In Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania, we don’t just do fall—we overdo it. The entire month is loaded with autumn-themed activities, but the first Saturday in October is completely unhinged. If you’ve got the stamina, watch a molten iron pour at the Carrie Blast Furnace, see apples crushed on a 1907 cider press in Delmont, catch a steam engine show in Portersville, and hang out in Mars with the best high school mascot in the country. Then, keep the fall fun going with our guide to things to do around Pittsburgh.

Stop by These 19 Pittsburgh Fall Festivals

Franklin Applefest

October 2–3  |  Franklin

The Victorian town of Franklin draws over 100,000 visitors for Applefest. About 90 minutes north of the city in Venango County, Franklin’s apple-forward festival is one of the largest in the region. Expect more than 300 arts and crafts and food vendors, as well as live music, a 5K, and a pie contest.

Festival of Combustion

October 3  |  Rankin

From 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., Rivers of Steel takes over the Carrie Blast Furnaces, a National Historic Landmark and one of the last pre-WWII iron-making sites in the country. Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, the festival centers around an all-day iron pour, with molten metal flowing from a furnace into molds that festivalgoers can help carve. Attendees can also catch blacksmithing, glassblowing with the Pittsburgh Glass Center, welding, power hammer forging, ceramics, a heritage craft tent with whiskey tasting, live music, food trucks, and self-paced tours of the furnaces themselves. After dark, there’s a glowing ceramic reveal, and the night closes with fireworks over the stacks. Closed-toe shoes are required.

Confluence PumpkinFest

October 2–4  |  Confluence

The Laurel Highlands are a particularly magical place to spend a day in the fall, so combine a visit with the Confluence PumpkinFest in Confluence. This small town along the Great Allegheny Passage in Somerset County hosts a festival featuring pumpkin contests, a pumpkin queen pageant, a 5K, classic cars, and a parade.

Mars Applefest

October 3  |  Mars

A record number of vendors—more than 200—and close to 10,000 visitors will descend on the borough for its one-day celebration of autumn and apples. The day kicks off with an apple pancake breakfast at the Masonic Lodge, then it’s a nonstop afternoon of classic festival foods like funnel cakes and corn dogs, crafts, games, and a mega book sale at the Mars Public Library. Make sure to snap photos beside the town’s famous flying saucer sculpture and with the Mars Fightin’ Planet—the Mars High School mascot, which was recently voted the number-one high school mascot in the country.

Delmont Apple ‘n Arts Festival

October 3–4  |  Shields Farm, Delmont

Shields Farm in Delmont hosts over a hundred craft, art, and food vendors, plus antique equipment displays and fresh-pressed cider made on an historic 1907 press. The cider press is the big draw, because watching apples turn into cider on 100-year-old equipment is one of the best ways to celebrate the season.

Fall Apple Fest at the Portersville Steam Show

October 3  |  Portersville

An apple festival with a serious appreciation for old machinery, the Portersville Steam Show is dedicated to preserving and demonstrating the steam engines, antique tractors, gas engines, and other equipment that powered an earlier era of American agriculture and industry. At the Fall Apple Fest, watch apples become fresh cider and apple butter, then explore the vintage village, sawmill, blacksmith shop, and machine shops. There are also train rides, farm animals, an antique car rally, kids’ pedal-tractor pulls, Amish doughnuts, and plenty of sweet apple treats.

National Apple Harvest Festival

October 3–4, 10–11  |  Arendtsville

Roughly ten miles northwest of Gettysburg and three and a half hours east of Pittsburgh sits the South Mountain Fairgrounds in Arendtsville. Since 1965, the grounds have drawn visitors for arts and crafts dealers, craftspeople’s demonstrations, contests, food stands, orchard bus tours, antique cars, steam engine displays, a petting zoo, and the crowning of the Pennsylvania Apple Queen. Gates open at 8 a.m. on festival days, rain or shine. If you make the trip, the Gettysburg battlefield is just a short drive, and worth a day of its own.

Fort Ligonier Days

October 9–11  |  Ligonier

Ligonier hosts Pennsylvania’s best-known fall festival to commemorate the October 12, 1758, attack on Fort Ligonier. During the event, the historic site runs battle demonstrations, artillery firings, and encampments with 150 reenactors, with Sutlers Row on the museum lawn featuring 18th-century artisans. Along with the history, the town also hosts juried crafts, food vendors—make sure to try the raspberry pie—local spirits, live music, a grand parade, and a 5K, with fireworks on Saturday night. 

