8 under-the-radar fall festivals outside the Perimeter

Duluth's annual fall festival is such a big deal, it actually kicks off the weekend before with a concert, followed by a carnival and then two days of nonstop celebration. Photo courtesy of Duluth Fall Festival

Duluth's annual fall festival is such a big deal, it actually kicks off the weekend before with a concert, followed by a carnival and then two days of nonstop celebration. Photo courtesy of Duluth Fall Festival

Atlanta has no shortage of events throughout the fall season. Even if you don’t live right in the city limits, the options for fall fun are virtually limitless.

From food to music to art, here's a rundown of eight upcoming festivals happening outside of the Perimeter.

10 a.m - 2 p.m.  Sept. 29. Milton Avenue, Alpharetta.

Heralded the "best fall festival in Georgia" by Travel+Leisure, the Scarecrow Harvest features free hayrides, live music, face painting and storytelling. You can also buy festival food, play games or participate in different artsy activities.

Each year, over 100 scarecrows are submitted by students, businesses, neighborhoods, families and individuals. At noon, awards are given to accredited K-5 classrooms for categories such as most creative, best personality and best constructed.

Six-year-old Alex Blecker, of Roswell, enjoys a dragon ride at the Cumming Country Fair & Festival, held at the Cumming Fairgrounds. The fair will run all this weekend.

Credit: Phil Skinner / AJC

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Credit: Phil Skinner / AJC

Oct. 4-14. 4 p.m. - 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 4 p.m. -midnight; Friday; 10 a.m. - midnight Saturday; 12:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. Sunday; Cumming Fairgrounds, 235 Castleberry Road, Cumming. Admission for ages 10 and under is free. Ages 11 and up cost $7. Parking is an additional $5.

This year's Cumming Country Fair will include concerts from Confederate Railroad and Trace Adkins. Daily attractions at the Fairgrounds include a new Grizzly bear show, an Olympic high dive show, and David Smith performing his daring show, "The Human Cannonball" – among other events.

Noon - 5 p.m. Oct. 20. Downtown Decatur Square, 101 E. Court Square, Decatur.

Tickets go on sale on September 17. General admission costs $50 and VIP tickets will go for $100. You must be 21 or older to enter the festival.

If you love beer and live music, the Decatur Craft Beer Festival might be a good event to throw on your calendar. With each ticket purchase, you'll get a special tasting glass and unlimited sips from over 80 breweries.

Duluth's annual fall festival is such a big deal, it actually kicks off the weekend before with a concert, followed by a carnival and then two days of nonstop celebration. Photo courtesy of Duluth Fall Festival

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Sept. 27-30. 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday (Carnival only) ; 9 a.m. - 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; Warm up for the road race begins at 7:40 a.m. on Sunday. 3142 Hill St. NW, Duluth.

With roots going back more than 50 years, the Duluth Fall Festival has evolved into a true celebration of the town and its history. The festival starts off with a carnival and then goes on to include a parade, live entertainment, a silent auction, a road race and other attractions. Admission is free.

9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. Oct. 6. The festival location is 15 W Broad St., Fairburn. The parade will take place on Hwy 29 in Fairburn.

The Fairburn Fall Festival will include activities for kids, live performances, street entertainment, a food court and the Fairburn Festival Parade. The location is in downtown Fairburn and admission is free.

10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Oct. 6 and 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Oct. 7, 1 Park Dr., Norcross.

The festival, including a special Kidz Zone, is free to attend. If you're interested in the wine tasting, tickets are $35 online or $55 on the day of (unless they are sold out).

About 20,000 people descend on Downtown Norcross every year to see artwork of all kinds. Over two days, visitors can browse through paintings, ceramics, photography and jewelry made by artists from around the country.

For the first time this year, the Norcross Art Splash festival will also include the Wine Festival featuring over 60 wine selections from around the world.

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sept. 15-16.  Historic Roswell Town Square, 610 Atlanta St., Roswell.

Singers, Dancers, and "a healthy dose of small town charm" are all features of the Roswell Arts Festival each year. You can grab food from local food trucks or bring your kids to do painting, sand art, balloon animals and other activities. Since 1966, this festival has funded over $1 million in projects throughout Roswell. Attendance is free.

11 a.m. - 8 p.m. Sept. 15. Smyrna Village Green and Market Village, 2800 King St. SE, Smyrna.

This year's Taste of Smyrna event will feature food from over 35 restaurants. Admission is free, but food samples will range from $1 to $4. You can also groove to acoustic music all day and bring your kids over to the Kids Zone for bite-sized entertainment.