Maryland boasts its beautiful fall foliage each year as many gather to enjoy fall festivals around the state. The Autumn Glory Festival in Garrett County has grown significantly since its start when turkey growers promoted their turkey dinners.

The town of Oakland, in Garrett County, has hosted the Autumn Glory Festival each year for the past 56 years. Before the festival became an annual event it was an organized group of turkey growers who promoted turkey dinners.

The turkey dinners were an on again-off again event until the Lions Club became involved in the 1960s. – John Grant

The wives of the Turkey Growers would prepare the turkey dinners for those who came, especially by the B&O Railway.

The idea later came to create a larger festival to attract more visitors to the area. Today, the Autumn Glory Festival attracts more than 60,000 people during its 5 day event in mid-October. People come from New Jersey, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington, D.C., Ohio, Pennsylvania and many areas of Maryland to view the beautiful fall foliage and celebrate the event.

Garrett County’s annual Autumn Glory Festival landed in the international spotlight in 2007, when the popular travel website, MSN.com listed it tops among fall festivals in the world. – Visit Deep Creek 

The Autumn Glory Festival starts off with a Dinner and Reception on Wednesday, Fireman’s Parade & Octoberfest on Thursday, and tons of events on Saturday. There are also many trails and driving tours throughout Garrett County to view and enjoy the beautiful fall foliage.

For a full list of events and the history of the festival Visit Deep Creek Experience.

If you would like your county featured in Fun Facts, please get in touch with Amanda Grosskrueger at agrosskrueger@mdcounties.org.