Every October, Garrett County celebrates the beauty of autumn with colorful foliage, parades, music, crafts, and a tradition that might surprise you: turkey dinners.

The annual Autumn Glory Festival brings thousands of visitors to Oakland and communities throughout Garrett County for five days of fall festivities. But while the festival is best known for celebrating the brilliant colors of Maryland’s western mountains, its roots trace back to a much different gathering.

More than a decade before the first Autumn Glory Festival, Garrett County turkey growers began organizing community turkey dinners. The first annual dinner, held in 1954, was a major success, with volunteers serving as many as 475 people. Guests could even sample smoked turkey, a new addition then.

The dinners attracted visitors from across the region, including Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, New Jersey, Ohio, Washington, D.C., and other parts of Maryland. Local 4-H members helped serve the meals, while the turkey growers’ wives prepared the food. The menu featured roast turkey, gravy, dressing, mashed potatoes, sauerkraut, cranberry sauce, and other familiar Thanksgiving favorites.

The turkey growers also saw an opportunity to attract even more visitors. The idea of creating a larger festival celebrating Garrett County’s spectacular fall scenery eventually led to the creation of Autumn Glory. Today, that connection to the county’s turkey-growing history is still part of the celebration through the Turkey Trail, which guides visitors to turkey dinners served throughout Garrett County during the festival.

The 2026 celebration marks the 59th Annual Autumn Glory Festival, taking place October 7–11 throughout Garrett County.

So, if you’re looking for the perfect place to enjoy Maryland’s fall colors, head west. You might find yourself surrounded by golden leaves, Appalachian music, small-town festivities—and a turkey dinner that has been part of Garrett County’s autumn tradition for more than 70 years.

For more information, visit 59th Annual Autumn Glory Festival – Garrett County Chamber of Commerce.

If you would like your county featured in Fun Facts, please get in touch with Abbey Duncan at aduncan@mdcounties.org