Fall officially arrived with the autumnal equinox on Tuesday, September 22, and this is the first full fall weekend in Murphy, NC. My plan is simple: paint a store window downtown at Paint the Town Fall on Saturday morning, drive up to Andrews Oktoberfest for the afternoon, and give Sunday to the Murphy River Walk and the first hints of color on the high ridges. Here is how I'm celebrating, where each stop sits, and what a weekend like this says about owning a home here.
Key Takeaways
- Paint the Town Fall runs Saturday, September 26, 2026, 10am to 4pm, starting at the Downtown Stage at Peachtree Street and Valley River Avenue in downtown Murphy; registration is free that morning.
- Andrews Oktoberfest fills Main Street in Andrews the same Saturday, 11am to 5pm, about 15 miles from Murphy on the four-lane US-19/74/129.
- NC State's 2026 fall color guide says patchy color starts at the highest elevations, especially above 5,000 feet, in late September, which puts the Cherohala Skyway on the list.
- The Murphy River Walk follows the Hiwassee and Valley rivers for roughly 3 miles one way, from Konehete Park to the Old L&N Depot.
- Next weekend, October 3 and 4, the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown holds its 50th annual Fall Festival.
What's happening in Murphy, NC this first weekend of fall?
I'm Bonnie DuPree, a REALTOR® with RE/MAX Town & Country and a Resort & Second-Home Property Specialist (RSPS), and I live in Murphy and have worked these mountains since 2007. Every year the first weekend of autumn reminds me why people come here for a weekend and stay for a lifetime. The mornings turn crisp, the rivers carry a little mist, and the calendar fills with small-town events that feel made for neighbors.
Two events share Saturday, September 26, with an early-color drive and a slow Sunday by the water around them. If you're newer to the area, our Murphy, NC area guide gives you the lay of the land first. Here is the weekend at a glance:
| Day | What | Where | Drive from downtown Murphy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Sep 26 | Paint the Town Fall, 10am–4pm | Downtown Stage, Peachtree St and Valley River Ave | You're already there |
| Sat, Sep 26 | Andrews Oktoberfest, 11am–5pm | Main Street, Andrews | About 15 miles, roughly 20 minutes via US-19/74/129 |
| Sat or Sun | Early color drive | Cherohala Skyway (NC-143) from Robbinsville | Roughly 1 to 1.5 hours via Andrews and Robbinsville |
| Sun, Sep 27 | Murphy River Walk | Konehete Park to the Old L&N Depot | In town |
| Sat–Sun, Oct 3–4 | Folk School Fall Festival, 10am–5pm | John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown | East on US-64; confirm for your starting point |
How I'd spend Saturday: Paint the Town Fall downtown
Paint the Town Fall is one of my favorite Main Street Murphy traditions because it turns downtown into a gallery for a day. From 10am to 4pm on Saturday, September 26, anyone can paint a fall scene on a designated 24-by-18-inch section of a store window. Here is how it works, according to the Town of Murphy:
- Check in at the Downtown Stage, at the corner of Peachtree Street and Valley River Avenue.
- Register the day of the event; there is no charge.
- Pick up paint supplies at Olive's Porch, then head to your window.
- Paint a fall scene on your assigned 24-by-18-inch window section.
- Watch for prizes awarded for the best art. It's open to all ages.
What I love most comes after the brushes are washed: those windows stay bright for weeks, so anyone living near downtown enjoys them on every walk to coffee. A visitor sees one Saturday; a resident enjoys the whole season it starts. Homes inside the Town of Murphy limits typically have town water and sewer and weekly garbage pickup, and many sit within an easy stroll of Valley River Avenue. If Saturday mornings at a market stall sound like your pace too, my guide to farmers markets of the NC and GA mountains pairs well with a morning of painting.
Is Andrews Oktoberfest worth the short drive?
Absolutely, and the drive is part of the charm. Andrews sits about 15 miles northeast of Murphy on US-19/74/129, a four-lane highway through the Valley River valley, so you can finish your window by lunchtime and be on Main Street in Andrews in roughly 20 minutes. Oktoberfest runs 11am to 5pm, and Visit Andrews promises the first signs of fall as the leaves begin to turn.
The Main Stage at Cherry and Main carries the music all afternoon: the Woolybooger Band from 11 to 12:30, Mark Henderson from 1 to 2:30, and Switchback Rocks from 3 to 5. Between sets you'll find cornhole, giant Jenga, a photo booth, stein-holding and stein-race contests, keg rolling, beard, mustache and outfit contests, street vendors and food trucks, plus a beer and wine garden with souvenir steins.
I think of Andrews as Murphy's close neighbor rather than a separate trip. Homes along the Valley River between the two towns share the same four-lane corridor, so both towns' calendars are yours all year. Confirm times with the organizer before you go.
Where can you find early fall color near Murphy this weekend?
Look up. North Carolina State University's 2026 fall color guide notes that patchy color begins at the highest elevations of the North Carolina mountains, especially above 5,000 feet, in late September, with peak color typically reaching the 4,000-to-5,000-foot range by mid-October. My post on the signs the season is turning in the North Carolina mountains shows how fall moves down from the ridges.
