade, Gulf Shores
Address: Gulf Shore, Alabama
Takes place: December
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4. Alabama National Fair, Montgomery
Alabama National Fair comes in October, and it is an eclectic two weeks of livestock competitions, thrilling rides, lots of delicious deep-fried foods and lots of live music by some of the region’s most renowned performers. If you don’t like the rides, or you are tired of screaming your lungs out at the live concerts, then the festival also features a local crafts’ market where you can shop some extremely unique art as souvenirs. In other words, the festival comes with something for everyone, irrespective of your specific like sand preferences.
Alabama National Fair
Address: 1555 Federal Dr, Montgomery, AL 36107, United States
Website: Alabama National Fair
Takes place: October
Price: Free entry
5. Alabama Blueberry Festival, Brewton
Posted by Alabama Blueberry Festival on Wednesday, 18 July 2012
The name may make you think that the festival is all about celebrating the blueberry harvest as it is always the case with produce-themed festivals in the United. However, blueberry is just the theme for the carnival. In addition to featuring fresh berries and several blueberry-themed food items, the festival also features a car show, an obstacle course, original arts and crafts, food courts, children play areas and lots of live entertainment. The day-long festival is a great avenue to discover more about the berries, and the culinary versatility they have as shall be demonstrated in the myriad of food courts.
Alabama Blueberry Festival
Address: Jannings Park, Brewton AL, 36426.
Website: Alabama Blueberry Festival
Takes place: June
Price: Free entry
6. Alabama Butterbean Festival, Pinson
Posted by Alabama Butterbean Festival on Wednesday, 2 October 2019
Butterbean festival is all about displaying the versatility of butterbeans, and all the various ways it can be prepared. This is a favorite in most of America’s kitchens, and not knowing the various ways you can prepare and consume it can be boring. By attending this festival, you will learn a whole new world on what to do with your butterbean the next. Away from the butterbeans, the event also features plenty of pony rides, petting zoos, carnival rides, and lots of live music.
Alabama Butterbean Festival, Pinson
Address: Downtown Pinson, AL, on Main Street
Website: Alabama Butterbean Festival, Pinson
Takes place: October
Price: 1 USD onwards
7. National Peanut Festival, Dothan
Alabama is the peanut capital of the world, so it is only fitting that there be a festival to celebrate the state’s status in this arena – and we do have the National Peanut Festival for that. The festival is to celebrate the crop as well as the hardworking farmers who toil their lives away to ensure the world has a good supply of peanuts. For more than 10 days, and across more than 200 acres (80 hectares), visitors will enjoy delicious tastings of all manner of peanut-themed foods, mountains of peanuts, agricultural farming demonstrations, fireworks, amusement rides, and thrilling live concerts.
National Peanut Festival
Address: 5622 US-231, Dothan, AL 36301, United States
Website: National Peanut Festival, Dothan
Takes place: November
Price: Free entry
8. Barber Vintage Festival
If you are a motorcycle enthusiast, then you have every reason to be in Birmingham in mid-October for this event at Barber Motorsports Park. The event brings together vendors and enthusiasts to share their love for vintage rides. In addition to the magnificent display of rides, the event also provides a marketplace for anyone who wants to buy vintage parts or vintage bikes. Additionally, the event will also feature various dangerous stunts such as the fast and furious globe of death and the incredibly popular bowl-like wall of death. Even if you are not passionate about vintage motorcycles, there is lots of thrilling entertainment at this festival that no fun-loving individual should miss.
Barber Vintage Festival
Address: Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Website: Barber Vintage Festival
Takes place: October
Price: 15 USD onwards
9. Peach Jam Jubilee, Clanton
Posted by Chilton Chamber on Saturday, 29 June 2019
Peach Jam Jubilee has grown to join the ranks of premier summer festivals in Alabama, and it is a celebration held every year in June to welcome the Chilton County peach harvest. Other than the hundreds of baskets of peach that will be available for sampling, the festival attracts more than 130 different arts and crafts, not to mention the hundreds of food vendors, fun activities such as hot air balloon rides, kid’s fun zones, and lots of live musical performances.
