Over 100 events celebrating Fall and Halloween in Columbus for 2022

Fall is one of the greatest seasons in Ohio, with cooler weather and so much to do. There are over 100 events celebrating fall and Halloween in Columbus for 2022! There’s no shortage of fun, fall festivals, pumpkins, and spooky (or silly) Halloween events. 

You’ll find pumpkin patches, scary movies, food festivals, Halloween parties, trick-or-treat activities, events for kids, and events for adults!  

Trick or Treat, or Beggar’s Night, is scheduled on Halloween for most communities around Central Ohio; check out the 2022 Trick or Treat schedule here.

There are community events with trick or treating or trunk or treating for safer (and daytime) alternatives to Beggar’s Night. If you don’t know what to dress up as for all of these Halloween events, check out these 100 Cheap and Easy DIY Halloween Costumes.

Don’t forget – there are plenty of places to eat free or cheap on Halloween. These will be updated closer to Halloween when the deals are released.

More will be coming as Halloween event details are released.  If you know of any other events that should be featured, please email news@columbusonthecheap.com.

We are accepting business or event sponsorship ads for this page; please contact ads@columbusonthecheap.com if you are interested.

BEGGARS NIGHT

October 27-October 31. Most communities will host their trick or treat night on days between October 27-  October 31. Check our listing to see trick or treat for communities around Columbus.

Ongoing events for Fall and Halloween in Columbus

Best hikes and scenic drives for Fall Color in Ohio

U Pick: Best places to pick apples in Columbus

Jeni’s Cone Coins. Each coin is good for a FREE kids cone (worth $4.25). Purchase bundles of 20 coins for $35. Great for trick-or-treat, fall parties, and more! 

Great locations for photography sessions in Columbus

Tons of Pumpkin Patches, Corn Mazes, and Farm Activities Fall farm and pumpkin patch fun is something you don’t want to miss this year! Get outside and play with your kids, go through corn mazes, pick pumpkins, and SO much more!

Freeman’s Farm Fall Festival: Saturdays and Sundays September 17 through October 31. (6142 Lewis Center Rd Galena)
Freemans Farm visitors enjoy hayrides through scenic woods, campfire concessions (hotdogs, chili, chips, beverages), a farm animals petting area, delicious fresh popped kettle corn, scarecrow making, and apple butter making demonstrations over an open fire on select days.

Fall treats and decorations include pumpkins, fall squash, gourds, decorations, jelly, jams, apple butter, candy, apples, cider and fall gifts.

Admission is free. There is a charge for food, some activities, and items purchased in the fall market. Festival hours will be Saturdays (10 AM – 5 PM) and Sundays (11 AM – 5 PM). Bring your cameras to capture those memorable family moments!

Hoover Gardens & Gift Center

182 N Sunbury Rd Westerville, OH 43081. Creepy, but not scary, family-friendly Halloween maze. The maze is open when Hoover Gardens is open, which is Mon-Sat, 8 am – 6 pm, and Sunday from 10 am – 6 pm. Should open by mid-September.

Please check in at the gift shop counter so they can ensure there aren’t too many people in the maze at one time. Admission is free, but please leave a donation at the gift shop counter so they can continue to make improvements on the maze each year.

Fairfield County Trail of Scarecrows

Head to Fairfield County to the Trail of Scarecrows! Named “The Scarecrow Capital of Ohio,” Fairfield County has 14 communities displaying fantastic scarecrows during the entire month of October. Visit them all, vote for your favorite, and share your pics by using #FCScarecrows. This self-guided experience is free and no reservations are necessary or required.

Fairfield County Trail of Scarecrows

The Fall Festival at the Farm at Walnut Creek

September 30-October 1, 7-8, 14-15, 21-22, 2022 from 8 am – 8 pm
Food, fall decorations, scavenger hunt, straw castle, corn box, pumpkin slingshot, and much more.

Visit the animals when you drive thru in your car, or take a wagon ride to get up close and personal. Wagon rides are available from 9 am – 5 pm. Fall festival is included with regular admission, but extra activities and food have additional charges.

