40+Things to do in Ohio in October that you don’t want to Miss (2023)

Fall is near and I’m ready for it! I’m all about throwing on my favorite oversized sweatshirt, pulling on my fall boots, and heading outdoors to hike, camp, and check out some fall festivals and pumpkin patches.

Some of my favorites include the Ohio Renaissance Festival, The Prairie Peddler Festival, and the incredible Circleville Pumpkin Show.

We’ve gathered a list of things to do in Ohio in October so you can spend less time searching for things to do and more time doing those things. 

Ongoing Events in Ohio in October

• Ramseyer Farms in Wooster knows how to put the fun in the fall. One of my family’s favorites, you can explore the giant corn maze, and hayrides, pet the farm animals and SO much more. Your admission provides access to 50 fun fall activities. Don’t miss the fun photo ops and make sure you take home a pumpkin or two. Tip: If you plan to go more than once make sure you buy the season pass.
  
• All Hallows’ Eve | Terror Town will get you in the mood for Halloween! This haunted house attraction outside Cincinnati is full of spooky fun for adults. Attractions include a haunted trail, ghost town, and axe throwing. Open on Fridays and Saturdays through November 4. 
  
• The Akron Zoo hosts Boo at the Zoo on the last three weekends in October. The Zoo has 12 trick-or-treat stations set up. They also have special morning hours on October 28 for sensory-sensitive children. 
  
• Burnham Orchards in Berlin Heights hosts different themed Fall Harvest Weekends in October. Choose from Family Fun Weekend, Apple Butter Weekend, Open House Weekend, and Halloween Weekend. 
  
• The Ohio Renaissance Festival hits Harveysburg on September 2nd.  Running every weekend through October 29, the festival features over 130 daily performances, shows, shopping, themed weekends, and delicious festival foods. 
  
•  Pumpkin Pandemonium at Heritage Farms in Peninsula runs seven days a week from September 23 through October 22. Food trucks, artisan vendors, hayrides, scavenger hunts, and a harvest maze are just some of the fun fall activities available. 
  
• Columbia Station’s Red Wagon Farm hosts the 40th Annual Pumpkin Festival throughout the month. Wander through the corn maze, take a wagon ride, pick your own pumpkins, and enjoy some yummy fall food in the food tent.
  
• Another Cleveland-area fall festival is the Old West Pumpkin Fest at Rockin ‘R Ranch. In addition to the giant pumpkin patch, they also have wagon rides, food concessions, and kids’ activities for all ages. Open on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.
  
• The Waynesville Fall Festival is open on weekends from September 16 through October 29. This huge fall festival has way too many activities to list, but suffice to say, this is a must for Ohio families. 
  
• The White House Fruit Farm in Canfield is another spot with several themed fall harvest weekends through October 22nd. Enjoy fresh pressed apple cider, a petting zoo, a play area, donuts, and pumpkins!
  
• At Young’s Jersey Dairy in Yellow Springs, the Fall Farm Pumpkin Festival runs until October 29th. They have the best fall treats throughout the season: pumpkin bread, pumpkin pies, and other dairy products like ice cream and cheese curds. 
  
• The first two weekends of October at the Farm at Walnut Creek bring the Fall Festival to Sugarcreek. They have so many family-friendly activities at the farm, including cooking and craft demos, wagon rides, and food for sale. Open Friday and Saturday, with a bonus day on Columbus Day.
  
• Attending Halloweekends at Cedar Point is a tradition for my kids. Every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night at dusk, the park is transformed with creatures that go bump in the night. Only the bravest will want to experience the terrifying scenes that await in the designated fright zones and haunted houses.

• Every weekend in October features a different theme at Mapleside Farms. The October themes are Pumpkin Fest, Super Hero, Wild West, and Spooky Fest. Activities include a corn maze, hayrides, live music, and fall treats.

• The 2nd and 3rd weekends in October bring an Old-Fashioned Christmas in the Woods to Shaker Woods in Ohio. This year marks 29 years for the award-winning holiday craft festival. It’s a great time to get a jump start on your Christmas shopping!

September 29 – October 1, 2023

• The Prairie Peddler Festival runs the last weekend in September and the first weekend in October. Since my birthday falls in October, my mom and I always planned to go to this festival that features more than 200 artisans, live music, and delicious food in the rolling hills of Butler. Open from 10 am until 5 pm on Saturday and Sunday.
  
