The Best Fall Festivals, Oktoberfests & Autumn Activities in Pittsburgh

As the cool days creep in, we have you covered with apple and pumpkin picking, German beer festivals, community farm celebrations, haunted trails, parades, and more.

Check back for updates! We’ll be updating this a lot.

Sept. 4-6

One of Pittsburgh's biggest, oldest German cultural organizations hosts its annual festival over Labor Day weekend, including imported beer, authentic food, and live music, plus they're hosting an Argentinian Oktoberfest Sept. 9.

Sept. 5

Check out Brenckle’s enormous stock of pumpkin and gourds, plus some of the most unique and fun decorations to get your home ready for fall. Look for vendors like Nosh & Curd specialty food shop, The Roaming Bean coffee truck, Amish donuts, Recon Brewing, and more.

Sept. 6-7

Celebrate Labor Day weekend (and Western PA’s prominent role in labor history) with this celebration at Northmoreland Park with arts and crafts, a flea market, a circus, and live music.

Sept. 7-13

Break out your best tea-party hat and brush up on your Premier League allegiances. It’s a week-long British invasion that includes events across the city: afternoon tea at the Mansions on Fifth Avenue, a Britsburgh Ale cask tapping at East End Brewing, a South Side history walk, British music and trivia nights, a Riverhounds match, and a closing village fête in Aspinwall.

Sept. 10

Witches, wizards, and muggles are invited to a free screening of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” at The Plaza at North Shore. Bring a seat or blanket and wear your finest robes and House scarves. Festive treats like butterbeer, popcorn, and cotton candy will be available from Sugar Bird. Prizes and gift cards will be awarded to the best dressed throughout the night!

Sept. 11-13

Celebrate all things Irish at Carrie Blast Furnaces. The festival, which is in its 35th year, features live Irish music, dancing, food, cultural talks, trivia, vendors, and even ghost stories — all in one of Pittsburgh’s coolest industrial settings.

Fright Farm & Kids Day

Sept. 11 – Oct. 31

Come to Rich Farms in Smithfield for Fright Farm starting on Sept. 11, featuring haunted houses and nightmarish hayrides. You can also check out Kids Day starting on Sept. 26, with corn mazes, non-nightmarish hayrides, and more. Both events run until Halloween.

Weekends Sept. 11 – Nov. 1

Mark 27 years of this enormous Murrysville corn maze — grown every year in a different design — and once you find your way out, try to draw it. Don’t skip the pumpkin patch or the cozy hayrides, either.

Select dates Sept. 12 – Nov. 1

Start early for family-friendly fun, then stay late for scares at seven haunted houses and four scare zones — plus new fall tasting menus and a one-of-a-kind trick-or-treating experience at the Ghostwood Estate starting Sept. 19. 

Sept. 12

Look for 140 vendors offering food, arts and crafts, kids’ activities, and all-day sidewalk sales in the village — all decked out for autumn. 

Sept. 12

Eat your way through the Strip District with more than 25 food trucks and vendors serving a wide variety of tacos. Enjoy Latin music, salsa dancing, bars, and family-friendly activities.

Sept. 12Spend the afternoon getting curious in the Hill District at a free, all-ages block party. There’ll be hands-on STEM activities for kids, live DJs, local food and vendors, plus mini science workshops throughout the day. Registration is required in advance for workshops.

Sept. 12

Sip Oktoberfest beer from Grist House, eat German food from Freedom Farms, and listen to live polka from the Polkameisters at this all-day Oktoberfest party.

Sept. 12

Step into the magic with Moon Parks & Recreation, featuring boozy and non-alcoholic potions, arts and crafts, music, games, costume contests, and more. Ticket sales support local parks!

Sept. 12 & 26

Get a taste of their limited release Herman’s Best Oktoberfest Lager (adult tickets include a pour while supplies last), try your luck in their stein-holding contest, throw some axes, watch a chainsaw artist, listen to live music, shop specialty artisans and farmer’s market vendors, and more.

