As September arrives in central Iowa, fall festivals begin. The area’s community and cultural celebrations are packed with fun seasonal activities for kids and families, including pumpkin fun, apple-picking and more.
Below you’ll find a list of great fall festivals near Des Moines that you’ll love to add to your crew’s calendar. All of them take place outdoors to allow your family to soak up that fresh fall air. Don’t forget to check out our events calendar and Fall Fun Guide for more fall fun!
Find Family Friendly Fall Festivals in Des Moines:
September Festivals
Taste of the Junction – Multicultural Festival
September 2, 2023 – Valley Junction
FREE. Celebrate the people, cultures and cuisines of Valley Junction at Taste of the Junction. Free fun for the whole family bring your lawn chairs and your dancing shoes! They will have live music, food trucks, ice cold beverages, arts and crafts vendors and more.
Renaissance Faire at Sleepy Hollow – Sleepy Hollow Sports Park
Weekends – September 2-4; September 9-10 & September 16-17, 2023 – Des Moines
Experience medieval times at the Des Moines Renaissance Faire at Sleepy Hollow. Shout the battle cry of your favorite knight at the jousting arena. Partake in demonstrations by glass blowers, blacksmiths, potters, wood carvers, and painters. Go Hungry! The irresistible aromas of the various vendors’ baked goods, smoked meats, roasted nuts and caramel corn will delight even the pickiest eater.
Norwalk Music Fest
September 3, 2023, Norwalk City Park – Norwalk
FREE. Celebrate all things Norwalk….at the Norwalk Music Fest. Norwalk musicians and Norwalk vendors and businesses! You’ll be impressed with all the musical talent Norwalk has to offer at this family friendly event.
Beaverdale Fall Festival
September 15-16, 2023 – Beaverdale Neighborhood, Des Moines
FREE. Beaverdale Fall Festival is one of the oldest fall festivals in the Des Moines, Iowa metropolitan area. Held annually this fun fall event incorporates all the ingredients for an exciting family friendly happening. Complete with parade, vendors, teen dance, live music and fireworks and much, much more; Beaverdale Fall Festival has something for everyone.
White Eagle Multicultural Pow Wow
September 15-17, 2023 – Jester Park, Granger
FREE. “A gathering to bring down the walls of misunderstanding and to help mend the Sacred Hoop”. The goal of the White Eagle Multicultural Pow Wow is to bring families of all races together, to share a little of all heritages through drumming, music, dance, and story, and to understand that we are not that different. Grand entry will start at 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm on Saturday and 1:00 pm on Sunday.
Apple Festival at Penoach Winery
September 16, 2023 – Adel
Enjoy a family fun day at Penoach Winery. FREE wine tasting, hot apple wine and slushies for sale. Tractor and wagon rides around the vineyard, face painting and marshmallow roasting. There will also be food, produce, and craft vendors and live music. The festival is from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Art on the Lake
September 16, 2023 – Copper Creek Lake Park, Pleasant Hill
FREE. Enjoy the Pleasant Hill arts festival at Copper Creek Lake Park. Art on the Lake will provide the public an opportunity to meet, talk with, and purchase artwork from 20-30 Iowa artists. Entertainment will be provided, and kids can come enjoy the fun by visiting the Kids Tent to create an art project. Food will be available for purchase at the festival.
Applefest – Living History Farms
September 16, 2023 – Urbandale
Spend the afternoon in Living History Farm’s 1875 town celebrating all things apple! Try your hand at stirring the copper kettle of apple butter and take your turn cranking the cider press. Children’s games and crafts round out the fun. Fresh local apples and other goodies will be on sale in the Visitor Center.
Oktemberfest
September 21 – 24, 2023 – Marshalltown
FREE. As always, Oktemberfest will feature many activities during the weekend for adults and children alike to enjoy. The crowning of Little Mr & Miss Oktemberfest on Thursday, The Classic Car Show on Friday, the Grand Parade on Saturday, tons of great bands both Friday and Saturday and a whole lot more!
Illumifest
September 23, 2023 – WDM City Campus, West Des Moines
FREE. Light Up West Des Moines at Illumifest, A Fall Festival of Light, which offers a variety of activities and events for people of all ages! The inflatables and games will open Saturday afternoon and run throughout the afternoon and evening, as well as a wide variety of food stands. There will also be FREE lantern making and other activities, live music and fireworks to close out the evening.
