The Southington Apple Harvest Festival kicks off this weekend Oct. 2-4, then again from Oct. 9-11. Of course, the Zion Lutheran Church's beloved apple fritters will be a major staple in the culinary plans of event attendees, who could number 100,000. (Zion Lutheran Church)
SOUTHINGTON, CT — The Southington Apple Harvest Festival returns Friday for its 57th year, bringing six days of food, entertainment, shopping, and family activities to the Southington Town Green over two weekends.
The town says the annual festival typically attracts more than 100,000 people and is one of the largest and longest-running fall festivals in the Northeast.
Dates: Friday, Oct. 2, through Sunday, Oct. 4, and Friday, Oct. 9, through Sunday, Oct. 11.
Location: The festival is centered around the Southington Town Green and downtown area.
Admission: Free. The town says sponsorships help keep admission free and allow the festival to donate remaining proceeds after expenses to local nonprofits.
Food: Festival attendees can expect a variety of food offerings throughout the event.
Entertainment: Live entertainment is planned during both festival weekends, including a Michael Jackson impersonator on Oct. 3.
Shopping: Vendors and shopping are among the festival's featured attractions.
Family activities: The town says the festival includes family entertainment and activities for all ages.
Arts and crafts: The festival includes an Arts & Crafts Show, with additional information available through the festival website.
Parade: The Apple Harvest Festival's annual parade is among the major events included in this year's celebration.
Festival map and brochure: The town has posted both its 2026 festival brochure and festival map online to help visitors plan their trip.
Parking change: The lower parking lot at the John Weichsel Municipal Center near the Southington Dog Park will close at 5 a.m. Saturday.
Dog park: The dog park will remain open until noon Saturday and will reopen at noon Sunday.
The town maintains separate festival pages with information about entertainment, the parade, Arts & Crafts Show, hours, and other visitor details.
Apple Fritter Details
Of course, no mention of the festival is ever complete without discussing the event's iconic culinary staple: the beloved apple fritters.
The legendary apple fritters at the 57th Annual Southington Apple Harvest Festival are handcrafted and sold exclusively by volunteers from Zion Lutheran Church.
Fritter details:
• Location: Southington Town Green (75 N Main St, Southington), where the festival booth and tent operate during the event.
• Dates: Running across two weekends—October 2–4 and October 9–11, 2026.
• The Tradition: The famous recipe dates back to 1969 (the festival's inaugural year), featuring a warm, gooey, cinnamon-dusted fried pastry that draws massive crowds, with wait times often stretching past 30 minutes.
The fritters are so popular, they actually have their very own Facebook page with news about the status of the tasty delights, constantly being updated during the festival.
Parking restrictions
Because of the event's popularity, parking is heavily regulated in town by the Southington Police Department.
Drivers heading through downtown Southington during the Apple Harvest Festival should prepare for parking restrictions, road closures, and traffic detours during both festival weekends.
Additional restrictions are planned for the parade Sunday, Oct. 4, and the fireworks Saturday, Oct. 3.
Rain dates could shift those restrictions to the festival's second weekend.
According to the SPD, here's what drivers should know:
Festival parking restrictions: No parking will be allowed on either side of Merrell Avenue, Academy Lane, North Liberty Street, Vermont Terrace, Hobart Street, Center Place, Columbus Avenue, Liberty Street, Oak Street, Academy Street, Vermont Avenue, High Street, Center Street, Center Court, Eden Avenue and Chestnut Street. Restrictions also cover Mill Street from North Main Street to Water Street; Berlin Avenue from Main Street to Highwood Avenue; North Main Street from Center Street to Mill Street; West Center Street from Summer Street to Howard Avenue; and Woodruff Street from Berlin Avenue to Pleasant Street.
Parade parking restrictions: Additional no-parking restrictions will be in effect Sunday, Oct. 4, on Summer Street, Elm Street, Beecher Street, Eden Place, Bristol Street, Chestnut Street, Water Street, Speechley Avenue, Cowles Avenue, Church Street, Matthews Street, West Main Street, Knowles Avenue, South Center Street and Main Street, along with Prospect Street from West Street to Summer Street. The parade rain date is Sunday, Oct. 11.
Parade road closures: Access to Cowles Avenue, Prospect Street, Summer Street and Elm Street will be closed at 11 a.m. on parade day.
Parade-day parking hours: Streets covered by the special parade restrictions will be restricted from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Vehicles violating the restrictions are subject to a $35 fine and/or towing, police said.
Fireworks closure: Fireworks are scheduled to be launched from the Dog Park on Mill Street on Saturday, Oct. 3. Mill Street between North Main Street, or Route 10, and Water Street will close beginning at 2 p.m. and reopen at 11 p.m.
Dog Park closure: The Dog Park will close to the public at noon Saturday, Oct. 3, and reopen at noon Sunday, Oct. 4.
Fireworks rain date: The rain date is Saturday, Oct. 10. If used, the Mill Street and Dog Park closures will shift to the second festival weekend.
Route 10 parade detours: During parade hours, northbound Route 10 traffic will be diverted onto Meriden Avenue, while southbound traffic will be diverted onto Hobart Street.
Route 10 festival detours: During regular festival hours, northbound Route 10 traffic will be diverted onto Berlin Avenue, while southbound traffic will be diverted onto High Street.
Police said the Mill Street closure for the fireworks is intended to create a safety zone around the launch area.
Drivers should expect heavier traffic around downtown Southington throughout both festival weekends and plan alternate routes when possible.