Fort Ligonier’s museum is worth a stop, too: Its George Washington Gallery displays the pair of flintlock saddle pistols that the Marquis de Lafayette presented to Washington during the Revolutionary War. The collection also includes Washington’s handwritten account of the November 1758 Friendly Fire Incident near the fort, along with artifacts recovered from the recently-identified battlefield.

Houston Pumpkin Festival

October 9–11  |  Houston

About 20 miles south of Pittsburgh, the Houston Pumpkin Festival is a Washington County institution, with more than 175 food and craft vendors, entertainment, children’s activities, best-scarecrow contest, and a parade.

Zelienople Country Fall Festival

October 9–11  |  Zelienople

Zelie, as the locals call it, hosts two days of music on Main Street, plus vendors, pumpkin and costume contests, chainsaw carving, a petting zoo, free horse-drawn wagon rides, historic encampments and demonstrations, as well as paranormal ghost walks through three of the town’s towers. Make it a family event or go adults-only and do a self-guided tasting tour of some of Z-town’s top-notch breweries, including ShuBrew, Lolev, and Burgh’ers—all within two blocks—as well as Union Brothers in nearby Harmony.

Dormont Street & Music Festival

October 10  |  Dormont

You can enjoy three stages, 18 bands, and more than 60 vendors—plus food, arts, and crafts—on a closed-off street in a walkable South Hills neighborhood you can reach on the T. The best part, besides the easy access: It’s totally free.

Pittsburgh Monster Pumpkins Festival

October 17–18  |  Strip District

At the city’s signature pumpkin event, the headliners are the Atlantic Giants, competition-level pumpkins that weigh more than a ton, and the pumpkin drop, which is exactly as satisfying as it sounds. Carving, carriage rides, glassblowing, and a 5K round out a schedule of family-friendly events.

Punkin Chunkin

October 17  |  Hartwood Acres

How far can a trebuchet launch a pumpkin? More than 150 feet, if SHARP—the Sarah Heinz Advanced Robotics Program at Sarah Heinz House—is involved. The youth robotics program brings its full-size wooden trebuchet to Hartwood Acres to see just how airborne the autumnal gourds can get. Stick around for crafts, games, face painting, interactive storytelling, cookie decorating, and a farmers market.

Pittsburgh Playhouse Fall Fest

October 23–November 1  |  Downtown

A free, multi-day downtown street festival with food, drinks, games, vendors, and arts and crafts, built around Boo’s Halloween House Party, a family Halloween musical. Fall Fest includes pumpkin painting and activities on Forbes Avenue, while Boo’s Halloween House Party takes place inside the Playhouse. The fest runs through November 1 and is the most indoor-friendly option on our list, so head over if the weather is rainy.

Ligonier Pumpkin & Spice Festival

October 24  |  Ligonier

This is Ligonier’s second festival of the season, but it’s absolutely first-tier: a strolling-and-tasting event, it features restaurants, bakeries, and other local businesses serving fall-flavored food and drinks. And make sure to check out the pumpkin-decorating contest at the town’s bandstand.

Jack O’Lantern Extravaganza

October 2–November 1  |  Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, Highland Park

On select nights, walk a trail through the Pittsburgh Zoo that features more than 3,500 hand-carved jack o’lanterns, with themed sections built around zoo animals, Pittsburgh figures, cryptids, and pop culture. The finale is a 650-foot Living Wall of pumpkins synchronized to a light and sound show. Thursday nights include a 21+ tent with mixology classes and comedy. Don’t forget to stop by and see the zoo’s new lion cub in her habitat too!

Phipps Fall Flower Show: Alice’s Adventures in Autumn

October 10–November 1  |  Oakland

Phipps has been mounting chrysanthemum shows since 1894, making this the longest-running fall flower show in the country. This year’s celebration carries the Alice in Wonderland theme over from the summer show and reworks it for autumn, pairing the Wonderland scenes with mums in an absurd range of shapes and sizes, plus a few spooky additions.