• Sugarcreek is called “the Little Switzerland of Ohio,” so it’s only fitting to hold the Ohio Swiss Festival here. For nearly 70 years, this two-day festival celebrates Swiss culture with food, entertainment, and music. The weekend starts on Thursday, September 28 through Saturday, September 30.
  
• Wooster will be hosting the 39th annual Woosterfest on Friday, September 29, and Saturday, September 30. This Oktoberfest celebration features free entertainment, food vendors, and a Biergarten. 
  

• The town of Norton will host their 25th annual Cider Fest this weekend at Columbia Woods Park. The weekend includes live music, festival food, train rides, inflatables, a parade, an apple decorating contest, and more!

• Minster will also host an Oktoberfest starting September 29th, at Minster Machine Centennial Park. German music is the backdrop to three days of entertainment, German food, and beer!

• Stow Ohio will celebrate the harvest season with the Stow Historical Society Harvest Festival on Saturday and Sunday. The event includes free tours of the homes and schoolhouse at Heritage Reserve Park, as well as arts, crafts, food, and period demonstrations. 

October 6 – October 8, 2023

• Just outside Dayton, the New Carlisle Heritage of Flight Festival and Parade kicks off on Friday, October 6. Events include a silent auction, car show, plane rides, pancake breakfast, 5k run, and many more fun activities. 

• Eastwood MetroPark in Dayton is home to the Wagner Subaru Outdoor Experience, a weekend filled with outdoor adventure activities. This is a great opportunity to demo new outdoor equipment and see the latest from Subaru. 

• In Southern Ohio, Beaver will host the Beaver Oktoberfest, a three-day celebration of local heritage. Held the first full weekend in October, the event includes live music, a kiddie tractor pull, a parade, and church services.
  
• While German festivals abound in October, don’t miss out on the Columbus Italian Festival! Live music, a parade, and a bocce ball competition are the perfect backdrop for sampling delicious Italian food. 
  
• Hop a ferry to the 30th Annual Put-In-Bay’s Oktoberfest. Starting Saturday morning, the festival includes live music, German festival food, and lots of ice-cold beer!  

• Mineral City is home to the Atwood Area Fall Festival at Atwood Lake Park. Billed as the festival with “something for everyone,” this weekend features music, comedy, kids’ activities, crafts, tournaments, and more!

• Get in the fall spirit at the Gorman Heritage Farm Sunflower Festival in Evendale. You can cut your own sunflowers or enjoy the beer garden, live music, hayrides, craft vendors, and food trucks. 

• You’ve heard of Comic Con, but have you heard of Con on the Cob? The Quality Inn & Suites in Richfield will host the four-day tabletop gaming convention from Thursday, October 5 through Sunday, October 8.

• In Ohio’s Amish Country, the village of Charm celebrates Charm Days on the second weekend in October. This 30-year tradition features music, a flea market, horse demonstrations, a benefit auction, and more! Even proceeds go to Charm Community Share and Care Fund.

• This year marks the 60th Annual Ohio Gourd Show, sponsored by the Ohio Gourd Society. Held at the Delaware County Fairgrounds, this free event kicks off Friday at noon. This year’s theme is “Gourdians of the Galaxy” and features three days of workshops and competitions.

• Take a break from pumpkin festivals and check out the Spring Valley Potato Festival this weekend on Main Street. This two-day festival is the main fundraiser for the Spring Valley Association of Community and Township Services and has been running since 1977!

October 13 – October 15, 2023

• The Chillicothe Halloween Festival begins on October 13 at Yoctangee Park. Three days of Halloween-themed fun include coffin races, a ghost walk, and live entertainment. 

• Butler County’s largest festival is Operation Pumpkin, featuring giant pumpkins, pumpkin carving, a pumpkin weigh-off, and over 100 artisan and food vendors. Open from October 13 through October 15.

• Waynesville draws huge crowds for the Ohio Sauerkraut Festival, with over 400 craft vendors displaying their wares on the 2nd full weekend in October. Live music and lots of sauerkraut round out the offerings at this Ohio fall festival. 