The Farm at Walnut Creek

Harvest Round-Up Days at Marmon Valley Farm

October 2, 2022
October 9, 2022
Oct 16, 2022
October 23, 2022
October 30, 2022

Visit the farm each Sunday in October during the Harvest Round-Up Days at Marmon Valley Farm in Zanefield! Enjoy a hayride through the scenic hills, crawl through the hay maze, play in the Play Barn, visit the animals, and try out the rope bridge. Hay Rides & Trail Rides will run from 1:30-4:30pm. Riding reservations are recommended. 

Pumpkin & Pony Package for kids ages 11 and under. Kids can get a Pie Pumpkin, Pony Ride, Hay Ride, & Animal Feed for just $12! 

Cost: Hay Rides $5 / Pumpkin & Pony Package $12 / Pumpkins of various sizes $1 – $8
Address: 7754 State Route 292 S., Zanesfield OH 43360

All Hallows’ Eve at Ohio Village

Saturdays, October 8, 15, 22 & 29, 2022 from 5:30–9:30 p.m.

Enjoy a traditional 19th Century Halloween celebration with All Hallows’ Eve at Ohio Village. These family-friendly haunted events feature pumpkin carving, fortune telling, crafts, games, and Halloween traditions from the 1890’s.

But beware… the Headless Horseman will visit during a bonfire reading of Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow each night. 

Admission: $18/adults, $14/youth (ages 6-12), $13/Ohio Historical Society adult members, $7/OHS youth members. 

photo: Ohio Village

Ghost Trolley with Ohio Railway Museum

Fun Halloween event for kids. While it isn’t designed to be scary, some young kids are afraid of being on the dark train cars, so use your parental judgment. Tour the decorated street cars and enjoy a lights-out ride on the trolley about the Ghost Trolley. 

Saturdays, October 8, 15, 22, and 29, 2022. Tours will occur every half hour Saturday evenings from 4 pm – 9 pm. 

Sunday afternoons, October 9, 16, 23 and 30, 2022 during Ghost Trolley are regular Sunday hours from Noon to 5 pm. 

Pumpkin Train at Mt. Perry Scenic Train and Zanesville & Western Scenic Railroad

2022 Dates: October 8, 9, 14, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30. Hop on the train for a ride to the Pumpkin Patch. Every child 13 and under gets a pumpkin. Train ride is about 45 minutes long. Train leaves on the hour. Tickets are sold on location. Adults $9, children 3-13 $5. 40 minutes from Columbus. 

Pumpkins Aglow at Franklin Park Conservatory

Don’t miss fall favorite Pumpkins Aglow starting October 12 from 5-9pm. Experience the magic of the harvest season at the Conservatory under the stars, surrounded by glowing pumpkins and spooky fun scenery. Enchanting decorations throughout the gardens includes a foggy creek, skeletons and ghosts. Two Pumpkin Houses stand ready to welcome guests this year. 

October 12–16, 19–23 & 26-30, 2022 from 5 pm – 9 pm

Pumpkins Aglow includes exhibitions, gardens and collections, and Botanica Gift Shop and Greenhouse. The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children’s Garden will close at dusk. Guests will also enjoy food trucks, live entertainment, and more. 

Trick or Treat Loot Bag: October 29-30: On Halloween weekend, children ages 2-12 will receive a small bag filled with treats and surprises. Family friendly costumes are encouraged. 

Buy tickets now! Tickets are $25/adults, $22/seniors and college students, $15/child ages 3-12, free under 3. Members qualify for discounted rates. 

Boo at the Zoo at Columbus Zoo & Aquarium

 October 14-16, October 21-23, October 28-30, 2022

Meet characters throughout the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Visit Cali’s Pirate Dance Party and Frogwortz Academy, ride the Zoo Boo Choo Choo, and stop at treat stations located throughout the Zoo. There will be all sorts of fall fun at the Zoo!

