The leaves are taking on an orange hue and the air has a distinct, refreshing crispness. You suddenly feel an overwhelming urge to start baking (or at least buy candles that make your house smell confectionery). That’s right: it’s fall. The spooky season.
We did some digging and found the best fall activities in the Toledo area for you and your family to experience. Did we miss anything? Weigh in and let us know! We’ll be updating our online list throughout the season.
Here are our top picks for September 1 through Halloween. Enjoy!
Featured Halloween Events
Activities for the Entire Family
Saturday, September 21
10am-5pm
Agnes Reynolds Jackson Arboretum
2501 Robinwood Ave.
Kick off your fall fun with the 2024 Old West End Autumn Market, where you can listen to live music, enjoy food trucks with varied cuisine, learn about nonprofit organizations and shop with local vendors!
Harvest Festival at Market After Dark
Thursday, September 19
6-9pm
Green Witch Gardens
8930 S Custer Rd., Monroe, MI
734-269-2660
green-witch-gardens.myshopify.com
Green Witch Gardens (formerly known as The Flower Market) outdo themselves with this Parks and Recreation themed event! Admission is free with local vendors, food trucks and family entertainment.
Glass Harvest
September 28 and 29
11am-5pm
TMA Rita B. Kern Sensory Garden
Toledo Museum of Art
2445 Monroe St.
toledomuseum.org
Join the Toledo Museum of Art for a fun and festive event at the fourth annual Glass Harvest! Bring the whole family to shop and admire a stunning collection of hand-blown glass pumpkins, each created by talented studio artists in the Glass Pavilion. Wander through the Rita B. Kern Sensory Garden and pick a favorite from over 300 colorful glass pumpkins.
New this year: Don’t miss your chance to win the exclusive Glass Cornucopia! Purchase a raffle ticket at the Glass Harvest on Saturday or Sunday, with the drawing taking place at 4:50pm on Sunday.
3rd Annual Cider Fest and Corn Fest
Sunday, September 29
Noon-5pm
Angel Food Catering
44850 N. I-94 Service Dr., Belleville, MI
734-697-1100
angelfoodinc.com
This festival, filled with food, kid-friendly fun and vendors, is worth the drive from Toledo! Pony rides, a bounce house, henna tattoos and pumpkin painting are just a few of the festive features.
Whiteford Fall Festival
Saturday, October 5
10am-4pm
Whiteford Stoneco Fields
7200 Whiteford Rd., Ottawa Lake, MI
vssweetz.com
Begin October fun with a trip to this festival by V’s Sweets. You’ll find food trucks, quarry tours, a kids zone, a car and tractor show and loads of vendors!
Fall on the Farm Week at Sauder Village
October 9 – 12
Wednesday – Friday
10am-3:30pm
Saturday
10am-5pm
22611 State Route 2, Archbold, OH
saudervillage.org
At Fall on the Farm, families learn to churn butter, play old-fashioned games, press cider, bake pies and decorate pumpkins. It’s both educational and spooky, with kid-friendly ghost stories and a “rogue scarecrow” wandering about.
Fall Festival & Truck-or-Treat
Saturday, October 12
Noon-3pm
The Shops at Fallen Timbers
(Parking lot behind the big lake at Fallen Timbers Lane & Russell Road)
419-740-7080
theshopsatfallentimbers.com
Fallen Timbers hosts all kinds of fun for the whole family, including a truck-or-treat and food trucks. Make sure to wear your spookiest costume while you fill up your candy bag!
Grand Rapids Applebutter Fest
Sunday, October 13
10am – 5pm
Downtown Grand Rapids, OH
Since 1977, Grand Rapids has hosted this annual festival filled with live music, a charming downtown, crafts from over 100 local artists and, of course, apple butter – lots and lots of apple butter. Admission is free. Parking is $15.
Sylvania Fall Festival
Saturday, October 19
4 – 10pm
Sunday, October 20
10am – 4pm
Parade: October 20 at 1pm
Main St., Downtown Sylvania
The yearly festival, free to the public, is hosted by the Sylvania Chamber of Commerce. Parents can visit local vendors while the kids trick-or-treat on Main Street and walk through a pumpkin patch. Everyone will enjoy the live music, food trucks, cornhole tournament and family fun zone!
