Every November, the pine forests around Beavers Bend State Park fill with the sound of banjos, fiddles, and blacksmith hammers. The Beavers Bend Folk Festival and Craft Show is one of southeast Oklahoma’s most beloved fall traditions, and 2026 marks another three-day weekend of turn-of-the-century crafts, live folk music, and family-friendly discovery at the Forest Heritage Center.
If you are planning your first visit or your fifteenth, this guide covers everything you need to know: the 2026 dates and hours, what to expect from the roughly 70 artisan booths, the best places to eat and explore nearby, and how to time your trip so you get the festival, the fall foliage, and a comfortable cabin base all in one weekend.
Beavers Bend Folk Festival and Craft Show 2026: The Essentials
The 2026 festival takes place Friday, November 13 through Sunday, November 15, 2026 at the Forest Heritage Center Museum inside Beavers Bend State Park, near Broken Bow, Oklahoma. Admission is free, parking is free, and shuttle buses ferry visitors from the parking areas to the festival grounds so you can leave the car behind for the day.
Daily hours for 2026 are:
- Friday, November 13: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Saturday, November 14: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Sunday, November 15: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The Forest Heritage Center sits at 4350 OK-259A, Broken Bow, OK 74728, roughly 8 miles north of Broken Bow on Highway 259 and then about 4 miles east on Highway 259A. The venue is inside Beavers Bend State Park, which is one of Oklahoma’s most visited parks and typically at peak fall color during festival weekend.
This is a big deal locally. The festival regularly draws thousands of visitors across three days, presented by the Forest Heritage Center Board of Directors. It has been running since the mid-1990s and grew into one of Oklahoma’s signature fall events, with recent years featuring nearly 70 to 80 artisan vendors alongside continuous live music.
The Main Venue: Forest Heritage Center Museum
The Forest Heritage Center is a small museum focused on forestry, wildlife, and the culture of the shortleaf pine country. During festival weekend, its courtyard and surrounding grounds transform into a living-history village where craftspeople set up demonstrations under the trees.
- Rating: 4.7 stars on Google
- Address: 4350 OK-259A, Broken Bow, OK 74728
- Phone: (580) 494-6497
- What to see year-round: Wooden carvings, dioramas, a kids’ reading corner, and free admission with an optional donation
- Google Maps: View on Google Maps
What to Expect at the 2026 Festival
Think of the Beavers Bend Folk Festival and Craft Show as three overlapping experiences: a working artisan village, an outdoor folk music stage, and a kid-friendly heritage day, all wrapped in fall foliage.
Turn-of-the-Century Crafts and Demonstrations
The heart of the festival is watching skilled makers work. Roughly 70 booths spread across the Forest Heritage Center grounds, and most of them are actively demonstrating, not just selling. In recent years, visitors have watched:
- Woodturners shaping bowls and utensils on foot-powered lathes
- Blacksmiths forging tools and decorative ironwork with hammer and anvil
- Basket weavers working white oak and river cane into functional baskets
- Yarn spinners demonstrating spinning wheels and fiber preparation
- Quilters stitching at frames set up under the pines
- Papermakers pulling sheets of handmade paper from vats of pulp
- Candle makers dipping tapers in the courtyard
- Soap makers cooking small batches of lye soap
- Herbalists sharing traditional plant medicine and culinary uses
- Knife makers grinding and polishing hand-forged blades
The style is friendly and informal. Most artisans encourage questions, and several have long-running booths that regulars visit year after year.
Live Folk, Celtic, and Mountain Music
Music runs continuously on outdoor stages from morning through late afternoon. The lineup varies year to year, but the sound is consistent: banjos, fiddles, mountain dulcimers, guitars, and occasional bagpipes playing early American folk tunes, Celtic reels, and Appalachian mountain music.
The Forest Heritage Center courtyard has hosted daily mountain dulcimer workshops in past years, letting visitors try the instrument for themselves under the guidance of touring instructors. If you have never held a dulcimer, the festival is one of the friendliest places in Oklahoma to start.
