Top 33 Best Summer Festivals in the South You need to Experience

By the Backseat View

Hello, Friends!

We made it to summer! There’s something about summer that feels like freedom to explore new places. Summer is festival season, and there’s no better way to experience the heart of a destination than through its music, food, culture, and community celebrations. From small-town traditions and coastal seafood feasts to massive music events, these summer gatherings bring unforgettable memories and plenty of reasons to hit the road. Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway, family vacation, or just adding fun events to your summer calendar, this guide to the Top 33 Summer Festivals is packed with celebrations worth traveling for.

Best Summer Festivals in the South

Let’s start with the biggest music festivals, then the fried pie, cheesecake, and ice cream festivals, and we will end with the running of the bulls festival.

Southern Summer Festivals

Most of these festivals have websites and Facebook pages for more information.

🎶 Major Bucket-List Festivals

I’m going to give you average attendance, but these are your 100,000-person BIG-type festivals coming up first.

Bonnaroo

1. Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival – Manchester, TN (June 11-14, 2026)

• Bonnaroo is one of the most iconic U.S. music festivals on a 700-acre farm
• Huge multi-genre lineup + camping experience
• Tickets start at $174 a day or $435 for 4 days
• Attendance average is over 80,000
• Known as the modern day Woodstock
  

2. Spoleto Festival USA – Charleston, SC (May 21^st –June 7th)

• Spoleto is a world-class arts festival (opera, theater, dance, classical music)
• One of the South’s most prestigious cultural events
• Attendance averages 80,000, with over 3.5 million in ticket sales.
• Charleston is one of my favorite cities, and the beach is just a drive over the bridge for days on the beach and a show at night.
  

Country Music

3. CMA Fest – Nashville, TN (June 4^th– 7^th, 2026)

• CMA Fest is country music’s biggest fan festival
• Concerts + stadium shows with country’s biggest stars such as Ella Langley, Riley Green, Jelly Roll & Shaboozey & dozens more
• I have your guide for all things Nashville.
• 30 Top Things to Do in Nashville has it all from Broadway’s bars to trendy shopping and historic mansions to tour.
• Attendance runs near 100,000 people
  

4. Railbird Festival – Lexington, KY (June 6th & 7th)

• Bourbon + bluegrass + country Americana vibes
• Ella Langley and The Lumineers, along with dozens of others, are performing on three stages.
• Railbird Festival tickets start at $175 a day.
• I love Lexington, so here’s your Kentucky Guide for other top activities. Experience the 10 Top Activities in Kentucky, from horse racing, baseball museums, the Ark, zoos, caves, and historic sites. Kentucky always means beautiful horse farms in the morning with concerts at night to me.
• Attendance averages 40,000 people
  

Summer Beach Festival

5. Gulf Coast Jam- Panama City Beach, FL- May 28th-31^st

• Post Malone, Chris Stapleton, Riley Green, and Keith Urban are just a few of the big names performing.
• 4 Day tickets start at $420 for the Gulf Coast Jam.
• The Panama City Travel Guide has everything else you need for a perfect weekend. The Inside’s Guide to Panama City, Florida provides all the attractions, day trips and best restaurant options.
• Attendance is over 100,000 people every year
  

6. Riverbeat Music Festival- Memphis, TN (May 1^st, 2^nd, 3rd)

• The Riverbeat Music Festival has been held at Tom Lee Park on the Mississippi River for the past two years instead of the Beale Street Music Festival.
• Top performers vary each year.
• Attendance runs around 30,000
  

Rock the South

7. Rock the South – Cullman, AL – June 11th-13th

• Huge country music festival with national headliners like Jason Aldean, Riley Green & Brantley Gilbert located in a big field.
• Rock the South is known as the “biggest party in the South.”
• Attendance is over 100,000 every year
  

🎨 Arts, Culture & Heritage Festivals

8. An Appalachian Summer Festival – Boone, NC (all of July)

• Month-long arts celebration with concerts, dance & theater at Appalachian State University
• Boone is a fabulous, vibrant mountain town for a weekend trip, with morning hikes and shows at night.
  

9. Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival – Orlando, FL (May 12-25, 2026)

• The Fringe is the longest-running (35 years) fringe festival in the U.S.
• Y’all, I had to look up what Fringe means, and it’s basically multiple types of arts and performances.
• This is a multi-day festival featuring theater, music, dance, comedy, and arts from local and national artists.
• Performers are selected through a lottery system so everyone has a chance.
• You buy a gate ticket for $10, then pay for each show you want to attend, which is another $15.
• Fringe draws around 55,000 people
  

ELVIS Festival

10. Tupelo Elvis Festival – Tupelo, MS (June 3-6, 2026)

• The Elvis Festival has tribute artists, concerts & Southern nostalgia
• There are Elvis competitions, 5K races and gospel concerts
• Events are ticketed separately
• Over 10,000 people attend the festival
  

WATER Festival

11. Beaufort Water Festival – Beaufort, SC (July 17-26, 2026)

• The Beaufort Water Festival is a 10-day, 70-year coastal celebration tradition with boat events & live music in the small, magical town of Beaufort.
• There are arts & crafts vendors, kids events, dance competitions, and a low country supper.
• I read about this festival three times before I grasped that it involved water parades with groups of people skiing together. So, it’s a WATER festival with lots of water entertainment, if you missed it too.
• Around 70,000 people attend over the 10-day span.
• Beaufort is worth the trip alone to experience the charming coastal town filled with history, located on the southern Outer Banks.
  

12. Appalachian Homecoming – Townsend, TN (July 31 to August 1st, 2026)

• The Dancing Bear Lodge hosts small-town Appalachian culture, food & music
• This is Gatlinburg Country, and I love this lodge, so it’s the perfect restful weekend. Great Smoky Mountains Guide to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge for the best animal interactions, hikes, restaurants, and activities.
• This is a tiny, ticketed event with 200 people, for my friends who hate crowds.
  

🍑 Food & Southern Flavor Festivals

13. Georgia Peach Festival– Byron & Fort Valley, GA (June 5^th& 6^th & 13th)

• Classic 40-year Southern summer event celebrating peaches
• There’s peach jam, cobblers, ice cream, art vendors, kid zones, and live music
• There’s the World’s Largest Peach Cobbler baked onsite
• Festival ends with fireworks
• Byron is 90 minutes south of Atlanta in the middle of the state.
  

14. Georgia Blueberry Festival- Alam, GA (June 5^th & 6^th)

• The 52nd Annual Blueberry Festival is held in the small town known as Georgia’s Blueberry Capital.
• There’s a blueberry pie-eating competition, a kid zone, craft, and food vendors.
• Alam is 90 minutes from Georgia’s coast, so I would pair this festival with a beach weekend on Jekyll Island or St. Simons.
• Jekyll Island’s Top 9 Attractions allow you to step back in history and vacation with the powerful families of the Gilded Age on Jekyll Island. Enjoy riding your bike under mysterious, ancient oaks dripping in moss to the perfect coastline beach. Visiting the enchanting Driftwood Beach is an escape to another world.
  

Fried Pie Festival

15. Fried Pie Festival- Buchanan, GA (September 19^th)

• The streets are filled with fried pies like apple, peach, blackberry, strawberry, and cherry, along with chocolate and banana cream.
• There are over 200 booths packed with handmade goods, local crafts, and food.
• There are bike shows, car shows, live music, a kid zone, and pie-eating contests.
• Buchanan Ga is 40 minutes from my hometown of Anniston, so it’s near the Alabama/Georgia line.
• The Anniston & Oxford Travel Guide complete with 15 Day Trips from my home in the land of the pines and pastures.
• Attendance is over 10,000 people.
  

