The 45 Best Things To Do in Dayton In Fall (2024)

Looking for all the best things to do in Dayton in the Fall?

Fall is an amazing time to visit Dayton or just to be out and about if you’re a local.

There were so many things to do in Dayton in Fall that I wanted to include in here, but that post would just be way too long.

So here are the best ones.

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Best Fall Festivals In Dayton

1. Antique Fire Apparatus Show 

Location: 1000 Carillon Blvd, Dayton, Ohio 45409

This event takes place at Carillon Historical Park the first Saturday in September from 9:30 am – 4:00 pm.

Not only are there roughly 40 different pieces of antique fire equipment, but the Carillon Park Rail and Steam Society conducts train rides during this event.

2. The Fair At New Boston

Location: 936 South Tecumseh Road, Springfield, Ohio 45506

This event takes place the first weekend in September.

Travel back in time to the late 1700s and early 1800s at this fair.

This living history event celebrates Revolutionary War heroes, famous frontiersmen, and even has re-enactments.

There is also a Native American Village you can explore.

3. Ohio Renaissance Festival 

Location: 10542 E State Route 73, Waynesville, Ohio 45068

This event takes place weekends starting Labor Day weekend in September and running through the end of October.

Travel back in time to the 16th century with medieval jousting, giant turkey legs, and more.

4. Clinton County Corn Festival

Location: Clinton County Fairgrounds, 958 West Main Street, Wilmington, Ohio 45177

This event takes place the weekend after Labor Day.

The Clinton County Corn Festival celebrates the agricultural heritage of the Miami Valley area.

Enjoy every dish you could think of that’s made with corn, check out from antique farming machinery, games, and even the Corn Olympics!

5. Dayton Greek Festival 

Location: Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 500 Belmonte Park North, Dayton, Ohio 45405

This event takes place the weekend after Labor Day from Friday through Sunday.

They have some of my favorite foods like Chicken Souvlaki, Gyros, Spanakopita, Hummus Plates, Sausage Plates, Baklava, other pastries, and more!

6. Italian Fall Festa 

Location: Bella Villa Hall, 2625 County Line Road, Dayton, Ohio 45430

This is my all-time favorite Fall festival in Dayton!

It always takes place the weekend after Labor Day.

They have a dining hall where you can enjoy all the pasta you want.

JP and I went one night after he got off work and we sampled as much as we could.

We had pizza, a meatball sub, and an Italian beef sandwich.

We also did a wine tasting featuring all of the Italian wines available at the local Trader Joe’s.

At the end, we got a few different desserts to take home.

I think we got a cannoli, tiramisu, and some zeppole.

7. Beavercreek Popcorn Festival

Location: intersection of Dayton-Xenia Road and N. Fairfield Road, Beavercreek, Ohio 45431

This festival also takes place the weekend after Labor Day.

They have tons of games and activities for kids and tons of food and shopping.

I don’t know how I didn’t get any photos, but we got deep fried oreos since those are my favorite fair food.

Of course there are also a ton of varieties of popcorn to try.

8. Fairy & Gnome Home Festival 

Location: Bill Yeck Park, 2230 E. Centerville Station Road, Dayton, Ohio 45459

This event takes place the Saturday after Labor Day.

A great activity here is for kids to build their own fairy or gnome home out of the natural materials in the park.

There are also story times, scavenger hunts, crafts, and more.

For those with sensory-friendly needs, you can pre-register for an earlier arrival time to accommodate those needs.

9. Preble County Pork Festival

Location: Preble County Fairgrounds, 722 South Franklin Street, Eaton, Ohio 45320

This event is always the 3rd full weekend of September.

Enjoy all things pork like pork chops, pulled pork, ham sandwiches, sausages, and more.

There is a petting zoo, pony rides, camel rides, a magic show, a kiddie tractor pull, and even racing pigs.

Admission and parking are always free.

10. Spring Valley Potato Festival 

Location: Spring Valley, Ohio

This event usually takes place the first full weekend of October.

