100+ events celebrating Fall and Halloween in Columbus

Fall is one of the greatest seasons in Ohio, with cooler weather and so much to do. There are over 100 events celebrating fall and Halloween in Columbus for 2024! There’s no shortage of fun, fall festivals, pumpkins, and spooky (or silly) Halloween events. 

You’ll find pumpkin patches, scary movies, food festivals, Halloween parties, trick-or-treat activities, events for kids, and events for adults!  

Trick or Treat, or Beggar’s Night, is scheduled on Halloween for most communities around Central Ohio; check out the 2024 Trick or Treat schedule here.

There are community events with trick or treating or trunk or treating for safer (and daytime) alternatives to Beggar’s Night. If you don’t know what to dress up as for all of these Halloween events, check out these 100 Cheap and Easy DIY Halloween Costumes.

Don’t forget – there are plenty of places to eat free or cheap on Halloween. These will be updated closer to Halloween when the deals are released.

More will be coming as Halloween event details are released.  If you know of any other events that should be featured, please email news@columbusonthecheap.com.

We are accepting business or event sponsorship ads for this page; please contact ads@columbusonthecheap.com if you are interested.

BEGGARS NIGHT

October 26-October 31, 2024. Most communities will host their trick or treat night on days between October 26 – October 31. Check our listing to see trick or treat for communities around Columbus.

(Dates will be updated soon as communities release the plans)

Ongoing events for Fall and Halloween in Columbus

Fall Color in Ohio: Best hikes and scenic drives

U Pick: Best places to pick apples in Columbus

Great locations for photography sessions in Columbus

Tons of Pumpkin Patches, Corn Mazes, and Farm Activities

Fall farm and pumpkin patch fun is something you don’t want to miss this year! Get outside and play with your kids, go through corn mazes, pick pumpkins, and SO much more!

Fairfield County Trail of Scarecrows

Head to Fairfield County to the Trail of Scarecrows! Named “The Scarecrow Capital of Ohio,” Fairfield County has 14 communities displaying fantastic scarecrows during the entire month of October.

Visit them all, vote for your favorite, and share your pics by using #FCScarecrows. This self-guided experience is free and no reservations are necessary or required.

The Fall Festival at the Farm at Walnut Creek

September 27-28 and October 4-5, 11-12, 14, 18-19, 25-26, 2024 from 8:30 am – 6 pm
Food, fall decorations, scavenger hunt, straw castle, corn box, pumpkin slingshot, and much more.

Visit the animals when you drive thru in your car, or take a wagon ride to get up close and personal. Fall festival is included with regular admission, but extra activities and food have additional charges.

Harvest Round-Up Days at Marmon Valley Farm

Sunday, October 6, 2024
Sunday, October 13, 2024
Sunday, October 20, 2024
Sunday, October 27, 2024

Visit the farm each Sunday in October during the Harvest Round-Up Days at Marmon Valley Farm in Zanefield! Enjoy a hayride through the scenic hills, crawl through the hay maze, play in the Play Barn, visit the animals, and try out the rope bridge. 

Pumpkin & Pony Package for kids ages 11 and under. Kids can get a Pie Pumpkin, Pony Ride, Hay Ride, & Animal Feed for just $12! 

Cost: Hay Rides $5 / Pumpkin & Pony Package $12 / Pumpkins of various sizes $1 – $8
Address: 7754 State Route 292 S., Zanesfield OH 43360

Fright at the Museum

October 19 and 26, 2024

Discover the spooky side of Ohio history with Fright at the Museum! Celebrate the season with family-friendly activities for a frightful good time!

Learn about our state’s creatures of the night and how important they are to our ecosystem. Try your hand at early movie magic and test your acting chops with vintage horror movie reels. Head back in time with a midcentury monster mash at the Lustron House. Explore the origins of American Halloween celebrations through time. Weave a web of spooky stories with time travelling tales and storytelling games. End the evening with a dance party on the red carpet!

Admission: $18/adults, $14/youth (ages 6-12), $13/Ohio Historical Society adult members, $7/OHS youth members. 

