St. Clair County Alabama Homestead Hollow Fall Arts and Crafts Festival
Tucked into twenty-seven acres of countryside outside Springville, Homestead Hollow is part craft festival and part living history. Original settler cabins, a working gristmill, and a running stream frame a weekend of handmade goods, pioneer demonstrations, and live music, and the property opens for a handful of festival weekends each year.
The fall edition, Harvest at the Homestead, is the one that fills the calendar. Vendors from across Alabama set up under the trees, artisans work at their crafts in front of visitors, and the whole place runs at the pace of a slower century. It is the kind of festival where the setting is as much the attraction as the shopping.
Springville sits in the eastern part of St. Clair County, northeast of Birmingham along Interstate 59. Homestead Hollow is at 1161 Murphrees Valley Road, a short drive from the interstate, which makes it an easy day trip from Birmingham, Gadsden, and the surrounding counties.
| Event name | Homestead Hollow Fall Arts and Crafts Festival (Harvest at the Homestead) |
| Location | Homestead Hollow, 1161 Murphrees Valley Road, Springville, St. Clair County, Alabama |
| Typical timing | A fall weekend in late September (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) |
| Format | Arts and crafts festival on a historic homestead |
| Admission | Around $10 for adults; children 12 and under free; free parking |
| Organizers | Homestead Hollow |
| Signature features | Settler cabins, working gristmill, pioneer demonstrations, live music, juried crafts |
A Homestead Turned Festival Ground
Homestead Hollow is not a fairground built for events; it is a piece of land with a story. The property preserves original settler cabins, a mill house where the water runs, and enough of the old farm layout that walking it feels like stepping back rather than filing through rows of tents. The gristmill is the most photographed corner of the grounds.
That setting shapes everything about the festival. Craft vendors are placed along paths and among the buildings rather than on a paved lot, and demonstrators work in the open where visitors can stop and watch. The result is a festival that feels handmade from the ground up, which is exactly the point.
It is one of several festivals that give St. Clair County its calendar. Where the spring and summer seasons belong to events like the Shelby County Alabama Moss Rock Festival elsewhere in the region, Homestead Hollow anchors the fall with a weekend that leans on tradition.
Three Weekends a Year
- Spring: Bloomin’ in the Hollow opens the season in May, with the grounds in full bloom.
- Fall: Harvest at the Homestead fills a late-September weekend and is the largest of the three.
- Winter: Christmas in the Country closes the year in November with a seasonal market.
- Each weekend runs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. across Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
- The same admission covers the whole weekend, so a single ticket can be used across days.
What to See at Harvest at the Homestead
Crafts and Artisans
The vendor lineup leans toward handmade: pottery, woodwork, textiles, soaps, candles, and seasonal decor. Because the show is juried and the setting is a homestead, the goods tend toward traditional and rustic rather than mass-produced. It is a good place to shop for the holidays well before the holidays arrive.
Pioneer Demonstrations
Demonstrators work at old crafts throughout the weekend, from blacksmithing and woodworking to spinning and cooking over open fires. The demonstrations are a draw for families, and children in particular tend to stop and watch. It is living history presented without a lecture.
Live Music and Food
Live music runs through the day, with regional acts playing under the trees. Food vendors serve the crowd with the usual festival fare plus homestyle cooking, and the layout keeps the food close to the seating so visitors can eat without losing their spot.
Planning Your Visit
Homestead Hollow is at 1161 Murphrees Valley Road in Springville, reached from Interstate 59 northeast of Birmingham. From Birmingham the drive is about thirty minutes; from Gadsden it is roughly the same. The approach is on two-lane country roads, so allow a little extra time on a festival morning.
Admission is around $10 for adults, and children 12 and under get in free. Parking is free and the lots are on the grounds. Note the house rules before you go: no coolers and no pets are allowed, and visitors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs for the music. Gates open at 9 a.m. and close at 5 p.m.
A Festival Weekend Plan
- Friday: Arrive early for the quietest shopping and the best vendor selection.
- Saturday: Come for the demonstrations and the live music, the busiest day of the weekend.
- Sunday: Return with your weekend admission for a slower second look.
- Any day: Walk the gristmill and the settler cabins before the crowd builds.
- Any day: Stop at the demonstrations, which run throughout the day.
Other St. Clair County Festivals
- Logan Martin LakeFest in Pell City: a spring lake festival and in-water boat show.
- Lakeside Live Musicfest in Pell City: a free September music festival on Logan Martin Lake.
- Pell City Hometown Block Party: a free summer block party in historic downtown Pell City.
What to Bring
- Lawn chairs for the music area.
- Comfortable shoes for the paths and uneven ground.
