ASHLAND — Fall is in full swing, and the month of October features festivals, Halloween and pumpkin people.
Across Ashland County, there are plenty of spooky attractions, beautiful hikes and fun times to be had to celebrate the change of the seasons.
Keep scrolling for a comprehensive list of fall activities throughout the course of the next month.
Pick up some sweet treats or fall wares
Honey Haven Farm’s annual Fall Festival is back in full force this year. It runs through Oct. 27. Limited activities are taking place Wednesday through Friday from 3 to 7 p.m.
The full slate of activities are available Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. or Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. Attendees can visit the general store, corn maze and pumpkin patch any time.
On the weekends, concessions and a craft barn are also open — not to mention corn cannons and pumpkin slingshots. The event is family-friendly and free to enter, though activities come at some cost.
Nothing says fall like a good farmers market — and the Ashland Midweek Farmers Market is still going! Visit it at 663 E. Main St., outside the University Hospitals Samaritan Medical Center, on Wednesdays. It runs from 4 to 6 p.m.
Beyond Measure Market has an open house for the “Last Blast of Fall” scheduled for Oct. 19. Attendees can visit the market from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and should expect samples, seasonal items and a special giveaway.
Appleseed Community Mental Health Center is hosting its free Apple Fest on Oct. 19 from 1 to 3 p.m. Visitors will head out to 2233 Rocky Lane. It will feature plenty of family-friendly activities, from a trunk-or-treat to corn hole to a bounce house. Costumes are encouraged.
The Polk Firefighters Association will take over the Ashland County Fairgrounds Oct. 19 for its Bulls & Barrels of Fire Rodeo. Activities for children begin at 7 p.m., and the rodeo itself kicks off at 8 p.m. Box seating costs $200, and a regular ticket is $16.
You can purchase tickets at the following link: https://www.highsteelrodeo.com/event-details-registration/high-steel-rodeo-bulls-and-barrels-3.
Proceeds go toward equipment, training and personnel support for the Polk Jackson Perry Fire District.
Dash over to the Richland County Fairgrounds the weekend of Oct. 19 and 20 for the 11th annual Autumn Fiber Festival. The event features artists and craftspeople selling their products and demonstrating their crafts. It will have free admission, free parking and food and refreshments available.
Head out to Nova for a farmers market at Blue Shutter Farms on Oct. 26. The fun kicks off at 3 p.m. at 957 County Road 40. It features food trucks, local vendors and live music.
Go for a hike
Looking for something fun and free? Get out there into the great outdoors!
Ashland County and its surrounding area has plenty of beautiful fall scenery to offer.
Head out to Pleasant Hill Lake Park Oct. 11-12 for its Halloween Weekend. You’ll be sure to see some beautiful scenery and catch a full weekend of activities learning about nature and enjoying some spooky activities.
Want to walk for a cause? You could join in on the North Central Ohio Out of the Darkness Walk. The walk, hosted to raise awareness for suicide prevention, takes place at 2 p.m. Oct. 20. It will be at Freer Field.
Ashland’s got a couple of options to get out in nature right in the city (or close by). You could always go for a walk at Freer Field, choose a new trail at Sandusky Hollow or head out to Byers Woods.
Or, try Ashland Main Street and check out the new pumpkin people and fall decorations. I can promise — it’s a fun time!
If you’re on the hunt for a little more of an adventure, Mohican State Park or Malabar Farm State Park always beckon.
Catch a show
Interested in hearing some excellent music? The Ashland Symphony Orchestra has you covered.
It will stage a performance of “The Four Seasons” at the Robert M. and Janet L. Archer Auditorium in Ashland on Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. The show also makes its way to Loudonville, with a performance at the Ohio Theatre on Oct. 27 at 2 p.m. Get tickets here: https://www.ashlandsymphony.org/event/the-four-seasons/.
The public can be part of the show by joining in for a murder mystery event at the Ashland Theatre on Oct. 17. The night, with the theme “Terror in Transylvania,” promises a haunting time for all.
And, it’s for a good cause — the entire event is a fundraiser for the theatre, put on by volunteers. Grab a ticket for $50.
A short drive over to Mansfield offers a chance to view a Hip-Hop Halloween hosted at Richland Source’s newsroom on Nov. 1. Doors open at 7 p.m.
DJ Dro Jack will spin tunes, and there will be performances from A.P. The Kidd, Devy Kay and Thuh Koz. It’s all free, including food from Doc’s Deli and drinks from the Phoenix Brewing Company. And make sure you wear your costume!
Get your spooky on at a haunted house
Ashland’s dark history will be on full display with an event at the library and a tour from the Ashland County Historical Society.