Ghost Trolley with Ohio Railway Museum

Fun Halloween event for kids. Tour the decorated street cars and enjoy a lights-out ride on the trolley about the Ghost Trolley. 

Friday and Saturdays, October 4-24, 2024 from 5 pm – 9:30 pm. 

Pumpkin Train at Mt. Perry Scenic Train and Zanesville & Western Scenic Railroad

October 5-6, 12-13, 19-20, 26-27, 2024. Hop on the train for a ride to the Pumpkin Patch. Every child 13 and under gets a pumpkin. Train ride is about 45 minutes long. Train leaves on the hour. Tickets are sold on location. Adults $10, children 3-13 $7. 40 minutes from Columbus. 

Pumpkins Aglow at Franklin Park Conservatory

Don’t miss fall favorite Pumpkins Aglow starting October 9 from 5-9pm. Experience the magic of the harvest season at the Conservatory under the stars, surrounded by glowing pumpkins and spooky fun scenery.

Enchanting decorations throughout the gardens includes a foggy creek, skeletons and ghosts. Two Pumpkin Houses stand ready to welcome guests this year. 

October 9-13, 16-20 & 23-27, 2024. Hours are 5 pm – 9 pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays & Sundays; 5 pm – 10 pm on Fridays & Saturdays.

Pumpkins Aglow includes exhibitions, gardens and collections, and Botanica Gift Shop and Greenhouse. The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children’s Garden will close at dusk. Guests will also enjoy food trucks, live entertainment, and more. 

Buy tickets now! Tickets are $26.50/adults, $22.50/seniors and college students, $16/child ages 3-12, free under 3. Members qualify for discounted rates.  Admissions for Museums for All (SNAP, EBT, WIC and Medicaid Participants) is $3. 

Boo at the Zoo at Columbus Zoo & Aquarium

October 4-6, 11-13, 18-20, 25-27, 2024
Meet characters throughout the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Visit special features, ride the Zoo Boo Choo Choo, and stop at treat stations located throughout the Zoo. There will be all sorts of fall fun at the Zoo!

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Boo at the Zoo is merry, not scary!

Big List of the best Fall Date ideas around Columbus

12 Haunted Woods and Haunted Houses Around Columbus beginning in early-September

15 Spooky Ghost Tours around Columbus throughout September and October

12+ Spooky Ghost Tours around Columbus

68+ Trunk-or-Treat and community Halloween parties in Columbus

Halloween Movie Series in Columbus

Hitchcocktober Film Series at Gateway Film Center 

September 29 – October 31, 2024
Catch classic scary movies at Gateway Film Center this October during the Annual Hitchcocktober Screening. Enjoy movies by Alfred Hitchcock, the master of suspense, everyday through the month of October at GFC. 

Screenings times are weekdays at 7:00PM or 9:30PM, with 2PM or 4:30PM showings on Saturdays and Sundays.

Nightmares Film Festival returns to Gateway Film Center

October 17 – 20, 2024

If you love the scariest movies, this film festival is for you!

The ultimate way to experience our celebration of genre cinema, NFF VIP passes offer the holder a guaranteed seat in every round of films, access to the VIP bar and lounge, and in-and-out privileges throughout the fest. Individual tickets will go on sale in mid-October.

Horror Movies at Marcus Theatres

October 2024. Watch your favorite scary movies on the big screen! The Slasher Classics Passport gets you multiple tickets for one low price. Details here.

Get scared with Slasher Classics horror movies at Marcus Theatres

Fall festivals and Fall and Halloween Family Fun

Fall is a glorious time of year in Columbus! There are festivals celebrating food, traditions, pumpkins, art, and more. Check out the huge list of festivals in Columbus and throughout Central Ohio. 

Over 325 festivals in Columbus and Central Ohio in 2024

Stratford Ecological Center Fall Harvest Fair

October 5, 2024. Food, farm fun, kids activities, live music, cider making, animals, and more. $5 per person

Harvest Moon Festival

October 5, 2024 at Infirmary Park in Granville. Come celebrate fall with food trucks, Touch-a Tractor, bounce houses, crafts, archery, games, and other activities. 

