Whether you’re looking for a family-friendly festival, planning a crisp afternoon in a pumpkin patch, or want to get in on some Halloween haunts, we’re here to help with an ultimate guide to fall fun.
Bonus: If you’re on the hunt for fall foliage, check out our recommendations for where to take in the autumn colors.
Festivals
You can count on fall festivities every weekend from now through October.
A few fan favorites:
- VisArts Chili Throw Down, Friday, Oct. 3
- 2nd Street Festival, Saturday, Oct. 4 + Sunday, Oct. 5
- Richmond Folk Festival, Friday, Oct. 10-Sunday, Oct. 12
- Maymont’s Garden Glow, Wednesday, Oct. 15-Sunday, Nov. 9
Check out our October plan ahead or our year-round festival guide to see what seasonal shindigs you want to attend.
Find the Jack-o'-lantern canvas that’s right for you.
Photo by Lindsay Biggs Taylor at Gallmeyer Farms
Pumpkin patches
Ashland Berry Farm, Ashland
There’s something for everyone at this Hanover haunt with all-you-can-carry pumpkin picking and four spooky experiences as part of Terror on the Farm.
Pumpkin picking starts Saturday, Sept. 27.
Chesterfield Berry Farm, Moseley
This farm keeps the weekend full of fall fun. Try out the corn maze, pumpkin patch, hayride, pig races, or a shelled corn play area.
Pumpkin picking started Saturday, Sept. 13.
Hanover Vegetable Farm, Ashland
Take part in weekday hayrides or head out on the weekend to get pumpkins, walk the corn maze, bounce on the giant pumpkin jump pad, and shoot corn cannons.
Pumpkin picking starts Saturday, Sept. 27.
Gallmeyer Farms Pumpkin Patch, Montrose
Enjoy hayrides, explore the straw bale maze, and pick the perfect pumpkin. When fall hours begin, it’ll be open from 8 a.m. until dusk.
Pumpkin picking starts Saturday, Sept. 27.
Lloyd Family Farm, Rockville
Admission is $15 per person for the pumpkin patch, which is open 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Food trucks are on site each weekend.
Pumpkin picking starts Friday, Sept. 26.
Apple picking
Carter Mountain Orchard, Charlottesville
Head west to pick-your-own apples, browse a market, and stock up on apple cider donuts.
Fruit Hill Orchard, Palmyra
Dating back to 1929, you can pick from the historic farm’s apple trail on Saturdays — the farm is open Mondays through Fridays as well.
Haunts
Creepy Hollow Scream Park, Glen Allen
Follow two wooded trails through four storylines: Scream Forest, Nightmare Labs, Stone Horse Creek Sanitarium, and Axl’s Dark Carnival.
Pro tip: Get tickets in advance or bring cash to buy in person.
RED VEIN Haunt, Ashland
See if you can survive Red Vein: Blood Rites. Get tickets starting at ~$30 for October weekends and Halloween night.
Halloween Haunt at Kings Dominion, Doswell
Terror awaits you on select nights, Sept. 20-Nov. 4. Park admission will get you access to a frightful night of mazes, scare zones, and live shows.
Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens, Williamsburg
Head east for haunted houses, Terror-Tories, and live shows through Nov. 2, all included with park admission.
Scary + seasonal movies
The Byrd Theatre, Carytown
This month’s movie calendar is full of Halloween classics, like “Hocus Pocus” + “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” plus recent blockbuster hits like “Nosferatu” and “Sinners.”
Ashland Theatre, Ashland
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “Poltergeist,” and “Beetlejuice” are all coming up at this classic theater, along with the theater’s first haunted house event on Tuesday, Oct. 9.
Bonus: Bring your latest knitting project for a cozy, crafty-friendly showing of “Practical Magic” on Sunday, Oct. 19.
Goochland Drive-In Theater, Hadensville
Put your car in park, and sit back for some fan-fave seasonal flicks, typically announced at the beginning of each week.
Bonus: Catch the all-night Classic Monster Movie Marathon on Saturday, Oct. 25.
Good for Her Films, Locations vary
This local fundraiser film club will host some iconic October screenings, like “Elvira: Mistress of the Dark” at Starr Hill Brewery and the 1922 version of “Nosferatu,” at The Poe Museum.