Family and Children’s Activities
The festival goes out of its way to be a full-day destination for families. In recent years, kids have been able to:
- Meet animals at a barnyard-style petting zoo
- Take pony rides on the grounds
- Sit in on storytelling sessions in the children’s courtyard
- Watch and make paper puppets with festival makers
- Decorate wooden toy tops at hands-on craft stations
- Dance to live folk music in front of the outdoor stages
- Join hayrides through the surrounding fall foliage
Everything on the schedule is free, which makes the festival a rare full-day family outing without the cost creep of most weekend events.
Where to Fuel Up: Food at the Festival and Nearby
Food booths inside the festival lean into fall comfort classics: roasted corn on the cob, smoked barbecue, burgers and patty melts, kettle corn, homemade ice cream, sugared pecans, and beef jerky are all festival regulars. Fish tacos, Indian tacos, pork-o-bobs, and smoked turkey legs have all made appearances in past years too. You can easily spend the whole day on-site without needing to leave for a real meal.
That said, some of the most memorable spots in Broken Bow and Hochatown are a short drive away. If you want a nicer sit-down dinner after a full day at the festival, or a hearty breakfast before you head in, these places are worth knowing about.
Grateful Head Pizza Oven & Tap Room
A festival crowd favorite for casual pizza and beer, especially good for families with picky eaters because most pies can be ordered half-and-half.
- Rating: 4.2 stars on Google
- Address: 10251 US-259, Broken Bow, OK 74728
- Phone: (580) 494-6030
- What to order: A half-and-half specialty pie, a cold local draft, and one of their souvenir cups
- Google Maps: View on Google Maps
Abendigo’s Grill & Patio
The go-to nice dinner in Hochatown. Steaks, seafood, and pastas on a wooded patio, walking distance from many cabins in the area.
- Rating: 4.5 stars on Google
- Address: 10050 N US Hwy 259, Broken Bow, OK 74728
- Phone: (580) 494-7222
- What to order: The Louisiana pasta, the crispy salmon, or a ribeye cooked medium
- Google Maps: View on Google Maps
The Blue Rooster Restaurant
A rustic Southern comfort-food spot with a “it ain’t food if it ain’t fried” motto. If you want fried chicken, catfish, and green tomatoes with ranch after a long day walking the festival, this is the address to save.
- Rating: 3.8 stars on Google
- Address: 10235 N US Hwy 259, Broken Bow, OK 74728
- Phone: (580) 494-6361
- What to order: Fried chicken, fried catfish and shrimp basket, fried green tomatoes, Dublin Tart-n-Sweet Lemonade
- Google Maps: View on Google Maps
Make a Weekend of It: Nearby Attractions to Combine with the Festival
Because the festival wraps by 4 or 5 p.m. each day and Beavers Bend State Park is right there, most weekend guests build their trip around a mix of festival time and outdoor recreation. Here are the highlights within a short drive.
Beavers Bend State Park
The festival’s home park is one of Oklahoma’s most beautiful. Rolling foothills of the Ouachita Mountains, mature shortleaf pine, and Broken Bow Lake at the north end give you swimming beaches, picnic areas, overlooks, and campgrounds. During festival weekend, the drive in on OK-259A is one of the best places in the state to see fall color.
- Rating: 4.8 stars on Google
- Address: 4350 OK-259A, Broken Bow, OK 74728
- Phone: (580) 494-6300
- Don’t miss: The Broken Bow overlook on top of the mountain and the Beavers Bend Dam overlook
- Google Maps: View on Google Maps
Beavers Bend Depot & Trail Rides
Around the corner from the Forest Heritage Center, you can climb aboard a small-gauge scenic train or book a guided trail ride on horseback. Both are festival-weekend favorites for families with kids who need a change of pace between craft booths.
- Rating: 4.7 stars on Google
- Address: 290 Beavers Bnd Lp, Broken Bow, OK 74728
- Phone: (580) 494-6613
- What to book: A morning trail ride, then the train ride after lunch
- Google Maps: View on Google Maps
Mountain Fork River
The tailwater below Broken Bow Lake is one of the best trout streams in the region, with roughly ten miles of designated trout water. November is prime season, cool and clear, and the fishing is only 10 minutes from the festival grounds. If you fish, bring a rod. If you do not, the riverside trails are worth a walk for the fall color alone.