Kennywood Phantom Fall Fest

Through November 1  |  West Mifflin

Get dahn to Kennywood on select weekend afternoons through November 1 for family fun: more than 30 rides under the foliage, as well as trick-or-treating and food. After 6 p.m., the park hands itself over to seven haunted houses and four scare zones, with the big coasters running in the dark. Both halves are included in one admission, but parental discretion is advised after dark.

Seven Springs Autumnfest

October 3–4, 10–11, 17-18  |  Seven Springs

Seven Springs Autumnfest is an easy excuse to head into the Laurel Highlands for fall foliage and mountain views. Take a scenic chairlift ride, listen to live music, wander through the haze maze and pumpkin patch, explore the resort’s outdoor activities, then warm up with the Autumnfest Buffet at the Slopeside Dining Room. The All-Day Adventure Pass bundles access to more than 11 activities, including the Alpine Slide, rock wall, and paddleboarding. Or make a weekend of it and stay overnight at the resort.

About the Author

Kenny Gould is a writer and the founder of Hop Culture, a digital magazine focused on the beer industry. In addition to writing about food and beverages, he’s also the author of several fiction books, including the bestselling fantasy The Castle of 1,000 Doors. He holds a BA from Duke University, an MFA from Chatham University, and an MBA from NYU Stern. To learn more about Kenny, visit his website or follow him on Instagram at @thekennygould.

Featured Image From Pittsburgh Monster Pumpkins Festival

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For a city surrounded by hills and old farm country, Pittsburgh has an unusually deep bench of farms selling directly to the public, and in autumn they pull out all the stops. We rounded up 20 worth the drive, from small family farms with a few acres of pumpkins to sprawling agricultural operations with fields of them. Most charge admission, with activities like hayrides and corn mazes costing extra. Weekends offer the full slate of activities, but weekdays are often quieter if all you want is a pumpkin and some cider.

Because these are usually family-run farms, dates and hours can change, so always check the farm’s website and social media before you go. And, after you have your harvest of pumpkins, head home to make our pumpkin recipes and fill your table with something delicious.

Pumpkin Patches North of Pittsburgh

Soergel Orchards

September 19–November 1 | Wexford

Admission: Free, activities priced separately 

The big Wexford fall destination returns with tractor rides, pumpkin, apple, and flower picking, games, food, and cider. Friday-night hayrides to the pumpkin patch are also part of the fall lineup. A word to the wise: this event gets crowded—it’s not unusual to see busloads of college students and church groups arriving. Go early in the season and early in the day if you can, and wear sensible shoes after it rains, because the paths can get muddy.

Shenot Farm & Market

September 26–October 31 | Wexford

Admission: $5 for hayrides 

Since 1854, six generations of Shenots have been farming in the Wexford area. The pumpkin patch is accessible via two paths: a hayride or a scenic walking trail that’s friendly to strollers and wagons. Along with the pumpkins, corn stalks, straw bales, gourds, and decorative corn can also be purchased at the market. Make sure to visit the Fudge Room before you leave.

Harvest Valley Farms

October Weekends | Valencia

Admission: Free, activities priced separately 

This fourth-generation farm twenty miles north of Pittsburgh grows over 160 varieties of fruits and vegetables, and offers a fantastic low-key alternative to some of the bigger pumpkin destinations. The fall festival features live music, hayrides, a pumpkin patch, cornstalk maze, farm animals, face painting, food from Mars Farmhouse Café, and beer from Conny Creek Brewing. Closed on October 31.

Cheeseman Farm

October weekends | Portersville

Admission: Free, $5 for hayrides, children 2 and under are free

Cheeseman Farm holds a pumpkin festival with all the classic fall attractions, but it’s the  nighttime activities that set it apart: After dark, the destination turns into Cheeseman’s Fright Farm, which includes a haunted hayride, haunted corn maze, and walk-through attractions.

Renshaw Family Farms: Pumpkin Fest

September 19–October 31 | Freeport

Admission: $8, children 3 and under are free, some activities priced separately  

Renshaw packs a lot into the admission price: hayrides, a corn maze, corn pit, two pedal tracks, bounce pillow, animal park, giant rope spider web, hay-bale mountain and slides, nine-hole mini golf, zip lines, tractor-tire mountain, pumpkin bowling—and more. There’s also a country store stocked with fall baked goods, plus a cafeteria-style restaurant, snack shack, ice cream stand, and donut shop.