Big List of the best Fall Date ideas around Columbus

12 Haunted Woods and Haunted Houses Around Columbus beginning in early-September

15 Spooky Ghost Tours around Columbus throughout September and October

15 Spooky Ghost Tours around Columbus

Grove City Pumpkin Trek 2022

Dates: Sep 12 – Nov 18
Go on a pumpkin adventure through Grove City with the Annual Grove City Pumpkin Trek. Print out or pick up a “Trek Guide” at any of the 10 participating businesses. Enjoy the sights, scents, and flavors and earn a stamp for each purchase.

Receive 6 stamps on the trek guide and return to our visitor center to redeem it for a special, limited edition Pumpkin Trek tote. Use #GCPumpkinTrek and #pumpkintrek as you set out on your Grove City pumpkin adventure. 

Safe Trick-or-Treat and Trunk-or-Treat in Columbus

Halloween Movie Series in Columbus

Hitchcocktober Film Series at Gateway Film Center 

September 29 – October 31, 2022
Catch classic scary movies at Gateway Film Center this October during the Annual Hitchcocktober Screening. Enjoy movies by Alfred Hitchcock, the master of suspense, everyday through the month of October at GFC. 

Screenings times are weekdays at 7:00PM or 9:30PM, with 2PM or 4:30PM showings on Saturdays and Sundays.

Horror Movies at Marcus Theatres

October 2022. Catch a scary movie every night except Tuesdays through October. Movies are shown in the evening; start times vary. Tickets are only $5!!.

Nightmares Film Festival returns to Gateway Film Center

October 20-23, 2022

If you love the scariest movies, this film festival is for you!

The ultimate way to experience our celebration of genre cinema, NFF VIP passes offer the holder a guaranteed seat in every round of films, access to the VIP bar and lounge, and in-and-out privileges throughout the fest. Individual tickets will go on sale in mid-October.

Fall festivals in Columbus

Fall is a glorious time of year in Columbus! There are festivals celebrating food, traditions, pumpkins, art, and more. Check out the huge list of festivals in Columbus and throughout Central Ohio. 

Over 325 festivals in Columbus and Central Ohio in 2022

Halloween Family Fun

Cheryl’s Cookies Fall Festival: Saturday, October 1, 2022 from 10 am – 4 pm. Annual Fall Festival at our flagship store in Westerville! Fun for all ages and FREE admission for everyone! Stop by for sweet treats & a chance to win delicious prizes! Activities include Pumpkin bowling, face painting, corn hole, balloon twister and more! Get 24 pre-assorted free cookies with the purchase of 24 pre-assorted. The OSU pre assorted gift tin is only $19.99 (reg. price $34.99), and there’s a raffle for a free OSU jar, and more.

Stratford Ecological Center Fall Harvest Fair: October 1, 2022. Food, farm fun, kids activities, live music, cider making, animals, and more. $5 per person

Harvest Moon Festival: October 1, 2022 at Infirmary Park in Granville. Come celebrate fall with food trucks, Touch-a Tractor, bounce houses, crafts, archery, games, and other activities. 

Destination Downtown Lancaster Fall Festival: Saturday, October 1, 2022

Kidslinked Treat Fests

Fun family events with freebies, scavenger hunts, games, and activities for kids, plus vendors with great resources for parents. Register in advance for free admission and special treats.

• Delaware Fall Festival and Treatfest KidsFest: October 2, 2022
• Worthington-Olentangy Fall Festival and Treatfest: October 15, 2022
• Newark Treatfest: October 23, 2022

Chillicothe Halloween Festival: October 7-9, 2022. Three-day festival celebrating the fun of Halloween. The festival offers a wide variety of vendors, food, live entertainment, Haunted House, inflatables, contests, and much more at Yoctangee Park. 

Dublin Halloween Spooktacular: Thursday, October 13 and Friday, October 14, 2022 in Coffman Park. Merry, not scary family fun! Guests of all ages can come in costume and enjoy this ghoulish celebration. 

Van Wert County Harvest Happenings: October 14-15, 2022 Apple cider, apple pie, apple dumplings, apple butter, and so much more at this fall festival at this festival in NW Ohio.