Enjoy all things potatoes, everyone’s favorite vegetable!

Try the potato soup or the potato candy.

There will be arts and crafts vendors, live entertainment, carnival rides, the Tater Trot 5k, children’s games, kiddie tractor pull, a pet parade, and more.

11. Chocolate Festival 

Location: Montgomery County Fairgrounds, 645 Infirmary Road, Dayton, Ohio 45417

This event takes place on October 5th this year.

Free admission, free parking, free kids zone, and free entertainment!

There will be professional chocolatiers, food trucks, craft and food vendors, and all the chocolate you can enjoy.

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Best Oktoberfest Events in Dayton in Fall

12. Xenia Oktoberfest + Harvest On Main

Location: S. Detroit St, from 2nd St to 3rd St, Xenia, Ohio

This event takes place the second Saturday of October.

There are food trucks, live music, local breweries, and wineries.

Bring your own chairs to hang out and enjoy the live bands.

At the same time, you can also enjoy the Harvest On Main festival which has games, pumpkin decorating, a small petting zoo, and straw maze all for free.

13. Dayton Liederkranz-Turner Oktoberfest 

Location: Dayton Liederkranz Turner, 1400 E. Fifth Street, Dayton, Ohio 45402

This event takes place October 19th from 5 pm – 10 pm this year.

Enjoy authentic German food, German music, and German beer.

You’re encouraged to wear your dirndls and lederhosen and admission is free.

They also host a Stein Holding Contest to test your strength.

14. Lebanon Oktoberfest

Location: Mulberry St, Lebanon, Ohio 45036

This event takes place the second weekend of October.

Lebanon Oktoberfest features live German music, German craft beer, food, and kids activities hosted by COSI.

Take part in the Chicken Dance, the Stein Hoist Competition, and the Slap Game.

On Saturday at 4 pm, take part in the Ceremonial Keg Tapping and Parade.

15. Ohio Sauerkraut Festival 

Location: 10 B North Main Street, Waynesville, Ohio 45068

This festival has been around since 1970 and always takes place the second full weekend of October.

Enjoy all things sauerkraut from traditional foods like Reubens and cabbage rolls to some unique foods only at this festival.

Try the sauerkraut pizza, sauerkraut burrito, sauerkraut mac and cheese, and even sauerkraut brownies!

16. Urbana Oktoberfest 

Location: Champaign County Historical Society Museum, 809 East Lawn, Urbana, Ohio 43078

This event takes place on October 6th this year from 10 am – 4 pm.

Schmidt’s Restaurant serves authentic German cuisine to the backdrop of live German music and German beer.

They have foods like knockwurst, German bologna, German potato salad, pork brats, and jumbo cream puffs.

This Oktoberfest has been around for over 50 years now.

Admission is only $3 per person, cash only, and it is a family friendly event.

17. Wilmington Oktoberfest

Location: Sugartree Street, Wilmington, Ohio 45177

This event takes place the last weekend in September.

This small town Oktoberfest has fun activities like wiener dog races, beer stein hoisting competitions, children’s activities, and more.

18. Minster Oktoberfest

Location: Minster, Ohio

My personal favorite Oktoberfest!

Minster Oktoberfest is always held the weekend of the 1st Sunday of October.

Enjoy all the best authentic German foods, especially the warm German potato salad.

There’s live music, plenty of beer, and lots of games for kids and adults.

There are also plenty of arts and crafts vendors too!

19. Oktoberfest at The Dayton Art Institute 

Location: Dayton Art Institute, 456 Belmonte Park North, Dayton, Ohio 45405

This event takes place September 27-29.

Tickets are less than $10 per person, with seniors and children being discounted, and young children are free.

This Oktoberfest offers local and international craft beers, a Weingarten with international wines, live music, children’s activities, and foods from around the world.

20. Germantown Pretzel Festival

Location: Veterans Memorial Park, 190 W. Warren St, Germantown, Ohio 45327

This festival takes place September 28-29.

