83 Tennessee Festivals and Fairs You Won’t Want to Miss in 2026
Tennessee has no shortage of incredible fairs and festivals. You could go to one every single week and still not make it to all of them.
I’ve put together a list of some of the best options including my favorites: Daffodil Day in Bell Buckle, the National Cornbread Festival in South Pittsburg, and Tomato Arts Fest in Nashville.
Keep reading for the full list!
Or jump to the month you’re interested in 👉 January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December
January
Smoky Mountain Ultimate Elvis Weekend | Pigeon Forge | January 16 – 19, 2026 | Join in the celebration of Elvis Presley during this weekend at the Grand Smokies Resort Lodge and Event Center featuring performances by Elvis tribute artists, an Elvis Tribute Artist Contest, and more Elvis-themed events.
Tennessee Sandhill Crane Festival | Birchwood | January 17 – 18, 2026 | Celebrate the return of 20,000 sandhill cranes as they migrate through the area. In addition to viewing birds, highlights of the event include live raptor shows, live music, and book readings.
Winter Heritage Festival | Townsend | January 31, 2026 | Travel back in time, discover pioneer survival skills, learn traditional crafts, and find out more about the history of East Tennessee Mountain culture at this event hosted by the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center.
February
Tennessee Winter Beer Fest | Townsend | February 21, 2026 | Enjoy a day of local craft beers, good food (from Miss Lily’s Catering), and good company with proceeds going to the New Hope Blount County Children’s Advocacy Center.
Appalachian Wordfest | Sevierville | February 26, 2026 | Presented by Rose Glen Literary Festival, Appalachian Wordfest is a one-day event for authors, poets, publishers, and book lovers.
March
Knox Shamrock Fest | Knoxville | March 14, 2026 | This St. Patrick’s Day festival features live music, great food and drinks, arts and crafts vendors, and a fun zone for kids. The event raises funds for the East Tennessee Kidney Foundation.
Nashville Elvis Festival | Franklin | March 19 – 22, 2026 | Fans of the King of Rock n’ Roll will enjoy this event that brings together special guests and top Elvis Tribute Artists.
Daffodil Day | Bell Buckle | March 21, 2026 | Welcome in spring at this festival in one of Tennessee’s most charming small towns. The day’s main event is a flower show, and during the judging, you can buy plants from a family-owned nursery or browse the cute shop Downtown.
Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival | Nashville | March 24 – 28, 2026 | Tin Pan South is a festival for songwriters of all genres. The event includes keynote speakers, songwriter panels, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities. Shows and performances also take place in the evenings.
Big Ears Festival | Knoxville | March 26 – 29, 2026 | Big Ears Festival is a four-day music and arts festival featuring more than 250 performances, films, conversations, literary events, and art installations across Knoxville.
Blooming Arts Festival | Linden | March 27 & 28, 2026 | Browse the arts and crafts vendors offering oil paintings, watercolors, acrylics, photography, stained glass, leatherwork, jewelry, and much more at this two-day event. The festival also has live music as well as a zone for children with lots of fun activities.
Middle Tennessee Fiber Festival | Dickson | March 27 & 28, 2026 | Knitters, spinners, and fiber artists will love browsing the vendors and taking crafty workshops at this two-day event.
April
Full Moon Tattoo and Horror Festival | Nashville | April 3 – 5, 2026 | At this festival, you’ll find tattoo artists from around the world, lots of vendors, and a chance to meet horror celebrities. You can also watch horror films at the Full Moon Cineplex.
Hot Slaw & Art Y’all | Cleveland | April 5, 2026 | Head to the Hot Slaw Capital of Tennessee to celebrate the dish invented at the Star Vue Theatre and enjoy the live music, art vendors, games, contests, and more at this fun event.
Mule Day | Columbia | April 9 – 12, 2026 | Despite the name, Mule Day is actually a multi-day festival started by the Maury County Bridle & Saddle Club. In addition to mule shows and competitions, the fun at the festival includes craft fairs, music and dancing, lots of great food, and some unique activities like the Liars’ Contest.
Trails and Trilliums | Beersheba Springs | April 10 – 12, 2026 | Outdoorsy people will love this three-day event including guided hikes, workshops, and talks by naturalists.
Knoxville Whiskey Festival | Knoxville | April 11, 2026 | Whether you’re a whiskey connoisseur or a new fan, you’ll enjoy the chance to try premier samples of whiskey, bourbon, and scotch. The evening also has live music, local food vendors, a mixology showcase, and a cigar lounge.
Nash Yarn Fest | Nashville | April 17 & 18, 2026 | The Nash Yarn Fest hosts more than 90 vendors who love all things knitting, crochet, and fiber. You can shop to add to your own crafty stash or purchase items made by some of the talented makers there. After the market closes on Friday, there will be music, dancing, and more fun!
