Fall is taking over Chelan County, Washington, bringing changing colors, orchard harvests, local wine, Oktoberfest celebrations, and several seasonal festivals. Located between the Cascade Mountains and the Columbia River, Chelan County’s fall season stretches across communities including Leavenworth, Chelan, Manson, and Cashmere. The landscape begins changing in the mountains before fall colors move through forests, river valleys, orchards, and vineyards.
September and October also coincide with one of the most important agricultural periods of the year. Apples and pears reach their seasonal peak while vineyards begin harvesting grapes, creating opportunities to visit farms, fruit stands, cideries, wineries, and other locally owned businesses.
For anyone considering a fall trip through Washington, here are six festivals and events happening throughout Chelan County in 2026 that you do not want to miss.
6. Annual Lake Chelan Wine Harvest
Wineries throughout the Lake Chelan Valley celebrate harvest season with newly released wines, barrel tastings, vineyard tours, grape stomps, live music, and other special events from September 22 through November 26.
The extended celebration also gives visitors a chance to experience the valley while local vineyards are actively moving through harvest season. Instead of everything happening during a single festival weekend, participating wineries host different experiences throughout the fall, making it easier to build a Lake Chelan trip around tastings, vineyard visits, and seasonal releases.
With festivities running from late September through November, visitors have several weeks to explore the area’s wineries while getting a closer look at an important part of Lake Chelan’s annual wine production cycle. Pair that with the changing fall landscape surrounding the lake, and the Wine Harvest becomes another way to experience both the agricultural and scenic sides of Chelan County.
For more information about the Annual Lake Chelan Wine Harvest, click here.
5. Washington State Autumn Leaf Festival
One of Leavenworth’s longest running traditions returns with the Washington State Autumn Leaf Festival, bringing a full weekend of fall celebrations to the Bavarian village.
The festival has celebrated the changing season since 1964 and has grown into a longstanding Leavenworth tradition. Throughout the weekend, visitors can enjoy live music, food, arts and crafts, entertainment, and community activities while exploring downtown during one of the year’s most colorful times.
One of the weekend’s biggest events is the Grand Parade, beginning at noon on Saturday, September 26. The parade travels through downtown Leavenworth with floats, marching bands, entertainers, and Bavarian groups joining the celebration.
Combined with the changing fall colors surrounding the town, the festival gives visitors another reason to explore Leavenworth beyond its shops and restaurants while taking part in a tradition that has continued for more than six decades.
For more information about the Washington State Autumn Leaf Festival, click here.
4. Leavenworth Oktoberfest
Fall in Leavenworth wouldn’t be complete without Oktoberfest. The Bavarian village will host its 2026 celebration across three weekends in October, giving visitors multiple opportunities to experience one of the area’s biggest seasonal traditions.
Festivities take place at the Leavenworth Festhalle and Front Street Park, where live music, dancing, German inspired food, beer, and entertainment spread across three stages. With celebrations happening October 2 through 3, October 9 through 10, and October 16 through 17, visitors can plan an entire fall weekend around the event while exploring downtown Leavenworth and the surrounding Cascade Mountains.
The 2026 entertainment lineup includes Swiss headliners Oesch’s die Dritten, West Coast Prost, and several traditional performers bringing Bavarian music and culture into the celebration. Oktoberfest isn’t limited to adults either. Families can visit Kinderplatz, a dedicated family friendly area featuring games, activities, and a Ferris wheel for children 12 and younger.
Between the live performances, food, beer, family activities, and Leavenworth’s Bavarian inspired setting, Oktoberfest brings together many of the experiences the town is known for during the fall season. Spreading the celebration across three weekends also gives travelers plenty of opportunities to experience Leavenworth as the surrounding landscape moves deeper into its fall colors.
For more information about the Leavenworth Oktoberfest, click here.
3. Tamarack Festival
The Tamarack Festival gives visitors three Saturdays to experience the changing season in the Cascade Mountains, with celebrations taking place October 3, 10, and 17.
Each weekend brings together guided hikes, live music, family activities, food and drinks at Chair 5 Pub, and opportunities to get an up close look at snowcats and snowmaking equipment as the area prepares for the upcoming winter season.
