20th Annual : Oct 22–24, 2026
Fall 2026 Festival
Tickets + Swatches
Our festival uses fabric swatches as tickets to access the festival tent. Bring your paper ticket or email receipt to our Ticket Table in the Gift Shop of the Athens State Sandridge Hall Student Center up to one hour prior to event start time. We’ll issue your fabric swatch there.
The Ticket Office opens 1 hour prior to each event or session.
2026 Gift Shop Hours:
Thursday, Oct 22: 6:00–9:30pm
Friday, Oct 23: 8:00am–9:45pm
Saturday, Oct 24: 8:00am–7:30pm
Lodging
HOTELS: There are quite a few hotels in Athens just off the I-65 exit. Use your favorite lodging finder online, or check out the Hampton Inn & Suites Athens, a sponsor of our festival this year.
CAMPING: Some of our guests prefer to camp while they’re here. We are not affiliated with any local campgrounds but we do have several around town. Google Athens, Alabama Campgrounds and check out the options.
Our festival takes place in a tent on a grassy ground with plastic folding chairs. Our guests are welcome to bring seat cushions and blankets if you like. Please be considerate of those around you and make sure any accessories you bring do not present a tripping hazard.
Seating
Handicap Parking
Athens State has some construction projects going on around our festival grounds, and parking has been impacted. Find handicap parking on the south side of Founders Hall, close to McCandless Hall. From there, the walk (or roll) to the festival is tent is nice and flat. Head towards the clock tower and you’ll see the tent past it. If that distance is too far, you may load and unload at the food truck entrance, then proceed to regular parking.
Late October weather in north Alabama can be unpredictable. We open the doors of the tent to allow a breeze if it gets warm in the daytime, and we have heaters set up in the tent to keep everyone from getting too cold in the evening. We advise our guests to check the forecast before you come. Layer clothing and consider warmer footwear if the forecast calls for chilly temps, especially in the evening.