4 Bridges Arts Festival | Chattanooga | April 17 – 19, 2026 | This year is the 25th anniversary of the 4 Bridges Arts Festival. Arts from around the country display and sell their work, and there is also a juried art show during the event.
Slawburger Festival | Fayetteville | April 18, 2026 | Visit the Historic Fayetteville Downtown Square for a fun day of live music, vendors, restaurants, shopping, fun for kids, and more.
Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival | Memphis | April 19, 2026 | The largest one-day crawfish festival outside of Louisiana, the Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival has live music, games, and of course, great food. The event is a fundraiser for Porter-Leath.
World’s Biggest Fish Fry | Paris | April 19 – 27, 2026 | In its 7th decade, the World’s Biggest Fish Fry features a parade, carnival rides, live music, and lots of good food. You’ll definitely want to stop by the Fish Tent for All-You-Can-Eat Catfish on the last Wednesday-Saturday of the festival.
Dogwood Arts Festival | Knoxville | April 24 – 26, 2026 | Readers chose the Dogwood Arts Festival as one of the Top 10 Best Art Festivals in a poll by USA TODAY. The two-day event has fine art vendors, food trucks, live music, children’s activities, and more.
Rutherford Races 2 Read | Murfreesboro | April 25, 2026 | Rutherford Races 2 Read is back for its second year. This family-friendly derby-style event features inflatable horses, a life size board game, mint juleps, and more fun. Proceeds benefit the Rutherford County Library Foundation.
National Cornbread Festival | South Pittsburg | April 25 & 26, 2026 | Head to South Pittsburg to try out the food in Cornbread Alley, browse arts and crafts vendors, ride carnival rides, and watch the cornbread cook-off.
Johnson City Jazz Festival | Johnson City | 2026 Dates TBA | Enjoy the sounds of talented jazz performers at this fun cultural event.
May
RiverBeat Music Festival | Memphis | May 1 – 3, 2026 | RiverBeat Music Festival is back for its third year in Downtown Memphis. The lineup hasn’t been released yet, but based on past years, there should be some great artists performing again this year.
Tennessee Iris Festival | Dresden | May 1 – 6, 2026 | This weeklong festival features lots of fun events including concerts, a flower show, a race, a baking contest, a pancake supper, and more. You won’t want to miss the parade on Saturday either!
Smoky Mountain Bigfoot Festival | Townsend | May 2, 2026 | Celebrate everyone’s favorite reclusive mountain creature at this birthday bash filled with live music, guest speakers, food trucks, contests, and other exciting activities.
Bruce Street Brewfest | Sevierville | May 2, 2026 | Head to historic downtown Sevierville to spend an afternoon tasting craft beers and ciders, enjoy live music, and find out the winners of the homebrew competition.
Birchwood Fiber Festival | Birchwood | May 2 & 3, 2026 | Spend a weekend taking workshops, browsing vendors, watching demonstrations, and more.
Tennessee Renaissance Festival | Arrington | May 2 – 31, 2026, Every Saturday and Sunday plus Memorial Day | This outdoor Renaissance Festival offers games of skill, performances by jesters, minstrels, jugglers, and magicians plus jousting. You’ll also get to enjoy tasty food at vendor stands.
Middle Tennessee Strawberry Festival | Portland | May 8 & 9, 2026 | This fun festival pays homage to Portland’s past during a weekend full of delicious food, live music, entertainment, fireworks, and a parade.
World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest | Memphis | May 13 – 16, 2026 | USA Today called this contest the “most prestigious barbecue contest” and the public can attend. Note that sampling barbecue from teams competing requires an extra pass in addition to a regular entrance ticket.
Tennessee Mountain Laurel Festival | Wartburg | May 16, 2026 | The Tennessee Mountain Laurel Festival offers fun for everyone with live music, vendors, a kid zone, and appearances by some favorite children’s characters.
Blooming Bluegrass and BBQ Fest | Sevierville | May 16 & 17, 2026 | Listen to great live music and taste some of the best BBQ in the US at this family-friendly festival.
CaveJam | Pelham | May 24 & 25, 2026 | This unique music festival includes concerts in a cave music venue. There are activities for children, so the entire family can come. 2-day General Admission passes also include car camping.
Teapot Festival | Trenton | 2026 Dates TBA | Head to the Teapot Capital of the world for this weeklong festival that combines educational and historical events alongside good food, games, and lots of fun.
June
CMA Fest | Nashville | June 4 – 7, 2026 | This four-day music festival is the place to see country music’s biggest stars, emerging musicians, and everyone in between. Concerts take place at venues across Nashville. Passes and single tickets are available for purchase, and some events and shows are free.
SunDrop Festival | Pulaski | June 13, 2026 | The SunDrop Festival is a community festival with lots of fun for everyone – the SunDrop cake contest, performances by local talent, the Miss SunDrop Festival Pageant, an Antique Car Cruise, and craft and food vendors.
