Photo credit: Capture.Share.Repeat.
Fall is a time of changing leaves, cooling weather, and all things pumpkin. With the new season in full swing, plan your days around some of the most popular and unique annual events in Grays Harbor County.
Mushroom Festivals
Learn all about harvesting mushrooms in the Pacific Northwest at two fungi-filled events on the Harbor. The first to take place in the fall of 2024 is the Quinault Rainforest Mushroom Festival on October 5th complete with fantastic door prizes for attendees, keynote speakers, vendors, guided mushroom forays, contests, fungi workshops and talks on how to identify mushrooms, and much more fun for all in the mesmerizing Quinault Rainforest. The second event to save the date for, the South Beach Mushroom Festival, will take place in Grayland on October 12th where attendees can celebrate foraging in on the Washington Coast alongside vendors and experts in the field.
Montesano BrewFest
Held on the last Saturday of September, the Montesano BrewFest has quickly become one of the most anticipated festivals in Grays Harbor. The BrewFest pulls out all the stops with live musicians playing throughout the event, food vendors, and a rousing cornhole tournament offering cash prizes to the winning teams. Sip on craft beers, wine, and crisp ciders during this 21+ event kicking off the fall season.
Celtic Music Feis
Whether you have Irish heritage or simply enjoy a nice Guinness, the Celtic Music Feis is an event not to be missed! Held in Ocean Shores for nearly 20 years, Galway Bay’s Celtic Music Feis celebrates Irish songs, ballads, players and bands that flood into the city with music and fun each October.
Various VIP event tickets are on sale offering attendees different levels of access to the event, including the highest level providing 60 hours of music access. Your ears will be in for a treat of an eclectic mix of Irish bands, choirs and dancers hailing from throughout the United States, Canada and, of course, Ireland. An experience is never complete with a delicious meal of fish and chips, Gaelic steak, corned beef hash, traditional Irish breakfast, bangers and mash, and Shepard’s pie, to name a few delicacies, all served at Galway Bay.
Photo credit: Capture.Share.Repeat.
Cranberry Harvest Festival
Grayland is known for its abundance of cranberry bogs and growers in the area, which makes it the perfect, ruby red setting for the annual Cranberry Harvest Festival. Take part in the Cranberry Cook-Off and provide your special recipe for the cookbook, shop the many vendors on site at the Grayland Community Hall, witness cranberry harvests in action, take part in the Bog Jog race, and enjoy the Firefly Parade. This is surely an event that can’t be found many other places in the U.S.!
Bigfoot Brewfest
Seabrook’s Bigfoot Brewfest is one of the most well attended events of the year! As one of the Washington Coast’s largest and most comprehensive beer 
festivals, Growler’s Alley in the heart of Seabrook is packed with great drinks, delicious food, games, and live music. On-site are plenty of regional breweries, cideries and distilleries offering a beverage that everyone can appreciate.
Live music keeps the party going all day long as well as food vendors to keep attendees fueled for a day of fun. Enjoy the live music while also strolling through the many locally owned shops that make up Seabrook’s commercial district and take in unbeatable views of the Pacific Ocean. All of this fun and more at the Bigfoot Brewfest!
Chapman Farms
While not a specific event, no fall is complete in Grays Harbor without a stop at Chapman Farms! Avoid the crowds at big city farms and plan a trip to this family-owned farm in Montesano. Stock up your home with homegrown corn, pumpkins, sunflowers, and gourds.
Watch their Facebook page for the most up to date yearly happenings that can include indoor and outdoor hay mazes, sunflower field photo ops, large corn maze, live music and even the chance to witness small planes land and take off at their Fly-In landing strip.
Hallo-Weekend Around Grays Harbor
Halloween weekend, often referred to as “Hallo-Weekend,” is one of the most fun and spooky weekends on the Harbor. Many businesses put on Halloween-inspired events, live music, craft fairs, carnivals, trunk-or-treats for kids, and much more, so be such to watch the GGHI calendar for the most up-to-date happenings in the area.
One local community to keep an eye on each year includes Seabrook which in 2024 will be hosting a Pumpkin Carving Contest, Parade of Costumes and Costume Contest, Magic Show, Make your own Caramel Apple Booth, Music in the Park, and Trick-or-Treat through town, among other things. Additionally, Oyhut Bay Seaside Village has big plans for 2024 with a Halloween Boo Bash dance party and costume contest, outdoor pumpkin patch, and craft evenings. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for the most current events.
For the adults, the Aberdeen Elks hosts a not-to-miss Halloween Bash dance party and costume contest as part of their membership drive and is a great place for all ages to spend the night with various music genres playing such as “oldies” in the early evening, a live band, and club music later in the night.
For a complete calendar of fall events and events all year long, click here!
This original content is produced by Greater Grays Harbor, Inc. and sponsored by Grays Harbor County Tourism.