Photo courtesy of Trailing of the Sheep Festival/Carol Waller
Fall in Full Swing
Hop around to festivals across the Northwest for a taste of local spirit
Bite into a fluffy apple fritter, clamber aboard a farm wagon hayride, admire the clay textures of a master potter or dance the polka in a biergarten lit by lanterns to take part in season-changing revelry that dates back thousands of years. From the Medieval feast of Lammas and the Chinese Moon Festival to the ancient Celtic rituals of Samhain, communities across the world have come together in the crisp air of autumn to celebrate the bounty of the harvest and welcome guests to experience their cultural traditions. Today, with festivities ranging from the offbeat and quirky to the artful and awe-inspiring, there are more ways than ever to mark the turning of the season in Oregon and Idaho.
Photo courtesy of City of Tualatin’s West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta
West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta Festival
Tualatin, Oregon
Forget Cinderella’s coach, it’s all about boats at the West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta Festival, a chaotic assembly of costumed paddlers racing across Lake of the Commons in massive hollowed-out gourds. Founded in 2004 by the Pacific Giant Vegetable Growers, the regatta takes its mission semi-seriously, kicking off the day before with Pumpkins and Pints at Stickmen Brewing and rolling out a variety of activities that straddle both the west and east side of the Lake. Get in the spirit and wear a costume before participating in pumpkin-inspired games, contests and even a giant coloring mural.
See parks.tualatinoregon.gov.
Photo courtesy of Trailing of the Sheep Festival/Carol Waller
Trailing of the Sheep Festival
Ketchum and Sun Valley, Idaho
For one day every October, Idaho’s Wood River Valley rings with the tinkling of bells of more than 1,200 sheep making their fall migration from summer pastures high in the Sawtooth Mountains to more temperate winter grazing below. The “trailing” tradition dates back more than 150 years to the arrival of Scottish and Basque, and later Peruvian, shepherds, whose food, dance and music are at the heart of the Trailing of the Sheep Festival, now in its 30th year. Of the many events that make up this award-winning celebration, the Folklife Fair hosts shearing demonstrations, dance and music performances, and food booths offering endless variations of lamb. The Wool Fest offers classes in knitting, weaving and other crafts. And the National Qualifying Sheepdog Trials showcase the intricate maneuvering of highly trained border collies. See trailingofthesheep.org.
Photo courtesy of Mt Angel Oktoberfest
Mt Angel Oktoberfest
Mount Angel, Oregon
It’s impossible to miss the Bavarian influence in Mount Angel, which was inhabited by Swiss-German immigrants in the 1880s. From the timber-framed houses and the glockenspiel clock that looms over the town center to the German lager and home-made schnitzel offered in numerous traditional biergartens, it’s no wonder the boisterous four-day Mt Angel Oktoberfest is the largest in the Pacific Northwest. Raise a stein of bavarian-style brew before learning to polka at the Friday night street dance. Witness wiener dog races and cheer on children as they participate in traditional Bavarian dances. Or take it all in while enjoying flute, harp and choral music in the gothic St. Mary Church, where the transformation to a German village becomes complete. See oktoberfest.org.
Photo courtesy of Pendleton Round Up/NATE VAN MOL
Pendleton Round-Up and Tribal Fair
Pendleton, Oregon
One of the world’s premier rodeos, inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2008, the Pendleton Round-Up draws upwards of 50,000 people to watch bronc riding, cattle roping, tribal dancing and the massive Westward Ho! Parade of ox-drawn covered wagons, horse-drawn buggies, Mormon carts and other modes of historic transportation. Founded in 1910, the week-long celebration is hosted in partnership with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, which include the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla tribes. A village of more than 300 tipis spreads across the field in Roy Raley Park and a tribal market showcases crafts and food. Several generations of participants enter the Happy Canyon Night Show and Pageant (celebrating its 110 year anniversary in 2026), and the bareback, high-speed Indian Relay Races keep spectators on the edge of their seats as riders leap between galloping horses. See pendletonroundup.com.
Photo courtesy of istock
Idaho Spud Day
Shelley, Idaho
With a spud-picking contest and a potato tug-of-war, the antics in store at Idaho Spud Day—a beloved state tradition since 1927—are unexpected and downright fun. This is as down-home as it gets, with potato sack races, a French fry-eating contest, cornhole tournament and tractor parade among the highlights. Activities also include a car show, 5K Spud Run and 1-Mile Walk, and a pageant in which high school-age contestants compete to become Miss Russet. Yet, at the heart of the celebration is the community, which comes together to honor the humble potato and the families that work so hard throughout the year to grow the region’s essential produce. See idahospudday.com.
Photo courtesy of Spirit of Halloweentown
Spirit of Halloweentown
St. Helens, Oregon
It may have been almost 30 years since Disney Channel’s wildly popular Halloweentown aired in 1998, but families and fans of the cult classic have kept the memory alive in St. Helens with the annual Spirit of Halloweentown festival. On weekends from late September through early November, the Wild West main street downtown becomes reminiscent of the movie’s set—which was actually filmed there—complete with haunted houses, a rare-reptile exhibit and a secret speakeasy hidden inside an alien spaceship. Don a favorite costume before hopping on a trolley for a film tour and hobnobbing with former cast members, then watch the Great Pumpkin Lighting when the sun goes down. See spiritofhalloweentown.co.
Photo courtesy of Thousand Springs Festival of the Arts
Thousand Springs Festival of the Arts
Wendell, Idaho
Few art festivals can boast a setting as verdant as Thousand Springs Festival of the Arts, lining the shore of the Snake River along Ritter Island in the boundaries of Thousand Springs State Park. Stroll among more than 100 booths to peruse paintings, photography, ceramics and weaving, or admire the wares from aboard a canoe or kayak while enjoying old-time fiddle tunes, jazz and rollicking country blues from stages at each end of the island. For an enhanced experience, hike to Lemon Falls or Minnie Miller Springs, ride in a wagon pulled by a mule or draft horse, and learn a new skill in one of the ongoing demonstrations by participating artists.
Photo courtesy of Hood River Harvest Festival
Hood River Harvest Fest
Hood River, Oregon
The Columbia River waterfront bursts with bushels of heirloom apples and fresh-picked pears, tables overflowing with jams, cheese and honey, and booths displaying glittering glasswork and vivid ceramics during the Hood River Harvest Fest. Against the backdrop of Mount Hood blanketed in crimson and ochre fall color, the sounds of bluegrass, country and folk music rise from the stage and crowds cheer on competitors in the giant pumpkin carving contest. See hoodriverharvestfestival.com.
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