Richmond’s array of fall festivals, crisp afternoons spent in pumpkin patches, and seasonal fun is sure to get you excited for the months to come.
🍂 Festivals
VisArts Chili Throwdown | Friday, Oct. 6 | 6-9 p.m. | Visual Arts Center of Richmond | $25-30 | Try out chili from local restaurants and take home a handmade ceramic bowl.
2nd Street Festival | Saturday, Oct. 7-Sunday, Oct. 8 | Times vary | Jackson Ward | Free entry | The 35th anniversary of this historic fest will feature Average White Band and Prince tribute act I Would Die 4 U.
Richmond Folk Festival | Friday, Oct. 13-Sunday, Oct. 15 | Times vary | Brown’s Island, Riverfront | Free entry | One of Richmond’s favorite festivals returns with three days of performances, craft vendors, food, and drinks.
Garden Glow | Thursday, Oct. 19-Sunday, Nov. 12 | Times vary | Maymont | $12-16 | Explore the Glow Village and enjoy fire pits, food trucks, and immersive art installations.
Pumpkin Festival | Saturday, Oct. 21 | 12-6 p.m. | Bon Secours Training Center, Scott’s Addition | Free entry | Bands, food, vendors, and a costume contest are all on the agenda for this festival.
HarvestFest | Saturday, Oct. 28 | 10 a.m.-8 p.m. | Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden | $0-17 | Celebrate all of fall with performances by the Latin Ballet of Virginia, Kadencia, and DJ Ray.
🌱 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.
Chesterfield Berry Farm, Moseley
The fall festival continues on weekends through the end of the month with an alien invasion-themed corn maze, pumpkin patch, hayride, pig races, and a shelled corn play area. Admission starts at $15 per person.
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. Tickets are $8 — or $15 with a pumpkin included.
Gallmeyer Farms Pumpkin Patch, Montrose
Enjoy hayrides, explore the straw bale maze, and pick the perfect pumpkin. The farm is open from 8 a.m. until dusk.
Lloyd Family Farm, Rockville
Admission is $12 per person for the pumpkin patch, which is open 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in October. Food trucks are on site each weekend.
👻 Haunts
Creepy Hollow Scream Park, Glen Allen
Explore the Scream Forest, the Phobia X trail, and Axl’s Dark Carnival weekends in October. Pro tip: Get tickets in advance or bring cash to buy in person.
RED VEIN Haunt, Ashland
See if you can survive Red Vein: 1999. Get tickets starting at $22 for weekends in October and Halloween night.
Halloween Haunt at Kings Dominion, Doswell
Terror awaits you on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through Oct. 29. Tickets start at $45 and include mazes, scare zones, live shows, and more.
Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens, Williamsburg
Head east for haunted houses, terror-tories, live shows, and the new DarKoaster through Halloween. Tickets start at $63.
🎥 Scary and seasonal movies
October at The Byrd Theatre, Carytown
This month’s schedule at the Byrd is full of Halloween favorites, including “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “Practical Magic,” and “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” on film.
Halloween Movie Nights at Starr Hill Brewery, Scott’s Addition
On Thursdays, check out screenings of seasonal classics in the Beer Hall. The lineup includes last year’s “Scream,” “Hocus Pocus,” and “The Shining.”
Halloween Movies at Ashland Theatre, Ashland
“Monster House,” “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” and “Carrie” are all coming up at this classic theater — in between screenings of “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” of course.
