Pittsburgh Magazine’s Guide to Fall
From food festivals to haunted houses, here’s everything you need to know to make the most of the season.
PHOTO BY ROBERT ISENBERG
With the humidity and heat still lingering, it may be hard to believe that fall is right around the corner. Nevertheless, crisp air and colorful leaves are certainly on their way, and with fall comes a laundry list of annual festivals and events around the city.
Whether you’re looking forward to Halloween-themed haunted and apple picking or football parties and tailgates near the stadium, fall is bringing something special for every Pittsburgher. Let this be your go-to guide for all things autumnal.
Cultural Celebrations and Food Festivals
Across the Steel City, organizations are celebrating the diversity that makes Pittsburgh so special. There are ample opportunities this fall to celebrate your own heritage — or to learn about someone else’s.
Pittsburgh football kicks off right at Acrisure Stadium, home of the Pitt Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers! Enjoy five days of football, slow-cooked ribs, live music, the area’s largest cornhole tournament and more at this free festival on the North Shore.
Sept. 3-7 | Acrisure Stadium
Enjoy a soulful taste of the ‘Burgh at this free festival spotlighting Black culinary, butchery and food businesses. While the fantastic food takes center stage, a small business market, live music, barbecue contest and cultural activities make this event an all-day affair, according to VisitPITTSBURGH.
Sept 4-6 | Market Square/Boulevard of the Allies between Stanwix and Wood streets
The annual Britsburgh festival is bringing a taste of the U.K. to Pittsburgh. VisitPITTSBURGH says it’s “chockablock with events from afternoon teas and cask tapping to Shakespeare performances and even a polo match.”
Sept. 8-12 | Various Locations
Guests at this year’s popular Pittsburgh Irish Festival can expect to see their favorite Irish international, national and local acts in person at the event’s 34th Annual Celtic Celebration. The line-up features new bands, solo performers, well-known favorites, local Irish dance groups and more on four stages for non-stop fun and enjoyment.
Sept. 11-13 | Carrie Blast Furnaces
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PITTSBURGH IRISH FESTIVAL
The Original Pittsburgh Taco Festival
Pittsburgh’s top tacos and food trucks will take over the Strip District on Sept. 12. This community-centered event features more than 25 food trucks and vendors, plus live music, an art market and family fun. This festival is produced with the support of the Pittsburgh Hispanic Development Corporation and Latin American Cultural Union.
Sept. 12 | The Stacks at 3 Crossings
Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Festival
Come experience the biggest Chinese community event in Pittsburgh at this free festival in Mellon Park. Celebrate Chinese heritage, watch traditional performances, listen to vibrant music and enjoy some authentic Chinese food.
Sept. 19 | Mellon Park
Pittsburgh’s classic Oktoberfest returns to Penn Brewery for multiple dates this fall. Throughout the weekends of Sept. 19-21 and Sept. 26-28, folks can enjoy fresh beer, German food and live oompah music.
Sept. 19-21 and Sept. 26-28 | Penn Brewery
In case Penn Brewing’s event makes you crave even more, you’ll have the chance to celebrate once again when Oktoberfest takes over Downtown. For 11 days, this year’s event will be held at Fort Duquesne Boulevard, utilizing the westbound roadway from Stanwix Street over to 7th Street and incorporating the 6th Street Bridge. This year promises an even better celebration of culture, food, music and community, so festivalgoers can fully immerse themselves in German-inspired activities for all ages.
Oct. 1-11 | Downtown
This annual event celebrates Pittsburgh’s industrial heritage while also showcasing the industrial arts as they exist today. Watch live demonstrations, including an iron pour by Rivers of Steel, check out glassblowing or aluminum arts and shop through an artists market of local makers. The night rounds out with fireworks above the furnace, making for striking photo ops of the former industrial site.
Oct. 3 | Carrie Blast Furnaces
PHOTO BY OLLIE GRATZINGER
Fort Ligonier Days is a three-day festival that commemorates the Battle of Fort Ligonier, a key engagement of the French & Indian War. This three-day fall festival features historic battle reenactments, a grand parade on Saturday at 11 a.m., more 200 craft and food booths, a 5K walk/run and live musical entertainment.
Oct. 9-11 | Ligonier
Pittsburgh Coffee & Chocolate Festival
Located at the Monroeville Convention Center, this event welcomes lovers of all things caffeinated and sweet. Stroll through a thoughtfully curated lineup of vendors — including coffee shops, gourmet roasters, artisan chocolatiers, bakeries, wineries and distilleries — while enjoying samples as well as the opportunity to purchase full-sized products to take home.
Oct. 17 | Monroeville Convention Center
Pumpkins, Apples and Hay Rides
PHOTO VIA ADOBE STOCK
It isn’t fall without a couple of gourds and a glass of apple cider. These events focus on the outdoorsy aspects of autumn, including pumpkin patches, apple picking and watching the leaves turn.
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.
