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: Donauschwaben’s Oktoberfest continues. Check out our Guide to Cincinnati Area Oktoberfests {2023} for details.
October 1: The Clermont County Farm Tour continues. The weekend includes the opportunity to visit 7 farms. Sunday’s tour options include Big Fish Farms (American paddlefish caviar), Vista Grand Ranch (viewing of Buffalo), Flourish and Roam (pasture raised poultry, beef, pork and eggs), The Alpaca Shop in New Richmond, and Happbee Acres Bee Supply. See their site for full details.
October 1: Art on Vine will be at the Court Street Plaza, 12-6pm.
October 1: Flea in the Fort returns for one last time for the 2023 season, 10am – 3pm. This artisan craft show is held in Ft. Thomas, Ky. inside Tower Park. They’ll have more than 70 artists and crafters, live music, food trucks, and craft beer.
October 6-8: 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 7-8: Head to Gorman Heritage Farm for the Sunflower Festival. Live music, hayrides and mule carriage rides, craft vendors, food trucks, meet the farm animals, visit education stations, High Grain Beer Garden and Cut Your Own sunflowers ($1 per stem). Admission charged. Save when you buy tickets online / in advance.
October 7-8: Get some shopping done at the Lakota West Arts and Crafts Show. You’ll find 200 indoor booths, concessions, and on-site parking at this craft show. $2 regular admission ($5 early bird) – cash only.
October 7: It’s CAM Kids Day at the Cincinnati Art Museum, 11am-3pm. The 11am-1pm session is geared towards families with preschool aged children (ages 3–5) and the afternoon session, 1–3pm, is geared towards families with children ages 5–12.
October 7: The City of Milford hosts a Fall Festival at Valley View Nature Preserve, 2-5pm. Enjoy an afternoon of fall family fun including a hay ride, a petting zoo, live music, face painting, a magician, and more. Raptor Inc. will be there too!
October 7: JazzFEST with Mambo Combo will be happening at Owls Nest Park (East Walnut Hills) from 2 to 6pm. Bring your chairs and blankets to enjoy live music at this family friendly event.
October 7: Head to Wyoming, Ohio for the 40th Annual Fall Festival, 10am-5pm. The day includes live music, great food, inflatables, and more than 80 artists, crafters, vendors, and organizations.
October 7: Brew Ash, presented by Fretboard Brewing in partnership with Higher Gravity and 50 West, is taking place at Summit Park, 11am-8pm. The day starts with the Brew Ash Beer Run and continues afterwards with live music, food trucks, and lots of local brew.
October 7: Barktoberfest is happening at the Harry Whiting Brown Community Center in Glendale, 2-6pm.
October 7: Cincinnati Zoo’s Monarch Festival will celebrate everyone’s favorite pollinator! This family friendly event will include stations set up at Vine Street Village and a “migration” down to the Zoo’s Butterfly Garden, Come in your butterfly costum and enjoy this education day. Happening from 10am – 1pm, included with Zoo admission.
October 8: Stricker’s Grove is opening up for a Customer Appreciation Day starting at noon. Admission charged.
October 9-15: 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 12-14: The Original Sewing and Quilt Expo will be at the Sharonville Convention Center. It’s three days full of sewing, quilting, machine embroidery, and more.
October 12: Head to the Cincinnati Museum Center for their “Off the Rails: 90s Edition” event. Celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Children’s Museum with an adults only event featuring 90s music all night, 90s karaoke, arcade games, friendship bracelets, slime-making, themed food and a cash bar.
October 13-15: 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 13: Head to Summit Park for Spooky Cinema, 8pm. The featured show is Hocus Pocus.
October 14-15: 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 14-15: The Cincinnati Model Train and Trade Show will be at Lakota West High School, 11am-5pm. Admission charged.
October 14: City Flea will cover Washington Park with their urban flea market vendors, 10am-4pm.
October 14: Enjoy a cold one with a side of chili at Brink Brewing Co.’s Annual Chili Cook-Off. The doors open at noon and civilians can begin feasting on chili at 3pm.
October 14: The College Hill Fall Festival includes a Cornhole Tournament, The Art of Darkness Homebrew Competition, and the Chili Cook-Off (see event above). See link for full details.
October 14: 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 14: Tour a wide variety of homes throughout Pleasant Ridge with the Pleasant Ridge Tour of Homes, 1-5pm. Explore historic Tudors homes, classic Four Squares, Mid-Century Modern homes, and more. Tickets required.
October 15: Get a taste of the season at Findlay 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 Wild Carrot plus Tracy Walker & Friends. Bring the whole family down to enjoy this fun fall day!
October 15: Head south to the Boone County Fairgrounds for the Burlington Antique Show, 6am-3pm. This is the last show for 2023. Admission is charged; parking is free.
October 20-22: Big Bone Lick State Historic Site hosts their annual Salt Festival. 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 traditional Native American drumming and dancing. See how salt was extracted from the springs of Big Bone and watch a flintknapper make a stone point. Explore the children’s activity area with a petting zoo, haybale climbing, pumpkin painting, and more! (Free pumpkin included with admission for children 12 years of age and younger).
October 20: Get yourself registered for the Costumed Character Halloween Hike at Calwell Nature Preserve. Registration is required and it usually sells out so don’t delay!
October 21: Enjoy a Jack-O-Lantern Hike at Caldwell Nature Preserve, 7-9pm. 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 21: 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 21: Take a Norwood Historic Home Tour by bus starting at 6:30pm. You’ll view three historic homes. Tickets required.
October 22: A Cincinnati Plant Party will be happening at Knox Joseph Distillery at the OTR Stillhouse, 1-7pm. Shop from 20+ vendors featuring plant shops, collectors, propagators, artists, and makers. Tickets required.
October 27: Cincinnati Art Museum’s Art After Dark event – info TBA.
October 28: The Historic Hunt House (4364 Hunt Road) will hold an Open House, 1-4pm; event info here
October 28: 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 not-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:
Broadway in Cincinnati brings us Girl From the North Country, a new musical that reimagines 20 of the legendary songs of Bob Dylan. The show is at the Aronoff Center, October 17-29.
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).
Cincinnati Art Museum’s exhibit, Picasso Landscapes: Out of Bounds, will be here until October 15.
First Flowers featuring Dinosaurs, the summer flower show, is at the Krohn Conservatory through Oct. 22.