One of the best parts of fall in Winston-Salem is how much there is to experience close to home. Whether your perfect autumn afternoon includes trying something new from a food truck, meeting a favorite author, stepping back into local history, or enjoying a night at the fair, there’s something on the calendar worth looking forward to.
So grab your calendar, pick a few favorites, and make plans to enjoy the season!
Winston-Salem Food Truck Festival
September 13 | 1–7 p.m.
Come hungry! The Winston-Salem Food Truck Festival returns to Industry Hill, bringing food trucks from across North Carolina to East Ninth Street. Expect a wide variety of flavors, from Colombian and Japanese cuisine to Thai dishes, sweet treats, and more.
Along with plenty to eat, the festival features live entertainment plus beer and wine vendors. Admission is free, making it an easy way to spend a fall afternoon downtown..
Bookmarks Festival
September 25–27
Book lovers have plenty to look forward to when the Bookmarks Festival returns to downtown Winston-Salem. The largest annual book festival in the Carolinas draws more than 20,000 readers for a weekend celebrating authors, stories, and the joy of reading.
Saturday’s free street festival around the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts includes author panels, book signings, vendors, food trucks, and more. The weekend also includes ticketed keynote events featuring bestselling authors, including John Green, Jodi Picoult, and Virginia Evans.
Apple Fest at Bethabara Park
September 26 | 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Celebrate the arrival of fall with a Winston-Salem tradition rooted in local history. Apple Fest at Historic Bethabara Park features crafts, Colonial games, live music, traditional craft demonstrations, artisan vendors, food, and, of course, plenty of apples.
The festival also offers a chance to experience a piece of Winston-Salem’s 18th-century history. Apples were once one of Bethabara’s major crops, making them a fitting centerpiece for this annual celebration. Admission is free.
Carolina Classic Fair
October 2–11
For many in the Triad, it simply wouldn’t feel like fall without a trip to the Carolina Classic Fair. Celebrating a tradition that stretches back more than 140 years, the fair returns with rides, classic fair food, live entertainment, agricultural exhibits, demonstrations, and plenty of longtime favorites.
Explore Yesterday Village, check out the competitive exhibits, watch glassblowing and loom-weaving demonstrations, or make time for fair traditions like the butter sculpture, chainsaw carving, livestock events, and racing pigs. This year’s theme, “Red White and Moo,” celebrates the nation’s 250th anniversary.