- Rating: 4.9 stars on Google
- Address: 4905 OK-259A, Broken Bow, OK 74728
- What to do: Fly-fish for rainbow and brown trout, or hike the riverbank trails
- Google Maps: View on Google Maps
For more, our own trout fishing guide to the Mountain Fork River covers the best access points, seasons, and gear.
Broken Bow Lake
North of the state park, Broken Bow Lake is the reason most people fall in love with this corner of Oklahoma. The water is famously clear, the pine-covered shoreline is undeveloped in long stretches, and even a cool November day is worth a stop at one of the overlooks.
- Rating: 4.8 stars on Google
- What to do: Scenic drives around the lake, photography at the dam overlook, sunset walks
- Google Maps: View on Google Maps
Girls Gone Wine, Hochatown Original
If your festival day includes a stop for grown-up souvenirs, the original Girls Gone Wine tasting room in Hochatown is a fun combination of wine flight and gift shop. Tastings are quick, playful, and end at a boutique full of gifts you can wrap.
- Rating: 4.6 stars on Google
- Address: 10216 N US Hwy 259, Broken Bow, OK 74728
- Phone: (580) 306-9463
- What to try: The Black Tie red, the pina colada Wine-a-Rita
- Google Maps: View on Google Maps
Hochatown Distilling Company
A well-reviewed small-batch bourbon and rye distillery just up the road, with a tasting room, a speakeasy lounge, and a tour that regulars insist is one of the best in the state.
- Rating: 4.9 stars on Google
- Address: 41 N Lukfata Trl Rd, Broken Bow, OK 74728
- Phone: (580) 279-4807
- What to do: Book the tasting and tour, then buy a bottle you liked
- Google Maps: View on Google Maps
A Sample Two-Day Festival Weekend Itinerary
If it is your first time, a light plan helps you soak in the festival without burning out. Here is a two-day rhythm that works well.
Saturday
- 8:30 a.m. Coffee and breakfast in your cabin
- 9:15 a.m. Park at the designated festival lot and take the shuttle in
- 9:30 a.m. Wander the artisan booths clockwise, starting with the blacksmiths and woodturners
- 11:30 a.m. Roasted corn or a smoked turkey leg from a food booth
- 12:00 p.m. Live folk music at the outdoor stage; try a mountain dulcimer workshop if it is running
- 2:00 p.m. Kids’ area: petting zoo, storytelling, and toy top decorating
- 3:30 p.m. Buy your favorite handmade item of the trip
- 5:00 p.m. Head back for a rest and a hot tub soak
- 7:00 p.m. Dinner at Abendigo’s or the Blue Rooster
Sunday
- 9:30 a.m. Slow morning at the cabin, coffee on the porch
- 10:30 a.m. Return to the festival for anything you missed and last-minute shopping
- 12:30 p.m. Grateful Head Pizza for lunch
- 2:00 p.m. Scenic drive around Broken Bow Lake and a stop at the dam overlook
- 3:30 p.m. Trail ride or train ride at Beavers Bend Depot, or a short walk along the Mountain Fork River
- Evening Optional last stop at Hochatown Distilling before the drive home
For families with younger kids, our Broken Bow with kids family guide has more ideas for pacing an active weekend without wearing anyone out.
Planning Tips for the 2026 Festival
A few small details separate a smooth festival day from a stressful one.
- Come early on Saturday. Saturday is the biggest day. Arriving before 10 a.m. means shorter shuttle waits, cooler temperatures, and first pick of the morning craft demonstrations.
- Dress in layers. November in the Ouachitas can swing 30 degrees between sunrise and mid-afternoon. A packable jacket over a long-sleeve tee is the sweet spot.
- Bring cash. Some artisans still prefer cash for smaller items and food. Card readers are common but not universal.