Weekends Sept. 12 – Oct. 31

Trick-or-treat through the Story Book Forest and enjoy one of the longest treat trails in Pennsylvania, take a spin on favorite rides like the Midnight Conductor Railroad, and find out what happens when growing pumpkins goes horribly wrong. 

Sept. 12

Take part in a celebration of handmade, homegrown, and fermented fun at Allegheny Commons Park West on the North Side. Try an activity like indigo dyeing and wild clay ceramics, or bring your best submission for the pie and tomato contests.

Sept. 12

Enjoy a Tolkien-inspired day of fantasy, food, and fun for the whole family at Bloom Cafe in Valencia. There will be live folk music, local vendors, craft workshops, themed drinks, and more.

Sept. 13

Watch costumed dogs (up to 25 pounds) zip around an obstacle course near the Waterfront gazebo while the kiddos get their faces painted, take home balloon animals, and more. The pumpkin patch alone is worth a walk around the square.

Dates TBD

In past years, a wristband would get you access to the petting zoo; pumpkin patch; carving displays; a butterfly house; corn, hay, and sunflower mazes; and a ton of special events and games, like the human hamster wheel, pumpkin Guess Who?, basketball corn hoppers, strongman sledge hammers, and more.

Sept. 18-20

Dust off your lederhosen and head south to Canonsburg in Washington County for a weekend of German-inspired fun. Bring the whole family for crafts, carnival rides, games, dancing, and of course, tasty eats — like pretzels, sausage, and potato dumplings.

Sept. 18-20 & 25-27

Drink beer from a milk jug in Troy Hill’s historic cobblestone biergarten, where a taste of Munich takes over four festive floors and a pair of purple-tinted, outdoor caves. In past years, we’ve loved the hot German potato salad, schnitzels, and Soergels x Penn shandy — but since Penn might get sold soon, we’re not sure what might be on offer.

Weekends Sept. 18 – Nov. 1

Take a hayride, pick a pumpkin, and make your way through a haunted corn maze on 100 acres of Portersville farmland. Dates and times vary for the pumpkin fest and fright farm experiences.

Sept. 19 – Nov. 1

Go for a tractor ride with a cider slushie, pick apples and pumpkins right from the source, and dig into market food every Saturday and Sunday in Wexford. We live for the homemade apple cider donuts (but they are available year-round!).

Sept. 19

Celebrate Chinese culture at Mellon Park. This free, all-ages festival features traditional and contemporary music and dance, martial arts and lion dancing, plus Chinese food, handmade goods, calligraphy, crafts, and other hands-on cultural activities.

Sept. 19

Head to Burkett Park in McKees Rocks for a celebration of fall: crafts and goods vendors, food and drinks, amusements and rides (all free), with celebratory fireworks at the end of the night.

Sept. 19 – Oct. 4

Enjoy Bavarian food while sipping on the “Ordinary Things” fest lager or “Cinnamon Ghoul” pumpkin ale at Spoonwood Brewing Company in Bethel Park.

Sept. 19

Come touch a truck or show off your own ride at this annual festival. Bring the kiddos for face painting, balloons, juggling, magic shows, and musical chairs for both kids and adults!

Sept. 19

Hit up Troy Hill’s community festival for homemade food and drink, live music, craft vendors, and more (previous years had a bake-off and pumpkin carving contest). The name is a reference to when Rialto Street was once called “Pig Hill.”

Sept. 19-20

Check out pumpkin-themed activities just a few miles from where filmmaker George Romero brought his classic “Night of the Living Dead” to life.

Sept. 19-20

Now in its 55th year, this sprawling festival sets up at nine historic covered bridges across Washington and Greene counties. Expect handmade crafts, homestyle food, historical reenactments, and crafting demos at each stop. Free admission and parking, rain or shine.

Sept. 19 & 26

Enjoy an Allegheny County tradition with hayrides, inflatables, puppet shows, and balloon twisters — plus a petting zoo, art station, sensory-play area, and 10-foot soccer dartboard, courtesy of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and their mascot, Amo.

