In September, Hokkaido comes alive with autumn food festivals held all across the region! We've compiled a list of 30 events where you can fully enjoy the "Flavors of Autumn in Hokkaido," from seasonal seafood and vegetables to new-crop rice and sweets. Be sure to check them out when planning your trip or outing.

Long-Running Events

This is Hokkaido's largest food festival, held in Odori Park in the heart of Sapporo. From Odori Park 4-chome to 11-chome, each block features a different concept, bringing together around 300 stalls with seasonal ingredients and gourmet dishes from all over Hokkaido. There are also plans for local sake from various regions in Hokkaido, produce sales, and stage events. Some venues have rotating vendors, so there's always something new to discover, no matter how many times you visit.

This night market, featuring food and general goods, is held at the popular Otaru Canal. A variety of stalls, including restaurants, accessory shops, and specialty product vendors, line the canal. During the event, there will also be canal illuminations, a mystery-solving tour through Otaru, and a project to float lanterns on the Otaru Canal.

Held from September 5 (Fri) to 7 (Sun)

The "Sapporo Oimo Expo 2025" brings famous sweet potato gourmet foods and sweets from all over Japan to Sapporo. A wide variety of sweet potato dishes will be available, including roasted sweet potatoes, croquettes, pies, and crepes. This event is recommended not only for sweet potato lovers but also for anyone who enjoys sampling different foods.

This festival, which colors the Furano autumn, is a chance to enjoy wine and gourmet food. In addition to locally produced wine and grape juice, various stalls from the Furano-Biei area will offer gourmet dishes and sweets. You can also experience the traditional "grape stomping," and the winery's underground cellar BAR, which is normally closed to the public, will be specially opened.

Held from September 13 (Sat) to 15 (Mon)

This is a festival where you can enjoy spectacular fireworks and delicious flavors from the Kushiro region. The name "Donpaku" combines "don," the sound of fireworks, and "paku," the sound of eating. True to its name, the festival features various events, including the "Kushiro Tairyo Donpaku Fireworks Display," which launches one of Hokkaido's largest sanshaku-dama (36-inch shell) fireworks, the "Donpaku Yatai" with numerous food stalls, and the "Agriculture and Rural Fair," which sells agricultural and livestock products from the Kushiro area.

This is Iwamizawa's largest festival, centered around its specialty product, rice (mochi rice). The main event, "O-usu Mochitsuki" (Large Mortar Mochi Pounding), features a spectacular mochi-pounding demonstration using one of the world's largest mortars, measuring 2.2 meters in diameter and weighing 5.5 tons. The freshly pounded mochi is served as oshiruko (sweet red bean soup) to a limited number of visitors. There will also be a kitchen car marche, dance and taiko drum performances, and the "Iwamizawa Jonetsu Festival" will be held concurrently, selling Iwamizawa's agricultural products, processed goods, and gourmet food made with local ingredients.

"Kita no Megumi Tabe Marche Asahikawa 2025" is an early autumn tradition in Asahikawa City. The area around JR Asahikawa Station and Heiwa-dori Kaimono Koen will be filled with prized foods from Asahikawa, other parts of Northern Hokkaido, and sister cities. This year, a new "Food Forest Zone" will be introduced, featuring unique menus that leverage Asahikawa's regional characteristics and booths collaborating with local ingredients.

This is a food event enjoyed alongside the Indian water wheel, an autumn tradition on the Chitose River. In autumn, many salmon swim upstream in the Chitose River. You can celebrate the arrival of fall with the Indian water wheel, salmon hot pot, and lively stage events featuring music and dance.

An autumn event where you can savor Yakumo's prized gourmet food. In addition to food booths selling takoyaki, burgers, and fried foods, a fireworks display of about 1,000 shells is scheduled for the night of the 13th to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the merger of the former Yakumo and Kumaishi towns. Enjoy the fireworks lighting up the autumn night sky along with delicious food.

Held from September 20 (Sat) to 23 (Tue)

A popular festival where you can eat dishes made with bluefin tuna from Matsumae. In addition to tuna, other dishes using local specialties are also available. The live filleting demonstration of a giant tuna is a powerful and unmissable sight. The on-site sale of fresh bluefin tuna draws long lines of visitors every year.

This is the first of Ishikari City's three major autumn festivals. Agricultural, marine, and livestock products from Hamamasu, Ishikari, including fresh autumn salmon, will be on sale. There are plenty of activities for all ages, such as the "Okiage Ondo," which recreates old herring fishing practices, performances of local folk arts, and a bingo tournament.

One of Ishikari's three major autumn festivals. You can savor the various hometown flavors of Atsuta's sea and mountains, with direct sales of morning-caught salmon from Ishikari and agricultural and marine products from Atsuta, as well as gourmet food stalls. Other events, such as an Akiaji (autumn salmon) weight-guessing quiz and mochi (rice cake) throwing with lottery prizes, are also held, drawing large crowds every year.

A festival to taste the autumn flavors of Toyokoro, a town blessed by the sea and land. Many events are held, including the perennially popular autumn salmon catching. There will also be food stalls, sales of specialty products, and various stage shows.

The town's largest food festival, bringing together Biratori's specialty products. You can savor the flavors of Biratori, including "Biratori Tomatoes," "Biratori Wagyu," and "Biratori Black Pork." In addition to food stalls, there will be a barbecue corner and a grand lottery with luxurious prizes, such as 100,000 yen worth of Biratori Wagyu.

