Fall American Vacation Festival Spots for September October November

Stop in at the local American fall festival in 2011 for great family fun and exotic foods in September, October, and November!

Vacationers may want to visit a fall festival near their area during their limited time off. Families and out-of-towners alike can enjoy the festivities that are family-oriented from the United States' East Coast to its West Coast. Hurricane Irene, 2011, may have slowed down a few events annually held on the Eastern Seaboard, and in upper New York state, as well as the states of Vermont and New Hampshire, and inland areas of other near-by states.

Check Local Numbers and Dot Coms

Before assuming all is well with the festival plans in a designated area, use the local dot com, Chamber of Commerce number, or festival town number of the following yearly celebrations:

Golden Onion Days at Payson, Utah, September 1-5
Helicopter rides, talent shows, and bladeless lawn mower races are several of the unique activities scheduled at this annual Onion Cooking Contest festival. paysonutah.org

Hard Crab Derby at Crisfield, Maryland, September 2-4
Chesapeake Bay blue crabs take center stage at this fest, with crab-cooking, crab-picking, and the Saturday Crab Derby also on the agenda. crisfieldchamber.com/events

Hatch Chile Festival at Hatch, New Mexico, September 3-4
Everything chile is celebrated in Hatch -- caramels, hamburgers, chips, enchiladas, and even ice cream are covered in chile. A watermelon-eating competition cools off the festival. hatchchilefest.com

National Buffalo Wing Festival at Buffalo, New York, September 3-4
Festival-goers will find a batch of 500,000 buffalo wings prepared with 100 different sauces on hand for dipping. Addition concludes that 33 tons of chicken make their way to the menu! buffalowing.com

Spinach Festival at Lenexa, Kansas, September 10
In the 1930s, the Spinach Festival grew from the town's boast of being the Spinach Capital of the World. Spinach dishes, including the world's largest spinach salad, are ready for the brave eater. Green popcorn and lemonade are also on the menu. lenexa.com/parks/festivals_spinach.html

Spud Day at Shelley, Idaho, September 17
Everything potato shows up at the spud fest. A cement mixer is used to stir up thousands of pounds of creamy mashed potatoes for the tasting. ci.shelley.id.gov

Kentucky Bourbon Festival at Bardstown, Kentucky, September 13-18
Since 1776, Bourbon has been attached to this festival as the main event. Included in the five-day celebration are family-oriented and children's games, as well. Barrel racing, horseshoe pitching, and steam locomotive rides are planned. kybourbonfestival.com

Persimmon Festival at Mitchell, Indiana, September 17-24
If fall fruit is the family aim, this festival fills the bill. Desserts, including hot and cold puddings, ice cream, and truffles and cheesecake bars celebrate persimmon ingredients. Even persimmon pizza has been known to show its face! persimmonfestival.org

Harvest Festival at Marlinton, West Virginia, September 24
Exotic meats are featured at Marlinton. Armadillo and Roadrunner Tacos are available, as well as hog with groundhog gravy. pccocwv.com/festival.htm

Norsk Hostfest at Minot, North Dakota, September 27-October 1
The United States' largest Scandinavian festival is held in Minot. Nordic food and traditional folk dancing, crafts, and family fun are scheduled. Expect Icelandic pancakes, klub (Norwegian potato dumplings), and exotic fish dishes to have top billing on the menu. hostfest.com

American Royal Barbecue at Kansas City, Missouri, September 29-October 2
The World Series of Barbecue, a.k.a. the Super Bowl of Swine, is no small affair. The best barbecue teams in America suit up for this competition! americanroyal.com

Kauai Coconut Festival at Kapaa, Hawaii, October 1-2
Patrons of this festival will be delighted with the fish with coconut sauce dish! Called haupia, the sauce is a coconut milk-based concoction that complements the fresh coconut meat specialty. Coconut bowling, ring around the coconut, and coconut checkers add to the festivities. kbakauai.org

Milford Pumpkin Festival at Milford, New Hampshire, October 7-9
The big gun -- the American Chunker -- will be loaded with squash. It's a six-ton air cannon that's sure to make a big splash! Pumpkin carving and painting and scarecrow crafting is also featured. milfordpumpkinfestival.org

South Carolina Sweet Potato Festival at Darlington, South Carolina, October 8
It takes sixteen cups of boccoli to equal the Vitamin A benefit in one cup of cooked sweet potatoes. This yearly outing features information on the health benefits of the sweet potato. visitdarlingtoncounty.org

Suffolk Peanut Festival at Suffolk, Virginia, October 6-9
A peanutbutter sculpture contest lures visitors to this festival that also includes an equally slippery demolition derby and tractor pull. It's worldly unique! suffolkfest.org

World Food Festival at Des Moines, Iowa, October 7-9
It's a vendor's delight at Des Moines. For $1 tastes to $5 plates, they cast out their delicacies to the masses. Cooks from Brazil, Ethiopia, Greece, India, Ecuador, Turkey, Russia, and other worldly locations attend this food celebration. worldfoodfestival.org

Annual National Shrimp Festival at Gulf Shores, Alabama, October 13-14
Every way shrimp is shown off at this event -- steamed, rolled in coconut, or soaked in cocktail sauce. Cajun Pistols -- deep-fried seafood stuffed bread rolls -- highlight the menu. nationalshrimpfestival.com

Bridgeville Apple-Scrapple Festival at Bridgeville, Delaware, October 14-15
Scrapple (meat loaf-esque pork) and apples are the center of attention at this celebration. Scrapple carving and chunkin', plus the ladies skillet toss, are included in the sideline activities. applescrapple.com

Arizona Taco Festival at Scottsdale, Arizona, October 15
"Sidecart Throwdowns" in guacamole and salsa are among the taco preparation contests that include pork, beef, chicken, and seafood cooking categories. It's serious business as cooking teams play for $7,500 in cash rewards and year-long braggadocio. aztacofestival.com

Wellfleet OysterFest at Wellfleet, Massachusetts, October 15-16
Oysters raw, grilled, baked, or fried, as well as oyster stews, grace the two-day menu of this festival that also features an Oyster Shuck-Off. The contest crowns a champion who can shuck the most oysters in two minutes. wellfleetoysterfest.org

Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival at Niceville, Florida, October 21-23
What could be nicer than four tons of mullet at Niceville? Extra tasty smoked mullet (mild local fish) is the favored cuisine while accomplished musicians serenade the tables. cityofniceville.org

Terlingua International Chili Championships at Terlingua, Texas, November 5
Another serious chili day is observed at this annual big-time cook-off. It's the granddaddy of chili contests, allowing only Texas red chili in the competition. No beans, fillers, or meat-based ingredients are permitted. chili.org/terlingua.html

Check schedules before planning a family fun-fest at the above featured celebratory fall get-togethers.