Sept. 20 | Stormy Oaks Nature Conservancy
The Butler Fall Festival takes place on Main Street in Butler. The event will include a car show, kids activities, artisan and craft vendors, food vendors and music.
Sept. 26 | Downtown Butler
Join Allegheny County Special Events for an afternoon of fun at the annual Hay Day festivals happening in September. Hay Day events are free and family friendly, featuring food, inflatables, a petting zoo, face painting, hay rides, pig races, arts and crafts and live music to get you into the fall spirit.
Sept. 19 at Hartwood Acres and Sept. 26 at South Park
Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium will illuminate the first half of the zoo with thousands of artistically carved pumpkins glowing on your night walk through this gourd-geous new display. During the first full week of the festival, Oct. 2-9, gates open at 6:30 p.m.; starting on Oct. 10, gates will open at 6 p.m. for the rest of the event.
Oct. 2-Nov. 1 | Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium
PHOTO BY PAUL SELVAGGIO
Fall comes to Confluence Oct. 2-4. PumpkinFest begins on Thursday with a Queen Contest at Turkeyfoot School. Craft and food vendors open Friday at 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.’ and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Various bands will entertain on Saturday and Sunday. Events include a balloon bounce, a garden tractor pull, a car smash, a photo contest, a corn maze, a pumpkin pie eating contest and more. There will also be a 5K run/walk as part of the festivities, and the weekend will end with a Sunday evening parade.
Oct. 2-4 | Confluence Town Park
Celebrate the season north of the city at Mars Applefest, which will feature food, shopping, games, crafts and a marketplace of more than 200 vendors. Organizers promise Amish donuts from Mercer County and photo ops with the town’s own flying saucer.
Oct. 3 | 145 Grand Ave.
Treat yourself to a spectacular weekend in the mountains and enjoy the best of Pennsylvania’s colorful fall foliage at Seven Springs Mountain Resort. Hop on the chairlift for an aerial view of the fiery colors of autumn. Shop from local artisans and crafters, enjoy live music and a mini getaway in the mountains during Autumnfest.
Saturdays and Sundays, Oct. 3-18 | Seven Springs
Head over to Phipps to experience the breathtaking and festive Fall Flower Show: Visions of Japan, which celebrates the prominence of the chrysanthemum in Japanese culture through vibrant autumnal displays. Mums in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and colors will be presented alongside evocative props including jewel-toned fans, a moon gate, a pagoda, foot bridges and a celebratory ryuu, or dragon, whose brightly colored body floats from end to end of the glasshouse’s iconic Sunken Garden.
Opens Oct. 10 | Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens
Head to Freedom Farms in Valencia any weekend in October for tractor rides, a corn maze, a hay mountain, a petting zoo, pumpkin carving and more. The farm will also host a few special events throughout the month, including a Trunk-or-Treat on Oct. 25.
Weekends in October | Freedom Farms
You don’t have to travel all the way to Texas for this autumn festival; head to Houston, Pa. for more than 175 food and craft vendors, live music and entertainment, a parade and various pumpkin-related contests. Admission is free.
October 9-11 | 124 West Pike St.
Enjoy two days of musical entertainment, three towers of paranormal ghost walks, pumpkin and costume contests, chainsaw carving, a petting zoo, free horse-drawn wagon rides and historic encampments and demonstrations during the Zelienople Country Fall Festival.
Oct. 10-11 | Downtown Zelienople
Sleepy Hollow, Harmony’s Fall Festival
While you’re nearby for Zelienople’s festival, check out the Sleepy Hollow Festival in historic Harmony. You can even take advantage of a shuttle that runs between the two towns to enjoy everything both festivals have to offer. This festival will feature local arts and crafts vendors, seasonal food, costume contests and children’s trick-or-treating through town.
Pittsburgh Monster Pumpkins Festival
Join in on the action during the Pittsburgh Monster Pumpkins Festival, featuring a “Costume Caper” 5K run/walk, pumpkin regatta, pumpkin pie eating contest, giant pumpkin sculptures and, of course, record-breaking giant pumpkins. This year’s event is in the Strip District at 3 Crossings along 28th and 29th streets.
Oct. 17-18 | The Stacks at 3 Crossings
Fall Fest at the Pittsburgh Playhouse
The award-winning Pittsburgh Playhouse at Point Park University, a multi-disciplinary arts and entertainment center located in Downtown Pittsburgh, announces the return of Downtown’s second annual multi-day Fall Fest and the family-friendly hit sensation, Boo’s Halloween House Party. Visitors of all ages can enjoy food and drinks, games, local vendors and arts and crafts onsite of the Pittsburgh Playhouse, with activities on Forbes Avenue during the weekend.
Oct. 23-Nov. 1 | Pittsburgh Playhouse
Spooky Season
While fall boasts beautiful foliage and ample opportunities to visit local farms and pumpkin patches, it also welcomes thrill seekers in search of Halloween horrors. For folks looking for something a bit more extreme than a family-friendly truck-or-treat, fear not; there are plenty of ways to get your ghoul on in the Pittsburgh area this autumn.
