50+ Incredible Things to do in Ohio in September (2022)

What is there to do in September in Ohio? Festivals, festivals, and yes, more festivals! We’ve gathered a list of some of our favorite events, from the Ohio Renaissance Faire to the Ohio Sternwheel Festival to the popular Prairie Peddler. We think there’s something for everyone, so grab your calendar and your favorite beverage and take a look at our list of things to do in Ohio in September and plan a fall full of fun! 

If you missed it you may want to check out our post of things to do in Ohio in August. There’s still time to plan some fun outings.

Ongoing Events Throughout the Month of September

• 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 every weekend in September and October. 
  
• Every weekend from mid-September through mid-October is a different themed weekend at Mapleside Farms. Starting September 10th with Hometown Heroes, followed by Princess & Pirates Weekend, and the Johnny Appleseed Festival.  
  
• The Ohio Renaissance Festival hits Harveysburg on September 3rd.  Running every weekend through October 30, the festival features over 130 daily performances, shows, shopping, themed weekends, and delicious festival foods. 
  
• While Cincinnati has the largest Oktoberfest, the Cleveland Oktoberfest runs for two consecutive weekends, starting Labor Day weekend. Local brews, laser light shows, and live music are just a few of the events scheduled. 
  
• Celebrating 50 years of outdoor performances, the Tecumseh Drama Company in Chillicothe has performances running from June 16 through September 4th. Witness the story of Tecumseh, a Shawnee leader, at the Sugarloaf Mountain Amphitheatre.
  
• The White House Fruit Farm in Canfield is another spot with several themed fall harvest weekends beginning September 10th. Enjoy fresh pressed apple cider, petting zoo, play area, donuts, and pumpkins!
  
• At Young’s Jersey Dairy in Yellow Springs, the Fall Farm Pumpkin Festival starts on September 17th. They have the best fall treats throughout the season: pumpkin bread, pumpkin pies, and other dairy products like ice cream and cheese curds. 
  
• The Waynesville Fall Festival is open on weekends from September 17 through October 30. This huge fall festival has way too many activities to list, but suffice to say, this is a must for Ohio families. 
  
• Sunflower Days at Ramseyer Farms start on Friday, September 16. Explore acres of sunflowers, with the option to pick your own. They also have yummy fall treats, live music, and local craft vendors. 

Weekend Events and Festivals in Ohio in September

In addition to the events listed below, you may want to check out our list of 9/11 Memorials. 

September 1 – September 5, 2022

• If you like pizza, then the Akron Pizza Fest is for you! This 3-day food and music festival features pizza vendors from all over Akron, plus live music and lawn games.
  
• Southeast Columbus is home to the Canal Winchester Labor Day Festival, the largest and oldest Labor Day Festival in Ohio. Enjoy live music, parades, carnival rides, a pageant, and an ice cream social. 
  
• The Annual Columbus Greek Festival is full of music, dancing, shopping, and of course, amazing Greek food! The event kicks off on Friday, September 2 at The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral.
  
• The German-themed Glandorf Parkfest kicks off with a Beer Garden on Friday, September 2. Weekend events include turtle races, tractor pull, 5K race, BBQ dinner at the fire station, plus live music and raffles.
  
• Holloway is home to the oldest continuous old-timer’s celebration in the country. The Holloway Oldtimers Baseball Club Festival has a parade, car show, flea market, axe throwing, baseball games, and great food. 
   
• The Made in Ohio Festival takes over Hale Farm on Labor Day weekend, with local Ohio artisans featuring jewelry, pottery, quilts, and more. Local restaurants will also be on-site. 
  
• Hocking Hills is home to the Nelsonville Music Festival, a 3-day celebration of live music featuring local, regional, and national acts. This family-friendly event also offers camping and food vendors so you can stay the whole weekend!
  
• Now in its 59th year, Portsmouth River Days is the longest-running festival in Ohio. Enjoy four full days of live music, food, boat races, and family-friendly activities.
  
