10 Famous Fall Festivals in Ohio

Gargantuan pumpkins, a multitude of mums and even the fuzzy woollybear get their due across Ohio this time of year. Harvest festivals are part of our agricultural tradition and these 10 well-known celebrations — some of which have gone on for generations now — invite attendees to slow down and take in the sights, sounds and flavors of autumn in Ohio. Fall makes for a great time to plan a road trip that touches on small-town tradition, rich history and great food.

Oktoberfest Zinzinnati | Sept. 17–20
After 50 years, one of the largest Oktoberfests outside Munich is still going strong in Cincinnati.

To mark its golden anniversary Sept. 17 through 20, Oktoberfest Zinzinnati is unveiling a two-story Glockenspiel. Every hour, this new clock tower at the Schott Amphitheater will come alive with singers, dancers and comedic skits while visitors gather in the biergarten beneath it.

“It’s like a human-powered cuckoo clock,” says Chelsea York, vice president of events and experiences at the Cincinnati Regional Chamber. “This 50th anniversary commission will become a special part of the festival for years to come.”

That spirit of honoring the past while embracing the future has defined Oktoberfest Zinzinnati since 1976. What started as a community celebration organized by downtown residents has grown into a free four-day festival with over 800,000 attendees each year.

This year’s festival also introduces a commemorative Samuel Adams 50th anniversary lager, a dedicated VIP area with curated food and drinks, and the Spirit of Cincinnati Awards honoring the musicians, vendors and volunteers who’ve helped shape Oktoberfest over the last 50 years.

Of course, longtime favorites aren’t going anywhere. Visitors can still clap along during Saturday’s festival-wide Chicken Dance and cheer for the Running of the Wieners on Sunday, when 100 dachshunds dressed as hot dogs race for bragging rights. 705 E. Pete Rose Way, Cincinnati 45202, oktoberfestzinzinnati.com 

Maize Valley Fall Harvest Festival | Sept. 19–Oct. 31
Wagon rides, a corn maze and flying pumpkins make this Hartville fall favorite fun for everyone.

Michelle and Bill Bakan estimate they do a quarter of their business across the six weeks of Maize Valley Winery & Craft Brewery’s Fall Harvest. The couple heads up the event, which commences with an annual hot air balloon liftoff. 

Although the festival has been around since the 1990s, the farm dates to the 1960s and Kay and Donna Vaughan, Michelle’s parents. The property’s first foray into a fall festival began after the Bakans opened a farm stand and a corn maze at Maize Valley in the mid 1990s. Kay was initially hesitant about cutting paths through the fields, but after seeing the first season’s attendance numbers, he had one question: What kind of design are we doing next year? Maize Valley is open year-round but its Fall Harvest Festival (Sept. 19 through Oct. 31) offers wagon rides, a straw-bale mountain and the Goat-a-Palooza animal area, and the fun isn’t just for kids. 

 “A lot of our attractions are sized for adults, so we tell people, ‘You don’t have to just watch your kid; you can actually get in there and play with them,’ ” Michelle Bakan says.

Keep an eye out for the fruit cannons — one allows visitors to shoot apples at targets, while the other is operated by employees who launch pumpkins up to a half mile through the air. 6193 Edison St. NE, Hartville 44632, 330/877-8344, maizevalley.com

Barnesville Pumpkin Festival | Sept. 24–27
See giant pumpkins tip the scales, enjoy contests, live music, agricultural displays and treats.

One of the most impressive sights at the Barnesville Pumpkin Festival appears the night before the annual event’s official kickoff. That’s when all the entries hoping to be crowned King Pumpkin are hoisted on a scale to be weighed. 

“It’s always pretty exciting to see what the weight’s going to be and if there are any over 2,000 pounds again,” says Susan Lapham, who owns the Blue Moon Tavern and serves on the festival’s organizing committee.

Last year’s winner weighed in at 1,952 pounds. The festival’s record-holding pumpkin clocked in at 2,405 pounds in 2022, one of four to breach 2,000 pounds. For historical context, Barnesville’s first King Pumpkin in 1964 — the festival’s first year — weighed only 72 pounds.

The rest of the week and weekend is filled with fun, including pumpkin-pie-eating and pumpkin-pie-baking contests, a squash carver, live music and agricultural displays that let festivalgoers check out the giant pumpkins up close. The festival’s Pumpkin Wagon will be stocked with treats and the Blue Moon Biergarten offers beer, burgers and wings. 

“We have so many people from Barnesville that come back that weekend,” Lapham says of the festival, which runs Sept. 24 through 27. “Agriculture is the root of America, and we’re definitely an agricultural festival.” 113 W. Main St., Barnesville 43713, barnesvillepumpkinfestival.com

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Barberton Mum Festival | Sept. 26–27 
As September brings the first breezes of fall, the east side of Lake Anna Park transforms into chrysanthemum heaven.

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Ohio Swiss Festival | Oct. 1–3
Sugarcreek’s annual celebration of Swiss heritage serves up delicious local cheese, legendary apple fritters and lots of tradition. 

Several years ago, a favorite Ohio Swiss Festival treat was in danger of not making its annual appearance. After decades of selling apple fritters at the Sugarcreek event, the town’s First Mennonite Church didn’t have the workforce to keep up with the demand for them. Festival organizers stepped in to purchase the equipment (and the closely guarded recipe), while members of the local high school booster club helped run the tent. 

