Minnesota’s Harvest Moon Festival Named One of America’s Best

Some towns bake pies. Others host parades. But every fall, a handful of places across America turn the fall season into a full-blown celebration.

USA Today’s 10Best rounded up the top fall festivals in the country and put it to a vote. The winners aren’t just pumpkin patches with a band - they’re events with legit local roots, big followings, and people who make a point to come back year after year.

Minnesota? Yep, we’re on the list. One Minnesota spot made the cut, and while our neighbors in Iowa and Wisconsin didn’t get a mention, we showed up strong.

Coming at 8th best in the country is the Harvest Moon Festival in Ely. It isn’t some pop-up craft fair, it’s a long-running Northwoods tradition. Part art show, part small-town gathering, part fall road trip destination. It’s been around for decades, and people don’t just stumble into it, they plan for it

As USA Today puts it: “The Harvest Moon Festival showcases some of the finest artisans found across northern Minnesota. While visitors can marvel at vintage cars and snag a hearty meal at the food court, the event's art scene is truly a sight to behold, with a treasure trove of paintings, pottery, and other crafts available for purchase.”

If you read the status above, you may have noticed that, sadly, the 2025 festival has already happened this year, so you'll have to wait a full year to enjoy it again. But considering the reviews and the fact that it keeps landing on “best of” lists year after year, it’s probably worth the countdown.