The 7 Best Fall Festivals in Maryland for 2025 Will Put You in the Autumnal Spirit

When the weather starts getting cooler and the leaves start to drop, there’s nothing I’d rather do than spend a day outside. A special autumnal spirit just sort of takes over during fall in Maryland. While you could simply set foot outside your door and let your feet take you where they will beneath the colorful leaves, plenty of outdoor festivities in our great state this fall shouldn’t be missed.

Here is our list of seven of the best fall festivals in Maryland happening this spooky season, and they will surely put you and your family in the mood for the season!

1. The Maryland Renaissance Festival

When Marylanders think of autumn weekends, they think of turkey legs, costumes, jousting, and cold mead in wooden mugs. The Maryland Renaissance Festival is annually listed among the nation’s best. This Ren Fest runs every weekend from the end of August until October 19, 2025, stopping over a week before Halloween, so there are plenty of opportunities to put on your favorite corset and stroll about beneath the falling leaves. It's a great way to celebrate fall in Maryland. Visit the Maryland Renaissance Festival website for tickets, the entertainment schedule, themed weekends, and more.

2. The Maryland Corn Maze

Maryland families gather to get lost in this 8-acre corn maze in Gambrills every year. This festival runs from mid-September to early November and has tons of family-friendly activities to partake in, including ziplines, games, a petting zoo, a pumpkin patch, and of course, the massive corn maze you can spend hours exploring! This year's Maryland Corn Maze festivities will be held on select dates between Sept. 20 and Nov. 2, 2025, and you can purchase your tickets online.

3. Summers Farm Fall Festival

Summers Farm in Braddock Heights, Maryland, boasts another famous corn maze but with a more carnival-like atmosphere. Starting in September, there are over 45 family-friendly attractions, including a jumping pillow, farm animals, rubber ducky races, apple blasters, mini golf, a pumpkin train, mega slides, corn hole, and more. This is one of the most fun fall festivals in Maryland, and will take place on select dates between Sept. 13 and Oct. 31, 2025. Visit the Summers Farm website to buy Fall Festival tickets and view the event calendar.

4. Ghost Tours of the Haunted Savage Mill

Maryland is famous for its prolific ghost tours, which can be found all across the state. Savage Mill’s tour, however, is one of my favorites. On select dates throughout the year, you can explore the spooky history of this fascinating old cotton mill after dark. You may want to wait until spooky season to get the best out of this tour, though! Ghost tours are held on select dates throughout the year. Check the Savage Mill website for future tour dates.

5. The Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is celebrated across Asia and is one of the most important festivals across many Asian cultures. The harvest moon is celebrated with tons of lanterns, traditional dances, and the exchange of mooncakes. This year, the Mid-Autumn celebration in Silver Spring will be held on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, at Veterans Memorial Park. This is one of the most beautiful fall festivals in Maryland. Visit the Silver Spring Town Center website for more details.

6. The Autumn Glory Festival of Garrett County

For 58 years, Garrett County has held an annual Autumn Glory Festival that is the pride and joy of the community. This year, the small town of Oakland, Maryland, is hosting the event Oct. 8-12, 2025, with the parade on Saturday, October 11. In addition to the parade, this five-day festival promises live music, farmers' markets, a car show, craft shows, and the staple that kicked the whole thing off half a century ago—turkey dinner platters. That sounds amazing to me! This small town has been frequently listed as one of the best places to view the fall foliage, so check out the scenery while you're here. Visit the Deep Creek Experience website for more details on the Autumn Glory Festival.

7. Zoo BOO! at the Maryland Zoo

Some of the most fun a kid (or a grown-up) can have is putting on an animal costume and heading down to the zoo to keep the animals company on Halloween. Zoo BOO! at the Maryland Zoo is a family-friendly way to spend the days before the trick-or-treating starts, and it’s a lot of fun if you’ve ever wanted to know what the animals get up to around this spookiest of holidays. Visit the Maryland Zoo website for Zoo BOO! dates and tickets.

Have you ever attended any of the above best fall festivals in Maryland? What are some of your favorite autumn events to attend in Maryland?

If you’ve ever wanted to study up on the haunted happenings of the Old Line State, then Bookshop.org has exactly what you need for a fireside read this October. And if you'd like to create your own fall adventure in Maryland, check out Only In Your State’s AI-powered itinerary planner.