Harvests & Haunts: Your Guide to October Events in WashCo

A beloved community tradition, the small town of Hickory welcomes hundreds of visitors each October for its annual Apple Festival. This year, the festival will featured nearly 100 local crafters & demonstrators in addition to activities like pony rides, a petting zoo, chainsaw sculpting, blacksmithing, clown shows and more.

It’s definitely not an apple festival without plenty of fall’s favorite fruit, and fan favorites at the festival include homemade apple crisp, apple butter, hand-dipped caramel and candy apples and brick-oven bread, among others.

The Hickory Apple Festival is October 4 - 5 in downtown Hickory. The event is free to attend. 

You’re going to want to round up your bravest friends for some serious frights during the West Alexander Scare Fair, happening every Friday and Saturday night in October through the 26th at the West Alexander Fairgrounds. Now in its 13^th year, the Scare Fair ups its game every year with an all-new set of spooks and scares.

This isn’t any normal scare house, either – if you survive the fair, it also features 2 escape rooms for those searching for even more thrills.

The West Alexander Scare Fair is October 3-4, 10-11, 17-18 and 24-25 and is open from 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. General admission is $18, kids 18 and under are $12 and repeat trips on the same night are $5. Escape rooms are $5 - cash and credit cards are accepted on site. This event is not recommended for children under 8. 

Pumpkin spice, pumpkin pie, pumpkin rolls, pumpkin picking, pumpkin parade…. Lovers of all things pumpkin will want to mark their calendars for the Houston Pumpkin Festival in downtown Houston! This three-day community tradition benefits the Houston Volunteer Fire Department and includes over 175 food and craft vendors, kids’ games & activities, a parade, pumpkin pie eating contest, scarecrow contest, music and entertainment and more.

The Houston Pumpkin Festival is October 10 - 12 in downtown Houston. The event is free to attend. 

Get a head start on your holiday shopping at the Pennsylvania Arts & Crafts Christmas Festival! Spanning two whole weekends at the Washington County Fairgrounds & Expo Center, this festive craft show has over 230 craft, artisan and food vendors that'll help you check off everyone on your shopping list. You'll be able to browse holiday decor, functional & decorative wood, embellished clothing, personalized Christmas ornaments, seasonal floral arrangements, stained glass, jewelry, fabric decor, lotions & soaps, scented candles, unique gift items, decorative flags, soft sculpture, personalized signs, pet treats & collars, purses and more, all while sampling your favorite holiday treats like toffee, fudge, pies, cinnamon roasted nuts, strudel, baked good and more. 

In addition to all the shopping, there's a whole lineup of live music and kids' activities, like photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, face painting and henna tattoos, and trolley rides to and from the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum. 

The Pennsylvania Arts & Crafts Christmas Festival is October 17-19 and 25-26 at the Washington County Fairgrounds & Expo Center. Admission is $7 for adults, $6.50 for seniors, $3.50 for children 12-15 and free for children under 12. Tickets can be purchased online in advance with a credit or debit card, but is cash only at the gate day-of. 

The Monongahela Aquatorium isn't witchin' around during its annual Witchfest, an eerie celebration of all things witchy and macabre with tons of live music, food trucks from all over the county and over 60 vendors selling various oddities, curiosities and other witchy wares in addition to plenty of witchy cocktails, eats and brews to sample and add to your spellbook. There’s even a series of fun and eerie contests for witches like best cackle, best dressed and best hat. Though dressing up isn’t mandatory, you’ll probably want to conjure your hat and broom once you see how many other witches are dancing the night away. 

This event is adults-only, so we suggest leaving your apprentices and other tiny spellcasters at home. The Monongahela Aquatorium’s WitchFest is October 18 – don’t miss it or else you might get turned into a toad.

Other events worth mentioning are:

Reefer Madness at Little Lake Theatre  - October 2 – 19

Fall Fleatique on the Mon – October 4

Walk in Penn’s Woods! – October 5

Magic Pumpkin Trolley – October 10-12, 17-19

Pow-Wow Mountain Man Rendezvous – October 11-12

Star Party – October 17-18

Shades of Death Annual Run/Walk – October 18