It’s that time of year when families flock to orchards and pumpkin patches to enjoy the best things about fall. These 10 harvest festivals in Illinois will fill your autumn with donuts, rides, apple-picking, and so much more.

If you love fall as much as we do, then these are the events of the year. Check out all the autumn harvest fun there is to enjoy.

  1. Dwight Harvest Days - September 15-17, 2017

Facebook/Dwight Harvest Days This busy festival includes a carnival, pumpkin painting, a petting zoo, live music, and parades. It takes place in downtown Dwight and has been going on since 1979. Visitors most enjoy the car show, flea market, marathons, and various contests.

  1. Marhall Autumn Fest - September 15-17, 2017

Facebook/Marshall Autumn Fest This interesting fall fest takes on a theme each year, and this time it’s Welcome to the Jungle. The fair takes places around the Clark County Court House Square and features a car and bike show as well as live musical entertainment.

  1. Huntley Fall Fest - September 21-24, 2017

Facebook/Huntley Fall Fest - Presented by the Huntley Festival Foundation Illinois harvest festivals don’t get better than this. Admission is free, and guests enjoy live bands, carnival rides and games, fireworks, a car show, a petting zoo and pony rides, a beer garden, and much more. It happens each year at 12015 Mill Street in Huntley.

  1. Long Grove Apple Fest - September 22-24, 2017

This annual event takes place at 308 Old McHenry Road in Long Grove. It features an apple pie eating contest, live entertainment, and more. Admission is $5, though those ages 12 and younger are admitted free of cost.

  1. Apple ’n Pork Festival - September 23-24, 2017

Facebook/Apple ’n Pork Festival Since 1967, this wonderful festival has been raising funds for the C.H. Moore Homestead DeWitt Co. Museum at 219 E Woodlawn in Clinton. It features food, craft, art, and antique booths with old-fashioned eats and activities that take you back to 19th century.

  1. Farm Heritage & Harvest Festival - September 23-24, 2017

Facebook/Lake County Farm Heritage Association Celebrate fall in all the best ways at this annual event. It features barrel train rides, rope making, an antique tractor show, sawmill demonstrations, and more. You’ll find this fest at the Lake County Fairgrounds located at 1060 E Peterson Road in Grayslake.

  1. Barry Apple Festival - September 28 - October 1, 2017

Facebook/Barry Apple Festival This popular celebration of autumn has been going on since 1969. Guests enjoy free admission as well as a plethora of events and activities such as a car show, tractor pulls, bingo, a pet parade, food and craft vendors, and more. It takes place at LaFayette Park in Barry.

  1. Autumn Harvest Festival - October 1, 2017

Facebook/Schaumburg Park District This festival takes place each year at Merkle Cabin & Heritage Farm at Spring Valley located at 1111 E. Schaumburg Road in Shaumburg. It costs $5 per person for $20 for a family and features hands-on demonstrations, 19th-century games and music, and seasonal goodies.

  1. St. Charles Scarecrow Fest - October 6-8, 2017

Locals wait all year for this fantastic festival. It takes place along Route 64 & the Fox River in St. Charles and features a petting zoo, craft shows, carnival rides and games, plus over 50 handmade scarecrows.

  1. Oglesby’s Harvest Fest - October 15, 2017

Facebook/Oglesby, Illinois This festival takes places throughout the town, especially downtown. There are a wealth of activities for children such as a petting zoo and face painting. New this year is an escape room where participants work through puzzles and obstacles to find their way out. Locals also enjoy the zombie pub crawl.

If this isn’t enough fall fun for you, take a trip to these 11 charming cider mills in Illinois.

Facebook/Dwight Harvest Days

This busy festival includes a carnival, pumpkin painting, a petting zoo, live music, and parades. It takes place in downtown Dwight and has been going on since 1979. Visitors most enjoy the car show, flea market, marathons, and various contests.

Facebook/Marshall Autumn Fest

This interesting fall fest takes on a theme each year, and this time it’s Welcome to the Jungle. The fair takes places around the Clark County Court House Square and features a car and bike show as well as live musical entertainment.

Facebook/Huntley Fall Fest - Presented by the Huntley Festival Foundation

Illinois harvest festivals don’t get better than this. Admission is free, and guests enjoy live bands, carnival rides and games, fireworks, a car show, a petting zoo and pony rides, a beer garden, and much more. It happens each year at 12015 Mill Street in Huntley.

This annual event takes place at 308 Old McHenry Road in Long Grove. It features an apple pie eating contest, live entertainment, and more. Admission is $5, though those ages 12 and younger are admitted free of cost.

Facebook/Apple ’n Pork Festival

Since 1967, this wonderful festival has been raising funds for the C.H. Moore Homestead DeWitt Co. Museum at 219 E Woodlawn in Clinton. It features food, craft, art, and antique booths with old-fashioned eats and activities that take you back to 19th century.

Facebook/Lake County Farm Heritage Association

Celebrate fall in all the best ways at this annual event. It features barrel train rides, rope making, an antique tractor show, sawmill demonstrations, and more. You’ll find this fest at the Lake County Fairgrounds located at 1060 E Peterson Road in Grayslake.

Facebook/Barry Apple Festival

This popular celebration of autumn has been going on since 1969. Guests enjoy free admission as well as a plethora of events and activities such as a car show, tractor pulls, bingo, a pet parade, food and craft vendors, and more. It takes place at LaFayette Park in Barry.

Facebook/Schaumburg Park District

This festival takes place each year at Merkle Cabin & Heritage Farm at Spring Valley located at 1111 E. Schaumburg Road in Shaumburg. It costs $5 per person for $20 for a family and features hands-on demonstrations, 19th-century games and music, and seasonal goodies.

Locals wait all year for this fantastic festival. It takes place along Route 64 & the Fox River in St. Charles and features a petting zoo, craft shows, carnival rides and games, plus over 50 handmade scarecrows.

Facebook/Oglesby, Illinois

This festival takes places throughout the town, especially downtown. There are a wealth of activities for children such as a petting zoo and face painting. New this year is an escape room where participants work through puzzles and obstacles to find their way out. Locals also enjoy the zombie pub crawl.

Which of these harvest festivals do you love to visit? Share your thoughts with us!

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