A food-focused event where you can taste Fukushima's prized specialty products. A wide array of delicious gourmet foods from Fukushima will be available, from local favorites like "Senken soba" and "ika-tombi (squid beak) pasta" to marinated tuna bowls. Additionally, fried horse mackerel from its sister city, Matsuura in Nagasaki Prefecture, and Japanese sake from Kiso Town in Nagano Prefecture will also be featured.

A major autumn event in Bekkai held at the Noson Hiroba (Rural Plaza). You can fully enjoy the flavors of the sea and mountains, from grilled scallops and skewered Hokkai shima-ebi (striped shrimp) to free distributions of drinking yogurt made from Bekkai milk. In addition to gourmet stalls, you can also enjoy exciting races at the concurrently held equestrian competitions.

An autumn festival packed with the unique flavors of Taiki. Typically, barbecue grills are available for rent at the venue, allowing you to grill and enjoy the Taiki Wagyu sold on-site. In addition to Taiki's local flavors, the festival is packed with a variety of food booths, specialty product sales from sister and friendship cities, stage shows, and participatory attractions.

A major event in Yubetsu where you can enjoy the flavors of autumn. Marine products like autumn salmon and scallops, as well as agricultural and livestock products like onions and Yubetsu beef, will be available. The annual heated battle of strength, the "Human Scallop-Pulling Contest," and other events like the "Salmon Catching Contest" for elementary school students will also be held.

A festival where you can taste the prized bounties of the sea and mountains of Mori. You can enjoy a free distribution of limited-quantity Kajika-jiru (sculpin soup) and barbecue. A variety of stage performances, including local folk arts, dance, and song shows, will further liven up the venue.

Held from September 27 (Sat) to 28 (Sun)

A "sanma-づくし" (all about Pacific saury) event unique to Nemuro, which boasts the largest sanma catch in Japan. The highlight of the festival, which throngs with visitors, is the "Quayside Robata Corner," where you can grill fresh Nemuro sanma yourself over charcoal grills and eat it right there. There is also a product sales corner with dishes proudly made by local fishermen's wives and a lineup of famous products like crab and oysters.

One of Ishikari City's three major autumn festivals and a major city-wide event. It's a two-day salmon extravaganza perfect for salmon lovers, featuring "Ishikari-nabe" made in a giant "thousand-person" pot, sales of fresh raw salmon caught off the coast of Ishikari, the dynamic and famous "Salmon Grabbing" event, and ikura-don (salmon roe bowls) made by local shops.

Shintoku's largest festival, where you can taste each shop's prized "4-tate soba." The real pleasure of this festival is being able to luxuriously compare the "4-tate" soba from each shop: toretate (freshly harvested), hikitake (freshly milled), uchitate (freshly made), and yudetate (freshly boiled). There are plenty of other flavors besides soba, with local products like grilled Shintoku Jidori chicken and log-grown shiitake mushrooms also for sale.

An autumn event where you can enjoy a variety of gourmet foods, including barbecue at the venue, with Mt. Tarumae in the background. In addition to food, there will be stage shows and participatory games, making it a great recommendation for a holiday spent with family and friends.

An event where you can savor freshly harvested flavors. In addition to sales of fresh agricultural products, marine products, and processed seafood, there will be a corner where you can taste Yoichi's alcoholic beverages. Furthermore, a BBQ corner will allow you to enjoy the taste of Yoichi on the spot with items like migaki nishin (dried herring) and sausages made from local pork, and the famous Yanshu-nabe (fisherman's hot pot) will also be served.

A grand gathering of Shikaoi's local specialty products. This is a festival where you can fully enjoy the deliciousness of Shikaoi, with a "Local Production for Local Consumption Fair" featuring freshly grilled Shikaoi beef steak, okonomiyaki packed with Shikaoi cabbage, and all-you-can-pack agricultural products like carrots and potatoes, as well as a lottery with luxurious prizes.

This event allows you to experience the charm of Rausu through its traditions and seasonal foods, especially seafood. The venue is a true celebration of Rausu's flavors, featuring an auction for autumn salmon and specialty products, a challenge to catch autumn salmon with your bare hands, free distribution of ikura-don (salmon roe bowls), and various gourmet booths. Stage shows and sports events are also scheduled.

Specialty products from the five cities and five towns of the Nakasorachi region gather in one place. The festival showcases a wide array of proud local products, including fresh produce and processed goods. With exciting stage shows and a bingo tournament where you can win delicious prizes, it's an event that delights everyone, from adults to children.

This is an autumn festival in Mashike Town where treasures from the sea and mountains are brought together. Every year, a variety of delicious flavors gather at the venue, including scallops, salmon, fruits, and rice. In addition to food stalls, there will be game corners with raffles and other attractions.

A major autumn event in Shari Town where you can taste the bounty of the mountains and the sea. In addition to the sale of Hokkaido's unique gourmet foods like Chan-chan yaki and local specialties, apples from Hirosaki City in Aomori Prefecture will also be available. Free milk from JA Shiretoko Shari, stage events, and attractions for children like bouncy castles are also planned.

A festival in Uryu Town where delicious foods, from new rice to seafood, come together. It's a great chance to get your hands on delicious new rice through sales and activities like rice scooping. Various other events are planned each year, including seafood sales and hands-on activity corners.

*All information listed is current as of August 2025.
*Event details are subject to change or cancellation. Please check the official websites for the latest information before attending.