From fall festivals to Oktoberfest, here’s where to find autumn events in Centre County

Matt DiSanto

September 28, 2023 at 8:00 AM·10 min read

Fall has finally arrived, and with it comes plenty of events to help Centre County start the season with a bang.

Celebrations surrounding harvests, pumpkins, Halloween and all things autumn are heading this way in the next few weeks. If you’re itching to celebrate the season with a hay ride, jack-o’-lantern-carving contest or haunted house, you’ve got plenty of options to explore.

Here’s what you need to know about fall festivals and events in and around Centre County this year.

Titan Market Harvest Celebration

When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29 and Saturday, Sept. 30

Where: 2042 Axemann Road, Suite 111 in Bellefonte

What: Titan Market will mark its third anniversary with a harvest festival slated to feature shopping, food, music and games for the whole family. You can also take home pumpkins and fresh apple cider.

Way Fruit Farm pumpkin patch opening

When: 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30

Where: 2355 Halfmoon Valley Road in Port Matilda

What: Way Fruit Farm will kick off “pumpkin season” with wagon rides out to its pumpkin patch, where the whole family can pick out pumpkins. Saturday will mark Way Fruit Farm History Day, the farm says, bringing guests in for a closer look at the farm’s past and antiques. Food trucks and vendors are expected on-site, according to Way Fruit Farm’s website.

Friday in the ‘Fonte

When: 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29

Where: Downtown Bellefonte

What: This year’s penultimate Friday in the ‘Fonte celebration will bring live music to Bellefonte once again. You can head to the Centre County courthouse to listen to duo Anchor&Arrow between 5 and 8 p.m. or visit Talleyrand Park for a performance by Celtic band Callanish from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Haunted Valley

When: 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29

Where: Hintz Family Alumni Center in University Park

What: Penn State’s Lion Ambassadors will once again lead lantern tours across campus to highlight the university’s spooky past. Each tour includes a stop at a haunted house inside the University House, the oldest standing structure on the University Park campus where 11 university presidents once lived. Throughout the night, 20-minute tours will depart roughly every five minutes.

Downtown Fall Festival

When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30

Where: 200 block of Allen Street in State College

What: The Downtown State College Improvement District’s 22nd-annual Downtown Fall Festival will feature plenty of family-friendly activities, including live music, pony rides, a fun house, balloon animals, a photo station and more. At this free event, children can decorate their own pumpkins, make their own scarecrow puppets and craft their own luminaries. Chow down on food from Juana’s Venezuelan Cuisine, Auntie Anne’s, Bonnie Blues BBQ and more.

Walker Township Fall Festival

When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30

Where: Walker Township Park, 816 Nittany Valley Drive in Bellefonte

What: Walker Township Parks and Recreation’s annual fall festival will feature family-friendly events at no charge, including games and arts and crafts, like scarecrow stuffing and pumpkin decorating. A few local food and craft vendors will set up shop, too. More unique offerings include a strolling magician and a balloon animal station.

Wasson Farm Fall Fest

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept 30, Oct. 1, 7, 8, 14 and 15

Where: Wasson Farm Market, 2545 Shingletown Road in State College

What: Take a hayride to the patch and pick your own pumpkins, sample wine, chow down on homemade ice cream and apple cider slushies and more at this fall festival series. Children can explore a corn maze and strap in for a barrel train ride, too. Note that these events accept only cash and check payments. Find more information on Wasson Farm Market’s Facebook page.

Oktoberfest

When: 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30

Where: Boalsburg Heritage Museum, 304 E. Main St. in Boalsburg

What: This Oktoberfest celebration will feature German music, German food (including vegetarian options) and plenty of Boal City Brewery beer, according to its description. The whole family is invited, and all proceeds benefit the Boalsburg Heritage Museum. Adult tickets purchased in advance start at $45 per person, while passes for children ages 10 and older start at $15. Children yonger than 10 get in for free.

Harner Farm’s Delta Zeta Fall Festival

When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 30 and Oct. 7, noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 1 and 8

Where: Harner Farm, 2191 W. Whitehall Road in State College

What: Harner Farm’s annual fall festival days are back this year across two weekends. According to the event description, guests can expect games, activities and prizes for all ages, plus food concessions and homemade goods. Proceeds will benefit the Starkey Hearing Foundation and the American Society for Deaf Children.

Pumpkin giveaway for jack-o’-lantern contest

When: 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 1

Where: The Arboretum at Penn State

What: The Arboretum at Penn State will give away hundreds of pumpkins to community members taking part in its annual jack-o’-lantern carving contest. While the pumpkins are free, be sure to show up early to get the best pick.

Registration for the carving contest will stretch from 8 to 10 a.m. and 3 to 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6 at the Overlook Pavilion ahead of the Arboretum’s annual Pumpkin Festival. A panel of judges will award ribbons to the best jack-o’-lanterns in several age and theme categories

The Arboretum at Penn State’s Pumpkin Festival

When: Friday, Oct. 6 from 6 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 7 from 3 to 9 p.m.

