Fall on First Ave Knightdale Fall Festival 2026

So… what exactly are we doing? We love a normal Saturday at Unhinged. Unfortunately, we have absolutely no interest in having one on Halloween. So we're taking over First Ave and turning it into a full-blown fall festival. Come wander through local vendors, grab a drink, bring the kids for storytime, carve a pumpkin, bake us your best pie, put the dog in an unnecessarily elaborate costume, or just show up and watch everyone else compete for cash and bragging rights. Come in costume. Bring the dog. Stay for twenty minutes or stay all day. Attending is completely free, but we won't be upset if you get a coffee while you're here. Contests to get competitive about In cash + gift cards up for grabs The plan, give or take a few minutes Times are close but not gospel. We are putting pumpkins, children, dogs, pie and a few hundred people on one street, so give us a little grace. If you're competing, arrive a few minutes early. If you're just here to watch, wander in whenever. Local makers, all day long Local makers take over two spots for the whole festival: the alleyway beside the shop and inside First & Main. Handmade, small-batch, zero chain stores, and a very real chance you walk out holding something you did not plan on buying. Tents down the alley beside Unhinged, right in the middle of everything. Close enough to the carving tables that you can shop and spectate at the same time. More makers set up indoors at First & Main, so there's somewhere warm to browse, a second full row of tables, and a break from standing in a parking lot. 319 N First Ave · Knightdale, NC 12:15–1:15 PM · Free to enter Four categories, back to back, each judged by a six-person panel. Winners are called right after their category, so nobody stands around waiting. Free to enter, and you can always turn up in normal clothes and just watch. Every category: 1st place $25, 2nd place $15. No preregistration. Just show up at the host table before your category begins and get your number. Pie baking contest · Drop-off 9–11 AM · Winners at noon Pie baking contest · Drop-off 9–11 AM · Winners at noon Bake your best pie at home and bring it to us Halloween morning. Any pie, any flavor, any level of grandma-secret-recipe intensity. Entry is $25, judging is blind, and there's $175 in prizes waiting for the three pies our judges cannot stop thinking about. One important food thing: the pies are for judging, not serving. Health rules mean we can't hand slices out afterward, so once judging is over, your pie heads home with you. More leftovers for you. Pumpkin carving contest · Adults 18+ · $40 entry This is the main event. Six carving waves, six carvers per wave, thirty minutes to turn an innocent pumpkin into something worth cash, glory and a lot of staring. We provide the pumpkin, the table and the tools. You bring the confidence. Six waves, six carvers each. Pick the one that fits your day and show up ten minutes early. Pick your own off the pile when you check in. Big, tall, lumpy, your call. A table, a chair, and thirty minutes of uninterrupted pumpkin destruction. Everything you need to get in there. Bring your own favorite tools if you have them. Thirty minutes on the clock The timer starts when your wave does and everyone hears it. Tools down when it hits zero. Every pumpkin is eligible for every category, and one pumpkin can take more than one. Carving is 18+ only. The knives are sharp and we enjoy keeping everyone's fingers attached. Battery lights only. No open flames anywhere on the block. Finished pumpkins stay on display until judging wraps. People's Choice voting closes at 2:00 PM, judging runs 2:00 to 2:25 PM, and winners are announced at 2:30 PM. After that, take your masterpiece home and force your neighbors to admire it. The "wait, what about…" section 319 N First Ave, Knightdale. We're taking over the block: alleyway, front lot, and inside First & Main. Nope. Walking in, shopping vendors, watching contests, and generally existing on First Ave are completely free. You only pay if you enter the pie or pumpkin carving contests. Absolutely. Spooky Storytime starts at 9:30 AM and the kids costume contest starts at 12:15 PM. Pumpkin carving is 18+ because knives, children and a timed competition felt like a questionable combination. Please do. Leashed and with you the whole time. There's even a pet costume category at 12:30 PM, so consider this your warning to start planning. It's Halloween morning. We'd honestly be a little disappointed if nobody did. Costumes are encouraged; entering the contest is completely optional. Late October in North Carolina likes to keep us humble. If weather becomes an issue, we'll post updates on Instagram the morning of the festival. The people helping us pull this off Taking over a street, filling it with pumpkins and handing out cash does not happen by accident. A huge thank-you to the local businesses backing Fall on First Ave. Want your business in on this? S