From festivals to costume contests to Baltimore’s own tradition of a lantern parade, this month brings a lineup of great fall activities. Get spooked, get outdoors on an autumn day or get pumpkin carving. You’re bound to have fun!
Saturday, Oct. 6
Honey Harvest Festival
Celebrate the sweet side of life with a weekend all about honey. Open hive demonstrations, vendors, crafts, children’s activities and more. There will even be honey ice cream. Oct. 6-7, Oregon Ridge Nature Center, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. free admission, oregonridgenaturecenter.org
Pumpkinfest
Fall is here. Enjoy a day filled with autumn activities including hay rides, pumpkin painting, haybale slides, sack races and pumpkin bowling. Irvine Nature Center, 12-7 p.m., $15/child, $5/adult, explorenature.org
Sunday, Oct. 7
Fall Festival
West Arundel Creative Arts invites you to a day filled with seasonal fun including vendors, performances, children’s activities and a silent auction. WACA Center for the Arts, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., free, wacarts.com
Saturday, Oct. 13
Fells Point Fun Festival
Fun is in the name. Experience the Fells Point vibe as you stroll the streets filled with local artisans, amazing food and musical variety sure to delight your ears. Oct. 13-14, Broadway & Thames, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., free, fellspointfest.net
Sunday, Oct. 14
11th Annual Harbor Harvest Fall Children’s Festival
You don’t have to leave the city to celebrate the harvest season. Enjoy a petting zoo, hay maze, face painting, food trucks and music by The Uncle Devin Show. Don’t forget your costume … there will be a contest. Rash Field Inner Harbor, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., free entry (some activities additional fee), baltimorewaterfront.com
Tuesday, Oct. 23
Not So Scary Halloween
Get ready for a haunted house/bounce house mash-up. It’s a spooktacular event that will delight, but not fright. Oct. 23-25, Pump It Up – Elkridge, 5:10-7:40 p.m., $10.95 child until 10/9, $12.95 child until 10/22, $14.95 child at the door, pumpitupparty.com/elkridge-md
Thursday, Oct. 25
Toddler Time Halloween Celebration & Costume Parade at the B&O
Choo Choo Blue will lead the little ones in a costume parade through the museum, picking up treats along the way. Additionally, children can hear a railroad story, play in the Choo Choo Blue Kids Zone, make a craft and take a ride on the train carousel. Recommended for ages 2-5. B&O Railroad Museum, 10:30 a.m., $12/child, $20/adult, borail.org
Friday, Oct. 26
ArBOOretum
Cylburn Mansion invites families to an evening of spooky fun and games including animal talks, pumpkin painting and lantern making. “Madame Cylburnia” will also be on hand for palm reading. Who knows what the future holds? Cylburn Arboretum, 5:30-8 p.m., see website for cost, cylburn.org
ZooBOOO 2018
Calling all princesses, friendly ghosts, superheroes and more. Head to the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore for a spook-tacular (but not scary.) time of Halloween fun. The 35th annual ZooBOOO festival includes trick-or-treating, live entertainment, a hay maze, carnival games, inflatables and great food. The best part is that it’s all in the company of your favorite animal friends. Don’t forget, there will be costume contests, so be sure to come dressed to impress. Oct. 26-28, The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., $15 for kids 2-11, $19 for adults, marylandzoo.org
Saturday, Oct. 27
Boo-seum Bash: Celebrating Frankenstein
Come for a shockingly good time celebrating the ultimate monster creation, Frankenstein. Grab your costume and get ready for science and art activities Halloween-style. Port Discovery Children’s Museum, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., $15.95 for ages 2 and up, portdiscovery.org
Witches & Wizards Weekend
There is magic brewing at the B&O Railroad Museum. Create edible potions, make your own wizard wand, take a ride on the Wizards Express and more. Oct. 27 (10 a.m.-3 p.m.) and 28 (11 a.m.-3 p.m.), B&O Railroad Museum, $20 adult, $12 kids, borail.org
Halloween Family Fun Day at Power Plant Live!
Join Power Plant Live! for a spook-tacular Family Fun Day! There will be Halloween-inspired fun for the whole family including face painting, themed crafts, trick or treating, and a costume swap for the kids. Bring your gently-used Halloween costumes to trade with other Baltimore families, and don’t forget a bucket to collect candy! Power Plant Live!, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., free, $5 donation per child encouraged, proceeds benefitting the Maryland SPCA
The Great Halloween Lantern Parade & Festival
Celebrate fall, Halloween, and community with a neighborhood festival. Once the sun sets, grab a lantern, join the parade and help light up the night. This year’s theme is “EEK!” Patterson Park, 12-8 p.m., free, creativealliance.org
Tricks and Treats
Grab your costume and get ready for a stroll through the woods to learn about the tricks plants and animals like to play on us. Bring a bag for a treat given out at each station. Registration recommended. Oregon Ridge Nature Center, 1-2:30 p.m., $5/child, oregonridgenaturecenter.org
Lantern Night
Take a step back in time and see fire equipment in a new light. Visit with reenactors wearing historical attire and see etched glass lamps and lanterns. As an added bonus, visitors who wear their Halloween costume will be admitted for half price. Fire Museum of Maryland, 6-8 p.m., $15/adult, $7/child, firemuseummd.com
Tuesday, Oct. 30
Haunted Gingerbread Houses
Gingerbread houses aren’t only for Christmas. Try your hand at making a spooky version of this holiday favorite. For tweens and teens. Anne Arundel County Library, Severn Branch, 6 p.m., free, aacpl.net
Wednesday, Oct. 31
Baby Boo
The littlest ghosts, goblins and adorable monsters are invited to get in on the Halloween fun. Enjoy not-too-scary stories to celebrate the day. Infant to 23 months. Tickets handed out 15 minutes before the program. Howard County Public Library, East Columbia Branch, 10:15-10:45 a.m., free, hclibrary.org
Monster Mash Dance Party
Whether you’re dressed as a monster or a fairy princess, come ready to party and show off your spookiest moves on the dance floor. Ages 3-5. Harford County Public Library, Havre de Grace Branch, 10:15-11 a.m., free, hcplonline.org
HalloTeen Party
You’re never too old to dress and up and have fun. Enjoy food, a scary movie and Halloween make-up. Enoch Pratt Library, Forest Park Branch, 3:30-5 p.m., free, prattlibrary.org
