When is Mountain State Forest Festival open in 2026?

The 2026 season runs Sep 26 – Oct 4. Events across downtown Elkins over nine days; times vary by event. Dates can shift, so check the official site before you go.

When does Mountain State Forest Festival peak in 2026?

Peak color is predicted for October 7–October 11 (best estimate October 9). Color starts around September 30 and is mostly bare by October 31.

Mountain State Forest Festival

Fall festival · Elkins · West Virginia

Elkins throws its biggest week of the year each fall: nine days of parades, a lumberjack contest, highland dancing, and a juried art show built around the theme Autumn in Color. It has run since the 1930s and still pulls more than 75,000 people into a town of about 7,000.

Best for: a small-town fall festival deep in the Alleghenies

Don’t miss

Grand Feature Parade and lumberjack contest
Highland dance competition and juried art show
Nine days across downtown Elkins

Plan your visit

2026 season: Sep 26 – Oct 4.

Events across downtown Elkins over nine days; times vary by event

Website ↗

Dates from the official announcement, checked August 20, 2026. Always confirm before you go.

2026 Forecast

Color nearby peaks: October 7–October 11

Color builds from September 30 · mostly bare by October 31

Sampled at Mountain State Forest Festival’s own coordinates and elevation (580 m) rather than a regional average.

12 weather points cover West Virginia, and the model needs no correction to land on 1 published peak date from smokymountains.com. Against West Virginia's own climatology, the 2026 weather puts the peak 6 days earlier. How the forecast works

When to go to Mountain State Forest Festival

Good color holds through about October 18, giving you roughly 18 days from the first turn to past peak. That is about 6 days earlier than West Virginia as a whole. Height explains the gap, since this sits at 1,903 ft. It sits at 1,903 ft, high enough to turn before the valleys do.

You will find it at Elkins, WV, in West Virginia.