They have hand crafted items from local vendors, carnival rides, fun activities for kids, and all kinds of food and snacks.

21. Springboro Oktoberfest 

Location: Springboro United Church of Christ

This even takes place the weekend after Labor Day.

Enjoy authentic German food, beer, wine, and entertainment.

They are known for their bratwurst and schnitzels.

Admission is $5.

If you’re active military with an ID are a kid under 12 your admission is free.

22. Vandalia Sister Cities Oktoberfest

Location: Vandalia Recreation Center, 1111 Stonequarry Road, Vandalia, Ohio 45414

This event takes place the weekend after Labor Day.

With a $5 entry fee, you can enjoy German bands, foods, and beer.

They are known for their bratwurst, mettwurst, potato salad, cabbage rolls and pretzels.

Entertainment includes live German music, music bingo, and more.

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Best Fall Harvest Events in Dayton

23. McMonigle Farms Pumpkin Fest 

Location: McMonigle Farm, 5490 South Dixie Highway, Franklin, Ohio 45005

This event takes place every weekend in October from 12 pm – 6 pm.

Enjoy hay rides, picking out your favorite pumpkin, corn cannons, a straw maze, farm animals, and seasonal treats.

There is also a sunflower patch, a corn maze, cow train rides, and a large play area.

24. Bradford Pumpkin Show 

Location: 115 N. Miami Avenue, Bradford, Ohio 45308

This event takes place October 8-12.

The Bradford Pumpkin Show is a family friendly festival with parades, food, rides, games, and more.

Be sure to try the pumpkin ice cream!

25. Fall Farm Fest at Lost Creek Reserve 

Location: 2385 E. State Route 41, Troy, Ohio 45373

This event takes place October 12-13 from 12 pm – 5 pm.

Admission is free.

Enjoy the corn maze, corn shooters, music, hay rides, games, farm animals, pony rides, and movies under the stars.

Take a wagon ride down Scarecrow Lane to see all the different scarecrows created by local families and businesses.

26. Enon Apple Butter Festival 

Location: 120 S Xenia Drive, Enon, Ohio 45323

This festival takes place October 12-13.

Enjoy all things apple butter while watching the Historical Society make some the old fashioned way!

They use 50-gallon copper kettles over wood-burning fires.

Then you can see the process of canning the apple butter and purchase some to take home for the season.

Parking and attendance is free too.

27. Country Applefest 

Location: Warren County Fairgrounds, 665 North Broadway, Lebanon, Ohio 45036

This event takes place September 28-29.

Admission is just $1 for anyone 12+ years old.

Enjoy arts and crafts vendors, food vendors, and live entertainment.

28. Lebanon Feast & Fall-Y

Location: E Mulberry St, Lebanon, Ohio 45036

This event takes place September 28 from 10 am – 6 pm.

This Fall Market is for foodies and seasonal finds.

It’s set up along Historic Downtown Lebanon.

29. Annual Wool Gathering Show 

Location: Young’s Jersey Dairy, 6880 Springfield-Xenia Road, Yellow Springs, Ohio 45387

This event takes place September 21-22.

Admission is free to one of the largest natural fiber festivals.

There are over 100 vendors from the surrounding area with wool from sheep, llamas, alpacas, cashmere goats, Angora rabbits, and other animals

Learn how to shear, spin wool, weave wool, and more.

30. Autumn Fest at Learning Tree Farm

Location: 3376 S. Union Road, Dayton, Ohio 45417

This event takes place September 21 from 10 am – 4 pm.

Admission is only $10 and is free for kids 2 and under.

Enjoy pony rides, hay rides, food trucks, farm animals, live music, games, and local arts and crafts vendors.

They have goats, cows, pigs, chickens, donkeys, and even miniature ponies.

31. Tom’s Maze

Location: 4881 Germantown Liberty Road, Germantown, Ohio 45327

This is a great Fall activity that is actually do-able for all ages.