The closest high road for early color is the Cherohala Skyway. From Murphy you head through Andrews and Robbinsville, then climb NC-143 past Lake Santeetlah onto the Skyway, which crosses mountains above 5,000 feet on its way into Tennessee. Plan on roughly an hour to an hour and a half to reach the high overlooks, depending on your starting point. I've gathered more routes like it in my guide to scenic drives and overlooks of the far-west NC mountains.
When you live here, you don't have to pick a single weekend. Color walks down the mountains over several weeks, so you can drive up in late September, again in mid-October, and then watch it arrive in your own yard.
How does a Sunday in early fall feel when you live here?
Unhurried. My Sunday starts on the Murphy River Walk, which the Town of Murphy lists at about 3 miles one way along the Valley and Hiwassee rivers, from Konehete Park to the Old L&N Depot at the river bridge in town. There are trailheads at Konehete Park, at Hilton Street and McClelland Street, and at the depot, and a center loop wraps the confluence where the two rivers meet and begin the backwaters of Hiwassee Lake.
From there, the lake is the natural next stop. Hiwassee Lake is a TVA reservoir stretching about 22 miles on the Hiwassee River, and most of its shoreline is Nantahala National Forest land, so the hillsides stay wooded and the views stay open. Early fall is a lovely time on the water, with softer light and the first color on the far ridges. Our Lake Hiwassee guide covers the lake-view, lake-access and lakefront homes around it.
And the weekend has a sequel: on October 3 and 4, the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown hosts its 50th Fall Festival, with more than 230 craft vendors and live traditional music. Brasstown sits east of Murphy along US-64, and homes in that pastoral valley keep the Folk School's year-round classes close by.
What does fall show you about a mountain home in Murphy, NC?
As an RSPS, I help people move from visiting the mountains to owning a place in them, and autumn is the most generous season for looking at homes. Here is what a fall weekend in Murphy, NC reveals:
- Views open up. As leaves thin, the long-range ridge lines that summer keeps private come into view, so fall is when you can see a lot's full view corridor clearly.
- Exposure is easy to read. The lower autumn sun makes it simple to see which slopes face south and hold the afternoon light, which shapes where a porch, garden or big window belongs.
- Porch season is in full swing. Crisp mornings and mild afternoons are the best test of a screened porch, a deck with a ridge view or a firepit spot.
- Lake shorelines show their shape. TVA lowers its mountain reservoirs toward winter levels each fall, which gives you a clear look at a waterfront lot's contours and cove.
- Your routine comes into focus. A weekend of events shows you exactly how close you'd like to live to downtown Murphy, Andrews or Brasstown.
My team, The DuPree Real Estate Group, loves showing homes this time of year for exactly these reasons.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did fall officially begin in 2026?
Fall officially began with the autumnal equinox on Tuesday, September 22, 2026. The weekend of September 26 and 27 is the first full weekend of autumn in Murphy, NC.
When and where is Paint the Town Fall in Murphy, NC?
Paint the Town Fall is Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 10am to 4pm in downtown Murphy. Check in at the Downtown Stage at Peachtree Street and Valley River Avenue, register free that day, and pick up paint supplies at Olive's Porch.
How far is Andrews Oktoberfest from Murphy?
Andrews is about 15 miles northeast of Murphy on the four-lane US-19/74/129, roughly a 20-minute drive. Andrews Oktoberfest runs Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 11am to 5pm on Main Street.
Is there fall color near Murphy, NC in late September?
Yes, at the highest elevations. NC State's 2026 fall color guide says patchy color begins above about 5,000 feet in late September, so high roads such as the Cherohala Skyway show early color first, and peak color reaches the 4,000-to-5,000-foot range by mid-October.
How long is the Murphy River Walk?
The Town of Murphy lists the Murphy River Walk at about 3 miles one way, or 6 miles round trip, along the Valley and Hiwassee rivers from Konehete Park to the Old L&N Depot, with a loop at the confluence of the two rivers.
Your Local Expert
I'm Bonnie DuPree, REALTOR®, founder of The DuPree Real Estate Group at RE/MAX Town & Country. Based in Murphy, NC — the county seat of Cherokee County — I've helped buyers and sellers across these mountains and lakes since 2007. As a Resort & Second-Home Property Specialist (RSPS), I help people turn a favorite getaway into a home base, from Murphy, Andrews and Brasstown to Hayesville, Robbinsville, Blairsville, Blue Ridge and Hiawassee. My team follows a "One Thing" model, with each specialist focused on one part of your move.
Make this the fall you stay
Come paint a window, raise a stein in Andrews and walk the rivers with me this weekend. Then imagine every weekend like it. Make Murphy the home you drive from, not to. When you're ready, browse current homes for sale around Murphy and picture your own fall porch.
I'd love to help you find it. Reach out to me directly, or call me at (828) 361-1027, and let's talk about the view you want to wake up to.
The DuPree Real Estate Group is pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity. Bonnie DuPree, REALTOR® · RE/MAX Town & Country · Each Office Independently Owned and Operated.
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