Freedom Farms Fall Fest

October Weekends | Valencia

Admission: $10, children 3 and under are free

Freedom Farms hosts Fall Fest, a full farm-day experience with hayrides, a pumpkin patch, corn maze, animal barn, tire graveyard, petting zoo, and pick-your-own flowers. Adults will also enjoy the farm-to-fork kitchen and beer from local vendors, including Grist House Craft Brewery.

Irons Mill Farmstead

August 29–November 1 | New Wilmington

Admission: $16–$27, depending on the day

USA Today named Irons Mill one of the country’s 10 best pumpkin patches, and the 150-acre farm an hour north of Pittsburgh earns the title and then some. Like a kid’s ultimate autumn farm fantasy, it boasts more than 40 attractions—including a corn pit, barnyard animal encounters, zip lines, hay bale castles, an obstacle course, and a pumpkin village—plus a 10-acre corn maze shaped like Dolly Parton. Weekends bring pig and duck races and all-age dance parties, along with more than 10 on-site eateries, including a 1950s-style diner, scoop shop, and adult bar serving hard cider.

Coolspring Ranch

September 11–November 1 | Mercer County

Admission: $15-$33 depending on activities purchased, children 2 and under are free 

Owned by brothers John and David McCullough, Coolspring Ranch is a working Angus cattle farm, which explains why this pumpkin patch an hour and 15 minutes north of Pittsburgh includes a mechanical bull and burgers at the Cattlemen’s Grille eatery made with the ranch’s own beef. What started out as a simple corn maze is now in its 22nd season, with a 12-acre corn maze, a mega slide, hay mountain, pony rides, pumpkin blasters, pedal-tractor races, goats for petting, and hayrides. Not to be missed: apple-cider slushies and the apple-and-donut sundaes.

Yeck’s Pumpkins and Hayrides

Through October 31 | Freedom

Admission: Free, $5 for hayrides, cash only 

A classic, low-key pumpkin patch, Yeck’s features a kids’ corn maze, a hay tunnel, trikes, a granary play building, farm animals to visit, and weekend hayrides. The farm also stocks pumpkins, gourds, cornstalks, straw, and mums, plus cider and Amish baked goods.

Pumpkin Patches West of Pittsburgh

Janoski’s Pumpkinland

October 3–25 | Clinton

Admission: $13, children under 2 are free, some activities priced separately

Family-owned and operated since 1954, Janoski’s hosts an annual Pumpkinland with hayrides, corn mazes, a haunted barn, petting zoo, corn pit, straw maze, and playground. Pack your own lunch or visit the on-site food vendors.

Hozak Farms

October weekends | Clinton

Admission: Free, $4 for hayrides, some activities priced separately 

Located ten miles west of the Pittsburgh airport, Hozak is the rare farm with no general admission fee, which makes it an ideal low-commitment pumpkin patch. The Fall Festival brings scenic hayrides through the woods, pumpkin painting, face painting, farm animals, and refreshments.

Pumpkin Patches East of Pittsburgh

Reeger’s Farm

October 3–25 | Shelocta

Admission: $2 for hayrides and the barnyard, $5 for the corn maze, cash only

A century-old farm that was once a grain and beef operation, Reeger’s celebrates harvest season old-school style: hayrides to the pumpkin patch, a barnyard of farm animals, a corn maze, a corn cannon aimed at a bullseye, food trucks, and a farm market.

Gearhard Farms

September 11–November 1 | Murrysville

Admission: $10 for the corn maze, $7 for a hayride, $15 for a corn maze and hayride combo, children 4 and under are free

Older than the United States, Gearhard Farms dates to 1769, when Robert Hays purchased around 340 acres in what is now Murrysville. Today, the 150-acre family farm has a small  pumpkin patch, hayrides through the countryside, and pumpkins, gourds, and other fall decor for sale. The corn maze, a 27-year-old tradition, is a big draw: the design changes each year, and 20 trivia questions and 10 hidden animal pictures await along the paths.

