As October rolls around, Centre County is gearing up for the heart of fall with plenty of festivals and Halloween events in State College, Bellefonte and beyond.
Local farms and other community fixtures are setting up for another eventful autumn. Without further ado, here’s a look at what’s coming to the area this season. Visit our community calendar for more of what’s happening around the region.
Titan Market Harvest Celebration
9 a.m to 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30 and Saturday Oct. 1
Titan Market, 2042 Axemann Road in Bellefonte, celebrates its second anniversary with a harvest festival including activities, games, food, music a variety of vendors, and plenty of mums and pumpkins for sale.
Way Fruit Farm Music Festival & Pumpkin Patch
3 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30 — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1
Visit Way Fruit Farm, 2355 Halfmoon Valley Road in Port Matilda, for an expansive pumpkin patch and live music from local performers. Guests can also go apple picking and enjoy a bite to eat from a few local food trucks.
Check Way Fruit Farm’s Facebook page for event updates.
Farmer’s Wife Fall Fest
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30, Saturday, Oct. 1 and Sunday, Oct. 2
This sixth-generation farm, located at 413 Airport Road in Centre Hall, is open for fall fun rain or shine. Admission and parking are free, while pumpkin picking and individual purchases will net a small fee.
Visit the festival’s Facebook page for updates.
Friday in the ‘Fonte
5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30
Downtown Bellefonte’s penultimate Friday in the ‘Fonte celebration for this year will feature Granma Ben performing at the Centre County Courthouse, many local vendors at multiple locations and specials at various downtown businesses.
Dutch Fall Festival
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1 and Sunday, Oct. 2
Hosted at the Aaronsburg Civic Club, the Dutch Fall Festival is back again in 2022. This year’s lineup includes a host of local entertainment, including Mel n’ J’s Jazz Quintet and the Hannah Bingman Trio. Guests can also enjoy Pennsylvania Dutch foods and historical demos on site.
Wasson Farm Fall Fest
Oct. 1-2, 8-9 and 15-16
Spread across three weekends, this fall festival will feature hayrides, a corn maze, a pumpkin patch and more at 2545 Shingletown Road in State College. Cash or check-only vendors will sell fall-themed foods and Amish baked goods, too. Other specials include wine tastings, homemade ice cream and barbecue.
Visit Wasson Farm’s Facebook page for the most recent event updates.
Landscaping by Meyer Fall Festival
11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1
Enjoy hayrides to the pumpkin patch, a bounce house, face painting and Brazilian Munchies food truck and get your pumpkins and mums at Landscaping by Meyer, 2943 Benner Pike in Bellefonte.
Haunted Lake Loop Trail
7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1
Black Moshannon State Park’s Halloween-themed walk invites guests to traverse trails, enjoy a good scare and have some laughs. Candy will be available at the end of the walk for children, too.
The trail walk may not be suitable for those who scare easily, the event page says.
Following hikes, guests are invited to a beachside campfire completely with marshmallows to roast while supplies last. Guests can arrive at any time between 7 and 9 p.m. to join one of the night’s guided walks.
More information, including details for liability forms and safety regulations, is available on the event’s Facebook page.
Teddy Bear Picnic
Saturday, Oct. 1 and Sunday, Oct. 2
The Columbus Chapel and Boal Mansion Museum will host a picnic for children and their families on the museum’s grounds. The event will stretch from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 1, and Sunday, Oct. 2 at 163 Boal Estate Drive.
The picnic will feature story time, games, snacks, prizes and giveaways suitable for children of all ages. The event is sponsored by Schlow Centre Region Library and will include activities planned and delivered by the library’s children’s department staff.
Tickets are $30 for one-child families and $10 more for each additional child. Reservations are available on the museum’s website.
Fall Art & Wine Festival
Noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 2
University Wine Company’s second annual festival invites guests out to 540 Misty Hill Drive in State College for an afternoon of boozy fall fun. The event will feature goods from local artisans, food from the Smokin’ Hot Butts food truck and live music. Of course, wine and other alcoholic drinks are on the menu, too.