Weekends Sept. 19 – Oct. 25

Enjoy a hayride to the pumpkin patch or see if you can find your way through the giant, 3-acre corn maze in Finleyville. For kids, look for train rides, a bounce house, a bungee jump, and an obstacle course.

Sept. 20

Celebrate over two decades of local wildlife education and rehabilitation at the Wildbird Recovery’s 15th Annual Fall Migration Festival, an annual fundraiser where supporters of all ages spend time outdoors, enjoy delicious food, and learn about different aspects of our local wildlife. The event will be held at Stormy Oaks Nature Conservancy in Valencia.

Sept. 20

A curated vintage and artisan market at a family-owned property in Westmoreland County from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fresh coffee, baked goods, and food trucks are available as well.

Sept. 26

Ride a pony, drink beer, stop by a food truck, and play games in Plum Creek Park. Register online to take home one of 500 free pumpkins for your child.

Sept. 26

Visit downtown Coraopolis for a vendor fair, art walk, bar crawl, live music, and special activities like a fall storytime at the library and a cake eating competition (cakes provided by Queen Beans Cafe) at the music stage.

Sept. 26 – 27

Cecil Township Park is the site of a two-day hullabaloo with food trucks, pumpkin painting, over 100 vendors, and live entertainment (including a performance from Master Nam’s Karate).

Sept. 26 – Oct. 31

Hop on a hayride through Shenot’s pumpkin patch in Wexford for $5 per person. Stop by the market afterwards to peruse jack-o-lanterns, decorative gourds, and fairy tale pumpkins.

Sept. 26 – Oct. 31

Spend the day exploring corn, hay, and pumpkin patches at The SpringHouse in Washington County, alongside a giant corn box for kids, bounce house corrals, farm-style ping pong, haybale climbs, spider climbs, hamster wheels, potato pelters, pumpkin ring toss, paintball, tube slides, races, and more — plus homemade goodies like fresh donuts rolled in cinnamon sugar.

Dates TBD

Shop for art and all things spooky, watch live music and cultural dance performances, participate in a skeeball competition, and dig into vegan treats at Velum Fermentation in the South Side.

Sept. 26

Head north to Butler’s Main Street for live music, art, food, and a car cruise — plus a kid zone with bounce houses, face painting, a petting zoo, and more.

Sept. 26

Crafton Park hosts a day of pet parades, live music, cornhole tournaments, and “free family fun” activities such as axe throwing. Food trucks, beer vendors, and local craft vendors will also be on site.

Sept. 26

This north Pittsburgh borough gathers every year along Church Avenue for a fall celebration featuring 50+ vendors and local organizations, raffles, games, book sales, and more. Proceeds support grants and scholarship programs.

Sept. 30

Put on your favorite lederhosen for a best-dressed competition, dance to live music from The GRKMAN Duo polka band, make flower crowns, and enjoy traditional German brews and food at Cinderlands Warehouse in the Strip District.

Oct 1-5

Kick off spooky season on Mt. Washington. The bar is tapping a whole lineup of pumpkin beers, including Southern Tier Pumpking, Dogfish Head Punkin Ale, Fatheads Spooky Tooth, and more! Pumpkin beer flights will also be available.

Oct. 1

Have a fun and cozy evening filled with great food, drinks, and local art as we celebrate and support the impact of Garfield Community Farm at Tree Pittsburgh’s serene riverside campus.

Oct. 1

Taste food from around the world — Mexico, Italy, Germany, Poland, and Slovakia — and sample brews in a beer garden, hosted at St. Malachy Church Campus in Coraopolis.

Oct. 1-11

Revel in 11 days of big brews, big views, and bountiful Bavarian fun when Oktoberfest — rebranded this year as Prostburgh — takes over Downtown. Expect new and returning attractions, including a 60-foot Ferris wheel on the Roberto Clemente Bridge, stein holding competitions, wiener dog races, a kinderplay area for kids, and more.