They are open September 6 through November 4.

I have never come across another corn maze as cool as this one.

The way it works is that it is divided up into 12 color coded sections (the corn is roped off with different colors and patterns of caution tape).

Inside each section is a mailbox hidden somewhere. Inside the mailbox is the map to that section.

The goal is to find all 12 mailboxes to complete the map.

The maze changes every year, so by completing the map, you’ll see what the overall design is that year.

This year it was a sunflower and it spelled out “You Are My Sunshine”.

You don’t have to complete the map to find the exit by the way.

You’ll probably pass the exit multiple times on your search for the mailboxes.

To help, there are a couple bridges you can go up that overlook the entire maze.

We completed it in less than 2 hours, but we were also there right when they opened, so we didn’t have other people in the maze toward the end.

They also have some kiddie areas as well as a small selection of food and drinks.

They even a huge variety of little pumpkins you can buy to take home and decorate.

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Best Halloween Events in Dayton

32. Pumpkin Glow

Location: Stoddard Avenue, Dayton, Ohio 45405

Visit the Grafton Hills neighborhood and see about 1,000 elaborately carved pumpkins lit up the weekend before Halloween.

This event is behind the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church and admission is free.

There are also food trucks!

33. Kings Island Tricks & Treats Fall Fest + Halloween Haunt

Location: Kings Island Drive, Mason, Ohio 45034

During the day in the kids area is the Tricks & Treats Fall Fest with activities and entertainment that is kid friendly.

Then at night the park transforms into Halloween Haunt, which is not a kid friendly event.

There are scare actors all over, heavy fog, and lots of haunted houses and mazes.

For food, a nice place for the Fall season is the Brewhouse which is just outside of the kiddie area.

I tried the footlong hotdog since it was an Oktoberfest seasonal menu item.

For kids they have mac n cheese, chicken tenders, and tater tots.

The number one food you have to have at Kings Island though is the blue ice cream (with or without sprinkles, it doesn’t really matter).

It’s like the equivalent of getting a churro at Disneyland or a Mickey pretzel at Disney World.

One thing I love about Kings Island is they also have all the local foods.

You can get Skyline Chili, you can get LaRosa’s Pizza, and you can get Graeter’s Ice Cream, all in one place!

It’s more expensive, but if you’re in the area for a short time it’s pretty convenient.

34. Fairborn Halloween Festival & Haunted Houses

Location: Downtown Fairborn, Ohio

This event takes place October 11-13.

Enjoy games and crafts, a costume contest, parade, live music, dancing, and more.

The best part of Downtown Fairborn at Halloween is Foy’s.

During the festival, you can go through the Foy’s Haunted Museum, which is like a haunted house.

Foy’s is one of the best Halloween stores in the Dayton area, so also consider getting your Halloween costume and decorations here too.

35. Hocus Pocus Family Fun Halloween Festival

Location: Downtown Middletown

This event takes place October 13 from 2 pm – 7 pm.

This festival celebrates all things Hocus Pocus with food, crafts, games, music, magic shows, pumpkin carving, a dog costume contest, and more.

At the end of the night watch a free screening of Hocus Pocus in the Sorg Opera House.

36. Dent Haunted Schoolhouse 

Location: 5963 Harrison Ave, Cincinnati, Ohio 45248

This haunted house is open every weekend from mid September through Halloween.

There are designated nights where you can go through the haunted schoolhouse with the lights off and designated nights with the lights on for kids to visit.

37. Cincinnati Ghost Tour

Another activity you can do in the Cincinnati area, which is only an hour from Dayton, is a ghost tour.

These are actually available all year, but around Halloween is the perfect time to go!

You’ll walk around to popular sites like Memorial Hall, Washington Park, and Music Hall and learn about the ghosts that haunt this area.

👉🏼 Click Here To Book Your Cincinnati Ghost Tour Today!

