Pittsburgh has just been named a World Festival & Event City — one of only four in the country — by the International Festivals & Events Association. It’s never been easier to see why. Make the most of autumn’s glorious weather with this lineup of Pittsburgh fall festivals. Great food, entertaining acts, challenging contests and family fare will meet your every expectation. Pack a hoodie or cozy sweater for cooler days ahead. The season awaits! Through Oct. 6: Oktoberfest, Penn BreweryWith its focus on a German menu and brews, Penn Brewery follows the Munich calendar for its Oktoberfest. This annual festival tends to be packed with revelers who love beer, German music and eats. Sundays include kid-friendly balloon animals, face painting and horse-drawn carriage rides. Reserve tables with VIP packages ranging from $15-$85, with some packages including food and private bathroom access. General admission is free.Get your fill of German food and beer at Pittsburgh Oktoberfest. Photo courtesy of Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership.Through Oct. 13: Pittsburgh Oktoberfest, DowntownFor this festival’s debut, Market Square will turn into Little Bavaria with a Munich-inspired beer hall under a huge tent. Register in advance for the Feats of Strength competitions, such as Barrel Rolling, Stein Racing, Keg Lift Racing and the official Stein Holding Competition. This Oktoberfest is more than brats and beer. Over on the Clemente Bridge, a 60-foot Ferris will take riders to a dizzying height over the Allegheny River. The Sixth Street Karnevale competes with excitement with carnival games and activities for kids. Advance tickets are on sale for $5 for Ferris wheel rides. Oktoberfest admission is free.Catch a ride to the pumpkin patch. Photo courtesy of Traxx Farms.Through Oct. 27: Trax Farms Farm Festival, FinleyvilleThe Trax Farms Farm Festival operates on Saturdays and Sundays, plus Columbus Day. Catch Friday Hayrides on afternoons on Oct. 4, 11 and 18. Admission is free, but some activities require additional costs. Hayrides to the pumpkin patch and access to the three-acre corn maze are $12 online, $14 at the door and free for ages 2 and younger. Catch a train ride for $4, jump in the bounce house for $3 and go crazy on the Bungee Jumper for $8. Experience the Leaps ‘n Bounds, Jump‘n Slide and Double Jump, each priced at $6 for three rides. Free fun includes yard games and a visit with farm animals. Expect live music and a variety of scheduled food trucks. Visit The Café for refreshing apple cider slushies.Through Oct. 27: Soergel Orchards Fall Festival, WexfordApple picking, pumpkin picking and kids activities are part of the festival running on Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is free with individual activity pricing, including $4 for tractor rides to the pumpkin patches. Apple and flower picking are priced separately, as are games that range from $2-$5. Free fun includes the petting zoo and playing in Tiny Town. An added feature for a fun family evening is Friday Night Hayrides. On those nights, the Food Barn offers kid-approved eats like mac and cheese, hot dogs and pulled pork sandwiches.Is bigger better? Kids go large at Cheeseman Farm. Photo courtesy of Cheeseman Farm.Through Oct. 27: Pumpkin Festival at Cheeseman Farm, PortersvilleThe annual Pumpkin Festival runs on Saturdays and Sundays with free admission that includes hay bale jumping and the petting zoo. A tractor-pulled hayride is $5, free for ages 2 and younger. Teens and adults relish the nighttime super-scary Fright Farm. The haunted hayride is populated with actors, a corn maze and walk-through attractions on weekend nights during October. Kids 12 and younger must be accompanied by an adult for Fright Farm. Fear comes at a price: $25.Is anything scarier than a clown? Maybe a terrifying clown. Photo courtesy of Kennywood Park.Through Oct. 27: Phantom Fall Fest, Kennywood ParkDay and night at Kennywood are as different as, well, day and night. Afternoons are dedicated to family Halloween fun on Saturdays and Sundays, when sweet costumed kids enjoy Kiddieland rides, along with more thrilling amusements like the Kangaroo, Racing Rabbit and the Turtle. Adult fright nights begin at 6 p.m. with more than 30 rides and attractions in operation. Make your way through the pitch-black Dark Shadows and run from the zombies who populate Kennyville Cemetery and the cannibals in Hellbilly Hollow. Admission starts at $29.99.There are photo ops galore in the pumpkin patch. Photo courtesy of Shenot’s Farm.Through Oct. 27: Shenot’s Farm & Market Pumpkin Patch, Marshall TownshipThe Shenot’s Farm Pumpkin Patch operates daily. On Saturdays and Sundays, you can take a hayride to the pumpkin fields for $3, free for ages 2 and younger. Or