October Is Hard Cider Month: Cider Festivals Across the USA
Why October Belongs to Cider
October is National Cider Month, and the timing could not be better. The apples are coming off the trees, the presses are running, and the air finally feels like a cider commercial. Seattle’s Schilling Cider launched the campaign in 2022, and it has since grown into an industry-wide party backed by the American Cider Association and regional guilds from the Northwest to Pennsylvania. More than 160 cideries signed on last year, and North Carolina’s governor even proclaimed October “North Carolina Cider Month.”
It works, too. The ACA says cider sales climbed about 5% during the first National Cider Month, and retailers like Whole Foods now build October displays around local cideries. For drinkers, the payoff is simple: fresh releases, harvest parties, and a festival within driving distance almost every weekend. Here is where to raise a glass this October.
Website: nationalcidermonth.com
October 2026 Cider Festivals Across the USA
Twelve festivals are confirmed for October 2026, and eight of them kick off on Saturday, October 3. They are listed by date.
CiderFeast Brooklyn (Brooklyn, New York): October 3
The CiderFeast East Coast Tour rolls into Industry City for an all-inclusive afternoon of hard cider and the food that loves it. The lineup runs from Nine Pin and Original Sin to Indian Ladder Farms, Treasury Cider and Vermont Cider Co. It is 21+, outdoors, and rain or shine, with VIP entry at noon and general admission at 1 p.m.
Address: Industry City, 254 36th Street, Brooklyn, NY
Website: ciderfeasthq.com
Cider Fest (Buffalo, New York): October 3
Buffalo’s Cider Fest moves to the waterfront for its seventh year, noon to 4 p.m. Expect pours from Black Bird Cider Works, 1911 Established, Cider Creek, Blake’s and Bold Rock. The side dishes steal the show: a clam bake and chowder bar, cider donuts, cider ice cream and cider slushies, plus live music and kids’ activities.
Address: Sully’s Harbor Bar, 329 Erie Street, Buffalo, NY 14202
Website: buffalorising.com
Cider and Ale Festival (Lisle, Illinois): October 3
Sip and stroll under the fall color at The Morton Arboretum, where more than 30 local cideries and breweries pour from noon to 3 p.m. A ticket covers 20 three-ounce samples, a tasting glass and all-day Arboretum admission. VIP gets you in at 11 a.m. with a welcome pour.
Address: The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle, IL 60532
Website: mortonarb.org
Ciderfest419 (Toledo, Ohio): October 3
Toledo’s craft cider festival turns five this year with a new riverfront home at Middlegrounds Metropark. Regional cideries pour from 4 to 7 p.m., with live music, food trucks, lawn games and a People’s Choice vote. General admission includes 10 tasting tickets, and the $58 VIP ticket opens the gates at 3 p.m.
Address: Middlegrounds Metropark, 111 Ottawa Street, Toledo, OH
Website: toledonightmarket.com/ciderfest419
Idaho Cider Fest (Boise, Idaho): October 3
The fourth annual Idaho Cider Fest is one big cider-filled block party in downtown Boise. Hosted by Meriwether Cider Co., it gathers Northwest cideries, local food, vendors and games from noon to 6 p.m. Admission is free and all ages are welcome.
Address: Bannock Street between 8th and 9th, Boise, ID
Website: meriwethercider.com/idahociderfest
Hood River Orchard & Ale Festival (Hood River, Oregon): October 3
Hood River sits in the heart of Oregon fruit country, and this waterfront festival pours the proof from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Cider and craft beer share the taps with the Columbia River Gorge as a backdrop.
Address: Portway Avenue, Hood River, OR 97031
Website: nwcider.com/cider-events
2 Towns Ciderhouse Harvest Party (Corvallis, Oregon): October 3
One of the Northwest’s best-known cideries throws its 16th annual Harvest Party at its home base. The party runs noon to 9 p.m., making it the longest pour of the day.
Address: 1749 SW Airport Ave, Corvallis, OR 97333
Website: nwcider.com/cider-events
Louisburg Ciderfest (Louisburg, Kansas): October 3-4
A Kansas tradition since 1978, the 48th annual Ciderfest celebrates fresh-pressed sweet cider rather than hard cider, and it is perfect for families. Watch the presses run in a barn once featured on “How It’s Made,” eat cider donuts, and catch live bluegrass. Admission and parking are free, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Address: Louisburg Cider Mill, 14730 K-68 Highway, Louisburg, KS 66053
Website: louisburgcidermill.com/ciderfest
CiderFest at Big B’s Delicious Orchards (Hotchkiss, Colorado): October 9-11
Three days of free live music in a working orchard on Colorado’s Western Slope. Big B’s pairs cider tastings with local beer, barbecue, vendors, kids’ activities and on-site camping. It is free and family-friendly.
Address: Big B’s Delicious Orchards, 39126 Highway 133, Hotchkiss, CO 81419
Website: bigbs.com
Sippin’ on Cider (Bellingham, Washington): October 17
Washington grows more apples than any other state, and Bellingham’s Fairhaven district toasts the harvest from 2 to 7 p.m. It is a mid-month chance to meet Northwest cidermakers face to face.
Address: 355 Harris Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225
Website: nwcider.com/cider-events
Bauman’s Cider Festival (Gervais, Oregon): October 24-25
Award-winning Bauman’s Cider hosts two days of cider and local beer tastings inside the family farm’s Harvest Festival, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The $30 ticket (21+) includes Harvest Festival admission, a tasting glass and five tasting tickets. Kids can come along with a parent, and leashed dogs are welcome.
Address: Bauman’s Farm & Garden, Gervais, OR
Website: baumanshf.com/cider-festival
Apple Fest at Citizen Cider (Burlington, Vermont): October 24
Citizen Cider’s “eat an apple, drink an apple” party appears on the National Cider Month calendar for October 24, with music and games at the Pine Street taproom. Check with the cidery to confirm the time.
Address: 316 Pine Street, Burlington, VT 05401
Website: nationalcidermonth.com/events
No Festival Nearby? Celebrate Anyway
You do not need a wristband to celebrate National Cider Month. Participating cideries from coast to coast list taproom events, harvest releases and special flights on the National Cider Month site, so there is likely a pour near you. Pick up a local four-pack, visit an orchard, or try a single-varietal cider and taste what the apple itself can do. Dates, hours and ticket prices can change, so confirm with the organizer before you hit the road.
Website: nationalcidermonth.com/events