Peach Jam Jubilee
Address: Clanton Park, Clanton, Alabama
Takes place: June
10. Moss Rock Festival, Hoover
Posted by Moss Rock Festival on Sunday, 13 October 2019
If you appreciate art and crafts, and you are also adventurous and won’t mind a festival with lots of information about hiking and outdoors, then you will find a lot of delight in attending the Moss Rock Festival held in the affluent neighborhood of Hoover, Birmingham. It is primarily an eco-friendly festival with lots of displays from hundreds of juried artists and markers, hiking and outdoor activities, and craft beer-tasting event, live music, kids’ studios, and lots of delicious foods.
Moss Rock Festival, Hoover
Address: 616 Preserve Pkwy, The Preserve in Hoover, Alabama
Website: Moss Rock Festival, Hoover
Takes place: November
Price: 10 USD onwards
11. Galaxy of Lights, Huntsville
Galaxy of Lights is one of the top tourist attractions in Alabama, and a festival that has been observed for the last 22 years. The venue of the event is Huntsville Botanical Garden and its major highlights are the superb displays of holiday lights on more than 2.5 mi (4.02 km) of cord with over 600 display pieces. The festival is also known to have some of the best displays of Santa flying over the winter village, animated snowmen, magical twinkling forests, and dancing nursery rhymes among others. If you have a family with young kids, then this is one of the holiday gifts you should never deny them.
Galaxy of Lights, Huntsville
Address: Huntsville Botanical Garden, Huntsville, Alabama, United States
Takes place: Novermber to January
Price: 6 USD onwards
12. Cullman Oktoberfest
Posted by Cullman Oktoberfest on Thursday, 7 November 2019
Cullman has a decent German population and the Cullman Oktoberfest is an annual event to appreciate and celebrate the rich German Heritage in the region. During the festival, the entire community and the neighboring regions all come together and enjoy the festivities which normally does not fail to feature wagon rides, art and craft show, kid’s activities, dog races, lots of German beers and foods, and great live German performances.
Cullman Oktoberfest
Address: 211 2nd Ave NE, Cullman, AL 35055, United States
Website: Cullman Oktoberfest
Takes place: Usually held in October
Price: Free
13. Annual National Shrimp Festival [Last event in 2019]
Posted by Annual National Shrimp Festival on Friday, 11 October 2019
This is a popular festival that has been observed in Gulf Shores for more than four decades. It is considered one of the greatest outdoor festivals in the United States, and a renowned crowd-puller which attracts nearly a quarter of a million people every year. During the festival, expect to find superfluity of shrimps, sand sculpture competitions, hundreds of displays of fine arts and craft, entertaining live performances on multiple stages, and a myriad of children’s activities.
Annual National Shrimp Festival
Address: Gulf Shores Public Beach, Alabama - The intersection of Hwy 59 and East Beach Blvd
Website: Annual National Shrimp Festival
Takes place: October
14. Bluff Park Art Show, Hoover [Last event in 2019]
Posted by Suzan Buckner on Thursday, 5 October 2017
Bluff Park Art Show is an early October event normally held in the beautiful neighborhood of Bluff Park. It is a popular attraction that has been around for nearly half a century, and it brings together both local and regional artists to showcase some of their best works, during which they also have a chance to make sales to visitors looking for quality and unique works. Expect lots of food and thrilling live performances.
Bluff Park Art Show
Address: Bluff Park Community Center, at 517 Cloudland Drive in Hoover, Ala
Website: Bluff Park Art Show
Takes place: October
Price: Free entry
15. Druid City Arts Festival
The Druid City Arts Festival is a relatively new event, but one whose popularity has grown immensely over the past few years. It is fast becoming one of the go-to arts festivals in the region and it normally features artists in different genres, lots of live entertainment, arts & craft displays, literature, and jewelry displays, among others. Whether you are an art enthusiast or you love to appreciate great pieces of art, this festival has a magnificent display of great works of art that will delight every attendee.