Phantom Fall Fest at Kennywood Park is a must for ghouls and goblins of all ages. During the day, take in the fall views and enjoy festive foods and a family-friendly Halloween including kids rides being open. After 6 p.m., the terror begins as guests try to survive haunted houses and scare zones throughout the park. The nerve-racking roller coasters and devilishly delicious food make for spine-tingling Kennywood fun.
Select dates September through November | Kennywood Park
PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER
Offering five different haunted experiences including alien, voodoo and folklore themes, Hundred Acres is a must for Halloween lovers looking for a thrill. Plus, there’s an escape room, maze, and for the truly brave, a buried alive simulator that will test your willpower. If you need to calm your nerves, the Scream Bar has four taps nightly of “brews before boos.”
Opens Sept. 11 | Hundred Acres Manor
This Victorian home built in 1910 was famously featured in the popular horror movie “Silence of the Lambs.” Starring Jodie Foster as FBI Agent Clarice Starling and featuring the chilling portrayal of fictional serial killer Buffalo Bill by Ted Levine, the home has remained largely unchanged since the movie was shot more than 30 years ago. This year, the attraction is also celebrating the movie’s 35th anniversary with an outdoor screening of “Silence of the Lambs,” complete with a live Q&A and exclusive fan experiences.
Sept. 18-20 for the special event, tour dates pending | Perryopolis
PHOTO VIA PITTSBURGH MAGAZINE ARCHIVES
Located in West Mifflin, this newer haunt is serving up tons of scares to the greater Pittsburgh community, and is constantly nominated for one of the best haunted attractions in the region. Nightmarish creatures and hair-rising special effects will prey on your deepest fears at their main attraction.
Fridays and Saturdays Sept. 25-Oct. 31 | West Mifflin
Halloween means big fun on the rivers aboard these themed Gateway Clipper cruises. Returning in 2026 is the popular Haunted Three Rivers Cruise, a spooky evening trip along Pittsburgh’s three rivers accompanied by ghost stories, spooky crewmates and Tarot card readings at 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays Sept. 25-Oct. 30 | Departs from Station Square
Stop the Zombie Apocalypse in Pittsburgh! That’s right, this is your chance to “open fire” and protect our city. Have you ever wanted to play paintball but didn’t like the idea of getting shot or getting dirty? At Zombies of the Corn, you ride the specialized Zombie Fighting Vehicle to eliminate these creatures that have an insatiable hunger for human flesh. The hunt begins Fridays-Saturdays starting Sept. 25, then adds Sundays starting Oct. 11.
Select dates through September and October | 282 Rochester Rd., Freedom
Long recognized as one of the most famous haunted attractions in the United States, ScareHouse is planning a big return this October. The brand’s creative team announced that it will partner with The Plaza at North Shore to present Halloween Hangout — something organizers are calling “the ultimate Halloween destination in Pittsburgh.” The event will run from Oct. 1-31 and feature haunted experiences, events, movies and themed food and drink from SugarBird.
Oct. 1-31 | The Plaza at North Shore
PHOTO COURTESY SCAREHOUSE
Celebrate the spooktacular with ZooBoo, the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium’s annual kid-friendly Halloween event. Enjoy safe daytime trick-or-treat throughout the zoo, collecting treats and supporting local businesses at this daytime family favorite event. Enjoy giveaways and meet some of your favorite characters while showing off your costumes in the Halloween parade, dance, and costume contest. Be sure to check out the zoo’s animals enjoying Halloween treats throughout the park. ZooBoo is a walk-thru event that takes place during regular daytime operation. No additional ticket is required; trick-or-treating is included with your visit from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Select dates throughout October | Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium
Halloween at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum
The PA Trolley Museum in Washington is celebrating Halloween all month with a range of activities. The Magic Pumpkin Trolley welcomes guests of all ages to enjoy a scenic fall trolley ride followed by pumpkin decorating upon your return. The Trolley Tales of Terror offers a spookier alternative; set out on an eerie streetcar ride through the first after learning about the ghosts that haunt the museum’s collection.
Weekends Oct. 9-25 | PA Trolley Museum
Castle Blood is an award-winning, nationally recognized Halloween adventure located in Monessen, located about 45 minutes south of downtown Pittsburgh. The immersive experience begins the moment you arrive. You don’t simply walk through rooms and halls. You stop, talk and interact with the denizens who call the castle home. Along the way, you’ll face challenges, uncover surprises and encounter plenty of classic scares.
Select dates through October | Monessen
There are quite a few opportunities to learn about Pittsburgh’s haunted history. While some explore famously haunted locales like the Allegheny County Jail Museum and regale you with spine-tingling tales, others focus more on the historical elements with a slightly spooky twist.
Various Dates | Various Locations
