What’s Coming Up in Pleasant Hill: Fall Fun, Homecoming and a Big Festival Weekend
Fall is officially settling into Pleasant Hill, and the next several days offer plenty of reasons to get out of the house.
From Homecoming festivities and the final Farmers Market of the season to painting, gardening, pickleball, and the start of the Big Creek Fall Festival, the stretch from Sept. 24 through Oct. 2 is a busy one around town.
Things get started Thursday with a little something for gardeners and artists alike. Paula’s Petals will host a free All About Peonies class at 9 a.m., offering tips on planting, growing and dividing one of the garden’s longtime favorites.
Thursday evening offers a couple of choices. Wing Hill Wine Co. continues its regular Thursday wine tasting from 4 to 8 p.m., while Fleming Floral Station hosts a Fall Paint Night from 6 to 8 p.m. The $30 painting event includes an 11-by-14 canvas, supplies, snacks and wine, with several fall designs available to choose from.
Friday belongs, at least in part, to Pleasant Hill Homecoming.
The annual Homecoming Parade steps off at 1:30 p.m., bringing students, families and plenty of school spirit into the community. Earlier that morning, residents can stop by Coffee with a Cop from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Community Bank of Pleasant Hill. Paula’s Petals will also offer a second All About Peonies class at 9 a.m.
Saturday marks the end of another Pleasant Hill tradition for the year. The Pleasant Hill Farmers Market will hold its final market of the 2026 season from 9 a.m. to noon at the corner of Second Street and Highway 58. It’s one last Saturday morning to visit the growers, bakers, makers, and vendors who have filled the market throughout the season.
Saturday evening, live music returns to the historic People’s Theater downtown at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday brings two very different ways to spend an afternoon.
Musket Cellars & Vineyard will host a Fall Doormat Craft & Sip from 1 to 3 p.m. Participants can choose from fall-themed designs—or create their own—while enjoying a glass of Musket wine. Tickets are $40 and include the doormat and supplies.
A little later, the Pleasant Hill Class of 2027 Project Grad Pickleball Tournament gets underway. Check-in begins at 2 p.m., with play starting at 3 p.m. The six-court community tournament is open to all teams, with the Fun Division limited to 24 teams. Entry is $60 per team, with proceeds benefiting Project Grad.
The activities continue into the new week.
On Wednesday, Sept. 30, The Heirloom Farm will offer a Beginner Hand Sewing class from 2 to 4 p.m., teaching practical skills such as threading a needle, basic stitches, sewing on buttons, and repairing small tears and loose seams.
That evening, Nook & Needle gets into the fall spirit with a Fall Pumpkin Canvas Painting Class from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Creative Painting by Jodi will guide participants through the project step by step. The $35 registration includes supplies.
Then comes October.
On Friday, Oct. 2, the Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce will celebrate Dream Vacations with a ribbon-cutting at 10 a.m. at the Chamber office.
Book lovers have something to look forward to that afternoon when New York Times bestselling author Lisa Wingate visits the Pleasant Hill Branch of the Cass County Public Library at 3 p.m. as part of the library’s Author Series. Wingate will talk about her life as an author and answer audience questions. Registration is required.
And by Friday evening, attention turns downtown as the Big Creek Fall Festival gets underway.
Friday night’s festivities begin at 5 p.m., with more than 20 vendors, food, and drinks downtown. Taste the Que and VIP barbecue dinners run from 6 to 8 p.m., Mudflap Mafia takes the stage from 7 to 11 p.m., and whiskey and spirits tasting runs from 8 to 11 p.m.
That’s only the beginning. The festival continues Saturday with a Boy Scout pancake breakfast, Kids Que and Junior Que competitions, cornhole, vendors, food trucks, a silent auction, a bounce house, a homebrew competition, demonstrations, a dunk tank, awards, and the Pleasant Hill Talent Show.
In other words, if you’ve been waiting for fall to arrive in Pleasant Hill, this might be the week it does.