The first Autumn Leaf Festival was held in 1953 during the Clarion State College Homecoming. During this weekend-long event, businesses decorated their spaces to celebrate the changing leaves and the arrival of fall. 

The event quickly became an annual tradition, and in the next few years, the quaint, charming festival began to grow as more events were added.  A small festival became a grand celebration encompassing parades, tractor pulls, fishing competitions, and craft shows.  In 1956, the “Tournament of the Leaves” parade became a key component of the festival, and a tradition that lives on today.  In 1958, the Autumn Leaf Festival was established as a permanent staple of the Clarion community calendar. And In 1977, The Miss Teen Autumn Leaf Festival scholarship pageant was established, and the first Farmer’s and Crafter’s Day was held, which allows attendees to buy and sell handcrafted items.

In 2020, the Autumn Leaf Festival won the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry Community of the Year Award.

Now, the event that began as a weekend-long festival has evolved into a nine-day long celebration.  The festival will include time-honored events like the Tournament of Leaves Parade and Farmer’s and Crafter’s Day, as well as fun-filled attractions like carnival rides and food vendors.  This year, the theme is “Flavors of Fall,” and the festival will be held from Sept. 28 to Oct. 6.

Traditionally, PennWest Clarion has scheduled a mid-semester break for its students, giving them the opportunity to enjoy the festival.  Now, with the merger of the three campuses, students from the California and Edinboro campuses share this mid-semester break.  On October 4th, students from the California and Edinboro campuses will have the opportunity to ride a bus to celebrate with Clarion.  Sponsored by SAB, the bus will bring students to Clarion in the morning and back to their home campuses by the evening.  

To reserve a spot on the bus, SAB invites students to use the QR code to fill out the interest form and reserve a spot on the bus. We hope to see you there!