Oct. 2 – Nov. 1

Visit the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium at night to be dazzled by thousands of skillfully-carved pumpkins glowing throughout the park. Dress up the kiddos for ZooBoo trick-or-treating.

Oct. 2-4

Craft and food vendors take over the town park, but the real draw is the programming: a largest pumpkin contest, a garden tractor pull, a tough man fire truck pull, and an actual tractor square dancing exhibition. Plus, a 5K run/walk.

Weekends Oct. 2 – 31

Nestled in the heart of the countryside, Eerie Acres offers spine-tingling fun for the whole family. Our indoor haunt and outdoor creepy cornfield are back for the 10th season! Open from dark until 10PM, navigate the barn full of horrors and escape through a path in the haunted cornfield! Throughout the season, various food trucks will be onsite, and we often have a DJ spinning the tunes.

Weekends in October

A pay-as-you-go pumpkin patch: $2 for the hayride, $2 for the barnyard, $5 for the corn maze, and $2 for three shots at the corn cannon. Free parking, and don't skip the gobs.

Weekends in October

Enjoy Janoski’s Farm and Greenhouse’s annual haunted barn, corn maze, pumpkin patch, straw jump, bike path, pony rides, farm animals, and more.

Weekends in October + Indigenous Peoples Day

Roll around in the corn pit at Freedom Farms’ biggest event of the year, featuring hayrides, a petting zoo, pumpkin patch, farm-fresh food, face painting, flower picking, adult bevvies, and more.

Weekends in October

Visit this full-time working produce farm in Valencia as it becomes a seasonal pick-your-own-pumpkin festival, complete with hayrides, a corn maze and straw tunnel, and more. 

Weekends in October + Indigenous Peoples’ Day

How does a Christmas tree farm celebrate autumn? With pumpkin patches, of course! Take a scenic hayride, ride a pony, and pick your favorite gourd at this picturesque spot in Clinton.

Oct. 3

Khalil’s, Pittsburgh’s GOAT for delicious Syrian cuisine, is hosting what they say is the U.S.’s first Palestinian-led Oktoberfest. It’s a fundraiser for Palestinian Christians and will feature Syrian food and drink, plus a live band at the restaurant on Baum Boulevard.

Oct. 3

Get fired up for a day of industrial arts, live music, and local vendors at Carrie Blast Furnaces in Swissvale. Watch live demos by blacksmiths, glassblowers, welders, and metal fabricators or get your hands dirty with a bunch of hands-on activities. Stick around after dark to see fireworks glow over the furnace.

Oct. 3

Koenig Field transforms into a celebration of all things fall: bratwursts, beer, polka music, hayrides, and a pig roast (with vegetarian options, too). Tickets are $35.

Oct. 3

Hop on a hayride in McMurray, followed by sipping apple cider beneath the stars and roasting marshmallows at the bonfire. Tickets are $15.

Oct. 3

Celebrate 41 years of fun with all things apple — you have to try the dumplings! — plus 150 local vendors, a library book sale, and live music at this annual event in Butler County.

Oct. 3-4

With over 100 craft/art and food vendors, you can find handmade items from local crafters,

delicious food, antique farm equipment, and fresh-pressed apple cider that you can see pressed right before your eyes by a 1907 antique apple press!

Oct. 3

A vintage village, saw mill, cider press, Amish donuts, antique car rally, gas engines, oil field equipment, farm animals, train rides, steam engines, flea market, crafts, food, kids’ pedal tractor pulling, tractor pulls and a steam building are some of the features to enjoy.

Oct. 3-4

Take a drive south of Pittsburgh to Hickory for an apple celebration on a crisp fall day. Browse nearly 100 craft sellers and attractions while sampling brick-oven-baked bread, homemade apple butter, hand-dipped caramel apples, and more.

