60+ Incredible Things to Do in Ohio in September (2023)

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Tonya Prater, Owner

A 2018 Ohio Travel Leadership Academy graduate, Certified Travel Ambassador, published author, and founder of the "Day Trips in Ohio" private Facebook group, Tonya is a former full-time RVer and aspiring van camper who balances her time between traveling with her husband's job, cherishing moments with her grandkids, and plotting her next road trip.

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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, a ghost town, and axe throwing. Open every Friday and Saturday in September and October. 
  
• 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. 
  
• 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 3rd. 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 9th. 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 starts on September 16th. 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 16 through October 29. This huge fall festival has way too many activities to list, but suffice it to say, this is a must for Ohio families. 
  
• Sunflower Days at Ramseyer Farms start on Saturday, 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 4, 2023

• 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 1 at The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral.
  
• The German-themed Glandorf Parkfest kicks off with a Beer Garden on Friday, September 1. 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. 
  
• Now in its 60th year, Portsmouth River Days is the longest-running festival in Ohio. Enjoy three full days of live music, food, boat races, and family-friendly activities.
  
• 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!

• Malvern in Eastern Ohio is home to the Great Trail Festival, a celebration of American Folk Art and Crafting. Now in its 42nd year, this festival occurs over the last weekend of August and the first weekend of September. Enjoy food, music, fiddlers, bagpipes, tomahawk throwing, plus historic lectures and demonstrations.

• Milan has been hosting the Milan Melon Festival every Labor Day weekend since 1958. Local homes will be decorated with a melon theme, and there will be a 5k race and pageant. Don’t miss the festival specialties: watermelon sherbert and cantaloupe ice cream!

• West Liberty will also host a Labor Day Festival at Lions Club Park, from September 1 through September 4. The 58th annual event features an antique equipment show, a flea market, crafts, kids’ activities, and food vendors.

• In suburban Columbus, check out the Obetz Zucchinifest at Fortress Obetz. The weekend kicks off Friday with the Automotion car show followed by a performance by the Spin Doctors. Other weekend performances include Vanilla Ice, Tone Loc, and Brantley Gilbert.

• Akron will host the first annual Akron Food Truck Festival on September 2 and 3, with live music, beer from HiHo, cocktails from Lake Erie distillery, and over 20 local food trucks.

• The Cincinnati Warbirds will host Lunken Airport Days at the Lunken Airport, with warbird rides, a color guard ceremony on Saturday and Sunday, plus military vehicles, classic cars, and helicopter rides.

• Ohio Village in Columbus welcomes more than 25 vintage baseball teams for the Ohio Cup Vintage Baseball Festival on September 2 and 3. Enjoy a weekend of family-friendly sports before baseball season winds down.

September 8 – September 10, 2023

• Starting on September 6, the 46th Annual Fredericktown Tomato Show will be held in downtown Fredericktown. Events include kids’ tractor pulls, pageants, parades, live music, and much more! Come celebrate the fall harvest season!

• In 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 5th Annual Champaign County Balloon Fest kicks off on September 8th 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 8 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. 
  
• In Findlay Ohio, 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 50th anniversary of 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 47th 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 8 through September 10. Featuring live music every night plus fireworks on Saturday, food, drink, and a fun kids zone. 
  
• The 19th Annual Toledo Lighthouse Festival is held September 9th and 10th 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. 
  

• Wilmington will host the Clinton County Corn Festival from September 8 through September 10. This annual event boasts a live sound stage, unique family-friendly activities, and over 20 local food vendors.

• Marion County is one of the top popcorn growers in the country, so it’s only natural that Marion is home to the largest popcorn festival in the world! Since 1981, the Marion Popcorn Festival has been the weekend after Labor Day. Multiple stages with live music, carnival rides, and a popcorn parade await!

• Geneva-on-the-Lake will host the 17th annual Thunder on the Strip Fall Bike Rally. Thursday through Sunday will feature a parade, bar hop, stunt shows, live music, and more.

• Another Ohio crop to celebrate this weekend is the potato! The 50th Annual Mantua Potato Festival kicks off Friday with an opening ceremony. Weekend events include potato wrestling, several eating contests, live music, and lots of great food, including pierogies.

September 15 – September 17, 2023

• 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. 
  
• 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 32nd 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 15th. Enjoy rides, games, crafts, live music, a 5K walk/run, and tons of great food. 
  
• Head to Cleveland for the 24th 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. 

• If you’ve ever thought about building a log cabin, head to the 12th Annual Log Cabin Days at Hochstetler in Loudonville. Held on Friday and Saturday, the weekend includes log home tours, auctions, kids’ activities, demonstrations, and hearty Amish food for sale.

• Cuyahoga Falls Oktoberfest is held this weekend in the downtown area. Free admission and free entertainment leave room in the budget for sampling local brews and food.

• Historic Zoar Village is home to the largest Civil War event in Ohio. Civil War in Zoar is scheduled for September 16 and 17, with a reenactment of the Battle of Chickamauga. Watch hundreds of Civil War soldiers and civilians invade the village.

• The 44th Annual Ravenna Balloon A-Fair kicks off Thursday evening with a children’s parade. Weekend events include a balloon glow at dusk, plus live music, games, inflatables, food, drinks, and helicopter rides.

• The Cleveland Museum of Art hosts their Chalk Festival in the Fine Arts Garden this weekend. Join professional artists as they transform the garden sidewalks into temporary masterpieces.

September 22 – September 24, 2023

• Suburban Akron is home to the Barberton Mum Fest, which kicks off on September 23 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 8th Annual 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 22 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. 
  
• Flannel Fest at The Pickwick Place is held Saturday and Sunday and promises to be fun for the entire family. This event is a kick-off to the fall season with extra festivities. This includes fall activities like a corn maze, apple picking, apple cannon, and fun photo ops.
  
• 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, a fun run, a baby contest, parades, 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. 
  
• 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. 

• The Wine Walk at Kingwood Center Gardens on September 23 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. 

• Heritage Farms’ Pumpkin Pandemonium kicks off on Saturday, September 23, and runs daily through October 22nd. Enjoy crisp fall weather and all things pumpkin, with proceeds going to the local Fire Department. 

• Garrettsville is home to the Ohio Mushroom Festival, which includes guided foraging walks, workshops, local art, live music, and food.

• Rockin ‘R Ranch in Columbia Station is home to the Old West Pumpkin Fest, which kicks off this weekend and runs every weekend through October. There are fun activities for all ages, including hayrides, crafts, a petting zoo, and lots of pumpkins!

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.