take the ½-mile scenic walking trail, where strollers and wagons are welcome. The trail is free on weekdays, $5 on weekends for ages 3 and older. Pick up a jug of award-winning fresh cider and a basket of colorful farm-picked vegetables. Don’t miss a stop at the Fudge Room, where 20 flavors of small-batch fudge will tempt you. Plan a visit to Shenot’s Pumpkin Smash on Nov. 2 or 3, when guests are invited to bring their decaying jack-o-lanterns to the farm where they can roll them and wreck them in the fields.Through Oct. 27: Hozak Farms Fall Festival, ClintonThis festival operates on weekends, as well as on Columbus Day. Admission is free, with $4 hayrides to the pumpkin patch. Beat the weekend crowds by visiting from 2-6 p.m. on weekdays with free hayrides. Activities for kids include pumpkin painting ($1), jumping in the straw pile and communing with farm animals in the petting zoo. Pony rides are a special feature (weather permitting) for $7. Weekend food is offered by Highland Homestead Farm-to-Table Food Truck, Bubba’s Kettle Corn and Mudpuddles Coffee Truck. Or pack a picnic basket and savor lunch on the farm’s picnic tables.Pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins! Photo courtesy of Harvest Valley Farms.Through Oct. 27: Harvest Valley Farms Fall Festival, ValenciaThis family farm transitions into a fun-filled, pick-your-own pumpkin festival for the 40th year. Admission is free, though there are fees for some activities. In addition to hayrides to the pumpkin patch, kids can have fun in the straw tunnel and cornstalk maze, jump into the corn pit and visit with the farm animals. Crafts, face painting and pumpkin carving kits will be available, too. Enjoy live music, Conny Creek Brewing craft beer and plus festival treats like caramel apples, baked goods and selections from Mars Farmhouse Cafe. The Fall Festival operates on Saturdays and Sundays.Through Oct. 27: Freedom Farms Fall Festival, ValenciaFreedom Farms Fall Festival runs on Saturdays and Sundays, as well as Columbus Day. The $10 admission, free for ages 3 and younger, includes tractor rides, a challenging corn maze, a corn pit, a hay mountain, petting zoo and pick-your-own sunflowers. Additional fees are required for activities like pony rides and face painting. Local artisans and craft vendors will also be on hand. And you will find delicious concessions that will appeal to the whole family. Watch for special discount days like Military Appreciation Day on Oct. 26 and Mother Appreciation Day on Oct. 27. A Trunk or Treat is also planned on Oct. 27. Sign up here.Pick a pumpkin perfect for carving. Photo courtesy of Triple B Farms.Through Oct. 29: Triple B Farms Fall Festival, MonongahelaTriple B’s festival operates daily with apple and flower picking. Pumpkin picking operates on Saturdays and Sundays only. Weekends include farmyard activities with the purchase of a $17 wristband, free for ages 2 and younger. Visit the “Famously Frightening Boo Barn,” race the Scootin’ Scooters and play Grain Bin Basketball. Catch the giggle-inducing Singing Chicken Show, make your way through two corn mazes and zip down giant slides. Hayrides to the pumpkin patches are included. The Food Barn is stocked with apple cider donuts, apple fries and apple cider slushies. Visiting food trucks will be on hand for select weekends, too.Find joy in the pumpkin patch on a sunny day. Photo courtesy of Simmons Farm.Through Nov. 3: Simmons Farm Fall Activities, McMurrayDaily pumpkin picking, apple and flower picking are on the calendar at Simmons Farm. A $17 wristband – free for kids measuring less than 33 inches – includes a hayride or walking the Harvest Trail to the five acres of pumpkin patches. Other activities include a visit to the petting zoo, racing rubber ducks and rolling in a human hamster wheel. Accept the challenge of the two-acre corn maze or the more extreme four-acre maze. The pedal-car drag race and mega slide have their appeal, too.A visit to Mars is not complete without a photo session at the Flying Saucer. Photo courtesy of Mars Applefest. Oct. 5: Mars Applefest, MarsParty like a Martian! This festival has featured fresh-picked apples on the first Saturday of October since 1984, but it is so much more. Mars Town Square is the center of activity that offers more than 150 vendors selling arts and crafts, jewelry and local farm produce. Families will appreciate the kid-focused activities and games. Food booths will offer baked goods, international fare, kettle corn and ever-popular corn dogs. Be sure to stop for photos of the town’s flying saucer. Festival admission and parking are free.Oct. 5: Braddock Farms Fall Festival, BraddockThis annual community festival celebrates the harvest. Farming demonstrations range from apple cider pressing and