Boo-To-Do Downtown Waterville Halloween
Thursday, October 24
5 – 7pm
122 Farnsworth Rd.
business.watervillechamber.com
The Waterville Area Chamber of Commerce and surrounding businesses host the annual Halloween Boo-To-Do event where kids don their best costumes and collect candy handed out by local businesses. Want to avoid the sugar crash? They’ll also be giving out stickers and toys.
The Anderson Family Series: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Friday, October 25
7pm
Saturday, October 26
2pm
The Valentine Theatre
410 Adams St.
artstoledo.com
A headless horseman and hapless school teacher are cast in this classic autumnal tale performed by the Toledo Ballet and Toledo Symphony. Kids and parents alike will be mesmerized by the spooky costumes and dynamic choreography by artistic director Eric Otto.
Annual Halloween Hike at Olander Park
Saturday, October 26
5-5:45pm entry for pre-registered attendees
5:45-6pm entry for all other attendees
Olander Park
6930 W. Sylvania Ave. Sylvania
outdoorsylvania.com
Take a stroll around the park in costume and collect candy from volunteers! Admission is $2 for ages 3-12 and children two and under get in free!
Pre-registration is October 1 – 23 at outdoorsylvania.com/programs. Participants park at Tam-O-Shanter and enter through the Olander gates. The hike is rain or shine, so dress accordingly!
Pumpkin Patches and Apple Orchards
MacQueen Orchards
7605 Garden Rd., Holland
419-865-2916
macqueenorchards.com
MacQueen’s Apple Butter Festival
Saturday, October 5
Sunday, October 6
10am-6pm
This festival kicks off the fall season with plenty of activities to keep everyone entertained. Pick your own apples, explore the corn maze or take a barrel train ride. Live performances, an apple pie baking contest, pony rides and bounce houses round out the festivities.
Pick Your Own Apples
MacQueens offers apple picking to the public each year, beginning in mid-September and continuing through the third week of October. You can pick from any tree in the orchard, which has 16 different varieties of apples. If you’re not in the mood for picking apples, but still want the freshest fruit, choose pre-picked bags to take home.
Gust Brother’s Pumpkin Farm
From Labor Day to Halloween
9am – 7pm daily
13639 Mulberry Rd., Ottawa Lake
517-486-2237
gustbrothers.com
Visit Gust Brother’s this fall season offers pumpkin picking, homemade donuts and apple cider slushies, as well as hayrides on Saturdays and Sundays.
Fleitz Pumpkin Farm
Open September 5 to Halloween
10am-7pm daily
7133 Seaman Rd., Oregon
419-836-7613
fleitzpumpkinfarm.com
Fleitz Pumpkin Farm offers up pumpkin picking, corn mazes, hayrides, farm animal feeding and an epic playground filled with corn kernels! They serve classic options like apple cider and cider donuts, but it’s their donut corndogs that will really bowl you over. Trust us. Special events are held throughout the fall. Dates and times are not yet final, so be sure to check their Facebook page for more information!
Johnston Fruit Farm Activities
Monday – Saturday
8:30am – 7pm
Sunday
10am – 6pm
2790 US-20 ALT, Swanton
419-826-1453
johnstonfruitfarms.com
Pick your own apples or pumpkins, then enjoy spending time visiting the animals at the free petting zoo. Snack on fresh apple cider and homemade donuts.
Apples for Everyone
September 28
10am – 4pm
2790 US-20 ALT, Swanton
419-826-1453
The farm will have food, music, games for the kids and apple picking for the food banks as well as hay rides and other activities.
Toledo Zoo Events
2 Hippo Way
419-385-5721
toledozoo.org
Harvest Fest
October 1 – 31
During zoo hours
With general admission to the Toledo Zoo, you and your kids will enjoy fall food and beverages, fall activities, pumpkin displays and more!