Haunted Statehouse Tours: October 14-15 and 21-22, 2022

Trunk or Treat Car Show with Empty Pockets Cruisers: October 15, 2022 from 11 am to 4 pm (rain 10-22-22)
Hilliard Presbyterian Church 3600 Leap Rd Hilliard, OH 43026. Registration $10, bring candy to hand out to trick or treaters from 1 -3 pm. Spectators and Trick or Treaters Free

Fall Fest at Slate Run Metro Park: Saturday, October 15, 2022 from 11 am – 3 pm. Enjoy free fall-themed fun, including hayrides, a corn maze, archery, activities from Slate Run’s Living Historical Farm, animals from Ohio Wildlife Center, games and crafts!

The Great Westerville Pumpkin Glow

October 19-23, 2022 Wind your way through the enchanting trail of 1,500 carved glowing pumpkins at Heritage Park. There are fun activities included with admission for more of a festival experience.  

Circleville Pumpkin Show: October 19-22, 2022. Don’t miss the oldest and largest festival in Ohio. Admission is free, the fun is non-stop, and there is pumpkin-flavored everything!

CRC 40th Annual Pumpkin Patch: Saturday, October 22, 2022 from 10am – 1pm
North Broadway United Methodist Church parking lot, 48 E. North Broadway. Details to come.

Highball Halloween: Saturday, October 22, 2022
Annual Halloween street party with entertainment, costume contests, and more. Event is being held at EXPRESS LIVE! for 2021

Halloween Pet Contest and Fall Festival at Easton: October 23, 2022 from 12 pm – 3 pm

Trick or Treat Trail at Gallant Woods Park: October 23, 2022, 1 pm – 4 pm
Bring the kids in costume to gather treats from characters along the enchanted nature trail. Decorate pumpkins, enjoy a hayride, meet some creepy critters, vote for your favorite scarecrow, and visit Gallant Farm across the road. It’s all free!

Candy by the Carload in Powell: Saturday, October 23, 2022 from 4-6 pm at the Municipal Building Parking Lot. Local businesses and organizations will set up booths and car trunks filled with candy, toys and other Halloween goodies

Free Scary Face Pancakes for kids at IHOP: October 24-31, 2022 Free Scary Face pancake to kids (12 and younger) from 4 pm – 10 pm.

Creekside Pumpkin Crawl
Wednesday, October 26, 2022 from 5-8 pm at Creekside Park 123 Mill St, Gahanna, OH 43230 Calling all ghosts and ghouls! Get your costume on and come eat, drink, and be scary at the Creekside Pumpkin Crawl. Enjoy live music, decorated pumpkin trail, restaurant deals, and more.

Register to enter your carved or decorated pumpkin. Winners will be rewarded with gift cards to local businesses!

KidX Club™ Candy Crawl: October 27, 2022 from 5 pm – 7 pm
Kids can grab a trick-or-treat bag (while supplies last) and go store to store for trick-or-treating. Dress to impress for the family costume contest. There will be games, prizes, and more

Haunted Village in Pickerington: October 27, 2022 from 6-8 pm. Ghost tours, hayride, entertainment, food, and trick-or-treating at Old Pickerington Village businesses. Volunteers needed for ghost story tellers, ghost tour guides, ghost tour actors, hay ride attendants, and more. 

Howl-O-Ween at Ohio Wildlife Center: October 27, 2022 Walk through the White Tail Trail, visits from “spooky” Animal Ambassadors like owls Bella, Alex and Woodsy, snakes Checkers, and Percy and Lenore, our American Crows. $25 per family of up to 4, and $5 per additional child over 2.

Worthington Halloween Party: Friday, October 28, 2022 from 3-5 pm. Kids can Trick or Treat on the Green from vendors passing out treats. There is entertainers on all four quadrants, as well as arts and craft stations, and more! 

Old Hilliard Halloween Haunt: Saturday, October 29, 2022 Trick-or-treat, scavenger hunt, kid and dog costume contest and family fun activities

Pumpkin Plunge at Worthington Pools: Saturday, October 29, 2022 from noon-2:30pm. Register for the floating pumpkin patch, costume contest, pumpkin painting, and open swim. $5-$12.