Outdoor Adventure Expo
Noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 2
Held at the Talleyrand Park and Bellefonte Waterfront walk, the Outdoor Adventure Expo highlights the borough’s natural assets and showcases regional vendors, nonprofits and businesses that specialize in outdoors and recreation-related products. Free admission, a kayak raffle, live music and 10 food and beverage vendors will be on hand with items available for purchase.
The Arboretum at Penn State’s Pumpkin Giveaway for Jack-o’-Lantern Contest
1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 2
The Arboretum at Penn State will give away roughly 1,000 pumpkins to community members taking part in its annual jack-o’-lantern contest. Head behind the grounds’ Overlook Pavilion between 1 and 3 p.m. to pick up your pumpkin, but try to show up early to get a better pick. Contest entrants are also welcome to use their own pumpkins.
Jack-o’-lantern registration will stretch from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 7 at the Arboretum’s Overlook Pavilion. They’ll be lighted and displayed throughout the Arboretum’s annual Pumpkin Festival on Friday, Oct. 7 and Saturday, Oct. 8.
A panel of judges will award first, second and third-place ribbons to the best jack-o’-lanterns in several age categories, plus best in show, best Penn State theme and best pop culture theme. Contest rules are available online.
Contest entrants and select winners are invited back to pick up their pumpkins and ribbons from 10 a.m. to noon on Sunday, Oct. 9, at the Arboretum’s event lawn.
October First Friday
5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 7
Downtown State College’s monthly celebration offers live music, dance, art exhibits and activities and specials at local businesses. Visit the Downtown State College Improvement District website for the full lineup.
Haunted Valley
Friday, Oct. 7
Once again, Penn State’s Lion Ambassadors will lead lantern tours across campus to highlight the spookier aspects of the university’s history, including a stop at a haunted house in the University Home — the oldest standing structure on campus. The event is free and open to the public from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., with tours starting at the Hintz Family Alumni Center.
The Arboretum at Penn State’s Pumpkin Festival
Friday, Oct. 7 and Saturday, Oct. 8
The Arboretum’s annual fall festival will feature a pumpkin-carving contest (see above), plus a lighted jack-o’-lantern display, fall-themed planters, live music and offerings from food vendors. Kids can enjoy family-friendly arts and crafts projects and a magician, too.
Three-piece Celtic group Lilting Banshee will perform from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 7, while Western Range will provide some rootin’ and tootin’ country music from 5 to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8. Festival parking and admission is free throughout the weekend.
Way Fruit Farm’s Harvest Craft Festival
Friday, Oct. 7 and Saturday, Oct. 8
Another entry in Way Fruit Farm’s fall lineup, the Harvest Craft Festival will host local vendors and food trucks from 3 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 7 and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8. Guests can also pick apples, explore a pumpkin patch and hitch a ride on a wagon.
Happy Valley Latin Festival
11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8
Presented by Juana’s and supported by the Downtown State College Improvement District and the Borough of State College, the second annual Happy Valley Latin Festival will take place on the 100 Block of Fraser Street and the MLK Plaza. This free event highlights and celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month by featuring live music, traditional dance performances, various vendors offering arts and crafts and food and beverage, and much more.
Le Cirque d’Halloween
7-9 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8
Phoenix Academy of Performing Arts of Pennsylvania’s Cirque Phoenix will perform a live circus arts production of the original performance “Le Cirque d’Halloween,” at the academy, 118 Hawbaker Industrial Drive, State College. The show will feature fire dancing, acrobatics and aerial feats by creator Kai Phoenix, creative director Dmitry Myers and student artists Gillian Kinney, Emily Moss Kirsten, Benjamin Sidore and Kacee Briggs. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for kids and seniors and are available at phoenixacademystatecollege.com or at the door.
Boalsburg Renaissance Fair
Sunday, Oct. 9
The “Ye Olde” Columbus Chapel and Boal Mansion Museum will host the Boalsburg Renaissance Fair from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 9. The revival of the “Olde Europe” Festival will feature sword fighting, archery, special museum tours, offerings from local artisans, live horses, themed music and more.