corn shelling to making paper from farm debris. Kids will be entertained with crafts like butter churning, straw babies and pumpkin art. Compete in the Best Dessert Contest with your favorite sweet treat. Bring a homegrown or decorated veggie for the Monster Vegetable Contest. Enter as a team in the Braddock Farm Olympics and win a Farmer Trophy. Savor the free farm fresh taco bar and Robert’s Greens. Festival admission is free.The iron pour generates excitement at the Festival of Combustion. Photo courtesy of Rivers of Steel. Oct. 5: Festival of Combustion, Carrie Blast FurnacesRivers of Steel hosts this explosive festival that gives a glimpse of Pittsburgh’s industrial past in the shadows of the towering Carrie Blast Furnaces. Demonstrations include welders, blacksmiths, metal fabricators and glassblowers. Artisan vendors will offer American crafts while food trucks will satisfy every appetite. Live music is scheduled throughout the day, which ends with fireworks. Advance admission is $20 for adults, free for ages 18 and younger. It’s one of the 12 reasons we love Pittsburgh in October. Take in an aerial view of the scenic Laurel Highlands at Seven Springs’ Autumnfest. Photo by Heidi Lewis.Oct. 5-20: Autumnfest, Seven SpringsThree weekends of fall fun are scheduled during Autumnfest. Set among the fall colors of the Laurel Highlands, this gathering packs activities for all ages. Ride a chairlift, zip down the Alpine Slide and splash in the children’s Pumpkin Swim. Live music is programmed daily, along with strolling entertainers and magicians. Dozens of artists and crafts vendors will be on hand, too. Seasonal beers will be available, along with scheduled whiskey tastings. Make reservations for the huge Fall Festival Buffet — $35, $18 for ages 8-12, $10 for ages 4-7. Festival admission is free, with fees for select activities.Oct. 9-11: Greek-Tober, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral, OaklandRelish the flavors of Greece with all of your favorites – gyros, kebabs and loukoumades – under the tent at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Festival admission is free.Historic reenactments from the French & Indian War are part of the program at Fort Ligonier Days. Photo courtesy of Fort Ligonier. Oct. 11-13: Fort Ligonier Days, LigonierFort Ligonier Days commemorates a key 1758 battle of the French and Indian War. The three-day event is based at the Ligonier Diamond in the picturesque village and in the restored fort. Thousands of people return every year for the historic battle reenactments, top-rated juried crafts, musical entertainment and a grand parade. Festival admission is free. Fort Ligonier admission is $17, $14 for seniors, $10 for active, free for kids during Fort Ligonier Days.Oct.12: Antique and Artisan Fair, Hartwood Acres StablesGet ready for some shopping! Some of Pittsburgh’s finest antiques and artisan dealers will display their wares. Find sellers inside the stable complex, in the covered courtyard and out on the lawn. Admission is free.Support Allegheny County Parks at Park ‘Til Dark and Pour at the Park. Photo courtesy of Allegheny County Parks Foundation.Oct. 12: Park ‘Til Dark and Pour at the Park, North ParkPark ‘Til Dark runs from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. with a full schedule of free, family activities, from tree planting and a Spooktacular costume bike ride to nature journaling and an arboretum tour. Register for individual activities. Pour at the Park, a fundraiser for Allegheny County Parks Foundation, begins at 5:30 p.m. with an evening of craft beer and food tastings at North Park Lodge. Tickets are $60 for the Drink Tasting Ticket, $25 for a designated driver and ages 16 and older, $10 for Kids Camp for ages 6-15, free for ages 5 and younger.Oct. 17-27: Pittsburgh Playhouse Fall Festival, Point Park UniversityPoint Park University’s Pittsburgh Playhouse is launching its first Fall Festival, which includes an outdoor street fair and an indoor theatrical performance. Forbes Avenue (Downtown) will be closed to vehicle traffic during weekend festival hours. A Halloween-themed pop-up cocktail bar will add to the fun. Tarot card readings are part of the lineup, along with games, crafts and live music by The Hauntones. Take selfies at Cara Rosetti’s mural and with live-action characters. Kids will be entertained at “Boo’s Halloween House Party,” a musical about a ghost who loses his “Boo!” Tickets are $20, $13 for ages 13 and younger. A $100 ticket package includes four theater tickets, discounted game tickets and special trick-or-treats for kids. A $50 adult ticket package offers access for the VIP pop-up bar and a theater ticket. Find details here. Festival admission is free.Take a lesson in Medieval sword fighting at Punkin