Druid City Arts Festival
Address: Government Plaza, Druid Arts, Alabama
Website: Druid City Arts Festival
Takes place: Usually held in April
Price: Free entry
16. Moundville Native American Festival
Moundville Native American Festival is another top tourism event in the state of Alabama. It is a festival geared towards celebrating the rich culture and heritage of the Southeastern Indians who have called Alabama home for centuries. The event is held against the backdrop of the Moundville Archeological Park and it features a myriad of native performances, arts & crafts displays, and traditional artifacts that best tell the story of the Southeastern Indians in Alabama.
Moundville Native American Festival
Address: Moundville Archaeological Park, 634 Mound State Parkway, Moundville, Alabama
Website: Moundville Native American Festival
Takes place: Usually held in October
Price: 12 USD onwards
17. Alabama Coastal Birds Fest, Bay Minette
Cormorants...Dauphin Island, Al.
Posted by Diann Payton Fulton on Friday, 22 November 2019
Alabama Coastal Birds Fest is a free bird expo, a birding and nature festival that presents bird and nature lovers with the opportunity to see and interact more closely with birds, dolphins, wildflowers, alligators and other wildlife at the Fairhope campus of Coastal Alabama Community College. The festival also showcases some of the best bird-watching and nature-watching spots in both Mobile and Baldwin counties including some of the best locations in places such as Gulf Shores, Bayou La Barte, Weeks Bay, and Fort Morgan, among others.
Alabama Coastal Birds Fest
Address: Halstead Amphitheater, Coastal Alabama Community College, 1900 US-31, Bay Minette, Alabama
Website: Alabama Coastal Birds Fest
Takes place: October
Price: Free
18. Scottsboro BBQ Cook Off, Scottsboro
Scottsboro BBQ Cook Off Festival is another relatively new annual event, but one which has shown a lot of potential with crowds grew bigger and bigger every year. It is a backyard barbecue competition originally started by a group of volunteers from the Scottsboro Tourism Advisory Committee, but now has the blessing of both Kansas City BBQ Society and the Alabama BBQ Association. The competition features two categories – chicken and ribs, with the participants strictly following the KCBS Cooking and Judging Rules. If you would love to sample some fresh barbeque or learn more about grilling techniques, then be sure not to miss this event.
Scottsboro BBQ Cook Off, Scottsboro
Address: 121 N Broad St, Scottsboro, Alabama
Website: Scottsboro BBQ Cook Off, Scottsboro
Takes place: October
19. Wine Fest, Mobile [Last event in 2019]
Posted by Wine Fest on Tuesday, 30 August 2016
Wine lovers from all over the country troop to Mobile in October every year to satiate their desire for wines from different parts of the world. The wine festival brings together national and international vineyards for an epic display and tasting of wines, with the main theme focusing on various cultural regions around the world. The festival also features lots of food, lessons on wine pairing, and a plethora of live entertainment.
Wine Fest, Mobile
Address: Florida St., 36606 Mobile, Alabama
Website: Wine Fest, Mobile
Takes place: October
20. Centre Fall Festival, Center
The 1st Saturday of every October is the designated date for the Center Fall Festival. It is one of the premier Alabama Fall festivals and it is mainly geared towards family fun. Featured prominently during the festival are more than 100 vendors, a parade, a kids’ zone, antique car, and tractor displays, rides, and lots of food and live music.
Centre Fall Festival, Center
Address: City of Centre, Main Street, Centre, Alabama
Takes place: October
Price: Free entry
21. Thanksgiving Pow Wow, Atmore [Last event in 2019]
Don't forget to arrive early to get a good spot at the pow wow! Gates open at 10 a.m. each day, but the earlier, the...
