10+ Can’t Miss Fall Family Events in Maryland That Don’t Involve Pumpkins

Inside: Check out these top 10 Fall Family events in Maryland that aren’t technically fall festivals. None of these events include pumpkins, but they are all great!

I have a confession to make. Sometimes the fall season can be intimidating and overwhelming. Don’t get me wrong.. I LOVE celebrating fall, especially with my little girl.

The moment I detect even a hint of a chill in the air, it’s sweater weather. I could indulge in hot apple cider pretty much every day and once the weather chills, our family loves to get outside and go hiking, camping, and soaking in every moment of this glorious season.

But sometimes it is just too much.

Endless hayrides, a pumpkin patch every weekend, and getting lost in yet another corn maze. In Maryland, you could fill up every single weekend with a family outing to a different fall festival.

However, there are actually quite a few other festivals that wouldn’t qualify as a ‘fall festival’ but are just as cool. If you need a break from pumpkin spice, check out one of these events. They are all awesome and very family and young kid friendly!

1. Sunfest in Ocean City and Berlin’s Fiddlers Convention

Sunfest:

Ocean City has moved Sunfest to October! The 2025 dates are October 23-26! The weather is beautiful and there’s plenty to do at Ocean City, MD’s biggest and best festival. Enjoy four fun-filled days of arts and crafts, delicious food, hayrides, kids activities and musical entertainment. Plus, Sunfest hosts big musical headliners every year!

October 23-26 2025

Fiddlers Convention:

The Fiddlers Convention in Berlin, MD is actually still in September. This is a really fantastic festival happening 19-20 September 2025. Fiddling and blue grass music will fill the streets of Berlin. There will be food and craft vendors, a beer garden and games for the children.

September 19-20, 2025

2. Sultana Downrigging Festival

The Sultana Downrigging Festival in Chestertown, MD is a tall ship and bluegrass festival. This is one of the largest tall ship festivals in North America. It includes tall ship sails, tours, great music, kid’s activities, and of course.. great food!

There will be fireworks on Friday night too!

October 31 – November 2 2025

Related: 20+ Things to Do With Kids on the Eastern Shore!

3. In the Street- Celebrate Frederick

The In The Street festival has been running since 1983 and is loads of fun for the entire family. There are nine themed blocks of entertainment.

A few of the highlights are the art block, sports block, history block, and a block especially dedicated to kid’s activities like crafts, face painting, and a petting zoo. Additionally, there is live music on five different stages, a mile-long road race, and tons of food and other vendors.

Saturday September 13th 2025

Related: Check out the best playgrounds in Frederick County

4. Special Events at the Maryland Science Center

The Maryland Science Center is back with tons of kid friendly special events this fall!

• September 20th: the Maryland Science Center will hold the Science Arcade! Craft the ultimate cardboard pinball machine. Turn yourself into an 8-bit video game character. Practice your aim while experimenting with velocity and pool noodles. Plus a few more surprises await you—no quarters needed.
• October 11th: Spooky Science. An afternoon filled with spooktacular science fun! Enter Dr. Frankenstein’s laboratory for a monster engineering challenge. Conduct ghoulish experiments. Concoct chemical reactions and watch our jack-o-lanterns blow their lid—heads up for flying pumpkin! As well as other eerie experiences throughout the day.
• October 11th: Super Science Sleepover: Pokemon. Calling all pokémon trainers, masters, and enthusiasts! Grab your Pokédex and embark on a journey to the Maryland Science Center for an overnight adventure. Legend has it, there are pokémon hiding around every corner of the Science Center—and you gotta catch ’em all! Drop by the Safari Zone and practice catching rare pokémon with our Safari Ball launcher. Design your own badge and learn about pokémon taxonomy. Battle and trade in our dedicated TCG arena and access a gym and multiple Pokéstops all from the comfort of your sleeping bag before lights-out!

5. Frederick’s Oktoberfest Weekend

Experience German Heritage at its finest during Frederick’s Oktoberfest. Many festival goers will be dressed in traditional Bavarian garb, there will be tons of great food and live entertainment (including yodeling) and even a kid’s zone which will have pumpkin decorating (oops.. there’s a pumpkin!), slides, and face painting.

September 26th-27th: Friday 6-10PM (not for kids), Saturday 11AM-10PM (all ages welcome)

6. Family Fest on the Potomac

Family Fest on The Potomac is a super fun Southern Maryland festival held at the Piney Point Lighthouse Museum. Enjoy LIVE music, great food, beer truck, ice cream, vintage displays, variety of family activities & crafts, lots of family activities and demos throughout the day and much more! This is a FREE Festival!

September 13th 2025

Related: Kid Friendly Guide to the Calvert Marine Museum

7. ArtsFest at the AnnMarie Sculpture Garden

If you have not yet visited the AnnMarie Sculpture Garden in Solomons, MD, you are really missing out. This is a really special place that would make a great visit any time. On September 20-21, they are holding their annual ArtsFest. This is a really huge arts festival with tons of activities for kids including Discovery Tent, Zany Zone, games, the clay studio, and live music.

September 20-21 2025

8. Maryland Renaissance Festival

Late August through late October (weekends)

Who says fall in Maryland is synonymous with pumpkin patches and apple cider slushies? If you have ever visited this Crownsville festival, you know that the festival grounds are transformed into an utterly amazing and totally fun world of princesses, knights, and everything that made the Renaissance fun (or so we imagined).

The festival is super fun for kids and adults and each weekend has a theme.

Note: This festival is likely sold out because of it’s growing popularity. But bookmark this and get your tickets early next year!

9. Historic St. Mary’s City Fall Events

Historic St. Mary’s City is a great place to visit at any time. However, in the fall they have a few special events you might want to check out!

• September 6th- Indigenous Heritage Day
• September 27th- RiverFest and Militia Muster

10. Defender’s Day at Ft. McHenry

Defenders’ Day commemorates the anniversary of the successful defense of Baltimore in 1814 and the writing of the nation’s national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

From September 12-14 2025 park staff and partners will offer programs and demonstrations to explore the history of Baltimore’s diverse community of defenders by learning about the daily lives and experiences of soldiers, sailors, and civilians who came together to defend their city.

11. Catoctin Colorfest

Local art, jewelry, crafts, and a variety of delicious food are just a few of the fun things you will find at this annual event! Catoctin Colorfest, located in Thurmont, MD, is one of the largest outdoor craft shows on the East Coast and is held as the area’s vibrant leaves are changing.

October 11-12 2025 from 9AM-5PM

12. Easton Waterfowl Festival

This unique festival in Easton, MD celebrates all things waterfowl. Personally, I love the dock dogs competition.

The Easton Waterfowl Festival has loads of kid friendly activities though from decoy carving, soap carving, and painting decoy magnets.

November 14-16 2025

13. Maryland Folklife Festival

From their website: “The Maryland Folk Festival is dedicated to creating unique experiences of discovery and learning, cultivating cultural and ethnic diversity, and pursuing all opportunities to inspire, and enlighten through music, dance, food, crafts, and other folk arts.”

Dates: September 19-21 2025

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