Cheesecake Festival

16. Cheesecake Festival- Murfreesboro, TN (May 30^th)

• This festival is packed with sweets, over 100 vendors, and cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory.
• Held at Lane Agri Park from 10 am-4 pm
• Murfreesboro is outside Nashville, so pair this with Nashville’s other attractions for a summer festival weekend.
  

17. RC Cola-Moon Pie Festival- Bell Buckle, TN (June 20^th)

• The tiny town of Bell Buckle kicks off the festival with a 10-mile and 5K races.
• After a big town breakfast, the craft fair, food courts, and live entertainment begin.
• After the Moon Pie Parade, the day ends with cutting the World’s Largest Moon Pie.
• Bell Buckle is an hour south of Nashville, so combine it with Nashville for a weekend getaway.
  

18. Alabama Blueberry Festival – Brewton, AL (June 20^th)

• Huge variety of art & craft vendors, live entertainment, car show, and kids section
• Famous Brewton homemade blueberry ice cream & blueberry desserts
• Brewton is outside Gulf Shores, so add a festival to your beach trip.
  

Shrimp Festival

19. National Shrimp Festival – Gulf Shores, AL (October 8-11, 2026)

• Because it’s still summer at the beach in October, let’s go to the National Shrimp Festival.
• The Shrimp Festival is a 50-year tradition with live music, delicious food, and art vendors.
• This is my home so I have the Ultimate Guide to visiting Alabama’s Beaches.
• The Ultimate Guide to Alabama Beaches explores Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Perdido Key, and Dauphin Island.
  

20. Pensacola Seafood Festival– Pensacola, FL (September 25-27, 2026)

• Pensacola is always a good idea in my book, plus a festival makes for the perfect beach weekend getaway.
• Over 170 arts & crafts vendors, live entertainment, over 50 Gulf seafood vendors with crab cakes, lobster rolls, and Low Country boil.
  

Ice Cream Festival

21. Atlanta Ice Cream Festival– Atlanta, GA (July 25^th, 2026, in Piedmont Park)

• The largest and most established (16^th year) ice cream festival in the South.
• 100-plus vendors, live music, a Wellness Zone with fitness routines, and family zones
• Over 25,000 people attend the festival, and parking is scarce.
• Atlanta is an hour from my home, so here’s an Atlanta Guide for a summer weekend. Local’s Guide to Atlanta’s 35 attractions for an entertainment-filled week.
  

22. Atlanta Dessert Festival- Atlanta, GA (July 25th 2026)

• Over a 100 Sweet vendors, food trucks, crafts, and games.
• It’s held in Grant Park, beside the Atlanta Zoo, for a wild day filled with sugar and animals.

Tomato Festival

23. French Market Creole Tomato Festival – LA (June 6^th & 7^th, 2026)

• A Creole Tomato Festival celebrating with live music, dance lessons, and food vendors.
• There are craft booths and cooking lessons at the New Orleans Festival for a fun weekend.
  

Watermelon Festival

24. Carytown Watermelon Festival – Richmond, VA (August 9^th, 2026)

• 44^th Annual Watermelon Festival with 80 musicians, over 100 exhibitors, and one of the largest kids’ areas of any festival on the East Coast.
• Experience great live music on multiple stages throughout the festival, delicious food from local vendors, shopping, and tons of watermelon!
• Attendance is around 115,000 people.
  

🎉 Unique & Local Favorites

25. Alabaster CityFest – Alabaster, AL (June 6^th, 2026)

• One of Alabama’s largest free festivals with music + family fun
• Trace Adkins is headlining the free concert, and there are craft vendors, food trucks, a car show, and a kid zone.
  

26. Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Balloon Classic – Decatur – Memorial Day Weekend

• The Hot Air Balloon Classic features dozens of colorful hot air balloons and a nighttime “balloon glow.”
• There are food and craft vendors, a tractor show, live entertainment, and a car show for a weekend or day trip.
  