Vintage & Made Fair
September 23, 2023 – Dallas County Fairgrounds, Adel
Vintage & Made Fair curates a handpicked selection of the finest artisans and vintage enthusiasts from across the Midwest, all converging here in Des Moines. Immerse yourself in a captivating showcase of antiques and vintage home décor, exquisite jewelry, meticulously handcrafted goods, charming outdoor accents, seasonal flora, delectable local eats, and an array of essentials to cultivate a lifestyle steeped in vintage allure and handmade elegance.
Log Cabin Days Festival
September 23-24, 2023 – Warren County Fairgrounds, Indianola
FREE. Enjoy some old-fashioned fall fun with a parade, entertainment, Heritage Village open house, bake sale, garage sale, model railroaders train display, tractor and farm equipment display, kids activities and more at Indianola’s Log Cabin Days.
Iowa Latino Heritage Festival
September 23-24, 2023 – Western Gateway Park, Des Moines
The Latino Heritage Festival will be held at Western Gateway Park in downtown Des Moines. It has grown to become one of the most widely attended cultural events in Iowa. The festival includes various musical entertainment, dancers, a children’s area and activities, Latin American foods, booths about the countries represented at the festival and more.
Art Harvest Tour
September 23-24, 2023 – Perry
FREE. The “Art Harvest Tour” is a studio tour of Central Iowa artists held annually the last full weekend in September. Enjoy the beautiful fall weather and scenery as you visit the studios and galleries of the area’s best artists. In addition to enjoying the studios, you’ll see a much wider selection of the artists work, since it doesn’t have to all fit in a van, and great prices and specials too. There will be eight stops this year on the approximately 80-mile loop around the beautiful Des Moines River Valley.
The Octagon Art Festival
September 24, 2023 – Ames
FREE. Visual arts, children’s art areas and performing arts form the foundation of the annual Octagon Art Festival. You will be in good company with more than 100 professional artists from across the Midwest who produce and display high-quality original artwork in a wide variety of media. The festival is held outdoors on pavement, rain or shine, in the Main Street Cultural District in downtown Ames.
Fall Fest
September 30, 2023 – Polk City
FREE. Join Polk City Parks & Rec and Go Polk City to celebrate all things Fall! Kids activities will include pumpkin painting, face painting, inflatables, train rides, character appearances, and more! Seasonal vendors will be selling their best fall treats and some delicious eating options as well. Close out the evening with an outdoor movie.
October Festivals
Windsor Heights Fall Festival
October 6-7, 2023 – Colby Park, Windsor Heights
FREE. Welcome fall with some free family fun for the whole family in Windsor Heights. Kick off the day with a pancake breakfast and parade, enjoy live music, a petting zoo, 5K race, fireworks and more.
Wauktoberfest
October 7, 2023 – Triangle, Downtown Waukee
The Waukee Area Historical Society is excited to host Wauktoberfest 2023 at the Triangle downtown Waukee! Find your inner German and join them for a German menu, polka band, German beer and beer steins before their evening’s headliner Suede takes the stage!
Madison County Covered Bridge Festival
October 14-15, 2023 – Winterset
The annual Covered Bridge Festival has been a time-honored tradition in Madison County for 50+ years. Each year on the second full weekend in October, county residents gather under the brilliant hues of autumn to celebrate their historic covered bridges. The festival features a wide variety of food, antique and craft vendors, nonstop music and entertainment, artisans demonstrating the old-fashioned ways, quilt show, car show, an antique vehicle parade, guided bus tours of the covered bridges, and so much more.
Raccoon River Rally
October 14, 2023 – Raccoon River Park, West Des Moines
FREE. Hosted by the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce and City of West Des Moines, Raccoon River Rally is a fall festival celebrating WDM’s community and outdoor recreation. Attractions for the event include a morning bike ride, live music, cardboard boat races, a vendor fair with fun activities for kids, beverage tent featuring craft beer and food trucks.
November Festivals
Art on the Prairie
November 11-12, 2023 – Perry
FREE. In November over 100 Iowa artists, musicians, poets, authors, and performers will gather in Perry’s downtown Cultural and Historic District to celebrate the arts with the annual Art on the Prairie.
What’s your families’ favorite fall festival to attend in Des Moines?
