OCTOBER
10/15 to 10/18
Circleville Pumpkin Show
Circleville, Ohio
Less than an hour outside of Columbus, the festival features attractions like the Big Wheel Race, an egg toss, giant-pumpkin carving by Gus the Squashcarver, and the world's largest pumpkin pie (14 feet across!). Feeling competitive? Try your skills at the pumpkin-pie-eating contest.
10/17 to 10/18Shawnee Mountain Timber & Balloon Festival
Shawnee Mountain, PennsylvaniaEnjoy a crisp autumn day at this rustic festival featuring lumberjack competitions, skydiving exhibitions, and an amazing show of colorful hot-air balloons. Located less than two hours from Philadelphia, northern New Jersey, and metropolitan New York, nearby families can experience the best of fall without trekkng too far from home.
10/18Mesa Old West Days
Mesa, ArizonaSee how the West was won at this festival honoring the pioneer spirit. Watch metalworking demonstrations and performances of Old West–style gunfights. Kids can try their hand at roping targets and panning for gold, or they can catch a ride on a train or a pony. Plus, fill hungry bellies at the International Chili Society's annual cookoff.
10/18 to 10/19Pirate Days of The Colony
The Colony, TexasBreak out the eye patches and enjoy a swashbuckling good time at this Northern Texas festival. In addition to concerts, comedy routines, and children's plays, check out events like the Cap'n Jack Look-Alike Contest, the Lil? Buccaneer Pageant, and the Salty Dog Pet Costume Contest.
10/18 to 10/1931st Annual Woolly Worm Festival
Banner Elk, North CarolinaCelebrate the coming of the snow season at the Woolly Worm Festival. Legend has it that the coloration of these furry caterpillar's can predict how cold the winter will get (the wider the black bands, the colder and snowier it will be). Watch the critters race to determine whose stripes will be chosen as the official predictor of the coming winter.
10/18 to 10/19 and 10/25 to 10/26Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze and Legend Weekend
Westchester, New YorkStep into Washington Irving's imagination and wander through the famed Sleepy Hollow Philipsburg Manor—an 18th-century farm where kids can carve pumpkins and play colonial-era games by day and hear tales of witches and ghosts by night. At nearby Sunnyside, Irving's home in Tarrytown, take in a (less spooky) program of magic shows, sing-alongs, and puppets telling "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." At Philipsburg Manor. At the Great Jack o' Lantern Blaze at historic Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson, more than 4,000 glowing pumpkins will wind through the grounds and illuminate the fall night.
10/17 to 10/19
Wellfleet Oyster Festival
Wellfleet, MassachusettsThe main draw of this Bay State favorite is the Oyster Shuck-Off, but the music, street fair, and abundance of the town's favorite bivalves (served up any way you can imagine) are close runners-up. Plus, kids can show their artistic sides with oyster-jewelry making and pumpkin painting.
10/18 to 10/19Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival
Half Moon Bay, CaliforniaKids can slurp down spicy pumpkin pies in the classic pie-eating contest at this scenic beachside hamlet. Parents may be more interested in the special festival-label wine from the winemakers at Half Moon Bay winery or Pumpkin Harvest Ale 2 from Half Moon Bay Brewing Company. Also, find out who will prevail in the World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off. Last year's honor went to relative newbie Thad Starr's 1,524-pound honker.
10/23 to 11/02
Chicago International Children's Film Festival
Chicago, IllinoisThe 25th annual International Children's Film Festival, hosted by Second City, will feature more than 200 of the top films and videos for children from 40 countries. The festival is renowned for its focus on culturally diverse, nonviolent new cinema for children ages 3 to 16. After screenings, kids (and adults) can cast their votes for the Best of the Fest audience prize, the most coveted honor of the festival.
10/24 to 10/26
The Great Pumpkin Festival
Phoenix, ArizonaHead to the Desert Botanical Garden for hayrides, a hay-bale maze, a petting zoo, and a pumpkin patch. Plus, kids under the age of 12 can take home a pumpkin for free.
10/26Queens County Farm Museum Children's Fall Festival
Floral Park, New YorkGet that cozy fall-festival feeling without straying too far from the big city. Just 30 minutes outside of Manhattan, this festival offers a corn maze, pick-your-own pumpkins, and a haunted house. Dress the kids in their Halloween best and let them play rounds of Trinket in the Haystack while you browse various craft stands for the perfect Thanksgiving centerpiece.