- Leave room in the car. Between quilts, wood bowls, wreaths, and a case of bourbon, festival guests routinely fill their trunks. Plan for the haul.
- Book your cabin early. Festival weekend and peak fall foliage overlap, and cabins in the Broken Bow and Hochatown area are the first thing to sell out for November.
- Charge your phone. You will want photos of the fall color on the drive in, the demonstrations, and the food.
- Consider Friday. Friday sees smaller crowds, easier parking, and the same programming. If your schedule allows, it is the sleeper favorite day of the weekend.
Where to Stay for the Beavers Bend Folk Festival
The Forest Heritage Center is a short drive from most cabin communities in the Broken Bow and Hochatown area, which makes cabin life the natural choice for festival weekend. Three Creeks Reserve is a gated woodland community about 10 minutes from Beavers Bend State Park and a few minutes from Hochatown’s restaurants and shops. Every cabin sits inside a resort setting with pickleball courts, a pool, and a clubhouse, and each home is custom-designed for a proper luxury getaway.
A few favorites for festival weekend:
- Lazy River Retreat — a brand-new 1,805 sq ft cabin with 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a firepit, and a hot tub. Ideal for two couples or a small family.
- Wild Pine Lodge — a cozy, rustic retreat with a king master, a bunk room with two queens, and a relaxed woodland vibe.
- Three Creeks Cottage — a modern cabin sleeping up to six, with a king suite, a bunk room, and a private porch under the pines.
Still deciding on the area? Our post on Hochatown vs Broken Bow: where to stay breaks down drive times, prices, and specific spots you can look up on the map.
And if you are extending the trip into a proper fall break, take a look at our roundups on pumpkin patches and fall family fun near Broken Bow and our guide to Broken Bow’s waterfalls for a few extra stops.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Beavers Bend Folk Festival and Craft Show in 2026?
The 2026 festival runs Friday, November 13 through Sunday, November 15, 2026, with hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Where exactly is the festival held?
The festival is held at the Forest Heritage Center Museum inside Beavers Bend State Park, at 4350 OK-259A, Broken Bow, OK 74728. It is roughly 8 miles north of Broken Bow on Highway 259 and then about 4 miles east on Highway 259A.
How much does it cost to attend?
Admission and parking are both free. Shuttle transportation between the parking areas and the festival grounds is also free. Guests pay only for what they choose to buy from vendors, food booths, and any optional park activities.
What kind of crafts and vendors are at the festival?
Around 70 to 80 artisan booths demonstrate and sell turn-of-the-century crafts, including woodturning, blacksmithing, basket weaving, yarn spinning, quilting, papermaking, candle and soap making, herbal products, pottery, jewelry, wreaths, and hand-forged knives.
Is it family friendly?
Yes. The festival features a barnyard-style petting zoo, pony rides, storytelling, puppet shows, kids’ craft stations like toy top decorating, and open space for children to dance to the live folk music.
What food is available at the festival?
Food booths offer a mix of festival classics and regional comfort food: roasted corn on the cob, smoked barbecue, burgers and patty melts, fish and Indian tacos, kettle corn, homemade ice cream, sugared pecans, beef jerky, and funnel cakes.
Can visitors combine the festival with other activities?
Yes, and most guests do. Beavers Bend State Park offers trout fishing on the Mountain Fork River, scenic train rides and horseback trail rides at the Beavers Bend Depot, hiking, and lake overlooks, all within a few minutes of the festival grounds.
Plan Your 2026 Broken Bow Fall Weekend
The Beavers Bend Folk Festival and Craft Show is one of those events that reminds you why fall in Oklahoma is worth planning around. Peak leaves, live music under the pines, artisans working at their booths, and a state park that puts everything in walking distance.
If you want the full weekend experience with festival mornings, riverside afternoons, and evenings in a private hot tub, Three Creeks Reserve is a ten-minute drive from the Forest Heritage Center and only steps from the pickleball courts, pool, and clubhouse. Take a look at our Three Creeks cabins and book early: November weekends in Broken Bow sell out quickly, and festival weekend is the first to go.