Chunkin. Photo courtesy of Allegheny County Parks.Oct. 19: Punkin Chunkin, Hartwood AcresThe name for this annual festival comes from launching pumpkins across the amphitheater field with a full-size trebuchet, powered by Sarah Heinz House SHARP Robotics. But there is much more to the day than the excitement of watching pumpkins splatter on the ground. Family activities include cookie decorating, balloon art, face painting and crafts. Lessons in Medieval sword fighting will add an exhilarating aspect to the day. Food trucks will be on-site for treats and drinks. Admission is free.Oct. 19-20: Highmark International StrEAT Festival, DowntownFoodies will flock to the mix of international and Burgh cuisine vendors at the Backyard in the Cultural Trust District. More than 40 gourmet food purveyors will cater to every craving, from savory to sweet. The festival includes live music, a meatball eating contest and a whole bunch of kid-friendly activities. Festival admission is free.Little kids in awe of great big stuff. Photo courtesy of Pittsburgh Monster Pumpkin Festival.Oct. 19-20: Pittsburgh Monster Pumpkin Festival, Strip DistrictThis monster-sized festival features monster-sized pumpkins, like a giant 2,400-pounder. Compete in the pumpkin pie eating contest, test your strength at the 1,000-pound pumpkin pull or dress up in costume for the 5K fun run and walk. Kids can be challenged, too, racing replica tractor pedal cars pulling a weighted sled. Watch a 1,900-pound pumpkin fall from 140 feet above a small swimming pool for a glorious splat. Craft and food vendors, horse-drawn carriages and pumpkin carving artists round out the experience. Admission is free.Oct. 24: Whiskey Rebellion Festival, Pittsburgh Botanic GardenThe Heritage Homestead at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden takes visitors to the 1790s with early American music and olde-timey snacks. History lessons will come from historical organizations and examples of craftsmanship from the era. Sample moonshine from local distilleries. Author and historian Brady Crytzer will address the political dynamics that led to this historic tax protest. Participants will be offered a tour of the Walker-Ewing-Glass Log House, too. Admission is $45.Oct. 25-27: Boos and Toos Tattoo Horror Fest, Monroeville Convention CenterTattoo artists and the tattooed will come together in a spooky-themed celebration. Tattoo contests include spooky/horror tats in full color and black and white, plus zombies and skulls. Other contests include best zombie walk and best beard. Only Flesh, a rock band and suspension team, will perform daily. Learn a new skill at the horror makeup tutorial and get creative for the adult costume contest. On Oct. 27, kids can compete in a costume contest and trick-or-treating. Tickets are $20 per day, $45 for the weekend, free for ages 12 and younger.Be prepared for a chocolate-induced daze at the Pittsburgh Coffee & Chocolate Festival. Photo by Lisa Fotios via Pexels.Oct. 26: Pittsburgh Coffee & Chocolate Festival, Monroeville Convention CenterTwo of our most flavorful addictions come together in one event. Sample a variety of coffee roasts and styles as you savor tempting chocolate treats. Gourmet roasters, artisan chocolatiers, bakeries, wineries and distilleries will exhibit and sell items to take home. Choose from two sessions. General admission is $35. VIP tickets are $50, which includes early entrance, VIP seating, a complimentary made-to-order crepe and a tote bag for your goodies.Nov. 1: Pittsburgh Halloween Festival, South Park FairgroundsThis indoor-outdoor vegan-based festival celebrates Halloween, Day of the Dead and the Celtic Samhain Day of the Dead. Come prepared to compete in Halloween costume contests for adults, kids and dogs. Those kids and dogs can trick-or-treat and stroll the kid-friendly Haunted Trail. Food trucks and booths will offer beer, wine and food. Vendors include metaphysical booths, witch shops, psychics and healers. Admission is free.Visit with vendors and sample wares at the Hometown-Homegrown food expo. Photo courtesy of Heinz History Center.Nov. 2: Hometown-Homegrown, Heinz History CenterThis 11th-annual food festival, presented in partnership with GoodTaste! Pittsburgh, offers all those delicious craving-inducing tastes of the Burgh. This tasty food expo gathers vendors who will hand out free samples of their food and drinks. Take in a cooking lesson from local culinary personalities in the History Center’s kitchen classroom. And you can learn more about our gastronomic history throughout the museum. Activities are included in general admission, free for ages 17 and younger.The post 30 Pittsburgh fall festivals, from farm fun to horror tattoos to tempting chocolate appeared first on NEXTpittsburgh.