One of the biggest draws is the surrounding landscape itself. Tamaracks are known for their needles turning a striking golden color during the fall before dropping for winter, creating a limited seasonal window to see the mountains transform.
Activities also change throughout the three Saturdays, giving visitors something different to experience each weekend. That makes the Tamarack Festival more than a single day celebration, with each date offering another opportunity to explore the area as fall colors continue developing across the mountains.
Between guided outdoor experiences, live entertainment, family activities, and the changing tamaracks, the festival gives visitors a chance to experience the Cascade Mountains during one of their most visually distinctive times of the year.
For more information about the Tamarack Festival, click here.
2. Manson Harvest Festival
Downtown Manson will transform into a seasonal marketplace on October 17 for the Manson Harvest Festival, bringing the community together for a full day of fall activities near Lake Chelan.
Throughout the celebration, visitors can explore local artisan vendors while enjoying harvest inspired food and drinks, live music, games, demonstrations, and activities designed for children and families. The festival also gives local makers and businesses an opportunity to be part of the celebration as downtown Manson embraces the peak of the fall season.
Unlike some of Chelan County’s larger multi day events, the Manson Harvest Festival packs its festivities into a single day, making it an easy addition to a fall weekend around Lake Chelan. Visitors can spend time exploring the festival before checking out the surrounding wineries, orchards, restaurants, and scenery found throughout the area.
The celebration builds toward one of its signature traditions at 6 p.m. with the lighting of the Manson Great Pumpkin Wall. The evening display provides a memorable finale to the festival and brings the community together as daylight fades over another fall season in Manson.
With local vendors, food, entertainment, family activities, and the Great Pumpkin Wall all in one day, the Manson Harvest Festival offers another way to experience Chelan County’s harvest season while supporting the people and businesses that call the region home.
For more information about the Manson Harvest Festival, click here.
1. Cashmere Apple Days
Chelan County’s agricultural history takes center stage during Cashmere Apple Days, returning October 3 and 4 at the Cashmere Museum & Pioneer Village.
The annual celebration highlights the Wenatchee Valley’s longstanding connection to apple growing and the agricultural traditions that have helped shape communities throughout the region. Visitors can experience freshly pressed cider, apple pie contests, historic demonstrations, horse drawn wagon rides, and other activities inspired by the area’s farming heritage.
Holding the festival at the Cashmere Museum & Pioneer Village adds another layer to the experience. Along with celebrating the current apple harvest, visitors can learn more about Cashmere’s history and the generations of people who helped build the surrounding agricultural community.
Of course, apples remain at the center of the weekend. From watching cider being freshly pressed to seeing local bakers compete in apple pie contests, Apple Days turns one of the region’s most recognizable crops into a full fall celebration.
For visitors looking to connect Chelan County’s fall season directly to its agricultural roots, Cashmere Apple Days offers a closer look at the people, traditions, and harvest that continue to make apples such an important part of the Wenatchee Valley.
For more information about the Manson Cashmere Apple Days, click here.
Exploring Chelan County During Fall
The festivals are only part of what visitors can experience throughout Chelan County during the season.
The self guided Chelan County Farm & Artisan Trail connects visitors with orchards, wineries, cideries, farm stands, markets, and other agricultural experiences throughout the county. Apples and pears are generally available in September and October, while many wine and cider experiences continue year round.
Travelers can also explore the Cascade Loop and Blewett Pass for scenic drives, or head to the trails and waterfront paths surrounding Leavenworth, the Wenatchee River Valley, and Lake Chelan for a closer look at the changing landscape.
Because fall colors and harvest schedules can change with elevation and weather conditions, visitors should confirm current hours and event information with individual farms, attractions, and organizers before traveling.
From Oktoberfest weekends in Leavenworth to wine harvest celebrations around Lake Chelan and apple traditions in Cashmere, fall 2026 gives visitors several different ways to experience Chelan County, Washington.
For more travel guides, festivals, food, music, and events happening across the country, explore more coverage from Respect My Region.