Kidslinked Treat Fests

Fun family events with freebies, scavenger hunts, games, and activities for kids, plus vendors with great resources for parents. Register in advance for free admission and special treats.

• New Albany Fall Festival and Treatfest: October 6, 2024
• Newark Treatfest: October 13, 2024
• Olentangy Fall Festival and Treatfest: October 19, 2024

Chillicothe Halloween Festival

October 11-13, 2024. Three-day festival celebrating the fun of Halloween. The festival offers a wide variety of vendors, food, live entertainment, Haunted House, inflatables, contests, and much more at Yoctangee Park. 

Circleville Pumpkin Show

October 16-19, 2024. Don’t miss the oldest and largest festival in Ohio. Admission is free, the fun is non-stop, and there is pumpkin-flavored everything!

The Great Westerville Pumpkin Glow

October 17-20, 2024 Wind your way through the enchanting trail of 1,500 carved glowing pumpkins at Heritage Park. There are fun activities included with admission for more of a festival experience.  

Dublin Halloween Spooktacular

Thursday, October 17 and Friday, October 18, 2024 in Coffman Park. Merry, not scary family fun! Guests of all ages can come in costume and enjoy this ghoulish celebration. 

Van Wert County Harvest Happenings

October 18-19, 2024 Apple cider, apple pie, apple dumplings, apple butter, and so much more at this fall festival at this festival in NW Ohio.

Haunted Statehouse Tours

October 18-19 and 25-26, 2024

Destination Downtown Lancaster Fall Festival

Saturday, October 19, 2024
The festival features vendors, lots of food options, Lancaster Handmade Market, Hay Rides, plus kids activities until 7 pm.  Stroll the festival while you listen to live music, or stop in to downtown shops and restaurants that will stay open late.  

CRC Annual Pumpkin Patch

Saturday, October 19, 2024 from 10am – 1pm
North Broadway United Methodist Church parking lot, 48 E. North Broadway. Details to come.

Trunk or Treat Car Show with Empty Pockets Cruisers

October 19, 2024 from 11 am to 4 pm 
Hilliard Presbyterian Church 3600 Leap Rd Hilliard, OH 43026. Registration $15, bring candy to hand out to trick or treaters from 1 -3 pm. Spectators and Trick or Treaters Free

Trick or Treat Trail at Gallant Woods Park

October 20, 2024, 1 pm – 4 pm
Bring the kids in costume to gather treats from characters along the enchanted nature trail. Decorate pumpkins, enjoy a hayride, meet some creepy critters, vote for your favorite scarecrow, and visit Gallant Farm across the road. It’s all free!

Candy by the Carload in Powell

Saturday, October 20, 2024 from 4-6 pm at the Municipal Building Parking Lot. Local businesses and organizations will set up booths and car trunks filled with candy, toys and other Halloween goodies

Haunted Village in Pickerington

October 24, 2024 from 6-8 pm. Ghost tours, hayride, entertainment, food, and trick-or-treating at Old Pickerington Village businesses. Volunteers needed for ghost story tellers, ghost tour guides, ghost tour actors, hay ride attendants, and more. 

Worthington Halloween Party

Friday, October 25, 2024 from 6-8 pm. Kids can Trick or Treat on the Green from vendors passing out treats. There is entertainers on all four quadrants, as well as arts and craft stations, and more! 

Great Gahanna Goblin Fest

Friday, October 25, 2024 This Halloween experience features all-things-Halloween, including a choreographed light show, fire performers, stilt walkers, animated projections, trick-or-treating, and many more surprises along the way!

Academy Park, 1201 Cherry Bottom Rd.

Scarysville in Uptown Marysville

Saturday, October 26, 2024

The streets of Uptown “Scarysville” come alive with Halloween FUN from 10 am – noon. Children are invited to dress up in their costumes and visit Uptown merchants for candy and other Halloween goodies. All the fun of Trick or Treat, in the light of day. This event is sponsored by the Historic Marysville Business District Association. Follow on Facebook for details.