Where: The Arboretum at Penn State (H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens)

What: The Arboretum’s annual Pumpkin Festival will feature hundreds of carved jack-o’-lanterns and family-friendly activities, plus free parking and admission. The event will also offer live music, fall-themed treats and refreshments (including hot chocolate), crafts and games for children, face-painting and more. Visitors can also learn about animal care, pollinator gardening, Indigenous agriculture and more from live demonstrations and displays.

First Friday

When: 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6

Where: MLK Plaza, 127 S. Fraser St. in State College

What: This monthly community event returns to kick off October with live music, free food and drinks, retail and restaurant specials and more. Free parking is available during the event at the Pugh, Fraser and Beaver parking garages in downtown State College. Find more information on the Downtown State College Improvement District’s website.

Way Fruit Farm Harvest Craft Show

When: 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7

Where: 2355 Halfmoon Valley Road in Port Matilda

What: Way Fruit Farm will host dozens of local vendors and food trucks for its annual craft show. Guests are welcome to pick out apples, explore pumpkin patches and hitch a ride on a wagon. Additional details are expected soon on Way Fruit Farm’s website.

Haunted Lake Loop Trail

When: 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7

Where: Black Moshannon State Park in Philipsburg

What: Black Moshannon State Park’s annual Halloween-themed walk will provide free scares and laughs for all ages as guests explore trails and feast on candy. The trail may not be suitable for those who scare easily, the park said on its Facebook page. Arrive between 7 and 9 p.m. to head out on the trail. Once hikes conclude, guests are invited back to the beach to roast marshmallows by the campfire.

Music at the Advent: Harvest Home

When: 11 a.m to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7

Where: The Advent Church, 1303 Moose Run Road in Bellefonte

What: The Advent Historical Society will host a fall festival featuring the Bellefonte Community Band and master harmonica player Richard Sleigh. The free event will also offer children’s activities, family crafts, baked goods and more, including a hands-on harmonica workshop.

Nittany Ballet’s Dracula

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8

Where: The State Theatre, 130 W. College Ave. in State College

What: The Nittany Ballet will present two theatrical productions of “Dracula.” According to its description, the show promises masterful storytelling, exquisite costumes and a dramatic score throughout the “spine-chilling dance drama.” Tickets for the shows, available on the State Theatre’s website, start at $29 for adults and $24 for students.

Dutch Fall Festival

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7 and Sunday, Oct. 8

Where: Don Wert Memorial Park in Aaronsburg

What: First hosted in 1976, this two-day festival offers art, crafts, antiques and produce from local vendors, plus plenty of fresh food to keep guests full, including homemade sticky buns, bread, Pennsylvania Dutch ham pot pies, fresh-cut french fries and more. You can find a full schedule of events online at hainestwp.org/dutch-fall-festival.

The Mystery of Murder Hotel: An interactive murder mystery party

When: 6 to 10 p.m. Oct. 12 to 14

Where: The Speakeasy at the Gamble Mill, 160 Dunlop St. in Bellefonte

What: The Sock and Buskin Theatre Co.’s interactive murder mystery party tasks guests with mingling, searching for clues and cracking the case. This year’s theme sets the challenge in a 1940s-style hotel known as the “Murder Hotel” following a string of seemingly accidental deaths. The event, reserved for those 21 years and older, offers discounted $55 tickets before Oct. 7, upping to $60 starting Oct. 8. Tickets cover admission to the party and appetizers and drinks, though alcoholic beverages are available for purchase at an additional charge. Only 35 tickets are available for each night’s party. Head online for more information and a breakdown of the murder mystery parties’ rules.

Good Shepherd Catholic Fall Festival

When: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21

Where: Good Shepherd Catholic Church, 867 Gray’s Woods Blvd. in Port Matilda

What: This fall festival will offer children’s activities, baked goods and plenty of craft items for sale, including household goods, kitchenware, knitted items, jewelry and more. Guests can chow down on items from local food trucks, the event’s description says.

Punkin’ Chunkin’ Fall Festival

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21

Where: Bald Eagle State Park, 149 Main Park Road in Howard

What: This beloved fall tradition returns yet again. Howard Fire Co. will use catapults, trebuchets and possibly even an air cannon to shoot hundreds of pumpkins through the air and send them splashing down in a nearby lake. Besides high-flying gourds, this event offers food from local vendors, hayrides, children’s games and activities, a pumpkin pie-eating contest, a farmer’s market and nearly 100 local craft vendors. Parking and admission are free.

Harvest Fest at State College Alliance Church

When: 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22

Where: State College Alliance Church, 1221 W. Whitehall Road in State College

What: This harvest festival offers fresh cider, live music, games, inflatables, food trucks, bonfires (with s’mores) and more. According to its description, the event hopes to serve as “a place for everyone, both those with kids and those without, to connect with old friends and new as we celebrate the fall season.”

Talleyrand Fall Fest & Halloween Parade

When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29

Where: Talleyrand Park in Bellefonte

What: This annual festival will feature inflatables, children’s activities, hayrides and food and crafts from local vendors. The Halloween parade will start at 10:30 a.m. at Bellefonte Elementary School.

Halloween Celebration

When: 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29