“You can’t come to the Swiss Festival and not eat an apple fritter,” says Nikki Bahler, director of entertainment for the festival, which runs Oct. 1 through 3. 

The event’s roots date to 1953 and started as a way for local cheesemakers to show off their Swiss-cheese mastery and sell their product. (Today you can still sample goods from festival founders Guggisberg Cheese and Pearl Valley Cheese in the Wine & Cheese tent.) Around 30,000 people attended that first year, consuming 1,500 pounds of hamburger and 300 pounds of hot dogs. The event has been a favorite ever since. 

“The festival is just really heartwarming,” Bahler says. “People plan their vacation days around being able to come home to the Ohio Swiss Festival. It’s about being able to interact with that heritage.” 106 W. Main St., Sugarcreek 44681, ohioswissfestival.com 

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Woollybear Festival | Oct. 4
Caterpillar races, costumed pets and a folklore-inspired winter forecast make Vermilion’s fall festival one of Ohio’s quirkiest autumn traditions.

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Ohio Sauerkraut Festival | Oct. 10–11
Fermented cabbage is just the start at this Waynesville festival that also focuses on hundreds of vendors selling handmade wares. 

The Ohio Sauerkraut Festival, famous for its namesake ingredient, is just as beloved for transforming Waynesville’s historic Main Street into a showcase of handmade crafts and hometown flavor. The festival is set for Oct. 10 and 11. 

More than 350 artisans from 25 states fill the streets with pottery, stained glass, woodworking, candles, suncatchers, clothing and seasonal decor. The festival’s handmade-only policy means every vendor goes through a double-juried selection process. Live entertainment, including the German Sauerkraut Band on Sunday, keeps the celebration lively as visitors browse and shop locally.

Local nonprofits operate every food booth, including St. Augustine Catholic Church, which makes more than 10,000 cabbage rolls by hand each year. You’ll also find sauerkraut presented in unexpected ways, from pizza to bread, alongside pies and a rich fudge made by the Waynesville Spartans Marching Band.  

“We have vintage stores, a clock shop and tons of nostalgia,” says Suzanne Beckett, the office and event coordinator for the Waynesville Area Chamber of Commerce. “People like to come here and stay for the weekend so they can immerse themselves in the food, the shopping and the community.” 174 S. Main St., Waynesville 45068, sauerkrautfestival.waynesvilleohio.com 

Operation Pumpkin| Oct. 9–11
Giant pumpkins are the focus of this Hamilton festival that features record-setting weigh-offs, master carvers and live entertainment.

Some pumpkins need a wheelbarrow to move them. The ones at Operation Pumpkin need a forklift. The 15th annual festival (Oct. 9 through 11) kicks off Friday night with a giant pumpkin weigh-off. The 2025 site record belonged to New York grower Scott Andrusz, whose 2,518-pound pumpkin came within 300 pounds of a world record, while Ohio’s Jared Persinger set the state record at 2,505 pounds.

“You’ll never see pumpkins this big anywhere else,” says Jodi Fritsch, Operation Pumpkin’s marketing director.

All weekend long, master pumpkin carvers, including artists from Food Network’s “Halloween Wars,” will be on site to transform giant pumpkins into elaborate works of art.

Although pumpkins remain the heart of the festival, there is plenty of other entertainment to go around. A pet parade marches through town on Sunday and local musical acts take the stage each evening. Whether you come for the giant gourds, fall food or entertainment, Operation Pumpkin has accomplished its mission. It’s a homegrown fall festival that has continued to evolve since its 2012 launch. 

“Growing something great from nothing is time consuming,” Fritsch says. “Operation Pumpkin is the largest it’s ever been.” 101 High St., Hamilton 45011, operation-pumpkin.org

Apple Butter Stirrin’ Festival | Oct. 16–18 
Savor fall traditions and flavors at Coshocton’s Roscoe Village, a restored canal-era town.

Historic Roscoe Village’s Apple Butter Stirrin’ Festival is just begging you to slow down and admire the process. From the smell of apple butter being made in a copper pot to the sounds of metal clanging during a blacksmith demonstration to watching a candlemaker at work, the fall fete feels immersive and tactile. 

“I think for a lot of people, nostalgia has hit us,” says Sharon Bucey, executive-in-residence at Roscoe Village. “The festival brings people back to a place and time where you can slow down, where the little moments matter.”

The restored canal-era Roscoe Village comes to life Oct. 16 through 18 with reenactors embodying roles such as Dr. Maro Johnson, a physician who lived and practiced in the town in the 1800s. Nearly 100 vendors will be selling handcrafted goods such as candles, wood carvings and pantry items such as honey and maple syrup. Squash carver Gus Smithhisler will be carving a giant pumpkin, and the Whirlybirds & Friends band performs Saturday. 

 “[Roscoe Village] has that feel that I’m stepping into something special,” Bucey says. “I’m going back into history to take lessons from the past and learn for the future.” 600 N. Whitewoman St., Coshocton 43812, 740/622-7644, roscoevillage.com 

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Circleville Pumpkin Show | Oct. 21–24
This Pickaway County town celebrates its farming heritage with colossal pumpkins and a festival built on community spirit that began in 1903. 

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