Boo on Broadway in Grove City

Saturday, October 26, 2024 from 1-4 pm. Family-friendly alternative to the traditional door-to-door Beggars’ Night allows children to dress in costume and safely collect candy and other goodies from area businesses and civic organizations in the Grove City’s Town Center Promenade.

Highball Halloween

Saturday, October 26, 2024
Annual Halloween street party with entertainment, costume contests, and more. 

Inniswood Halloween Party

Sunday, October 27, 2024 from 2-4 pm Head to the Gardens for activities and crafts to celebrate this traditional holiday.

KidX Club™ Candy Crawl

October 28, 2024 from 5 pm – 6:30 pm
Kids can grab a trick-or-treat bag (while supplies last) and go store to store for trick-or-treating. There will be games, prizes, and more

Howl-O-Ween at Ohio Wildlife Center

October 31, 2024
Walk through the White Tail Trail, visits from “spooky” Animal Ambassadors like owls Bella, Alex and Woodsy, snakes Checkers, and Percy and Lenore, our American Crows. 

Pre-registration required; $10 for adults, $5 for children. Children ages 2 and under are free!

Halloween for adults

Rocky Horror Halloween Show at Studio 35

October 7, 2023 (Halloween dates tba). The midnight cult-classic experience. The Tim Curry film will roll, and a live cast will perform in front of the movie. There is a pre show with costume contests and more. tickets are $10; will sell out. Typically held the 1st Saturday of the month, plus special near-Halloween events!

German Village Monster Bash 

Saturday, October 14, 2023 Adult trick-or-treat route, dancing and drinking, costume contest and more!

Historic Ghost Tour at Walnut Grove Cemetery Worthington

Thursday, October 26, 2023. Worthington residents spanning the centuries who have made Walnut Grove their final resting place will be out and about after dark to share stories.

Ghost Tours at The Kelton House Museum & Garden

October 26-27, 2023 from 6:30 pm -9 pm. Fernando’s Funeral: Victorian Mourning and the Ghosts That Linger on Town. These after hour tours feature the ghost stories of the Kelton’s and other spooky experiences in the Mansion, an experience you don’t want to miss.

Hurry and purchase your ticket before its too late, tours begin on the half-hour with 15 people maximum per tour. Tickets $25 per person. Advanced tickets required.

TRAUMA – Halloween Fetish Party

Thursday-Saturday, October 26-28, 2023
Thursday is an entirely SOBER night!

HalleBOOia Halloween Concert

Friday, October 27, 2023 from 8 pm – 9:30 pm at Weigel Auditorium.
This annual Halloween concert featuring student vocalists and instrumentalists dressed in full Halloween attire. The concert is free.

Haunted Wine Cellar at the Wyandotte Winery

October 27, 2023. Food and wine pairings, haunted cellar, costumes, and more.

Fall Chili Cook-off at Granville Inn

Saturday, October 28, 2023 at 10 am. The 17th annual charity Chili Cook-off will be held on Saturday, October 29 on the front lawns of the Granville Inn. Granville Rotary has once again partnered with the Granville Inn to conduct the Chili Cook-Off to raise funds and awareness for Polio, via Rotary’s Polio Plus eradication program.

Big List of the best Fall Date ideas around Columbus

12 Haunted Woods and Haunted Houses Around Columbus beginning in early-September

15 Spooky Ghost Tours around Columbus throughout September and October

 

Upcoming Halloween events

Free Scary Face Pancakes for kids at IHOP

tba 2024 Free Scary Face pancake to kids (12 and younger) from 4 pm – 10 pm.

Old Hilliard Halloween Haunt

TBA 2024 Trick-or-treat, scavenger hunt, kid and dog costume contest and family fun activities

Halloween Pet Contest and Fall Festival at Easton

TBA 2024 from 12 pm – 3 pm

Fall Fest at Slate Run Metro Park

tba 2024 from 11 am – 3 pm. Enjoy free fall-themed fun, including hayrides, a corn maze, archery, activities from Slate Run’s Living Historical Farm, animals from Ohio Wildlife Center, games and crafts!