Shenandoah National Park Trust brings regional artists to Big Meadows Wayside for a free, two-day open-air art event — painters, photographers, fiber artists, and printmakers demonstrating and teaching right along Skyline Drive, with a backdrop that’s hard to beat in late September. Friday runs longer and quieter; Saturday draws the bigger crowd.

The art event itself is free, but you still need to get into the park — a standard entrance fee applies unless you happen to catch it on a fee-free day. Big Meadows is about an hour up Skyline Drive from Luray, so plan the drive as part of the day, not an afterthought.