Pumpkin Patches South of Pittsburgh

Trax Farms

September 19–October 23 | Finleyville

Admission: Free, $12-$14 for hayrides

The South Hills fall staple offers hayrides, a three-acre corn maze, pumpkin patch, farm food, and a market worth an hour on its own. The farm also hosts Hops & Hayrides for those looking to add a little beer to their pumpkin picking. If you wait until the last minute to purchase your pumpkins, note that Trax usually maintains a steady supply until late October.   

Triple B Farms

September 12–November 1 | Monongahela

Admission: $18, children 2 and under are free 

Located on the aptly named Berry Lane in Monongahela, Triple B opens its fall season with family-friendly attractions like hayrides, two corn mazes, the Big Boo Barn, giant slides, farm animals, a rope maze, and pick-your-own pumpkins and flowers. Select weekends include Build Your Own Scarecrow workshops, for a $40 fee. 

Simmons Farm

September 12–November 1 | McMurray

Admission: $19-$24 for fall activities and hayride, children 33 inches tall and under are free

One of the largest operations on this list, Simmons has a five-acre pumpkin field, a two-acre and a four-acre corn maze, an apple rock labyrinth, a hillside mega slide, a farm combine slide, hay maze, petting zoo, pedal-car drag race, human hamster wheel, rubber duck racing, and a long list of yard games. Fair warning: plan accordingly if you’re visiting after rainy weather, because the fields can get muddy.

The SpringHouse

September 26–October 31 | North Strabane Township

A third-generation dairy farm turns into a full-on fall playground at The SpringHouse, with a large corn maze, hay-bale mountain, tube slides, potato pelter, hamster wheel, giant cornhole, tug-of-war, farm-style ping-pong, pumpkin games, a kiddie corn maze, and tractor-drawn hayrides to the pumpkin patch. The food is also a big draw: the farm’s country market and restaurant serve up fall comfort food including smoked brisket, chicken and gravy over biscuits, homemade cakes, from-scratch pies, and other seasonal treats.

Geary Farm

October 10–11 | McDonald 

Admission: $5, children 10 and under are free

Now home to the eighth generation of the Geary family, this 200-year-old farm spent most of its modern history as a dairy operation. Its two-day Harvest Happenings features a pumpkin patch, pumpkin painting, bounce houses, live music, food trucks, and local vendors, with the farm’s livestock—goats, cattle, miniature horses, pigs, and donkeys—adding an authentic agricultural spin to the festivities.

Duda’s Farm

September 19–November 1 | Brownsville

Admission: $15-$20, children 2 and under are free

Duda’s has been growing produce in southwestern Pennsylvania for close to 35 years,  with more than 25 varieties of fruits and vegetables sold at its farm market and roadside stands. There will be a hayride to the pumpkin patch, plus a corn maze, walk-through animal barn, tube slides, playground, corn pit, bonfire, and picnic area. Hayrides run Friday afternoons and all day Saturday and Sunday. Admission includes the hayride, one pumpkin, corn-stalk mazes, animal barn, tube slide, and kids’ activities.

A Pumpkin Patch in Downtown Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Monster Pumpkins Festival

October 17–18 | Strip District

Not technically a pumpkin patch, but a free,  over-the-top pumpkin extravaganza. The two-day festival takes over The Stacks at 3 Crossings with gargantuan Atlantic Giant pumpkins—which can weigh more than a ton—live pumpkin carving and glass blowing, food and craft vendors, and horse-drawn carriage rides. There are plenty of activities for the kids, including face painting, a pedal-tractor pull, and costumed characters. There’s also the festival’s signature pumpkin drop, in which a 2,000-plus-pound pumpkin is lifted more than 200 feet by a crane before plunging into a 10-foot-wide inflatable pool—and it happens twice each day.

Keep the fall fun going by heading to these apple orchards around Pittsburgh and then whip up one of our nine apple cider recipes at home.

About the Author

Kenny Gould is a writer and the founder of Hop Culture, a digital magazine focused on the beer industry. In addition to writing about food and beverages, he’s also the author of several fiction books, including the bestselling fantasy The Castle of 1,000 Doors. He holds a BA from Duke University, an MFA from Chatham University, and an MBA from NYU Stern. To learn more about Kenny, visit his website or follow him on Instagram at @thekennygould.

Featured Photo by Katie Long

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