Posted by Poarch Creek Indian Annual Pow Wow on Wednesday, 14 November 2018
Thanksgiving Pow Wow festival has been around nearly half a century, and it is a cultural tradition religiously observed by the Poarch Creek Indians. The event brings together tribal members for a display of their authentic culture and heritage. Expect to see lots of ancestral dancers in their traditional regalia, American Indian songs and dances, and brilliant displays of tribal crafts, arts, and quilts among others. If you are passionate about learning and probably participating in other people’s cultures and traditions, then this should be a must-go event for you.
Thanksgiving Pow Wow
Address: Poarch Creek Indian Reservation, Alabama,
Takes place: November
Price: Free
22. Athens Grease Festival [Last event in 2019]
There is more than one way to tie a toga: http://www.wikihow.com/Tie-a-Toga #TogaTime is Sept. 30 in Downtown Athens at the annual Athens Grease Festival! 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Posted by Athens Grease Festival on Monday, 18 September 2017
If you have never known, there is a place called Athens in Alabama, and this festival is to appreciate and celebrate their culinary prowess. Though Greek-themed, the festival is all about cooking. It features several art studios, where different kinds of Greek recipes are perfected and while others are discovered. Come and learn the secrets that go behind crafting some of the healthiest and tastiest Greek cuisines you might have encountered before. You will most definitely fall in love with the turkey toss contest and the burger-eating competitions
Athens Grease Festival
Address: 107 N Jefferson St, Athens, Alabama
Website: Athens Grease Festival
Takes place: October
23. Fayette Arts Festival [Last event in 2019]
For the last 50 years, the Fayette Arts Festival has graced the Alabama events calendar and it is considered among the top consecutive running festivals in the state of Alabama. Its main sponsor is the Fayette Art Museum with the major focus on various types of juried arts and crafts. It also has free kids’ art activities, all happening against a musical backdrop by various local artists and entertainment groups from the state.
Fayette Arts Festival
Address: Guthrie Park on U.S. Highway 43 N
Website: Fayette Arts Festival
Takes place: August
Price: Free
24. Kolectic Treasures Jam Fest, Anniston
Kolectic Treasures Jam Fest has been around for less than two years, but it already has a place in the list of the top festivals in Alabama. The festival features all things antique, including arts, crafts, cars, and motorcycles, among others. If you are a collector or you love admiring the beauty hidden in antiques, then this is a festival for you. With the special sales of the day, it is a great chance to bag home some very inspiring antiques.
Kolectic Treasures Jam Fest, Anniston
Address: 4406 B McClellan Blvd, Anniston, Alabama
Takes place: November
Price: Free
25. Homestead Hollow Arts & Crafts Festival, Springville
Peep some more of our vendors handmade arts and crafts! We sure have some talented people here at Homestead Hollow,...
Posted by Homestead Hollow on Friday, 8 November 2019
Homestead Hollow Arts & Crafts Festival is a one-of-a-kind event that brings together artists and enthusiasts from all walks of life for an epic display of handmade, hand-decorated arts and crafts, including vintage/antique goods. It is one of the best chances you will ever have for immersing into the world of beautiful wood carvings, gorgeous blacksmith crafts, wood stove cooking, embroidered crafts, and whiskey making. You will also get the opportunity of touring the original cabins constructed by settlers hundreds of years ago. This is not to forget the incredible food, live musical performances and plenty of children’s activities that will also grace the festival.
Homestead Hollow Arts & Crafts Festival, Springville
Address: 1161 Murphrees Valley Rd, Springville, AL 35146, United States
Website: Homestead Hollow Arts & Crafts Festival, Springville
Takes place: May, September, and November
Price: Free entry
26. Monta Sano Art Festival, Huntsville
Riffe-Pierson Pottery!
Posted by Monte Sano Art Festival on Saturday, 21 September 2019
Monte Sano Art Festival is like a tradition in Huntsville. For the last two decades, it has been one of the region’s finest art galas that brings together leading artists from the region for epic display of different forms of art. Apart from the outdoor festival exhibitors, lots of food, music, and plenty of kids’ activities are some of the other major highlights of the festival.
