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September Events

Winston-Salem Food Truck Festival + Arts on Fire

September 13 |  1–7 p.m.

Food trucks from across the state line East Ninth Street in downtown's Industry Hill, serving everything from Colombian and Japanese to Thai cuisine and more. There's live entertainment plus beer and wine vendors, and if you have a sweet tooth, they'll have trucks for that too. Admission is free.

On the same day, check out the annual Arts on Fire event at the Mixxer Makerspace, just steps from the Food Truck Festival. The main highlight is the Iron Pour, where artists melt down scrap metal and transform it into new works of art. More than 20 craftspeople take over "Artisan Alley," so you can grab a bite from the food trucks, then browse handcrafted goods from local artists.

 

Hispanic League FIESTA!

September 19 |  11 a.m.–7 p.m.

Each year, more than 20,000 people come together to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month in downtown Winston-Salem. Just outside the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, you'll find food vendors serving Latin American cuisine along with live music, folkloric ballet, community resources, and a kids' zone. Now in its 34th year, this free event has become one of the city's signature celebrations of culture, diversity, and family-friendly fun.

 

Out at the Movies Film Festival

September 24-27 | times + venues vary

Now in its 13th year, Out at the Movies screens 35 to 40 LGBTQ+ narrative and documentary features and shorts from around the world, with panel discussions, visiting filmmakers, and nightly social events across four days. Founded in 2004, it has grown into the second-largest LGBTQ+ film festival in the Carolinas and NC's longest-running LGBTQ+ arts nonprofit. Note the new spot on the calendar — the festival moved from October this year. Visit their website for venue and ticket details.

 

Bookmarks Festival

September 25-27 |  9:30 a.m.–5 p.m.

As the largest annual book festival in the Carolinas, this weekend is a must for any book lover, drawing more than 20,000 readers downtown. Things kick off Friday, 7 p.m., with the opening keynote event from John Green at Wait Chapel, where the author of The Fault in Our Stars discusses Hollywood, Ending — his first novel in nearly a decade and his adult fiction debut. 

Saturday is the main event: a free street festival downtown, held around Milton Rhodes Center, with author panels, signings, vendors, food trucks, and a dedicated children's area where every kid gets a free book. Sunday is the closing keynote event from authors Jodi Picoult (My Sister's Keeper) and Virginia Evans (The Correspondent). While Saturday's festival is free, the opening and closing keynote events are ticketed. Get more details at bookmarks.org

 

Apple Fest at Bethabara Park

September 26 |  10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Celebrate the first Saturday of fall with a day full of crafts, Colonial games, face painting, and plenty of apples. Regional musicians provide live entertainment, and you can explore 18th-century history through demonstrations by traditional craftsmen, browse local artisan booths, and grab a bite from food vendors. Apples were among Bethabara's biggest crops, which is exactly why the festival exists. Admission is free.

 

October Events

Carolina Classic Fair

October 2-11 | times vary by day

The second-largest fair in the Carolinas, this fall spectacle has been a Triad tradition for 144 years — and this year's theme is "Red White and Moo" in honor of the nation's 250th. At the fairgrounds, you'll find classic rides, fair food, the "Yesterday Village," and nonstop entertainment from glassblowing and loom weaving to magicians and live music. Don't miss the butter sculpture or the chainsaw carving demos, and be sure to wander through the Education Building for the competitive exhibits, with entries from across the state in categories ranging from fine arts and crafts to agricultural items and food preservation. Kids will love the petting zoo and livestock events, especially the racing pigs.

 

Kernersville Oktoberfest

October 3 |  3–6 p.m.

This beer and food festival takes place on the first Saturday in October at Kernersville's most unique attraction, Körner's Folly. Sample craft brews and wines from local producers and enjoy bite-sized pairings from area restaurants. Now in its 16th year, the 21-and-up event is Körner's Folly's signature fundraiser, and your ticket includes a souvenir tasting glass plus a self-guided tour of the 22-room house built in 1880 by famed designer Jule Körner. It sells most years, so buy early.

 

Yadkin Valley Grape Festival

October 17 | 1 1 a.m.–5 p.m.

Just 30 minutes from downtown Winston-Salem, Yadkinville hosts this annual festival featuring Yadkin Valley wineries, food trucks, live music, and local craft vendors. Now in its 22nd year, the festival is free to attend; wine tasting tickets include a souvenir glass and samples from each winery tent, and run $20 in advance or $25 at the gate. As the gateway to the Yadkin Valley, Winston-Salem makes the perfect home base for a weekend of wine tasting and festival fun.

 

Downtown Witches Walk & Night Market

October 23 |  6–10 p.m.

Dress in your best witchy attire and stroll the Downtown Arts District for this third-annual Halloween tradition. Start at CasaShanti on North Trade Street, then work your way through participating shops collecting letters that unscramble into a secret word — turn in your completed card back at CasaShanti for a raffle entry. Running alongside the Witches Walk is the "Other Salem" Night Market, with vendors, pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating, music, and a variety of entertainment. The whole thing is free, and pets are welcome.

 

November Events

Ardmore Art Walk

November 7 |  11 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Wander through one of Winston-Salem's most charming neighborhoods during the Ardmore Art Walk, a juried event featuring 100 artists displaying work right on Ardmore front lawns along a walkable path. Founded in 2020 by two neighborhood artists, it's a women-founded and women-run event that puts emerging artists alongside working professionals. Spend the day browsing pottery, jewelry, woodwork, clothing, paintings, and prints, with live music throughout the neighborhood and food vendors set up at three area churches.

 

ART CRUSH: 2026 Celebration 

November 20 |  7–10 p.m.

The last Art Crush of the year — and the last one until spring 2026. The Downtown Arts District closes out its season with a night built around the galleries, studios, and small businesses that keep the district running. Trade and Sixth streets shut down to traffic for street vendors, live music and performances, kids' activities, extended gallery hours, and handmade work straight from the people who made it. Artists keep 100% of sales, so it's a good place to start your holiday shopping.

 

Piedmont Craftsmen Fair

November 21-22 |  times vary

The Piedmont Craftsmen Fair brings dozens fine artisans from across the country to the Benton Convention Center the weekend before Thanksgiving. You'll find handmade works in clay, wood, glass, fiber, metal, leather, photography, and more. A cornerstone of the local arts scene for more than 60 years, it's the perfect place to find gifts for the holidays or pick up something special for your home. Tickets required.

 

Turkey Strut 5K

November 26 |  5K at 9 a.m.

Kick off Thanksgiving Day with a race that gives back. Now in its 19th year, the Turkey Strut offers a chip-timed, USATF-certified 5K and an untimed one-mile fun run at the W-S Fairgrounds, with turkeys awarded to the top finishers. Proceeds support the We Care House, an outreach program of St. Peter's World Outreach Center that provides food and clothing to families in need, and participants are asked to bring at least three canned goods. Before the 5K kicks off, there will be a 1-mile at 8:30 a.m.  Strollers and leashed dogs are welcome.

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Check out our online Events Calendar for a full list of fall events.