ZOOtoberfest
October 4
7 – 10pm
Beer lovers rejoice! The Toledo Zoo hosts adults 21 and over to this beer-tasting event featuring craft brews from many local and regional breweries. Enjoy live music and purchase food from food trucks.
Little Boo at the Zoo
October 17 and 18
10am – 3pm
Your family can have all the Halloween fun, and your kids can get all the candy without the fright! There are various trick-or-treat stations. This event is geared toward kids up to age five.
Pumpkin Path
October 19 and 20
10am – 4pm
The beloved family-friendly trick-or-treat tradition is back! Kids can visit various trick-or-treat stations, while the rest of the family enjoys local entertainers. This event is suited for kids ages six and older.
Pumpkin Stomp & Chomp
October 26
Halloween isn’t just for kids! The animals will discover pumpkins, strategically placed in their exhibits, and some of them will even make a meal out of them. Others will make a fun mess, but all of them will be using their instincts while displaying natural behaviors. This is a great way to see your favorite animals while participating in the zoo’s enrichment program.
Other Fun Festivities
Halloweekends at Cedar Point
September 12 – October 27
Hours vary
1 Cedar Point Dr., Sandusky
419-627-2106
cedarpoint.com
A crowd favorite, Halloweekends are back at Cedar Point. If you haven’t experienced the fear and fright, there’s no time like the present. During the day, there are family-friendly activities and shows. Then, as the Whodini song puts it, “the freaks come out at night.” After dusk, guests can make their way through haunted houses, fright zones and terrifying trails.
Halloween Weekends
September 14 – October 27
15600 Tunnicliffe Rd., Petersburg, MI
734-856-4972
koa.com
For seven weekends in September and October, KOA Campground hosts a fall fest filled with mini golf tourneys, magic shows, pumpkin carving contests, pet costumes and haunted houses. Guests must stay for a minimum of two nights.
Heritage Farm Fest
Saturday, October 5
11am – 3pm
Carter Historic Farm
18331 Carter Rd., Bowling Green
419-353-1897
wcparks.org
This free community event brings everyone in the family together to enjoy fresh food from the farm, live music, wagon rides and hands-on heritage activities. Donut-lovers: Come with an empty stomach to participate in the donut-eating contest. Parking, entrance and all activities are free, though donations are encouraged.
Family Haunted Ride
Saturday, October 12
Time TBD
Secor Metropark
419-482-8225
mvadventurers.org
Maumee Valley Adventurers brings back this family-oriented bike ride for its 46th year. The details of this year’s ride are still in development, so follow MVA on Facebook for the latest details!
Oak Harbor Apple Festival
Saturday, October 12
Begins at 9:30am
Sunday, October 13
Ends at 5pm
Downtown Oak Harbor
161 W. Water St., Oak Harbor
oakharborapplefestival.com
Held each year during the second weekend in October, this festival welcomes over 25,000 visitors. The festival kicks off with the crowning of the Royalty Court on Saturday morning, a parade at 2pm and a cornhole tournament later in the day. Then on Sunday, the family can participate in the 5k run and enjoy music from local bands.
Admission is free and shuttles run from the Oak Harbor High School parking lot for $1 per person.
Northwood Ohio’s Fall Festival
Saturday, October 12
Noon – 7pm
Central Park, Northwood
At the corner of Wales and Oram
419-350-8158
The Community Cares Committee of Northwood is excited to once again host the annual Northwood Fall Festival. There is something for the entire family: live bands, a parade, a car show, a cornhole tournament, activities for the kids including inflatables, pumpkin painting and vendor booths. Then, gather the family at night for a fireworks display!
Food trucks will be on site all day, and beer and wine will be available to purchase.
Oktoberfest
Saturday, October 12
11am – 7pm
Sunday, October 13
Noon-5pm
DeRiveria Park, 341 Bayview Ave., Put-In-Bay
visitputinbay.com
Do you have German roots? Or do you simply enjoy German culture? If so, Oktoberfest at Put-In-Bay is for you. This annual event features a plethora of food, drinks and activities for the entire family. Enjoy brats, potato pancakes, apple dumplings, pierogi, cabbage and noodles, chicken paprikash and desserts provided by Put-in-Bay Chamber of Commerce member restaurants. Beer is also available from the Put-in-Bay Brewery. Live polka and German style music will be playing on both days.
