Are you ready? This year's Morgan County Fall Foliage Festival is set to return October 7-10 with all the fun you expect in a new, temporary location at the Morgan County Fairgrounds and a slight change to the parade route. This fun fall festival has been an iconic Morgan County fall tradition for more than 60 years! You'll find just about everything you can ask for in a fall festival, and maybe even a few surprises! Don't worry - we've got all the details. Check the event schedule below for specific events.
This year's festival theme is "A Harvest of Memories," celebrating the long running nature of this countywide event that spans generations. This year's festival will be a bit different than most due to the limitations on road closures during the I-69 Finish Line construction project. Because traffic is currently re-routing through downtown Martinsville, street closures are off the table this fall for the major routes of Morgan and Main Streets. This means a temporary relocation of the popular annual festival to the Morgan County Fairgrounds, located on Hospital Drive. The up side of the change of venue means there's lots of room for events and rides!
The street closure limitations also means a slight adjustment to the parade route on Sunday, Oct. 10. The parade will begin at Bell Intermediate Academy on Columbus Street, turn right onto 2nd Street, then left onto Washington Street. The parade continues on Washignton Street, turning left onto Jefferson Street a block before Main Street this year to accommodate the detour traffic on Main Street, then turning left onto Columbus Street and proceeding as normal to Home Avenue, ending on Gray Street at Martinsville High School. As always, the parade steps off at 1 pm.
Here's what's on tap for this year's Fall Foliage Festival - the four day event kicks off on Thursday, Oct. 7 with Family Bargain Night featuring special pricing on ride tickets. There will be free entertainment each evening as well as the annual Art Show, Quilt Show and more. Off site events such as the RC Air Show and Car Show will take place as normal.
There are a few events that take place prior to the official festival start on Oct. 7:
The Fall Foliage Festival Queen Pageant will take place on Oct. 2.
The Conservation Tour: Pollinator Edition will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 5 beginning at 4:30 pm, (Advanced RSVP to the Morgan County Soil & Water Conservation District is required for the Conservation Tour, which will visit Peine Farms and Hunter's Honey Farm. More information on the tour can be found at morgancountyswcd.org).
Farmer's Day will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 6 from 4 to 7 pm. This is a departure from previous years when the event was held on Thursday morning of festival week. Be sure to bring the little ones out to learn more about farming!
Thursday, October 7
5 pm Carnival opens. All rides are one ticket on Family Bargain Night!
5 pm Quilt Show at the 4-H Building (open throughout festival)
5 pm Baby Contest Voting Begins
5 pm Free Stage: Martinsville HS Chamber Orchestra
6-8 pm Customer Appreciation Night
6 pm Free Stage: Silly Safari's Live Animal Show
6 pm Live Music: The Why Store
6:30-8:30 pm Art Show at the Art Sanctuary (190 N. Sycamore Street)
Friday, October 8
Baby Contest Voting Begins
Noon-9 pm Art Show at the Art Sanctuary (190 N. Sycamore Street)
5 pm Carnival opens.
5 pm Quilt Show at the 4-H Building (open throughout festival)
5 pm Live Music: Austin James
5 pm Free Stage: Par-Ta Cloggers Gentry Martial Arts
6:15 pm Live Music: Wayne Pennington
6:30 pm Free Stage: Gentry Martial Arts
8:15 pm Live Music: White River Ramblers
Saturday, October 9
9 am - 2 pm Car, Truck & Motorcycle Show (MHS-1360 E. Gray Street)
11 am - 2 pm Kids' Activities: Bean Bag Toss, Bubble Gum Blowing Contest, Tricycle Race, Relay Race, Straw Search, Football Toss, Pedal Tractor Pull
11 am Quilt Show at the 4-H Building (open throughout festival)
Noon-3 pm Art Show at the Art Sanctuary (190 N. Sycamore Street)
Noon RC Air Show at Nebo Memorial RC Flying Field (Lenvoil Road)
1 pm Free Stage: Rhythm Chasers Cloggers
1 pm Carnival opens. (Kids' Day: One Ticket Rides from 1-5 pm)
2 pm Free Stage: Martinsville Academy Gymnastics
3 pm Free Stage: J2Dance Studio
4 pm Free Stage: Big Mac Eating Contest
5 pm Free Stage: Elite Dancers
5 pm Live Music: Jack Martin
6 pm Free Stage: Morgan County K9 Demonstration
6 pm Live Music: Russ Baum
8 pm Baby Contest Voting Ends
8:15 pm Live Music: Slide Cat Royale
***Fall Demolition Derby is not a part of the Morgan County Fall Foliage Festival, but will take place at the Morgan County Fairgrounds on Saturday, October 9 beginning at 7 pm.***
Sunday, October 10
8 am 5K Run/Walk Registration/Packet Pickup at Bell Intermediate Academy
9 am Open Air Church Service at the Free Stage
9:30 am 5K Run/Walk begins (race travels the parade route)
Noon Quilt Show at the 4-H Building (open throughout festival)
Noon - 5 pm Carnival open
1 pm Fall Foliage Festival Parade (Leaves from Bell Intermediate Academy; Ends at Martinsville High School)