All proceeds will benefit the Columbus Chapel and Boal Mansion Museum.
Eric Jones & Everything Pumpkin!
Friday, Oct. 14 and Saturday, Oct. 15
Professional pumpkin carver Eric Jones will visit Way Fruit Farm for a weekend full of demonstrations and small-group carving tutorials. The farm will also host wagon rides, food trucks and live music, plus its pumpkin patch for the kids.
More information on registration should be available on Way Fruit Farm’s Facebook page this fall. Admission costs $10 per person, while children 2 and under can attend for free.
Downtown Fall Fest
3 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15
State College’s 21st annual Fall Fest is back this year. Hosted by the Downtown State College Improvement District, this free event invites families to the 200 block of Allen Street and Sidney Friedman Parklet to decorate pumpkins, ride ponies, explore a fun house and snack on treats from local food vendors. The event will also include host appearances from a magician, as well as free balloon animals for kids.
Fall Fest will kick off with a live broadcast from Big Froggy 101.1, including the chance to win a pair of tickets to see Carrie Underwood perform at the Bryce Jordan Center in February.
Non-profit organizations can register to participate in the event until Saturday, Oct. 1.
‘A Night at the Museum‘: An Exclusive Paranormal Investigation
5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 21
The Spring Hill Paranormal Investigators will welcome guests to the Boal Mansion Museum for an evening of exploration into the grounds’ history and paranormal presence. The four-hour event will guide guests through an investigation before attendees are invited back in November to uncover “the truth of what was found at the Boal Mansion.”
Tickets cost $40 per person and are available online. Reservations are required, and space is limited.
Punkin’ Chunkin’ Fall Festival
Saturday, Oct. 22
Starting at 10 a.m., Howard Fire Company will host its annual festival devoted to launching pumpkins sky-high in Bald Eagle State Park. Catapults, trebuchets and perhaps even air cannons will send pumpkins hundreds of feet through the air before splashing down in a nearby lake.
The festival will also feature a handful of attractions, including hayrides, a pumpkin pie eating contest, a farmer’s market, children’s games and booths hosting more than 100 local craft vendors. A few food trucks will also set up shop to offer some grub.
While parking and admission are free, guests are invited to donate to the Howard Fire Company and its future festivals.
Palmer Museum Art After Hours: 4th Annual Halloween Spectacular
5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27
From 5 to 8 p.m., Penn State’s Palmer Museum of Art will host a mysterious night of spooky adventures completely with “ghostly games, monster music and other fiendish fun.” Attendees who register in a costume contest by 7 p.m. can win prizes and receive some extra candy. Costumes will be judged separately for adults and children under 15.
Terror in Transylaniva: An Interactive Murder Mystery Party
Friday, Oct. 28
The Speakeasy at Gamble Mill in Bellefonte will host an inaugural murder mystery costume party for guests 21 and older. Attendees can mingle, question suspects and ultimately try to crack the case from 6:30 to 10 p.m.
Advanced tickets purchased before Oct. 21 will run you $55 per person, while regular tickets purchased between Oct. 22 and 27 will fetch $60 apiece. Tickets cover admission, appetizers, desserts and non-alcoholic drinks, access to a silent auction and entrance to a costume contest. A cash bar is available if guests wish to purchase alcoholic drinks.
Tickets are available online, although supply is limited. Proceeds will benefit the Sock & Buskin Theatre Co.
More information about the murder mystery party, including a detailed breakdown of its events, is available online.
Talleyrand Fall Fest & Halloween Parade
Saturday, Oct. 29
From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Bellefonte Sunrise Rotary will host the annual Talleyrand Fall Fest and Halloween Parade. The parade will begin at Bellefonte Elementary School at 10:30 a.m. before winding through Bellefonte and ending at the park, where winners will receive prizes.
The festival will feature children’s games and activities, including inflatables and hayrides. Adults can test out craft beverages and dine on offerings from local food vendors, too.
More information is available on the event’s Facebook page.
