Fall in Laurel 2026
There is something about fall in Laurel that makes us want to slow down a little. After a long Mississippi summer, the first cooler mornings feel like an invitation to get outside, wander downtown, eat something good, and remember just how much there is to love about this little town.
If you're planning a trip to Laurel between September and November, here are a few dates to tuck into your calendar. Come for an event, stay for the weekend, and leave yourself plenty of time to explore the places and people that make Laurel feel like home.
SEPTEMBER
September 5— Planet Fitness Dodgeball Bash
Join us on Saturday, September 13, on the Mercantile Yard for the Planet Fitness Dodgeball Bash. Sign up your team below, or plan to cheer from the sidelines -- attendance is FREE, heckling is encouraged, and there are no holds barred when the balls start flying!
September 12 — Laurel Food Truck Festival
Head to the Laurel Fairgrounds hungry! With food trucks, live entertainment and family activities, this is an easy way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
September 19 — Social on Short 7th + Merry Marketplace Fall Edition
Two opportunities to shop local, find something handmade and meet some of the folks making Laurel special.
And while you're downtown, make time for the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, where KIMONO: Garment, Canvas, and Artistic Muse will be on display through November 8.
OCTOBER
October might just be our favorite month in Laurel. The weather finally starts cooperating, festival season is in full swing, and there is no shortage of reasons to get outside.
October 3 — Loblolly Festival
Downtown Laurel comes alive with artists, vendors, live music and plenty of good festival food as we celebrate our town's history as a sawmill community.
October 17 — Landrum's Old Tyme Fall Festival
Spend the day at Landrum's Homestead & Village with wagon rides, blacksmithing, woodcarving, music, gem mining and all sorts of old-fashioned fun.
October 17 Wine Down downtown
October 23–31 — South Mississippi Fair
Fair food, rides, livestock, games and all the things that make a Mississippi fair worth coming back to year after year.
NOVEMBER
By November, Laurel starts to ease toward the holidays, but there are still plenty of reasons to get out and enjoy the season before Christmas takes over.
November 7— Wayne-Sanderson Wing Wars
This thrilling chicken wing cook-off invites culinary teams from both community and professional categories to compete head-to-head, cooking up the best wings using chicken provided by our sponsor, Wayne-Sanderson Farms.
November 6–8 & 13–15 — Clue at Laurel Little Theatre
A classic mystery comes to life on stage in one of Laurel's favorite little traditions. Expect plenty of laughs, twists and a fun night out.
November 14 — Sugar Cane Syrup Making at Landrum's
This is one of those old-fashioned Laurel traditions you really have to see for yourself. Watch a mule turn the cane mill, see syrup cooking over an open fire and, if you're lucky, enjoy a warm biscuit or two.
November 28–29 — Christmas at Landrum's Homestead
And if you're ready to sneak into the Christmas spirit a little early, Landrum's 43rd annual Christmas at the Homestead takes place the weekend after Thanksgiving.
There is something about this time of year that makes us want to slow down and enjoy Laurel a little more. Come for a festival, a show or an afternoon at Landrum's, but leave yourself time to wander downtown, visit the museum, find a good meal and explore a few places you've never been before.
Because the best part of a fall weekend in Laurel isn't always what's on the calendar. Sometimes it's the things you find in between.
So come on down, stay awhile and enjoy the season with us. We'll see you around town!