• If you’ve never experienced a Native Pow Wow, now’s your chance. The 6th Annual Spirit of the People Gathering Intertribal takes place in Peebles, one hour east of Cincinnati. Experience drumming, dancing, and singing from several area tribes.
  
• Say goodbye to summer at the Stow Summer Sunset Blast. Enjoy food, craft beer, music, and entertainment that includes a petting zoo, inflatable rides, axe throwing, face painting, and more!

September 8 – September 11, 2022

• Cryptid fans won’t want to miss their chance to attend Bigfoot Basecamp Weekend at Pleasant Hill Lake Park near Perrysville, Ohio. There is a ton of fun planned at this event, including Ohio sighting information. This is a ticketed event so plan accordingly.
   
• Western Ohio, New Paris is home to AppleFest, a three-day celebration of the fall apple harvest. In addition to an apple-baking contest, there is also a wine and beer garden, zip line, tractor pull, car show, and more!
  
• The Champaign County Balloon Fest kicks off on September 9th at historic Grimes Field in Urbana. Watch as dozens of hot air balloons take to the sky during this two-day festival that also includes wing eating and pizza eating contests. 
  
• September 9 is the first day of Columbus Oktoberfest, a three-day celebration presented by Schmidt’s Restaurant und Sausage Haus. For over 50 years, visitors and locals have been celebrating German heritage and culture and this all-ages event. 
  
• Findlay Ohio is home to another Native Pow Wow: the Eagle Creek Woodland Pow Wow and Gathering features drumming, singing, Intertribal dancing, plus cultural demonstrations and Native American food. 
  
• In suburban Cleveland, Parma is home to German Central’s Oktoberfest, a 50-year tradition of German culture. Music, food, and drink are the highlights of this Ohio fall festival. 
  
• Celebrate the Appalachian heritage of Southeast Ohio at the Ohio Hill Country Festival in Wellston. Events include the Miner’s Olympics, parades, free entertainment, carnival rides, games, and food. 
  
• Marietta is home to the 46th Annual Ohio Sternwheel Festival, a three-day celebration that draws more than 100,000 visitors annually. Besides the sternwheels on displays, the weekend also includes pageants, a car show, live music, and fireworks. 
  
• For those in Northeast Ohio, Conneaut will be hosting the Perch and Pilsner Festival from September 9 through September 11. Featuring live music every night plus fireworks on Saturday, food, drink, and a fun kids zone. 
  
• The Wine Walk at Kingwood Center Gardens is your chance to experience local wine and beer, food vendors and live music while making your way through the beautifully ornate gardens. Advance tickets are required. 
  
• The 18th Annual Toledo Lighthouse Festival is held September 10th and 11th at Maumee Bay State Park and funds raised help support the historic lighthouse. The festival features arts, crafts, boat rides, children’s activities, and a silent auction. 

September 15 – September 18, 2022

• The Backwoods Fest in Thornville has three days of bluegrass music, with over 300 vendors and more than 30 types of food for sale. Just 40 minutes east of Columbus, this fun music festival is always held on the 3rd weekend in September. 
  
• The Cleveland suburb of Westlake is home to the Crocker Park Wine Festival, which features over 150 wines, including many local varieties and seasonal and craft beers. Crocker Park Main Street will fill with tents where visitors can enjoy food, shopping, and live music.
  
• Another popular Cleveland-area event is the Elyria Apple Festival held at Ely Square Park. Events include a breakfast buffet, kids costume contest, apple baking contest, car show, 5k fun run, and more. 
  
• In northwest Ohio, Paulding hosts the Flat Rock Creek Fall Festival at the Paulding County Fairgrounds. Initially a celebration of old-time engines and vintage farm equipment, they also have fall food, flea markets, and live music. 
  