• Ashtabula County is home to 19 covered bridges, including the longest and the shortest in the country. See them all during the Ashtabula County Covered Bridge Festival on the 2nd weekend in October.

• The Carroll County Historical Society presents the 52nd Annual Algonquin Mill Fall Festival from October 13 through October 15. Old-time craft demonstrations and fun children’s areas are a fun addition to the pioneer village and old-fashioned foods on hand. 

• Miami County Parks will host Fall Farm Fest on Saturday and Sunday at Lost Creek Reserve. Enjoy family-friendly activities amidst the backdrop of colorful fall foliage.
  
• Now in its 52nd year, the Bob Evans Annual Farm Festival kicks off on Friday, the 13th, with live country & bluegrass music. Of course, there will be delicious local food, plus farm contests, arts and crafts, and free primitive camping on-site.  
  
• See why Bainbridge, Ohio is called the “Leaf Country USA” at the Fall Festival of Leaves. This three-day festival includes arts and crafts, a flea market, an antique tractor show, a 5K run, and more!

• High Street in Glouster will host the Appalachian Color in the Hills Festival on the second full weekend in October. Activities include a car show, a kid’s day, and a family fun day. 

• The Bradford Pumpkin Show kicks off on Tuesday evening and the festivities continue through Saturday night. Dozens of activities and events include fun runs, pageants, baking contests, a parade, and more!

• This Saturday kicks off the 44th Annual Oak Harbor Apple Festival in downtown Oak Harbor. Over 25,000 visitors come to celebrate fall, with pageants, a parade, fun runs, kids activities, live music, and over 120 food, craft, and retail vendors.

• The 37th Annual Sylvania Fall Festival is scheduled for Friday and Saturday on Main Street. There will be craft vendors, a farmers market, food trucks, live music, a pumpkin patch, and trick-or-treating on Main Street!

October 20 – October 22, 2023

• Starting in 1903, the Circleville Pumpkin Show is billed as the “Greatest Free Show on Earth.”
  This festival kicks off on the third Wednesday in October, featuring giant pumpkin contests, every kind of pumpkin treat imaginable, seven parades, plus live music! I have many happy memories of this festival as a child.
• Historic Roscoe Village in Coshocton will be hosting the 52nd Apple Butter Stirrin’ Festival starting on Friday. Celebrate the fall apple harvest with homemade apple butter, live music, crafts, food, and kids’ activities. 
  
• The Midwest’s largest coffee festival is right here in Ohio. The Cincinnati Coffee Festival brings together dozens of coffee roasters, pastry shops, and chocolatiers for two days of caffeinated fun.  

• The VanWert County Fairgrounds are throwing three parties in one! The Van Wert Apple Festival, Harvest Happenings, and the Dairy Barn Emporium all converge on the fairgrounds, with craft vendors, apples, apple cider, and great fair food. 

• The Fairborn Halloween Festival is Miami Valley’s largest Halloween festival. This free event features live music, a beer garden, food trucks, amusement rides, trick or treating, plus a zombie walk!

• Visit Charm at the Farm Vintage Market in Lebanon for their last market weekend of the season. Browse dozens of hand-picked vintage, antique, boho, and farmhouse chic vendors to give your home a fresh look for fall. 

• For those into knitting or weaving, the Autumn Fiber Festival at the Ashland County Fairgrounds is a must! Visit with local fiber producers and artists. Shop for handmade items or watch one of many demonstrations on display. 

• The third full weekend in October brings the Black Walnut Festival to Camden. A baking contest, beer garden, concert, and car show are a few of the fun activities at this fun festival in Western Ohio. 

• Harrison Ohio is home to Weber’s Farm Market, which hosts an annual Pumpkin Festival the third full weekend in October. The weekend includes live music, over 20 food trucks, kids’ activities, demonstrations, arts and crafts, and much more.

October 27 – October 29, 2023

• Aurora is home to the Ohio Wizard of Oz Festival at the Bertram Inn & Conference Center. Meet (or dress up as) your favorite characters from the movie and follow the yellow brick road to fun crafts and food trucks. Open Friday, October 27 through Sunday, October 29.

• Cincinnati’s Washington Park turns into a pumpkin patch for Fall Fest at Washington Park this weekend. In addition to the pumpkin patch, there will be live music, shopping, and animal encounters.

Which of these events do you plan to attend this fall?