Monta Sano Art Festival, Huntsville
Address: 5105 Nolen Ave SE, Huntsville, Alabama
Website: Monta Sano Art Festival, Huntsville
Takes place: September
Price: Free entry
27. Daphne Jubilee Festival
NEW THIS YEAR! ? Some of the Eastern Shore's most talented chefs will be offering up demonstrations at the Eastern...
Posted by The Jubilee Festival in Daphne, Alabama on Sunday, 15 September 2019
Daphne Jubilee Festival is two days of beautification of the oak-lined Main Street of Daphne with wonderful displays of art, food and lots of entertainment. During the event, attendees will have a chance to visit booths and interact with more than 200 local and regional artists, admiring and buying different kinds of arts and crafts. The festival also features a kids’ art park with lots of engagement for young art enthusiasts, lots of delicious food, and plenty of chef demonstrations on the preparations of some of the most popular southern seafood. For art and seafood lovers, a lot of fun awaits you at this event.
Daphne Jubilee Festival
Address: 1700 Main Street, 36526 Daphne, Alabama
Website: Daphne Jubilee Festival
Takes place: October
Price: Free
28. Daphne Fall Reptile and Exotic Animal Show [Last event in 2019]
Would you like to be the proud owner of a snake, a toad, or maybe an alligator? If so, then you should plan to attend this show in September so that you have an incredible variety to choose from. This show brings together thousands of high-quality amphibians, reptiles, and several exotic species, both for sale and display. Attendees to this festival will enjoy interactive live animal encounters, animal seminars, and they will also receive free raffles for great bargains on pet merchandise and supplies, including cages, feeders, and much more! If you are afraid of crawling animals, however, then this is not a festival you should fancy attending. Stay away if the site of a huge snake makes you cringe in fear.
Daphne Fall Reptile and Exotic Animal Show
Address: Daphne Civic Center, 2603 U.S. Highway 98, Daphne, Alabama
Takes place: September
Price: Free entry
29. Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival
Posted by Ken E. Keller on Wednesday, 20 November 2019
Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival brings together nationally acclaimed songwriters, aspiring songwriters, and musicians from all walks of life and offers them a chance for their songs to be heard. It is also an opportunity for the songwriters and the musicians to share with the world, and explain the stories behind their lyrics. The festival has had very humble beginnings over 35 years ago when it was incepted to honor Frank Brown – a beloved, dedicated, and friendly watchman who served at Flora-Bama Lounge for 28 years. Though long gone, his integrity, strength, and moral values still live on among those whom he interacted with and those just learning about him through the festivals.
Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival
Address: 23601 Perdido Beach Blvd. Orange Beach, Alabama
Website: Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival
Takes place: November
30. Fall Outdoor Cascading Chrysanthemums
You still have time to take in the 56th Annual Fall Outdoor Cascading Chrysanthemums at Bellingrath Gardens and Home.
Posted by Alabama's Coastal Connection on Tuesday, 19 November 2019
The Fall Outdoor Cascading Chrysanthemums happens to be the largest outdoor chrysanthemums display in entire North America. It features hundreds of colorful cascades of chrysanthemums displays on garden containers, balconies, bridges, and garden baskets. Additionally, guests will also be treated to thousands of columns of mums in beautiful flower beds covered with the awesome fall colors of lavender, white, bronze and red. If you love nature, colors, and the beauty of flowers, then you will be pleased that you attended this event.
Fall Outdoor Cascading Chrysanthemums
Address: 12401 Bellingrath Gardens Rd, Theodore, AL 36582, United States
Takes place: November
Price: Free entry
Appreciate the cultural diversity in Alabama
The above festivals are a subtle demonstration that Alabama is not short of fun and frolic. Irrespective of tastes and preferences, the state’s blend of festivals appeal to nearly all types of people. All you need is to simply identify the specific ones which you think will interest you the most, and then mark the dates. Whether it is food, culture, heritage, arts and craft, or you are simply interested in vintage display of cars and motorcycles, Alabama has a festival for it. Read and plan to attend at least two of the top festivals in Alabama, USA, as part of your itinerary during your trip.
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