Food, music and beer: 6 local festivals you won't want to miss this fall

The SEMO District Fair is officially a summer event, according to the calendar, though in a way it seems to open the door to autumn. If you missed the fair, there are several fall outdoor festivals on the horizon, offering live music, kettle corn, craft beer and baked goods. If beer sampling is your thing, you'll find an event to quench that thirst. And if seasonal spiced cuisine is all you crave, you won't be disappointed. Some events might seem a little "spooky," but that's just part of the fun.

Bollinger Mill State Historic Site Fall Festival

Gus Stevens, 7, of Cobden, Illinois, looks out a window the of the Bollinger Mill during the first annual Summer Fun Day event Saturday, June 1, 2019, at the Bollinger Mill State Historic Site in Burfordville, Missouri. Attendees had to chance to explore the mill and covered bridge as well as grab a bite to eat and play lawn games.Jacob Wiegand

Ivy Cook, 8, of Fredericktown, Missouri, plays a game during the first annual Summer Fun Day event Saturday, June 1, 2019, at the Bollinger Mill State Historic Site in Burfordville, Missouri. Attendees had to chance to explore the mill and covered bridge as well as grab a bite to eat and play lawn games.Jacob Wiegand ~ jwiegand@semissourian.com

Bollinger Mill State Historic Site in Burfordville is hosting its first fall festival on Sept. 28, featuring a scarecrow building program at 10 a.m., members of the Egypt Mills Antique Tractor Club will have their farming equipment on display and the Whitewater Bluegrass Band is set to perform at 2 p.m. Straight Line Swine BBQ and Nancy's Fancy Kettle Corn of Cape Girardeau will be on site selling BBQ, kettle corn, fudge, roasted nuts and beverages. All four floors of the mill also will be accessible for free, self-guided tours.

__Where:__ Bollinger Mill State Historic Site, 113 Bollinger Mill Rd, Burfordville

__When:__ Sept. 28: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

__How much:__ Free

__More info:__ www.mostateparks.com

8th Annual Cape Girardeau Craft Beer Festival

The Community Counseling Center Foundation's 4th annual Craft Beer Festival, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015, at Arena Park in Cape Girardeau.File photo

Stop by this year's Cape Girardeau Craft Beer Festival hosted by The Community Counseling Center Foundation Board for samples from local breweries, live music by Tone Def All-Stars, food and a souvenir Pilsner glass. Admission includes samples from over 50 microbreweries (samples of over 150 beers). Sugarfire Smoke House also will be on-site. Exclusive craft beer offerings and food provided by Sugar Fire are for VIP ticket holders only. Must be 21+. No children allowed.

__Where:__ Arena Park, 410 Kiwanis Dr. in Cape Girardeau

__When:__ Sept. 28: 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

__How much:__ $30 for general admission; $50 for VIP

__More info:__ Tickets may be purchased at www.eventbrite.com

Shipyard Music Festival

A Thousand Horses performs at the inaugural Shipyard Music Festival on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018, in Cape Girardeau. (Ben Matthews ~ Southeast Missourian)

The Shipyard Music and Cultural Festival caters to people who love music, the outdoors and discovering something new. It's a two-day blend of music genres, food and drinks. Eleven nationally touring bands are set to bring a mixture of energy and attitude to downtown Cape Girardeau: Jukebox the Ghost, Colony House, American Aquarium, The New Respects, Animal Years, Liz Cooper & The Stampede, Blackfoot Gypsies, Walden, Dawson Hollow, Tidal Volume, Retro City. A 32-foot stage will be positioned between the Common Pleas Courthouse and Ivers Square gazebo, surrounded by food and fun for the entire family.

__When:__ Sept. 27: 5 to 10 p.m. and Sept. 28: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

__Where:__ Ivers Square Gazebo, 44 N. Lorimier, Cape Girardeau

__How much:__ $30 for general admission; $100 for VIP

__More info:__ Tickets may be purchased at www.shipyardfest.com

Oktoberfest in Uptown Jackson

TYLER GRAEF ~ tgraef@semissourian.com Contestants strain to keep their steins aloft in a competition during Uptown Jackson Oktoberfest Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018.

Get ready for authentic German cuisine, craft beer from local vendors and live music on the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse lawn -- it's time for Oktoberfest. The event also will feature the annual Pet Parade, craft vendors, live music, cornhole and stein hoisting. Nearly a dozen food vendors were part of the event last year. It also was the first year for a two-day event. The festival serves as a fundraiser for the Uptown Jackson Revitalization organization. Festival details are still being finalized, so mark your calendar.

__Where:__ Main St. and High St., Jackson

__When:__ Oct. 4 and 5: 6 to 9 p.m.

__How much:__ Free to attend

__More info:__ www.semoevents.com

Fall Festival and Trek N' Treat

TYLER GRAEF ~ tgraef@semissourian.com Missouri Department of Conservation instructor Sindupa De Silva opens tinfoil packs of grilled catfish at the end of a community seminar at the Department of Conservation Nature Center Saturday, Jan. 5, 2018.

It'll be Halloween before you know it, so plan ahead for this year's fall festival and Trek N' Treat with warm cider, s'mores, fall-themed games and activities. Costumes are encouraged for the "Trek N' Treat Trail," where you'll get to meet some "nighttime creature characters." Once you get to know the animals, you'll see they are just misunderstood and love to give out treats! No registration required.

__Where:__ Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center, 2289 County Park Drive, Cape Girardeau

__When:__ Oct. 19: 4 to 8 p.m.

__How much:__ Free

__More info:__ www.semoevents.com

All Hallow's Eve

It's the inaugural All Hallow's Eve event and you're invited! All four floors of the mill will be open for free, self-guided tours, and the day also will feature programming about Victorian mourning and funeral customs highlighting period-specific mourning clothing and jewelry. You'll get to learn about misunderstood aspects of mourning, including the history and science behind "witching" and its role in locating unmarked graves, cemetery symbolism and the types of trees and shrubbery often found in historic cemeteries. Straight Line Swine BBQ and Nancy's Fancy Kettle Corn also will be on site.

__Where:__ Bollinger Mill State Historic Site, 113 Bollinger Mill Rd, Burfordville

__When:__ Oct. 19: 4 to 8 p.m.

__How much:__ Free

__More info:__ www.semoevents.com

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