October in Cincinnati – so many events are ramping up for fall! Plan some days to get outside and enjoy some fall events, from pumpkins to corn fields to hayrides!
Enjoy this month long list of Things to Do in Cincinnati for the month of October:
You might also want to check out these seasonal guides:
Pumpkin Patches
Corn Mazes
Fall Festivals and Events
Haunted Houses and Haunted Events
October 1-2: Head to Gorman Heritage Farm for the Sunflower Festival. Live music, hayrides, pumpkins, craft vendors, food trucks, corn maze, sunflower maze, meet the farm animals, Farm Fun Education Station, mule drawn carriage rides, High Grain Beer Garden and Cut Your Own sunflowers ($1 per stem). Admission charged (must buy tickets online in advance, not sold at the gate).
October 1-2: Donauschwaben’s Oktoberfest continues. Check out our Guide to Cincinnati Area Oktoberfests {2022} for details.
October 1-2: Get some shopping done at the Lakota West Arts and Crafts Show. You’ll find 198 indoor booths, consessions, and on-site parking at this craft show. $2 admission – cash only.
October 1-2: Woodburn Oktoberfest is happening at Woodburn Brewing, 11am-10pm. They’ll have German beers on tap including their Dunkel, Oktoberfests from FigLeaf Brewing, Sonder, Municipal, Warped Wing and Country Boy. They will also have a selection of the finest German sausage from Eckerlins Meats cooking up all day. Six Ways Markets will be there for a pop up market on both days from 12-7pm. They’ll also have live music both days.
October 1: It’s Oktoberfest with MPH Brewing and the City of Montgomery, teaming up for the first Oktoberfest Montgomery Block Party. Join in for a stein hoisting contest, pints, axe throwing, live music and lots of fun! Starts at noon.
October 1: The Loveland-Symmes Community Firefighters’ Association will hold its annual KidFest, 2-4pm. This is a community event that will take place in Downtown Loveland’s Nisbet Park. Enjoy crafts, trick or treat, entertainment, special character appearances. All activities are free.
October 1: Harvest Fest is happening at Garver Family Farm Market in Monroe, 10am-6pm. Explore their 5 acre pick your own pumpkin patch. Feast on local food truck fare, while browsing various local craft vendors and booths. Harmonize with Tony Hale and Black Water as they fill the air with bluegrass favorites. Take the whole family on a hayride around the farm. Kids will love face painting and balloon twists and more.
October 1: Pack up the family and head to Owl’s Nest Park for Family Fun Days, 2-6pm. Enjoy live music, food trucks, bounce houses, face painters, balloon artists, carnival games, and more! Free family fun!
October 1: It’s CAM Kids Day: Fall Fest at the Cincinnati Art Museum, 11am-3pm.
October 2: The Clermont County Food and Farm Tour is back, 10am-3pm. Tour 8 Clermont County farms and see a wide range of animals including buffalo, alpaca, cattle, fish, and more.
October 2: Head to Union Terminal for 1940’s Day, 10am-5pm. Dance along to live music, check out vintage cars, join the costume contest, take a free Union Terminal tour and more.
October 2: Art on Vine will be at Fountain Square, 12-6pm.
October 4: Christ Church Cathedral’s Music Live @ Lunch happens from 12:10-1pm featuring Dan Culnan on piano and Rebecca Culnan playing violin. Music Live at Lunch is a free, weekly concert series featuring a variety of music. Bring your own lunch or buy one at the cathedral. Follow the link above and scroll to the bottom of the page to see the information.
October 6: Hootin’ in the Holler is happening at the Cincinnati Nature Center, 6-8pm (tickets required). This challenging hike is recommended for adults or children at least ages 10 and older with an adult. Learn the different species of owls in the area and take a hike to visit neighbors down in the holler. RAPTOR Inc. will provide a behind-the-scenes tour of their beautiful home for birds of prey. You’ll take a challenging night hike and learn to “call” our feathered friends. It’ll be a hoot!
October 7-9: Operation Pumpkin returns to Hamilton, Ohio in October. The largest festival in Butler County, this family-friendly event features over 100 artisan and food vendors, giant pumpkins, live entertainment, costumes, and more. Hours are Friday and Saturday: 11am-10pm and Sunday: 11am-5pm.
October 7-9: Kentucky Wool Festival will be held in Falmouth, Ky. Live animals/petting areas for the kids, over a hundred arts/crafts vendors, live bluegrass music, sheep shearing demonstrations, local farm products, historical/pioneer village reenactments and demonstrations, and loads of food vendors – from barbeque to chili to corn on the cob to homemade fudge – you’ll go home happy! Admission charged.
October 7-9: It’s a Fright Night Weekend at Washington Park. They’ll be showing spooktacular (and free) movies each night, Friday-Sunday. Friday’s flick is Ghostbusters (8pm), Saturday’s double header features Halloweentown (7pm) followed by Beetlejuice (9pm), and Sunday’s feature is Hocus Pocus (8pm).