Oct. 3-4 & 10-11

Get into the fall spirit at this family-friendly festival with pumpkin painting, games, inflatables, face painting, and more. Grab fall treats from the concession stand, including freshly made kettle corn!

Oct. 3-11

Pack a coat and “Meet Me on Main” with Clarion's annual Tournament of Leaves parade, plus food, carnival rides, and a craft fair.

Weekends Oct. 3-18

Ride the chairlift to get gorgeous views of fall foliage, shop from dozens of crafters and artisans, prance through the pumpkin patch or hay maze, and enjoy live performances at this annual event in the Laurel Highlands.

Oct. 4

Celebrate Braddock Farms’ mission to provide organic local produce to the neighborhood with their 8th annual festival featuring farm games, harvest activities, demos, and seasonal bites.

Oct. 4

Don’t miss WorkshopPGH’s biggest event of the year in and around their Wilkinsburg warehouse. Mosey through the pumpkin patch, shop from more than 75 local makers, or try your hand at DIY stations. Food trucks, beer and cider, and music will keep the festivities going along Pennwood Avenue.

Oct. 7-11

Five days of carnival excitement and fall tradition at Palmer Park in the heart of Donora.

Oct. 9-11

This Washington County town hosts an annual three-day festival featuring 175+ food and craft vendors, children's games and activities, a parade, and pumpkin-related contests.

Oct. 9-11

Commemorate a key battle from 1758 in the Laurel Highlands, while sampling local spirits, hometown bites, and local tunes. There’s also a 5K walk and run, grand parade, live music, historic reenactments, and more.

Oct. 10

Visit McDonald Presbyterian Church for a family-friendly event with a baked sale, children’s games, basket auction, 50/50, and other festive activities.

Oct. 10

Alice’s Adventures in Autumn combines the whimsy of Phipps’ unique take on Lewis Carroll’s story with stunning chrysanthemums — and a few spooky surprises!

Oct. 10

Witches Day Out is returning to Butler City! Gather your coven, wear your favorite witchy attire, and get ready for a magical day in town.

Oct. 10

Fall in love with this south Pittsburgh borough as musical acts play up and down Potomac Avenue. There will be delicious food from local vendors, unique arts and crafts, and fun activities for all ages.

Oct. 10

Allentown's Neighborhood Night Market is BACK for its 15th installment. What better way to spend an October night in Pittsburgh kicking off spooky season than in our unique neighborhood full of creative, independent small businesses and eateries?

Oct. 10

Scoot up to Harmony for carriage rides, pet fairs, kids and pet costume contests, trick-or-treating, and more. 

Oct. 10

There'll be lots of homemade goodies — like apple and pumpkin pies, soups, and more — alongside the huge annual flea market at Ascension Lutheran Church in McCandless.

Oct. 10-11

Look for free tractor rides, sidewalk sales, a chili cook-off, bounce houses, and a car cruise along Main and Spring streets in Zelienople.

Oct. 11

Look for ghostly Harmonists and experience the “nightlife” of Old Economy Village with an after-dark tour.

Oct. 17

Treat yourself at the Pittsburgh Coffee and Chocolate Festival at the Monroeville Convention Center. Sample coffee from local and regional roasters, sweets from chocolatiers and bakeries, wine and spirits, and make as many trips to the chocolate fountain as your heart desires.

Oct. 17

The North Fayette Community Center organizes a costume contest, crafts and refreshments, and a trunk or treat event (registration required).

Oct. 17

Park at the Public Works Yard in Carnegie and take a nighttime stroll down the Panhandle Trail, lined with jack-o-lanterns and lit by bonfires. Hot chocolate and sweet cider are available to drink, and children under 11 receive a free treat bag. Costumes welcome!

Oct. 17

Families are invited to the Oliver Miller Homestead in South Park for a day of family-friendly seasonal activities. Past editions included kid’s games, crafts, and a giant leaf pile to jump into/frolic in.

City Cast Pittsburgh’s Megan Harris, Marla Kauffmann, Boen Wang, and Laura Kondourajian contributed.