Camp Miakonda Halloween Party
Saturday, October 19
5:30 – 9:30pm
October 20
1 – 3:30 pm
$8-$10
5600 W. Sylvania Ave.
erieshorescouncil.org
This family-friendly event features two days with hayrides, inflatables, trick-or-treating, games and haunted attractions. Kids ages two and under are free.
Woodland Lane Cemetery at Centennial Terrace
Last week of October
(finalized dates and times as event gets closer)
5773 Centennial Rd., Sylvania
419-885-7106
Entry fee TBD
Centennialterrace.org
One of the main attractions at Centennial Terrace will be the spooky decorations from the beloved Woodland Lane Cemetery, a local family’s huge collection they passed on to Sylvania Recreation District after relocating. So Centennial Terrace is keeping the tradition alive! Kids will love the Halloween display, various activities and fall-themed foods. Adults can also purchase alcoholic beverages at the event. To find further updates about Centennial Terrace’s fall events, visit centennialterrace.org.
Sandpiper Cruises
1 Jefferson Ave.
Docks by Promenade Park
419-537-1212
jmcruiselines.com/the-sandpiper
Who says you can’t get out on the water during October? Take a ride on the Sandpiper’s Fall Color Cruise, available every Saturday and Sunday throughout October from 1-3pm and 4-6pm for smooth sailing down the Maumee River. The Halloween Boo! Cruise promises 30 minutes of Halloween treats and fun from October 28 and 29 at 6 and 6:45pm; and October 30 and 31 at 5:30, 6:15, and 7pm.
Frightening Temptations
Haunted Waterville Tours
Thursday, September 12
Thursday, October 3
Tours at 5:15, 6, 6:45, 7:30 and 8pm
The Robbins House
114 South River Rd., Waterville
watervillehistory.org
Join local paranormal investigators Amanda Hermiller and Lisa Maag as they lead you on a haunted, horse-drawn trolley adventure to learn more about the haunted heritage of historic downtown Waterville. Each tour will have different special guests.
Field of Fear
Opens Friday, September 13 until Saturday, October 26
Open every Friday and Saturday night
7-11pm
$20-$30
3001 S Crissey Rd., Monclova
567-502-0900
fieldoffear.com
This one is not for the little ones. It features bone-chilling adventures in a dark and mysterious corn field maze. Enter if you dare!
ScreamAcres Haunted Attractions
September 20– October 26
Friday 6-10pm
Saturday 2-10pm
Sunday 2-6pm
$25
Leaders Farm
0064 Co. Rd. 16, Napoleon
419-599-1570
screamacres.com
Who would have ever thought that corn could be so scary? In this haunted corn maze, you never know what’s lurking in the darkness. In addition to the maze, the PanDEMONium Project is a haunted, high-action activity for teens and adults, NOT for young kids. Don’t worry though! The Barnyard has family-friendly activities such as a super slide, milking a cow, corn hole and a straw tunnel maze.
Panic in the Pines at Country Lane Tree Farm
Ticket sales begin on the farm at 7:30pm
Must arrive by 10pm
$25
Every Saturday in October also Nov. 2nd
Country Lane Tree Farm
3525 N. Bolander Rd., Genoa
419-461-1298
panicinthepines.com
Looking for a spooky time for the older kids? Look no further than Country Lane Tree Farm’s Panic in the Pines, which includes three different haunts. The Hayride, Trail and Woods haunts get progressively scarier as you go along. This one is not for the faint of heart! It’s the perfect fall fright fest for families who are brave enough for the experience.
There will be one night open to younger children that includes trick-or-treating and a hay ride. Follow them on Facebook for the latest details on that event. There will also be Fall Saturday Festivals at Country Lane from 11am-4pm every Saturday in October.