October 8-9: The Ohio Sauerkraut Festival will be happening in Waynesville. This regional favorite includes lots of great food, entertainment, and vendors/artisans. Held on historic Main Street in downtown Waynesville, hours are Saturday: 9am-8pm and Sunday: 9am-6pm.
October 8-9: The Cincinnati Model Train and Trade Show will be at Lakota West High School, 11am-5pm. Admission charged.
October 8: The Camp Washington community hosts Made in Camp, noon-4pm. Each year Camp Washington’s community of 40-plus artists, galleries and makers collaborate on a big Saturday open house on the second Saturday of October. Designated “Made in Camp,” the tour is complimented by demonstrations offered by several Camp Washington manufacturers. Made in Camp invites you to explore artist studios, maker spaces and creative manufacturers in Camp Washington. Meet printers, painters, welders, musicians and others who make something out of nothing!
October 8: City Flea will cover Washington Park with their urban flea market vendors, 10am-4pm.
October 8: Get your creative juices flowing at the Cincinnati Art Museum’s “Creatvie Reuse: Drop in Art Making with Indigo Hippo” event, 11am-1pm (free). Spark your imagination through a wide variety of traditional and non-traditional artmaking materials provided by Indigo Hippo and create a new work of art while keeping materials out of the landfill. Follow the suggested projects catered to different abilities or let your imagination run wild. This program is drop in and self led, and takes place in the Rosenthal Education Center.
October 8: The Great Pumpkin Fest is happening at Keehner Park in West Chester, 2-6pm. All are invited for an afternoon of fun and entertainment. Activities typically include a puppet show, a petting zoo, a costume contest, a hay bale maze, the “Not-So-Scary” haunted trail, games, crafts and more. Children are encouraged to wear a costume and bring a bag or basket to collect candy.
October 8: Head to Vinoklet Winery for their Fall Festival, 11am-11pm. With a $5 admission, you get to enjoy music from two bands, free parking, and shop many local artists at the craft show.
October 8: The Historic Hunt House (4364 Hunt Road) will hold an Open House, 1-4pm; event info here
October 9: Stricker’s Grove is opening up for a Customer Appreciation Day starting at noon. Admission charged.
October 9: Head to the Cincinnati Nature Center for a Full Moon Hike: Hunter’s Moon at Rowe Woods, 7:30-9pm (registration required). Witness the night’s magic transform the trails ande marvel at the full moon and reveal natural history happenings on this quiet guided hike. Full Moon Walks provide rare opportunities to hike the trails when they’re normally closed. These night time walks utilize level upland trails—they avoid hills, steps and stream crossings for safety.
October 11: Christ Church Cathedral’s Music Live @ Lunch happens from 12:10-1pm featuring The Bacchanal Steel Band, Cincinnati’s premiere Caribbean ensemble. Music Live at Lunch is a free, weekly concert series featuring a variety of music. Bring your own lunch or buy one at the cathedral. Follow the link above and scroll to the bottom of the page to see the information.
October 11: The Blue Ash Fire Department is hosting a Fire Department Open House at the North Fire Station, 5-7:30pm. The free event features plenty of hands-on activities for children including fire hose demonstrations, touch-a-truck, station tours, and obstacle courses. There will also be a live burn exhibit to close out the evening. Free food provided.
October 13: The Loveland Symmes Fire Department will hold an open house on Thursday, October 13th from 5:00-7:00pm at the Symmes Township Safety Services Center, 8871 Weekly Lane, for Fire Prevention Week. Residents will learn about fire safety and get a tour of the station. Food and drinks will be provided.
October 13-16: Be amazed as Cincinnati is transformed with BLINK – the nation’s largest light, art, and projection mapping experience. Get the full scoop on BLINK (plus our tips on attending) here.
October 15-16: Head to Harrison for the Weber’s Farm Market Pumpkin Festival. Enjoy some time on the farm with live music, a petting zoo, food, and more. Shop amongst 200+ arts and crafts exhibitors. Head out to Harrison for the Weber Pumpkin Festival. Hours are Sat. 9am-6pm and Sunday 9am-5pm.
October 15-16: Big Bone Lick State Historic Site hosts their annual Salt Festival (tickets required). The festival features demonstrations of pioneer living and skills, frontier ingenuity, traditions, and lifeways. Enjoy folk and bluegrass music, listen to a storyteller, view prehistoric artifacts, and watch a blacksmith working red-hot iron. See how salt was extracted from the springs of Big Bone and watch a flintknapper make a stone point. NEW FOR 2022 explore the children’s activity area with haybale climbing, pumpkin painting, and more! (Free pumpkin included with admission for children 12 years of age and younger).
