Travel calendar

Blairsville — Georgia's Official Sorghum Festival, Oct. 13-14 and Oct. 20-21, is the place to get mountain-grown sorghum syrup and includes activities such as log sawing, biscuit eating, pole climbing and rock throwing. There's also a craft show. www.blairsvillesorghumfestival.com.

Milledgeville — The Deep Roots Festival, Oct. 20, is a cultural arts and music festival featuring artists and vendors, along with an antique car show and live entertainment. www.deeprootsfestival.com.

Hiawassee — The Appalachian Brew, Stew and Que Festival, Oct. 27, features 21 craft breweries from Georgia and North Carolina as well as food and music. www.georgiamountainfairgrounds.com.

Helen — The annual Oktoberfest, through Oct. 28, features German music, food, drinks and dancing. www.helenchamber.com.

Juliette — The Green Tomato Festival, Oct. 27-28, celebrates the town's fame as the set for the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes" and offers arts and crafts for sale. www.forsythcvb.com.

Warm Springs — The Christmas Candlelight Tour Festival, Nov. 16-Dec. 23, features strolling carolers and other musicians performing, as well as restaurants and shops open late for holiday shopping. www.warmspringsga.com.

Jekyll Island — The Jekyll Island Tree Lighting, Nov. 24, happens in the historic district once the sun goes down and fireworks will light up the sky.

ALABAMA

Mobile — The Alabama Pecan Festival, Nov. 2-4, features rides, food, face painting, arts and crafts, a classic country and western show and a Sunday gospel show. www.alabamapecanfestival.com.

Dothan — The National Peanut Festival, Nov. 2-11, honors peanut growers with amusement rides, animal shows, agricultural displays, concerts, a parade and tons of peanuts. nationalpeanutfestival.com.

Fort Payne — The Canyon Fest, Nov. 3, includes live music, nature and art activities, demonstrations, children's activities and more designed to celebrate the canyon. www.facebook.com/littlerivercanyoncenter.

Tallassee — The Battles for the Armory & Arts and Crafts Fair, Nov. 9-11, will feature a Civil War reenactment, as well as the chance to see what it was like in day-to-day life during the 1860s. tallasseearmoryguards.org.

Huntsville — Galaxy of Lights, Nov. 23-Dec. 31, is a 2.5-mile holiday light drive with animated displays. www.hsvbg.org.

FLORIDA

Miami — The South Beach Seafood Festival, Oct. 16-20, not only includes tastes of seafood, but life music, games and culinary demonstrations. sobeseafoodfest.com.

Brooksville — Camping With the Blues, Oct. 19-21, is three days of blues music including Duffy Bishop, Dirty Red and the Soul Shakers, Mark May Band and more. www.campingwiththeblues.com.

Lee — Paddle down the Suwannee River from Madison Blue Spring State Park to Branford, Oct. 19-24. www.paddleflorida.org.

McIntosh — The 1890s Festival, Oct. 20, hosts more than 250 vendors and benefits projects in the community. www.friendsofmcintosh.org.

LOUISIANA

Madisonville — The Wooden Boat Festival, through Oct. 14, attracts more than 100 classic boats and hundreds of spectator boats and includes live music, children's activities, arts and crafts, a cruise-in and more. lpbmm.org.

Avondale — The Country Smooth Fest, Oct. 20-21, features live music from Hunter Hayes, Whiskey Myers, Tyler Farr, Raelynn, Josh Abbott Band and more. countrysmoothfest.com.

Hammond — The Hammond Northshore Regional Airshow, Oct. 20-21, features planes from across the U.S. and Canada. hammondairshow.com.

Lafayette — The Louisiana Steampunk Festival, Nov. 4-5, plans to create an immersive performance space where visitors can become part of the performance while steampunk- and Victorian-inspired music entertains. www.louisianatravel.com.

Port Barre — The Port Barre Cracklin Festival, Nov. 9-11, showcases the ritual of making the traditional Louisiana food and includes live music and more activities. cracklinfest.com.

Lake Charles — Flea Fest, Nov. 10-11, is nearly 4 covered acres of vendors dealing in antiques, retro, vintage, crafts and food. www.fleafest.com.

MISSISSIPPI

Natchez — The Great Mississippi River Balloon Race, Oct. 19-21, starts with a balloon glow Friday night and continues with flights over the weekend, live music, sports tent, kids carnival and more. natchezballoonrace.com.

Greenville — The Delta Hot Tamale Festival, Oct. 20, has multiple tamale vendors, music, eating contests and famous chefs. mainstreetgreenville.com.

N ORTH CAROLINA

Dillsboro — The WNC Pottery Festival, Nov. 3, showscases more than 40 master potters from 13 states. www.discoverjacksonnc.com.

Dillsboro — The Festival of Light and Luminaries, Dec. 7-8 and 14-15, transforms into a winter wonderland with lights and horse and buggy rides, live music, holiday goodies and more. www.discoverjacksonnc.com.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Aiken — The Western Carolina State Fair, Oct. 19-28, has cotton candy, corn dogs, funnel cakes and carnival rides. westerncarolinastatefair.com.

Charleston — Made in the South Weekend, Nov. 9-10, is hosted by Garden & Gun magazine and kicks off with a concert by Amanda Shires and is followed by a maker's marketplace as well as an awards dinner. www.gardenandgun.com.

TENNESSEE

Chattanooga — Dread Hollow, through Oct. 31 (select dates), is a haunted house from the masterminds behind Ruby Falls Haunted Cavern. www.hauntedcavern.com.

Lookout Mountain — Rock City's Rocktoberfest, through Oct. 28, includes live German music, polka lessons, German food and more. www.seerockcity.com/rocktoberfest.

Red Boiling Springs — The Haunted Hotel Overnight Ghost Hunt, Oct. 12-14 (and other dates), offers the chance to explore the notoriously haunted Thomas House Hotel. www.ghosthuntweekends.com/ghw/thomas-house_main.html.

Morristown — The Mountain Makins Festival, Oct. 27-28, celebrates Appalachian culture with arts and crafts, children's activities, folk demonstrations and more. www.rosecenter.org.