Arguably one of the best festivals in the Southeast, the Duluth Fall Festival will be held this weekend on September 26-29 in Duluth. The event kicks off with the Festival Carnival on Thursday and Friday evening and the Festival officially begins with a Community Parade on Saturday morning at 10:00 am. Each year the award-winning festival hosts over 250 arts and crafts booths, 50 food vendors, three stages of entertainers, a 5K road race, Worship on the Green and a Carnival to make this award winning event a fun experience for attendees.

The Carnival is open from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Ticket prices vary per ride with the cost of a single ticket being $1.25 and $20.00 for an unlimited ride wristband. 

The Community Parade begins at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday morning and showcases local schools, fire trucks, antique cars, dance classes and entertainers. Bring a bag so you can carry home all the candy you collect as a bystander! Streets close by 9:45 a.m. so come early. 

The Festival Booths are open from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. In addition to the many vendors, there is a Man’s Corner that offers a “lace-free” zone offering products different than a typical arts and crafts show and a place for visitors to catch up on the latest football scores.

On Sunday, the Donut Dash 5K kicks off at 8:00 a.m. and the cost is $35 if you register before race day and $45 on race day. Each participant will receive coffee and a donut from Dunkin Donuts and all proceeds benefit Wellroot Family Services, whose mission is to help children and families experiencing foster care throughout Georgia.

After the 5K on Sunday, the festival will host Worship on the Green, which is a community worship service led by staff, musicians and members of Duluth First United Methodist.

An important point to note is parking at the Festival is very limited. For a better parking experience, the Duluth Fall Festival recommends that you park offsite, at one of the designated shuttle lots, and take the free shuttle to the Festival. Shuttles run every 15 minutes, except during the Parade on Saturday from 9:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

The three shuttle lots are located at Chattahoochee Elementary School (Green Lot), Mason Elementary School (Blue Lot) and Duluth Middle School (Yellow Lot).