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival | Manchester | June 11 – 14, 2026 | Taking place on a 700-acre farm, Bonnaroo is a huge music festival with 150+ musical acts. Single-day and four-day tickets are available along with camping or parking passes.
RC Cola MoonPie Festival | Bell Buckle | June 20, 2026 | This family-friendly event celebrating the winning combo of an ice-cold RC Cola with a MoonPie includes great music, contests, games, and a parade.
Memphis Brewfest | Memphis | June 20, 2026 | Head to Shelby Farms for a day of tasting brews, eating delicious food, and listening to live music.
Rhinestone Fest | Knoxville | 2026 Dates TBA | Formerly called Dolly Fest, this weekend festival is a chance to dress up in your finest Dolly-inspired outfit and enjoy art, music, food, and other fun.
July
Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree | Smithville | July 3 & 4, 2026 | Musicians, artists, and spectators all come to Smithville each year for the Fiddlers’ Jamboree. The Appalachian festival includes music and dance competitions, craft vendor booths, and good food. The winner of the festival’s Grand Fiddle Off Championship is invited to perform on the stage at the Grand Ole Opry.
Music City Hot Chicken Festival | Nashville | July 4, 2026 | Head to East Park to celebrate Nashville Hot Chicken on the 4th of July. You can sample hot chicken at booths hosted by different area restaurants, watch the Amateur Cooking Competition, and listen to live music by local bands.
Fun Fest | Kingsport | July 17 – 25, 2026 | Fun Fest is a 9-day festival packed full of events. These include a parade, races, sporting events, food trucks, concerts, hot air balloons, moonlight hikes, outdoor movies, and so much more.
Lynnville Blackberry Festival | Lynnville | 2026 Dates TBA | This berry-sweet festival features food, crafts, and fun for the whole family.
Lauderdale County Tomato Festival | Ripley | 2026 Dates TBA | This annual festival includes a Tomato Contest, talent show, car show, food and craft vendors, a kid’s zone, and lots more entertainment and fun.
Grainger County Tomato Festival | Rutledge | 2026 Dates TBA | This festival highlights Grainger County’s agriculture alongside its artists, authors, craftsmen, and other talented locals. The festival also includes a living history section, a tractor and engine exhibit, and a unique event called The Tomato Wars.
August
127 Yard Sale | August 6 – 9, 2026 | Also known as “The World’s Longest Yard Sale,” runs along Highway 127 and stretches across 6 states including Tennessee. Some areas along the route have clusters of vendors all together while others are more spread out. Either way, you can shop for tons of interesting finds!
Tomato Art Fest | Nashville | August 7 & 8, 2026 | Tomato Art Fest is a quirky art festival celebrating the humble fruit. Nearly everything is Tomato-themed from people’s outfits to vendor’s arts and crafts. I might be biased, but I think this is one of the most fun festivals in the state.
Wilson County State Fair | Lebanon | August 13 – 22, 2026 | The Wilson County Fair/Tennessee State Fair has all of the classic fair attractions you’d expect to find – rides, contests, delicious fair food!
Great Smoky Mountains Hot Air Balloon Festival | Townsend | August 15, 2026 | This family-friendly event features live music, food, and craft demonstrations and vendors. But, of course, the biggest highlight is the sight of the tethered balloons rising in front of the Smoky Mountains. You can buy a ticket for a balloon ride for an additional fee.
Summer Shakespeare Festival | Nashville | August 20 – September 20, 2026 | This year’s Shakespeare in the Park performance is A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The show takes place at the Centennial Park Bandshell.
Elvis Week | Memphis | 2026 Dates TBA | Make your way to Graceland to pay homage to the King of Rock ‘n Roll at this weeklong celebration full of music, panels, and fan events.
September
Nashville Fair | Nashville | September 11 – 20, 2026 | The Nashville Fair is a fun event featuring agriculture, arts, entertainment, midway rides, and more.
Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion | Bristol | September 11 – 13, 2026 | This music festival celebrates Bristol’s roots as the Birthplace of Country Music.
Middle Tennessee Highland Games and Celtic Festival | Hendersonville | September 12 & 13, 2026 | This festival highlights Scottish and Celtic traditions. Visitors can enjoy live Celtic bands, athletic events, a bagpipe competition, food, and activities for kids.
Americana Fest | Nashville | September 15 – 19, 2026 | Hosted by the Americana Music Association, this festival is for both industry professionals and music fans. The festival has artist showcases alongside panels for those in the music industry. You can choose from different festival passes depending on what type of events you’d like to attend.
Tina Turner Heritage Days | Brownsville | September 25 – 27, 2026 | Each year fans make their way to Tina Turner’s hometown to celebrate the Queen of Rock. During the three-day event, you can take a tour of the area and attend a fan event to swap stories and enjoy Tinaoke, a special version of karaoke.