Scarysville in Uptown Marysville: October 29, 2022. Follow on Facebook for details.

The streets of Uptown “Scarysville” come alive with Halloween FUN from 10 am – noon. Children are invited to dress up in their costumes and visit Uptown merchants for candy and other Halloween goodies. All the fun of Trick or Treat, in the light of day. This event is sponsored by the Historic Marysville Business District Association.

Boo on Broadway in Grove City: Saturday, October 29 from 1-4 pm. Family-friendly alternative to the traditional door-to-door Beggars’ Night allows children to dress in costume and safely collect candy and other goodies from area businesses and civic organizations in the Grove City’s Town Center Promenade.

Great Gahanna Goblin Fest: October 29, 2022 This Halloween experience features all-things-Halloween, including a choreographed light show, fire performers, stilt walkers, animated projections, trick-or-treating, and many more surprises along the way! Academy Park, 1201 Cherry Bottom Rd.

Cabela’s Halloween Costume Parade: October 29-30, 2022. Dress up the kids in their Halloween finest, and bring them to Cabela’s at 3 pm for some Halloween fun! Kids will parade around the store with stops at candy stations around the store.

Inniswood Halloween Party: Sunday, October 30, 2022 from 2-4 pm Head to the Gardens for activities and crafts to celebrate this traditional holiday.

Hilliard Trunk or Treat at Hilliard/Ray Patch YMCA: Sunday, October 30, 2022 from 5 pm – 7 pm. Food trucks, music, Norwich Fire, Hilliard Police, a DIY photobooth and much more for Movement Church’s 10th annual Hilliard Trunk or Treat in partnership with the Ray Patch YMCA! There is a food truck, music from 104.9 The River, the Hilliard Police, a DIY photobooth, food trucks and more!

Halloween for adults

Rocky Horror Halloween Show at Studio 35: October 1, October 28, and October 29, 2022. The midnight cult-classic experience. The Tim Curry film will roll, and a live cast will perform in front of the movie. There is a pre show with costume contests and more. tickets are $10; will sell out. Typically held the 1st Saturday of the month, plus special near-Halloween events!

German Village Monster Bash: Saturday, October 15, 2022 Adult trick-or-treat route, dancing and drinking, costume contest and more!

Historic Ghost Tour at Walnut Grove Cemetery Worthington: Thursday, October 27, 2022. Worthington residents spanning the centuries who have made Walnut Grove their final resting place will be out and about after dark to share stories.

Ghost Tours at The Kelton House Museum & Garden: October 27-28, 2022 from 6:30 pm -9 pm. Fernando’s Funeral: Victorian Mourning and the Ghosts That Linger on Town.

These after hour tours feature the ghost stories of the Kelton’s and other spooky experiences in the Mansion, an experience you don’t want to miss. Hurry and purchase your ticket before its too late, tours begin on the half-hour with 15 people maximum per tour. Tickets $18 per person. Advanced tickets required.

TRAUMA – Halloween Fetish Party: Thursday-Saturday, October 27-29, 2022

HalleBOOia Halloween Concert: Friday, October 28, 2022 from 8 pm – 9:30 pm at Weigel Auditorium. This annual Halloween concert featuring student vocalists and instrumentalists dressed in full Halloween attire. The concert is free.

Haunted Wine Cellar at the Wyandotte Winery: October 28, 2022

Fall Chili Cook-off at Granville Inn: Saturday, October 29, 2022 at 10 am. The 17th annual charity Chili Cook-off will be held on Saturday, October 29 on the front lawns of the Granville Inn. Granville Rotary has once again partnered with the Granville Inn to conduct the Chili Cook-Off to raise funds and awareness for Polio, via Rotary’s Polio Plus eradication program.

Big List of the best Fall Date ideas around Columbus

12 Haunted Woods and Haunted Houses Around Columbus beginning in early-September

15 Spooky Ghost Tours around Columbus throughout September and October

Upcoming Halloween events