October 15: It’s a Harvest Hootenanny at Story Woods Park, 10am-4pm. Children will be able to interact with 30 animals at Honey Hill Farm’s petting zoo, get their faces painted, play games, pick a pumpkin from our patch, and more! Adults can shop at booths from local crafters and vendors, enjoy local craft beers and ciders, and eat great food fromvarious food trucks. Admission is FREE, so bring the whole family!
October 15: It’s a Floating Pumpkin Patch! Jump in the pool to pick at a pumpkin and enjoy face painting, pumpkin decorating, games, crafts, and treats for hte whole family. Happening at the Butler County YMCA, Atrium Family YMCA, and Fitton Family YMV+CA (times vary). Admission is charged, open to members and non-members. Registration required.
October 15: Head to the Ross Family Log House for Autumn Adventure. The log house will be open and they’ll have a hearth cooking demo plus kids games. 1-5pm
October 16: The Ross Family Log House, located at Meade Park / Symmes Twp., will be open from 1-3pm. Take a walk along the forest path to see some fun Halloween additions as well as the Halloween themed StoryWalk.
October 17-23: It’s Cincinnati Taco Week! Enjoy $2 tacos from some of Cincinnati’s most popular taco joints. Each participating Cincinnati Taco Week restaurant will be offering their own unique tacos.
October 18: Christ Church Cathedral’s Music Live @ Lunch happens from 12:10-1pm featuring James Meade on guitar. Music Live at Lunch is a free, weekly concert series featuring a variety of music. Bring your own lunch or buy one at the cathedral. Follow the link above and scroll to the bottom of the page to see the information.
October 21: Get yourself registered for the Costumed Character Halloween Hike at Calwell Nature Preserve, 6-9pm. Registration is required and it usually sells out so don’t delay!
October 22: Blue Ash Nature Park hosts a Halloween Walk in the Woods, 12-3pm. Enjoy trick-or-treating, crafts, concessions and shows. Free & open to the public. Geared towards ages 10 & under.
October 22: Enjoy a Jack-O-Lantern Hike at Caldwell Nature Preserve, 7-10pm. Enjoy the jack-o-lanterns and luminaries on the trail. There will be no costumed characters during this Saturday evening event. This a great “date night for adults” or a low-key walk for families. Groups leave every 5 minutes. Registration required.
October 22: It’s Fossil Day at Trammel Park. Join the graduate students from the University of Cincinnati to explore and learn all about Trammel Fossil Park and all that it has to offer. This event is completely FREE and open to everyone. Starts at 1pm.
October 23: Get a taste of the season at Finday Market’s Fall Food Fest, happening 10am-4pm (tickets required). This Sunday Funday event lets you sample some of the very best fall dishes from merchants, vendors and farmers at the market. Each ticket is good for one sample from one business. In addition to the Tasting Event, they will also have a Children’s Spooky Scavenger Hunt, a fall-themed photo booth, and live music from Tracy Walker & Friends. Bring the whole family down to enjoy this fun fall day!
October 25: Vernon McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass provides the live music for Christ Church Cathedral’s Music Live @ Lunch, 12:10-1pm. Music Live at Lunch is a free, weekly concert series featuring a variety of music. Bring your own lunch or buy one at the cathedral. Follow the link above and scroll to the bottom of the page to see the information.
October 28: Head to Cincinnati Nature Center for a Nighttime Trail Fest (for Kids!), 7-9pm. Don your costumes for this non-spooky woodland Halloween adventure. Enjoy on-trail nature crafts, activities, and festive treats as the sun sets on the autumn forest. Preregistration required. Buy tickets early; this is expected to sell out again. Suitable for children 12 and below, accompanied by an adult caregiver.
October 28: This should be the date for the Cincinnati Art Museum’s Art After Dark event – info TBA.
October 29: Red Dog hosts Bark or Treat at Madtree Brewing, noon-3pm. Take your pup in for trick or “treat”ing.
October 29: It’s a Howl-o-ween Hootenanny at ArtsConnect Springfield Township, noon-3pm. ArtsConnect and the Powel Crosley YMCA bring you a fun-filled, outdoor family Halloween celebration! Kids should dress in costume for trick-or-treating with local businesses. Enjoy the no-so-scary hay maze. Kids can pick a mini pumpkin and paint it however they like. Participate in a scavenger hunt, take photos in the Mystery Machine, visit other costumed characters, enjoy a warm cup of hot chocolate and play games led by Halloween DJ throughout the day! Bring your pet, all dressed up, for the Halloween Pet Costume contest at 2:00 p.m.
ONGOING OCTOBER EVENTS:
The Ohio Renaissance Festival is open every weekend in October. Each weekend has a special theme (Time Travelers Weekend, Viking Weekend, Romance Weekend, Feast of Fools, and Tricks or Treats).
Tina, the Tina Turner Muscial is the first in the 22-23 season from Broadway in Cincinnati and it opens October 25 (runs through Nov. 6, 2022).