Cherokee Fall Festival | Vonore | 2026 Dates TBA | The Sequoyah Birthplace Museum hosts the annual Cherokee Fall Festival. The event features Native American food, Cherokee arts and crafts demonstrations, and music and dance.
Cooper-Young Festival | Memphis | 2026 Dates TBA | The Cooper-Young Festival is one of the most popular festivals in Memphis. The event includes lots of arts and crafts vendors along with good music and great food. (This is also one of my favorites!)
Pilgrimage Music Festival | Franklin | 2026 Dates TBA | This family-friendly music festival in Franklin typically features a good lineup of well-known artists along with some newer up-and-coming artists. You can buy two-day general admission tickets as well as single-day admission tickets.
International Cowpea Festival and Cookoff | Charleston | 2026 Dates TBA | This festival and cookoff is a fun day of live music, a marketplace with arts and crafts and local produce, and food vendors. Visitors are also able to participate in the cook-off tasting and voting if they purchase a special souvenir spatula.
Covered Bridge Days | Elizabethton | 2026 Dates TBA | This annual celebration is a family-friendly event with music, vendors, great food, and fireworks.
GonerFest | Memphis | 2026 Dates TBA | Presented by Goner Records, this music festival is the place to hear the best alternative rock artists and bands.
October
National Storytelling Festival | Jonesborough | October 2 – 4, 2026 | The National Storytelling Festival is the most prestigious storytelling event in the US. World-renowned storytellers are invited to tell their tales at this unique festival.
The Great Pumpkin Festival | Allardt | October 3, 2026 | See the giant pumpkin weigh-off, look at antique cars, and more at this autumn festival.
Goats, Music, and More Fair | Lewisburg | October 9 & 10, 2026 | Hang out with some adorable goats (think goat petting, goat races, and goat yoga) while also enjoying live music and great food.
River Arts Festival | Memphis | October 17 & 18, 2026 | The River Arts Fest features fine arts and awesome local music. The artists market draws over 150 artists from around the country, and the day also includes artist demonstrations and hands-on art activities.
Southern Festival of Books | Nashville | October 17 & 18, 2026 | This free festival features hundreds of authors on panels talking about their books and related topics. There’s something from basically every genre whether you’re interested in literary fiction, historical fiction, nonfiction, cookbooks, and tons more.
PumpkinFest Fall Fest | Franklin | October 24, 2026 | Head to downtown Franklin for a day of autumn fun including arts and crafts vendors, food, live music, costume contests, and kids’ activities.
National Banana Pudding Festival | Centerville | 2026 Dates TBA | Shop the 100+ craft vendors, watch the National Banana Pudding Cook-Off, listen to live music, and make sure to sample the banana pudding on The Puddin’ Path at this fun festival.
Webb Art & Craft Show | Bell Buckle | 2026 Dates TBA | Exhibitors for the Webb Art & Craft Show make everything from pottery and metal works to old-fashioned soaps and lotions. Besides the juried show, visitors can enjoy browsing the vendor booths or grab some bites to eat from food trucks with cuisines from around the world.
3 Sisters Bluegrass Festival | Chattanooga 2026 | Dates TBA | Bring a lawn chair or a blanket and listen to some of the best bluegrass musicians at this two-day festival.
Unicoi County Apple Festival | Erwin/Unicoi | 2026 Dates TBA | Enjoy browsing the craft vendors, listening to live music, eating great food, and more.
Reelfoot Lake Pelican Festival | Tiptonville| 2026 Dates TBA | Spend the day at Reelfoot Lake where you can take a pelican van tour, do watercolor painting, and enjoy the Art and Photography Contest.
Memphofest | Memphis | 2026 Dates TBA | This music festival features some of the biggest names in music and takes place at the Memphis Botanic Gardens, one of the most beautiful places in Memphis.
Memphis PowerPop Festival | Memphis | 2026 Dates TBA | Celebrate Memphis’s musical heritage at this free music festival at the iconic Overton Park Shell.
November
Little Debbie Hamilton County Fair | Sale Creek | November 6 – 8, 2026 | Enjoy classic county fair activities like amusement rides, vendors, a rodeo, agricultural exhibits, and live country music along with lumberjack shows, fireworks, and a cornhole tournament.
Grains and Grits Festival | Townsend | 2026 Dates TBA | Spend an evening sampling craft spirits, eating gourmet food, and watching live entertainment.
December
Dickens of a Christmas Festival | Franklin | December 12 & 13, 2026 | Historic Downtown Franklin goes all out for the Christmas Carol-inspired event. Visit the Victorian village, try out the festival food, and listen to live music during this family-friendly weekend.
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Hopefully, you’ve found one (or several) festivals to add to your calendar. Thanks for reading!
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