2023 Fall Fun Guide for Northwest Arkansas: Top 10 Events, Activities and Things To See

09/04/2023 nwamamas

2023 Fall Fun Guide for Families in Northwest Arkansas

We love the multiple seasons in Northwest Arkansas — and fall is definitely one of the prettiest here. To help you enjoy all that fall has to offer, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best things to do over the next few months.

Farmland Adventures in Springdale, corn mazes, games, animals and more, 2017You can also grab the 2023 Fall Fun Guide in a printer-friendly version, sponsored by Farmland Adventures. Download it for free! Just print and stick it on your fridge or in your purse, diaper bag, or in the car so you’ll have it handy. (Or just bookmark the link on your phone, so all the info is just a click away.)

Click on the names of the events below to find out more about each activity:

  1. Pick a pumpkin and navigate a corn maze. If you want to pick your own pumpkin, let the kids pet some cute animals, get lost in a corn maze and hang out on a farm for a few hours, there are several options around here, including our favorite — printable sponsor Farmland Adventures. They are a tradition in Northwest Arkansas! The 2023 Corn Maze theme is “Space Exploration.” Be sure to check out these features: Petting zoo, pig races, pony rides, maze tracker, a mini-maze for little ones, and the Sweet Scoops Blender Bar will have yummy treats available!
    (Click here to see a full list of pumpkin patches and/or corn mazes, along with dates and hours of operation, in our Fall Fun Printable, sponsored by Farmland Adventures!)
  2. Find some fall fun adventures. There are always fun fall events on tap across NWA. In downtown Springdale, celebrate the endangered Monarch Butterfly, its habitat, and yearly pit stop during its migration from Canada to Mexico during the free Monarch Flight Festival, Sept. 16,  2023, from noon to 4 p.m.). The Benton County Fair is Sept. 26-30, 2023. On Sept. 23, NWA Oktoberfest will be bringing the fun at The Grove Comedy Club in Lowell. On Sunday, Oct. 1, check out Fayetteville Falltoberfest, a brand-new downtown festival that celebrate all things Fall in Fayetteville. The Junk Ranch Fall Show will be held in Prairie Grove on Oct. 5-7, 2023. There’s also the Homegrown Festival in Siloam Springs (on Oct. 7, 2023). Vintage Market Days of NWA will be at the Benton County Fairgrounds on Oct. 13-15, 2023. Sadly, the Arkansas Apple Festival in Lincoln is taking a year off as they prepare a new location.
  3. Take a scenic stroll! The fall foliage on the Crystal Bridges trails are beautiful this time of year, so you should definitely make the trip. And they have the “Listening Forest” (which is back for its 3rd and final season from August 30 thru Dec. 31, 2023 so don’t miss it! You might also venture out to War Eagle Mill, Lake Atalanta, Devil’s Den State Park or Hobbs State Park. Tanyard Creek in Bella Vista is also a family favorite with a pretty waterfall to explore. We also recommend a visit to Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park. There are lots of walking trails, historical markers to read and a playground for the kids. If you want to visit a restaurant in the woods, try Airship in the Coler Mountain Bike Preserve. You can only get there by walking or biking!
  4. Seek out vintage pretties and cool antiques. We love to kick around cool vintage and antique stores in the fall.
  1. Craft a beautiful day at a craft fair. There are several fun craft fairs planned for mid-October this year, including the It’s Fall Y’all Craft Fair in Bentonville on Oct. 19-22, 2023; the Ozark Regional Arts & Crafts Fair in Fayetteville on Oct. 19-21, 2023 and Springdale on Oct. 20-121, 2023. One of the most popular craft fairs in the region is War Eagle and it will run Oct. 19-22, 2023. The Spanker Creek Farm Arts & Crafts Fair in Bella Vista is canceled for 2023. 
  2. Follow the Arkansas Wine Trail. One way to really see the beauty of Arkansas is to visit the various wineries across the Natural State. We have two wonderful wineries in Northwest Arkansas, including Sassafras Springs Vineyard in Springdale and Tontitown Winery in Tontitown (we hear good things about the music there, but the bingo nights sound amazing, ha!). Here’s a list of other wineries across Arkansas.
  3. Take in the NWA view from a local patio. We love to hang out on a patio in the fall here. Here’s a list of popular patios across Northwest Arkansas, including info about the outdoor refreshment districts in downtown Fayetteville and Springdale.
  4. Shop unique boutiques. In late November, there’s always the NWA Boutique Show to enjoy. This year the show is scheduled for Nov. 17-18, 2023 at the John Q Hammons Convention Center in Rogers. This juried show features boutique booths with custom and one-of-a-kind creations from local and regional designers. Clothing, jewelry, art, stationery, gifts, personalized items, home décor, furniture, baby essentials and more. See you there!
  5. fayetteville farmers marketEnjoy the bounty at the many farmer’s markets around NWA. The various farmer’s markets in hometowns across NWA run through the fall, so if you haven’t been out to one yet, you should visit those while you can! Keep in mind these markets host LOTS of fun events the fall season!

Here are the links to each farmer’s market:

  1. Get happy about all the Halloween events! It’s a little early for a ton of Halloween event announcements, but we know of a few! We’ll publish our annual list ASAP and we’ll also link to it here. For now, here are a few events to hold you over: Skeleton Acres (formerly Skeleton House) is offering camping, a four-cabin indoor haunted house, the Elk River Haunted Float on September 29-30, 2023, and a hayride; and the Rocky Horror Picture Show Halloween Party will be happening at Walton Arts Center on Oct. 30, 2023 at 8 p.m.

Again, if you’d like to easily bookmark this info to your phone’s home screen OR print out a copy for your fridge, purse or diaper bag, click HERE to download the Fall Fun Guide Printable for 2023.

Thanks again to Farmland Adventures for sponsoring the production of the 2023 Fall Fun Guide, which makes it possible for us to give the guide to Northwest Arkansas moms for free! 

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