Fall festivals rolling in with food, music and family fun. Check out this metro-area list.

If it’s a weekend, this time of year there’s probably a festival somewhere celebrating our unique culture and food. As fall moves ahead full steam, so will the fun. Here’s a month’s worth of fests to get your planning started.

HISPANIC HERITAGE CELEBRATION: Bachata, salsa, merengue anyone? The Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration features free dance lessons, along with food booths, community organizations and live music by artists from Puerto Rico, Spain, Venezuela, Brazil and Bolivia. The festival takes place in the French Market on Sept. 21. www.frenchmarket.org.

INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL: Running Sept. 26-Oct. 1, the festival will showcase the talents of Steel Pulse, Average White Band, Yohan Marley, Spyro Gyra, Big Chief Donald Harrison Jr. and other musicians. Concerts and panel discussions will be held at venues across the city, including the Orpheum Theater, Louis Armstrong Park, Gallier Hall and Kermit’s Tremé Mother-in-Law Lounge. Tickets for individual events start at $50. afnola.com.

GRETNA FEST: Fevel on the river Oct. 4-6 with live music, arts and crafts, food and more at 740 Second St. in Gretna. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the festival will feature more than 40 bands, including Cowboy Mouth, Dierks Bentley, Steve Miller Band, the Revivalists, Foghat, Blue Oyster Cult, Morris Day & the Time, Galactic and the Iguanas. Tickets start at $40. gretnafest.com.

NATIONAL FRIED CHICKEN FEST: USA Today named this fest one of the best specialty food festivals in the country. It will take place Oct. 5-6 along Lakeshore Drive at Franklin Avenue in New Orleans, in the greenspace directly behind the UNO Lakefront Arena. It’s much more than just good fried chicken to eat; it’s a competition among more than three dozen restaurants. Tickets are $10. friedchickenfestival.com.

BLUES & BBQ: The Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival takes place Oct. 11-13 at Lafayette Square Park, 602 St. Charles Ave. Two stages showcase talent like Marcia Ball, Irma Thomas, Lil Ed & the Blues Imperials, and Sunpie Barnes & the LA Sunspots. You’ll also find local artisans and some of the best BBQ vendors in the area. Free; VIP packages are available. www.jazzandheritage.org.

GENTILLY FEST: With food from local restaurants and caterers, fine arts and crafts and music on three stages, it celebrates all things Gentilly Oct. 11-13 at Pontchartrain Park, 5701 Press Drive. There’s a Kids’ Village, too. www.gentillyfestival.com.

OKTOBERFEST: Nobody does Oktoberfest quite like Deutsches Haus, 1700 Moss St., which celebrates the fall festival over three weekends with traditional German food and beverages, including more than 20 German beers and schnapps. Held Oct. 11-12, 18-19 and 25-26, it will feature oompah music and dancing, a 6K race, a dog parade, and more. $10 at the gate; age 11 and under free. oktoberfestnola.com.

HISPANIC HERITAGE: The new West Bank Hispanic Heritage Festival is a collaboration between the University of Holy Cross and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana. The free, family-friendly event will be held Oct. 12 on the Great Lawn at UHC, 4123 Woodland Drive in Algiers, with local entertainers, art vendors and food. uhcno.edu.

NEW ORLEANS FILM FESTIVAL: Whether your favorite movies are documentaries, narrative shorts, experimental cinema or animation, you’ll find something to love among the more than 150 films at the 35th annual fest Oct. 16-27. Screenings of Oscar-qualifying films will accompany panels, artist talks, workshops and more at locations around the city. Tickets start at $60, with some events free and all-access passes available.

TOP TACO: This Oct. 24 festival combines food and philanthropy, bringing together top restaurants competing to create the city’s most delicious tacos and tequila cocktails at Lafreniere Park, 3000 Downs Blvd. in Metairie. All proceeds benefit local nonprofits. This is a 21-and-older event. Tickets start at $85. toptaconola.com.

OAK STREET PO-BOY FESTIVAL: The fest will be held Oct. 27 on the 8100-8700 blocks of Oak Street, kicking off with a parade. There’s a Kids Zone, a Saints game-watching area, a celebrity-judged po-boy competition, and stages with live music. Wristbands start at $10. www.poboyfest.com.