Teens are encouraged to attend the library’s Dark History of Ashland event Oct. 24, where they’ll hear about the “spine-chilling” stories that shaped Ashland.
Register here: https://ashland.librarycalendar.com/event/dark-history-ashland-ashland-county-historical-society-15775.
On Oct. 25 at 6:30 p.m., you can join a Dark History Tour of Ashland for $5. The tour will be run by the Ashland County Historical Society. Attendees must be 13 or older.
Attend the annual Pumpkin Glow at the Freer Home. Tours will take place Oct. 17, 18, 19, 20, 26 and 27 from 6-8 p.m at 1260 Center St. It’ll cost $3 for adults and $1 for children aged three to 18. Children under two years old get in for free.
One can visit the Mohican Haunted Schoolhouse for a scary time. The attraction promises frights across three stories, a basement and an outdoor exhibit. The schoolhouse has endured several alleged ghost sightings and spooky stories since it was built in 1924.
It is open Fridays and Saturdays throughout October, plus Oct. 27 and Nov. 2. Get more information or tickets here.
Escape from Blood Prison boasts a scary walk through the Ohio State Reformatory, one of Ohio’s most notoriously haunted prisons. You will hear the eery cries of the warden’s widow, face inmates and malformed guards and confront the blackness of The Hole.
Can you take it? Find out — Blood Prison will run from Oct. 4 to Nov. 2. Find more info or get your tickets here.
Go for a Ghost Hike at Malabar Farm State Park. The hikes will happen Oct. 13, 20 and 27 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Attendees will hear local tales from the Valley, American Indian folklore, early pioneer history, plus about the supernatural, mythological and more.
The hikes are recommended for adults and pre-registration is required by calling 419-892-2784. Limited space is available.
Playing dress up
Ashland Main Street will host its Flannel Fest Oct. 12. The event asks attendees to don their flannels and come downtown to enjoy a day of specials, sales and activities at the local businesses in the area.
Ashland’s DORA, or designated outdoor refreshment area, will also be in effect for the event.
Halloween isn’t just for children — adults can still rock a costume too! Ashland Main Street offers a chance to do just that with its Costume Crawl.
Local restaurants will offer food and drink specials and a Silent Disco will take over Foundation Plaza. The event will stretch from 6-10 p.m., and Ashland’s DORA will be in effect.
Trunk-or-treat before trick-or-treat
The Rollercade is advertising a Hallo-Wheelin’ Car Show, to take place Oct. 26 at 853 Township Road 1102. Registration begins at 1 p.m. on that day, and spooky costumes and decorated vehicles are encouraged. More details are available on Facebook.
Donley-Ford of Ashland will host a trunk-or-treat event Oct. 21 from 6-7:30 p.m.
The Hayesville-Vermillion Volunteer Fire Department is hosting its seventh annual cruise-in and trunk-or-treat event on Oct. 12. The event boasts live music, a costume contest and goodie bags provided by the department. Registration is any donation amount and 100% of the proceeds go back to the fire department.
All Hallow’s Eve
The Inn at Ashland Woods will host a trick-or-treating event Oct. 23 at 6 p.m. Children can come and walk through the assisted living facility.
Head over to downtown Ashland Oct. 29 for Costume Capers, a trick-or-treat event for the whole family. The event will go from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
The city of Ashland’s trick-or-treat event will take place on Halloween this year. It’s scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 31. Citizens who want children to visit their homes should turn on their porch lights to indicate their participation.
The Ashland Public Library will also host a Zombie Prom for teens on Oct. 31.
Students in sixth through 12th grade are invited to wear their costumes and come celebrate the holiday at the Stockwell Room from 5 to 6 p.m. Space is limited, so participants should register on the library’s website.
Loudonville’s annual Halloween parade and trick-or-treat is slated for Oct. 26 from 3:30 to 7 p.m. The parade begins at 3:30 p.m. at C.E. Budd School and proceeds down Loudonville’s Main Street.
It ends at the Street Fair building on North Water Street, where costumes will be judged. Trick-or-treating through downtown Loudonville and through the village’s residential areas will follow.
Robin Beasley, the mayor of Hayesville, said the village’s trick-or-treat will happen Oct. 31 from 6 to 7 p.m. At 7 p.m., the Hayesville Lions Club will judge costumes at the fire department. Attendees can enjoy cider, hot dogs and donuts.
Jeromesville’s trick-or-treat is scheduled for Oct. 31 from 6 to 7 p.m., according to mayor Randy Spade. Spade said an event in the park will follow trick-or-treating. That event will feature costume judging, cookies and cider.