4th of July

27. Franklin on the Fourth – Franklin, TN (July 4)

• Classic Americana celebration with small-town charm and I LOVE Franklin!
• Franklin on the 4^th will focus on family fun, including great music, free games, a pet parade, a regular parade, quality crafts, and tasty food.  
• Fourteen miles from Nashville, Downtown Franklin, Tennessee is an oasis of Southern hospitality housed in a 16-block National Register district of antique shops, gift and book stores, art galleries, boutiques, lovingly restored homes, and more.  It boasts an award-winning Main Street, brick sidewalks, and a stunning collection of Victorian buildings.
  
• Here’s my Nashville Travel Guide to complete your weekend. 30 Top Things to Do in Nashville has it all, from Broadway’s bars to trendy shopping and historic mansions to tour.
  

Hemingway Days

28. Hemingway Days – Key West, FL (July 22-26)

• Quirky literary festival + famous look-alike contest
• Hemingway Days 2026 celebrates Ernest Hemingway with contests, literary events, fishing tournaments, and family-friendly festivities.
• This is the 45th annual festival honoring the legacy of Ernest Hemingway, held across iconic Key West venues such as Sloppy Joe’s Bar, Duval Street, and the Hemingway Home & Museum. 
  
• The Florida Keys are always a Fantastic Idea, so here’s your Florida Keys Travel Guide. The Florida Keys Travel Guide explores the quirky, colorful, and tropical paradise known as The Keys. The clear blue water draws visitors from all walks of life to snorkel and fish. Between sunrise and sunset, the time is filled with adventure.
  

29. Sweetgrass Cultural Arts Festival – Mount Pleasant, SC (July 25, 2026)

• Gullah Geechee culture, traditions, and basket art form
• The artisan vendors will showcase and sell their original works in basketry, floral, leather goods, photography, baby items, metal work, soaps/lotion, candles, furniture, wood crafts and items, clay/pottery, glass works, paintings, clothing, jewelry, beadwork, and more.
• There will be entertainment and activities, food, and more.
  

30. Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands – Asheville, NC (July 16-19, 2026)

• One of the best Appalachian traditional craft shows costs $12 a person
• Over 100 juried artists representing the Southern Highland region
• A wide range of fine craft across 12 media: clay, fiber, wood, metal, glass, paper, leather, jewelry, natural materials, and more.
• Live demonstrations and hands-on craft education
• The opportunity to shop handmade and meet the makers behind the work
  

31. Running of the Bulls New Orleans– LA (July 10-12, 2026)

• People are dressed in red costumes, with horns on their heads, and it looks like a New Orleans party.
• Roller skating bulls chase participants through the streets hitting them with plastic bats. It’s an exciting 30 minute, free run.
• Around 10,000 people participate in the Bull Run.
• The weekend is packed with live music, events and tons of fun.
  

Summer Flower Festivals

32. Lookout Lavender Farm- North GA – June 17^th – 21^st

• Walk through rows of blooming lavender fields with U-Pick options, pottery demos, lavender vendors, and photos with bunnies in the fields.
  

33. South Carolina Festival of Flowers – Greenwood, SC (June 4-7, 2026)

• Stunning floral displays + art + food
• There’s so much to do, from concerts, baseball games, runs, tennis competitions, and train rides. This is a fantastic weekend.
  

Soak up the Summer,

From the music and food to the traditions and warm Southern hospitality, summer festivals across the South offer something special for every kind of traveler. Whether you’re dancing under the stars, sampling local foods, or exploring charming small towns, these celebrations are the perfect way to experience the region’s vibrant community spirit. As you plan your summer adventures, be sure to add a few of these unforgettable festivals to your itinerary—you might just discover a new favorite tradition along the way.

Thanks for reading my blog, and let’s make your summer count! Here’s a few more places I love to visit in the summer!

Savannah
The Savannah Weekend Getaway Guide is filled with history, culinary delights, and shopping.
Tybee Island
Tybee Island Travel Guide for discovering a peaceful family beach vacation. If you are dreaming of uncrowded beaches, Tybee delivers.
Forsyth Park