Kentuck Festival of the Arts is Oct. 17-18 at Snow Hinton Park; Boo! in the Park and a church Fall Fest are Oct. 31. Plus pumpkin painting and crafts.

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. Updated each year, in September. Facts on this page come from Kentuck Art Center, the Tuscaloosa County Park and Recreation Authority, Visit Tuscaloosa, the Tuscaloosa Public Library and the organizers named.

Fall in Tuscaloosa peaks this weekend with the Kentuck Festival of the Arts, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 17-18, at Snow Hinton Park, which the Alabama Department of Tourism has named a top 10 event, Kentuck says. Halloween brings two free festivals on Saturday, Oct. 31, and the library and the Arts Council have pumpkin activities for kids through the month.

Who to call

Kentuck Festival of the Arts, Oct. 17-18

The 55th Kentuck Festival brings more than 270 artists to Snow Hinton Park, 1000 Hargrove Road East, with folk to contemporary art and traditional craft, live music, spoken word, craft demonstrations, food trucks and local craft beer. Kids can try tie-dye, clay, drawing, paper marbling and Chinese calligraphy. The festival draws more than 15,000 visitors, Kentuck says, and proceeds fund the following year’s festival and Kentuck Art Center’s programs.

  • Tickets: $15 a day or $25 for the weekend at the gate, at Kentuck’s Gallery Shop or at Kentuck at Queen City. Children 12 and under are free.
  • Parking: general parking is on the north side of the park, between the park and University Mall, with a free shuttle from the mall lot. Do not park on the Midtown Village side of McFarland Boulevard, the festival asks.
  • Accessibility: booths line paved paths in the 10-acre park. A sensory-friendly vehicle near the playground is run by the Tuscaloosa Police Department’s Behavioral Intervention Team and Rooted Tuscaloosa.

Halloween festivals, Saturday, Oct. 31

Boo! in the Park, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sokol Park North: the county parks authority’s free festival, with trunk-or-treat, games, inflatables, touch-a-truck and a costume contest. The first hour, 9 to 10 a.m., is sensory friendly, and costume parades step off at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Details on PARA’s page.

Tuscaloosa First Assembly Fall Fest, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 3801 Skyland Blvd. East: free inflatables, games, a hayride, food trucks and a pop-up shop, with optional pre-registration.

The city’s own trunk-or-treat-style night, Tech or Treat, is Thursday, Oct. 22. See trick-or-treat hours in Tuscaloosa.

Pumpkins in town

  • Pumpkin N’ Paint, 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 17, Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center, 620 Greensboro Ave.: a $20 beginner workshop for kids to paint their own pumpkin, run by the Arts Council, 205-758-5195.
  • Morning Makers: Pumpkin Dissection, 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, Main Library, 1801 Jack Warner Parkway, free.
  • Pumpkin Craft Night: All Things Pumpkin, 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, Weaver Bolden Branch Library, 2522 Lanier Ave., free.

Pumpkin patches

We could not confirm 2026 dates, hours or prices for a farm pumpkin patch or corn maze near Tuscaloosa from a farm’s own website as of Oct. 17. Call the farm or check its own page before you go. This section will be updated when a farm confirms.

Every Saturday: the farmers market

The Tuscaloosa Farmers Market runs 7 a.m. to noon every Saturday at the Tuscaloosa River Market, 1900 Jack Warner Parkway. See Tuscaloosa farmers markets.

What this means for you

  • Kentuck is this weekend: go early, park on the University Mall side and use the shuttle.
  • Halloween morning has two free festivals; the city’s Tech or Treat is the Thursday before.
  • Confirm any farm pumpkin patch’s hours with the farm.

More guides: Halloween events, things to do in Tuscaloosa this month, parks and trails and Friday night football.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Kentuck Festival in 2026?

Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 17-18, 2026, at Snow Hinton Park in Tuscaloosa. Gate tickets are $15 a day or $25 for both days; children 12 and under are free.

Where can kids paint pumpkins in Tuscaloosa?

The Arts Council’s Pumpkin N’ Paint workshop was 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center, $20. The Tuscaloosa Public Library has free pumpkin programs Oct. 21 and Oct. 22.

What fall festivals are on Halloween in Tuscaloosa?

Boo! in the Park, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Sokol Park North, and Tuscaloosa First Assembly’s Fall Fest, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 3801 Skyland Blvd. East. Both are free.

Are there pumpkin patches near Tuscaloosa?

We could not confirm 2026 dates or hours for a farm pumpkin patch near Tuscaloosa from a farm’s own website as of Oct. 17. Check a farm directly before you drive.