PHILADELPHIA, PA — Mac and cheese tastings, live music, young entrepreneurs, pumpkins and dozens of local makers will turn historic Main Street into a sprawling autumn celebration when Manayunk Fall Fest returns for its second year.
The Manayunk Development Corporation will bring the festival back Saturday, Oct. 17, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., following its debut in 2025. The free event will feature more than 50 local vendors and artisan makers, food trucks, family activities, live entertainment and seasonal specials from neighborhood businesses.
One of the biggest attractions will be the Mac N Cheese Crawl, a separate ticketed tasting event running from noon to 4 p.m. Guests can sample creative takes on the comfort-food favorite at participating Manayunk restaurants, then vote for their favorite.
Presale tickets cost $20 and include samples at each stop, an event map and crawl-day offers. Participating restaurants include Bar Jawn, Bayou Bar & Grill, Cactus Cantina, Blondie, Canalside Beer Garden, Chabaa Thai Bistro, JD McGillicuddy’s, Lucky’s Last Chance-Manayunk, Manayunk Brewery & Restaurant, Mia Ragazza, Ryan’s Pub, Sophie’s BBQ, Taqueria Amor/Riptide Tavern, The Brass Tap-Philly, The Cresson Inn, The Goats Beard, The Tomato Shack-Manayunk, US Hotel Bar & Grill and Yanako.
“Manayunk Fall Fest and Mac N Cheese Crawl is the perfect way to celebrate fall in the city,” Manayunk Development Corporation Branding & Digital Marketing Manager Julia Caterino said. “We’re bringing together the best of Manayunk — our small businesses, culinary talent, and vibrant community — all in one place for a fun and festive day on Main Street.”
Music will fill multiple locations throughout the afternoon. The Cotton Street Stage lineup includes Street Beans at 11 a.m., Kat Rivers and the Second Sight at 12:15 p.m., a Rowdy Cowboys line dancing demonstration at 1:30 p.m. and Chris Rafter at 3 p.m. The Grape Street Stage will feature Huston West at noon and Slim Chance at 2:30 p.m.
Families will find activities spread throughout the festival district. Fabulous Face Painting will be stationed at Gay Street, while RichardsApex will host a pop-up pumpkin patch with pumpkin decorating and carnival games. Visitors can also get caricatures by Dan’s Toonz at Grape Street, stop at Canal View Park for a fall photo booth or watch a glassblowing demonstration at Roxborough Avenue.
Young entrepreneurs will get their own marketplace this year at the Venice Island Performing Arts Center basketball courts. The Kids Market will feature about 40 vendors ages 5 to 17 who create their own products, set prices and handle sales themselves. The program is designed to give children hands-on experience with entrepreneurship while developing confidence and independence.
Animal lovers can also visit Bennett’s Buddies “Paws for a Cause” at RichardsApex Lot, 4202 Main Street. Bennett from The NEW 96.5 and the Pennsylvania SPCA will bring adoptable animals to the festival while collecting supplies for the organization.
Requested donations include:
- Pet food
- Blankets
- Towels
- Other pet supplies
Donations can be dropped off during Fall Fest on Oct. 17.
Food trucks and vendors scheduled for the festival include 2 Street Sammies, Babalouie BBQ, Bacon on a Stick, Beck’s Cajun Cafe, Cada Mañana Café, Fiesta Churros, Humpty’s Dumplings, Los Gallos Restaurant & Taqueria, Moocheeze and MOZZAREPAS.
Neighborhood businesses are getting involved as well. BabyFace Studio will hold a fall market and pottery sale, City of Paws will offer an in-store sale and pumpkin pup cups, and several restaurants will feature food and drink specials. Tubby Robot Ice Cream Factory plans seasonal Harvest Apple ice cream and a Hot Apple A La Mode Sundae.
Event Details
- What: Manayunk Fall Fest and Mac N Cheese Crawl
- When: Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Mac N Cheese Crawl runs from noon to 4 p.m.
- Where: Historic Main Street, Manayunk, Philadelphia, PA 19127, with activities at locations throughout the business district
- Cost/Tickets: Fall Fest is free and open to the public, with food and drinks available for purchase. Mac N Cheese Crawl presale tickets are $20 per person.
- More Info: manayunk.com/mnyk-events/manayunk-fall-fest/
Fall Fest is just one piece of a much larger spooky-season lineup in Manayunk.
Lincoln Mill Haunted House, 4100 Main Street, runs through Nov. 7, while Taqueria Amor, 4410 Main Street, has transformed into the alien-themed “Taq Area 51” Halloween pop-up through Nov. 1.
Community trick-or-treating is planned along Main Street on Oct. 24 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with participating businesses handing out treats and City of Paws hosting a pet costume contest.
Halloween weekend will bring more festivities, including parties and specials at neighborhood businesses and FearLit at Venice Island Performing Arts Center on Oct. 31. The inaugural horror-focused event will bring together 25 authors for four hours of panels, signings, performances and other programming.
With food, music, shopping and activities stretching across the neighborhood, Fall Fest offers visitors a chance to celebrate the season while supporting the independent businesses and organizations that give Main Street its local character.
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