38. Brimstone Haunt

Location: 525 Brimstone Rd, Wilmington, OH 45177

Brimstone Haunt takes place every Friday and Saturday starting Friday, September 13th through October.

Choose from 6 activities including the Haunted Hayride, Forgotten Forest, Psychosis haunted house, Dead Shot Paintball, Zombie Assault, and Cranium Crusher.

39. Riverside Jaycees Haunted Castle of Carnage & Bloody Hollow 

Location: 1213 Old Harshman Road, Riverside, Ohio 45431

This event starts on September 20th.

Parking is free and during matinee hours you can get a kid friendly version for only $3, with $1 off if you bring a non-perishable food item to donate.

During the night, you can get a $25 VIP pass to jump the line and go through the haunted house as many times as you want.

40. Dayton Scream Park 

Location: 4355 Valley St, Dayton, Ohio 45424

This haunted house and trail runs at night on weekends starting September 6th through October 26th.

For $20 you can get into the haunted trail and both haunted houses.

41. Lewisburg Haunted Cave 

Location: 4392 Swishers Mill Road, Lewisburg, Ohio 45338

Haunted tours through the cave run in the evenings on weekends from September 13th – October 26th.

Tours for adults are $16 and $8 for children 10 and younger.

They also offer hay rides for $7.

This cave is 80 feet below the ground and has over 30,000 bats and 500 feet of haunted bridges.

42. Wilmington Haunted Hollow Ride 

Location: 1261 W Dalton Road, Wilmington, Ohio 45177

This event takes place on weekend evenings from September 21st through the end of October.

There are multiple experiences here like the Haunted Hollow Ride, Terror in the Corn, Slaughter Hotel, and Nightmare Penitentiary.

There is also a Special Extreme Blackout Night where you can experience Terror in the Corn and Nightmare Penitentiary in the pitch black.

The Haunted Hollow Ride is $15.

Terror in the Corn is $12.

Slaughter Hotel and Penitentiary are each $10.

You can also do all 4 for $25.

With VIP admission, you can do all 4 attractions for $37 and move to the front of the line.

On the Extreme Blackout night, tickets are $20.

43. Land of Illusion

Location: 8762 Thomas Road, Middletown, Ohio 45043

This event takes place weekend nights from September 6th – November 2nd.

Admission ranges from $25-$35 and includes unlimited visits to the Middletown Haunted Trail.

For an additional $15 you can get a fast pass to skip to the front of the line.

Zombie Sniper Patrol is $13 per ride with admission and Sniper Patrol is $23 per ride.

You can even get a season pass for $99.

44. Haunted Garage 

Location: 7373 Bard Road, Tipp City, Ohio 45371

This event runs on weekend evenings throughout the month of October.

It’s free, but donations are accepted.

45. Pumpkin Glow At Caesar Ford Park

Location: Caesar Ford Park, 520 South Stringtown Road, Xenia, OH

This event takes place October 24 – 26 from 6 pm – 9 pm.

Enjoy hand painted pumpkins in black light reflective paint.

Black lights will be available on loan while you’re here, but you’re encouraged to bring your own.

Halloween music will be playing and food vendors will be selling seasonal treats.

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More Fun Things To Do Around Ohio

While you’re enjoying the best things to do in Dayton in Summer, consider checking out the top restaurants in the area or a day trip to Cincinnati or Columbus.

☑️ Best Restaurants in Dayton

From the regional favorites like Skyline Chili, to some of the best pizza places in the world, there are endless dining possibilities here.

☑️ Cincinnati Day Trip Itinerary

Consider taking a day trip down to Cincinnati to get a little change of scenery.

☑️ Columbus Day Trip Itinerary

Head up to Columbus to check out some new attractions and some classic restaurants you might not have tried yet.

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Conclusion: Best Things To Do In Dayton In Fall

The Fall festival season in Dayton, Ohio can’t be beat!

From Oktoberfests to food festivals and all the Halloween events, there is so much to do here throughout September, October, and November.