- Cash for smaller craft vendors.
- A tote for handmade goods and seasonal decor.
- A light layer, since fall mornings on the grounds can be cool.
Around Springville
Springville sits where St. Clair County rises toward the Appalachian foothills, and the surrounding countryside is rural and quiet. The town is close to the Big Canoe Creek area, and Homestead Hollow has hosted benefit concerts for the Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve. Birmingham and Gadsden are both within a short drive for anyone extending the trip.
Springville itself is a small town with a historic core, and the drive out to the homestead passes working farms and wooded ridges. For visitors coming from Birmingham, the trip is short enough to be a half-day outing but far enough to feel like a change of pace. The surrounding St. Clair County countryside is part of the appeal.
The Setting: Twenty-Seven Acres
Homestead Hollow spreads across twenty-seven acres of Alabama countryside, and the land itself is part of the attraction. Original settler cabins stand alongside a running stream, and the mill house sits where the water flows, its wheel and stonework framing one of the most photographed corners of the property.
Because the festival is laid out across a working landscape rather than a paved lot, the walk between vendors is part of the experience. Paths wind past the cabins and through the trees, and visitors move at the pace of the grounds rather than the pace of a shopping mall. Come early if you want the mill to yourself.
Shopping the Homestead
The shopping at Homestead Hollow is built around things made by hand. Pottery, woodwork, textiles, candles, soaps, and seasonal decor fill the booths, and the emphasis stays on traditional and rustic goods rather than mass-produced merchandise. Many of the vendors are Alabama makers who work the festival circuit across the state.
It is a strong festival for early holiday shopping. Because the fall weekend lands in late September, visitors can get a head start on gifts while the selection is at its best, and the homestead theme makes the goods feel like something you would keep rather than something you would replace.
Food and Music
Food vendors serve the crowd with homestyle cooking alongside the usual festival fare, and the layout keeps the food close to the seating so visitors can eat without losing their spot. The food runs all day, and the busiest stretch is around midday when the lunch crowd and the music crowd overlap.
Live music runs through the weekend, with regional acts playing under the trees. The music is a background to the day rather than a headline concert, which suits the pace of the festival. Visitors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and settle in for a set between vendor rows.
Three Weekends, Three Seasons
Because Homestead Hollow opens only three times a year, each weekend has its own character. The spring festival catches the grounds in bloom, the fall festival catches them under turning leaves, and the November weekend leans into the coming holidays. Visitors who love the property often return for more than one.
The schedule also means the grounds are never worn down by constant use. Between festivals the property rests, and the setting stays as it was meant to look. That seasonal rhythm is a big part of why the homestead has kept its character over the years.
Why the Festival Endures
Homestead Hollow has lasted because it does something a parking-lot craft fair cannot: it puts the crafts in a place that matches them. The cabins, the mill, and the demonstrations all reinforce the idea that these goods come from human hands, and the festival is more convincing for it.
Festival Area Map
Homestead Hollow is at 1161 Murphrees Valley Road in Springville, in the eastern part of St. Clair County, a short drive from Interstate 59 northeast of Birmingham.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the fall festival at Homestead Hollow?
Harvest at the Homestead is held on a fall weekend in late September, running Friday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
How much is admission?
Admission is around $10 for adults, and children 12 and under are free. Parking is free, and the ticket admits you all weekend.
Where is Homestead Hollow located?
It is at 1161 Murphrees Valley Road in Springville, Alabama, in St. Clair County.
Can I bring a pet or a cooler?
No. Homestead Hollow does not allow pets or coolers on the grounds. Lawn chairs are welcome.
How many weekends does it open each year?
The grounds open for three festival weekends a year: Bloomin’ in the Hollow in spring, Harvest at the Homestead in fall, and Christmas in the Country in November.
Is it good for children?
Yes. Pioneer demonstrations, the gristmill, and the open grounds make it a good family outing, and children 12 and under are admitted free.
What to Expect From the Next Homestead Hollow Festival
Homestead Hollow runs the same three-weekend schedule year after year, with the fall edition in late September as the headline event. The vendor list and the demonstrators change somewhat each season, but the setting, the gristmill, and the pioneer crafts stay constant. Because the dates are set well in advance, it is an easy festival to plan around.
How often is the fall festival held?
It is held once a year on a fall weekend in late September, as one of three festival weekends at the property.
When is the next festival?
The next fall edition is expected on a late-September weekend. Confirm the exact dates with Homestead Hollow, since the three weekends are announced as a season.
Will the vendors change?
The vendor and demonstrator lineup shifts from season to season, while the homestead setting and the traditional focus stay the same.
Last updated: October 2026