• Another popular fall fest in Western Ohio is the Fall Festival at Lake Loramie State Park. Kicking off Thursday evening, this family-friendly event has kids’ games, concessions, arts and crafts, an antique power show, and a mountain man encampment. 
  
• Mohican Wilderness is home to the 31st Annual Mohican Bluegrass Festival; with on-site camping and free admission for kids, this is the perfect family weekend! Live music hits the riverside stage starting at 3 pm on Thursday. 
  
• For the largest Oktoberfest celebration outside of Germany, head straight to Oktoberfest Zinzinnati in downtown Cincinnati. Running Friday through Sunday, there are tons of events, activities, food, and drinks. Don’t miss the “running of the wieners” on Friday at noon!
  
• The third weekend of September brings the Preble County Pork Festival to Eaton. Besides tons of delicious pork, they also have a beer and wine garden, arts and crafts vendors, a parade, and pig races. 
  
• Downtown Washington Court House will be hosting the Scarecrow Festival starting on Friday the 16th. Enjoy rides, games, crafts, live music, a 5K walk/run, and tons of great food. 
  
• Head to Cleveland for the 23rd annual Tremont Arts and Cultural Festival. Explore five festival villages, including the Children’s Village, Cultural Village, Artists’ Village, and a Farmer’s Market. Free music and dance performances are also part of the festival. 

September 22 – September 25, 2022

• Suburban Akron is home to the Barberton Mum Fest, which kicks off on September 24 at Lake Anna Park. If you’ve never seen one million mum blooms before, you should really check it out! This free festival also has water ski shows, canoe races, food, and shopping!
  
• If you love coffee, then plan to attend the Columbus Coffee Festival, a celebration of roasters from across the Midwest. Sample coffee and food trucks, while enjoying live music and entertainment at Ohio Village. 
  
• September 23 is the kickoff of The Dayton Art Institute’s Oktoberfest, the museum’s largest fundraiser of the year. Besides a huge selection of domestic and craft beers, they also have a great food selection, football on big screen TVs, and live music. 
  
• Ever wonder what “Frontier Spirit” really means? Find out at Frontier Spirit 1799 in Lancaster. Step back in time to the tent village with demonstrations showing the life of early Ohio settlers. This free event is fun and educational for the whole family. 
  
• Ohio’s wine country is home to the Geneva Grape Jamboree on Saturday and Sunday. Dozens of activities include grape stomping, pie eating, pageants, fun run, baby contest, parade, and more!
  
• German festivals aren’t always about beer! Suburban Dayton hosts the Germantown Pretzel Festival in historic Germantown. There will be lots of food in addition to pretzels and a pretzel-baking contest, a pretzel queen pageant, and live music.
   
• Another fun Hocking Hills festival is the Jack Pine Glass Pumpkin Festival in Laurelville. Jack Pine Studio will have hundreds of unique blown glass pumpkins for sale, plus many other arts and crafts vendors selling their products. 
  
• In Southern Ohio, the Jackson Apple Festival kicks off on September 20 with five days of apple-themed fun. Parades, fair rides, games, entertainment, and sporting events round out this festival, which features more apple products than you can imagine!
  
• Travel back to the 18th century at Malabar Farm State Park for the annual Heritage Days Festival. This free event features an 18th Century Living History Camp, Civil War demonstrations, wagon rides, and more. 
  
• For three days of bluegrass music, check out the Van Wert Bluegrass Festival in Western Ohio. Festival admission includes on-site camping, with an additional fee for water and electric hookups. Food will also be sold on-site. 
  
• Another fun Cincinnati area festival is the Whispering Beard Folk Festival held at Carriage House Farm in North Bend. Two days of live folk music and on-site camping make this a family-friendly weekend getaway!
  
• The annual Prairie Peddler Festival in Butler, Ohio is an outdoor marketplace featuring over 200 artisans, food and live music. Don’t miss this festival in the woods. 

Do you have a favorite fall event that’s not on this list? Leave us a comment below so we can add it or check it out.