What's Happening Around Avon & Across Ohio: Late October & Early November 2026

One of the largest Renaissance festivals in the Midwest is in its final stretch. The Ohio Renaissance Festival runs every weekend through Sunday, November 1, at its permanent sixteenth-century-style village along East State Route 73 in Warren County, with live jousting, costumed performers, working artisan shops, and food that feels straight out of a medieval feast.

Each of the last three weekends has its own theme, so every visit feels different. Romance Weekend (October 17-18), Myths & Monsters (October 24-25), and the season-closing Heroes and Villains (October 31 through November 1), when kids 12 and under get in free. Gates open at 10:30 AM each day; adult tickets are $35, children 5 to 12 are $10, and parking is included.

This one is especially close to our hearts. Glasshouse Realty keeps a billboard presence along the roads around the festival grounds, so as you make your way to the gates you may just spot our sign. It is a small reflection of how connected our team is to this corner of Warren County. For jousting fans, costume lovers, and anyone with a taste for turkey legs, it is essential Southwest Ohio, and these are your last chances this season.

Our spotlight city celebrates Halloween the classic Ohio way. The City of Avon's official trick-or-treat runs Saturday, October 31 from 6:00 to 7:30 PM, and in a community where new neighborhoods go up every year, that means porch lights glowing along streets lined with brand-new homes, wide sidewalks, and families who know their neighbors by name.

It is also a perfect excuse to see why Avon keeps growing. Walk a loop through a newer subdivision, peek at the community parks, and you will understand the appeal: safe streets, strong schools, and a town that shows up for its kids. Grab a costume, bring a flashlight, and enjoy one of the friendliest Halloween nights in the Cleveland market.

About fifteen minutes south of Avon, Mapleside Farms in Brunswick keeps its Pumpkin Village open through November 1. The farm fills with thousands of pumpkins and gourds, a corn maze, farm animals, wagon rides, and all the apple cider and donuts you can carry, making it a favorite fall outing for families across the western Cleveland suburbs.

It is the kind of outing that pairs perfectly with an afternoon drive through Lorain and Medina counties, where the foliage is at its peak right now. Come for the pumpkins, stay for the cider, and enjoy a classic Northeast Ohio farm day before the season winds down.

Warren County's famous amusement park turns spooky after dark through Halloween. Kings Island's Halloween Haunt runs select Thursday through Sunday nights until October 31, filling the park with haunted mazes, scare zones, live shows, and thrill rides running under the moonlight. It is one of the biggest Halloween events in the Cincinnati metro, and it is right in Glasshouse's backyard.

With Mason one of the fastest-growing communities in the region, a trip to the park is also a great excuse to see the new neighborhoods, shops, and schools going up around it. Brave the mazes if you dare, then take a drive through town on the way home.

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden keeps its beloved Jack O'Lantern Glow glowing every night through October 31. Thousands of hand-carved pumpkins line the zoo paths in elaborate displays, alongside themed lantern scenes, costumed characters, and family-friendly Halloween fun that has become a Cincinnati tradition.

It is a spectacular, low-stress evening outing for all ages, and a perfect way to enjoy one of the country's most celebrated zoos after dark. Grab tickets ahead of time, bundle up, and wander the glow.

For those who like their Halloween with a serious scare, Cincinnati Fear Fest in Clermont County is one of the region's biggest haunted attractions. Its final weekend runs October 29 through November 1 in Williamsburg, about forty minutes east of downtown Cincinnati, with multiple haunted houses, scare zones, live performers, and a full festival atmosphere.

It is a fitting finale for Clermont County's busy fall season and a great pick for thrill-seekers who want one last big scare before the holiday lights take over.

Dayton's biggest Halloween street party returns to the Historic Oregon District on Saturday, October 24. The 40th annual Hauntfest on Fifth, themed "Horror Through the Decades," takes over Fifth Street and South Jefferson starting at 7:00 PM, with costumed crowds, live music, food vendors, and one of the best people-watching nights of the year in the Miami Valley.

Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door, and the event is 18 and up to enter, 21 and up to drink. Dust off your best costume, bring your crew, and celebrate four decades of Dayton Halloween tradition in the heart of the Oregon District.

The Dayton Art Institute gets into the Halloween spirit with its Spooky Tours on Saturday, October 24 and again on Halloween, October 31, plus the Skinner Pipe Organ "Spooktacular" on Sunday, October 25 at 2:00 PM, when the museum's mighty organ plays a program of haunting favorites under the famous barrel-vaulted ceiling.

It is a classier kind of Halloween outing, perfect for anyone who wants art, architecture, and a little seasonal drama. The DAI is one of Dayton's cultural treasures, and its October programming is a lovely way to see it in a different light.

Families can trick-or-treat among the world's largest collection of military aircraft at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force on Halloween. Troops & Treats runs from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM with candy stops, costumes, and photo-worthy planes everywhere you look, and admission is free.

It is one of the best free family Halloween events in the region, and a reminder of why Wright-Patterson and the Air Force are so woven into Greater Dayton's identity. Bring the kids in costume, tour the hangars, and grab a handful of treats along the way.

Cleveland's Slavic Village keeps its Polish heritage front and center with the St. John Cantius Polish Festival on Saturday, October 24. Expect pierogi by the plateful, Polish music and dancing, cultural displays, and the warm, community-driven atmosphere that has made this neighborhood a Cleveland institution for generations.

It is a wonderful reminder of the immigrant neighborhoods that built Cleveland, and a delicious way to spend a late-October Saturday. Come hungry, dance a little, and celebrate a culture that is very much alive.

Cleveland families have two great Halloween send-offs this month. The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's Boo at the Zoo runs through Sunday, October 25 with costume parades, treat stations, and animal encounters, while the Cleveland Botanical Garden hosts its Boo-tanical Bash on Saturday, October 24 from noon to 3:00 PM, a family DJ party with games, storytime, and fall fun among the gardens.

Both are relaxed, family-friendly ways to celebrate the season, and together they make a wonderful weekend of it in University Circle. Costumes encouraged, good weather hoped for.

When Halloween wraps up, downtown Dayton keeps the momentum going with First Friday on November 6. The monthly evening brings galleries, shops, restaurants, and cultural venues across downtown together for art openings, live music, food specials, and the kind of street-level energy that makes Dayton's core feel alive.

It is a free, easy way to rediscover downtown after the fall festival rush, and a great chance to see how much the city center has changed in recent years. Park once, wander a few blocks, and let the evening unfold.

Right after the Renaissance Festival closes, historic Waynesville flips straight into holiday mode. Hearthwarming Holidays, November 6-8, fills the town's famous antiques shops and boutiques with seasonal merchandise, decorations, and hospitality, Friday and Saturday 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM and Sunday noon to 5:00 PM, with free admission.

It is the unofficial start of holiday shopping season in one of Ohio's most charming Main Streets, and a lovely way to carry the fall spirit into November. Get a jump on your gift list while the town still glows with autumn color.

Lebanon, one of the fastest-growing communities in the Cincinnati metro, hosts The Christmas Market at the Warren County Fairgrounds November 13-15. Dozens of vendors bring handmade gifts, seasonal decor, food, and holiday cheer to the fairgrounds at 665 North Broadway, giving shoppers an early start on the season in a festive, family-friendly setting.

Pair it with a stroll through Lebanon's historic downtown, and you have a full weekend of small-town holiday spirit. It is a wonderful preview of what makes this corner of Warren County so special.

Mark the calendar now: WinterLand CLE returns to Public Square in downtown Cleveland on Saturday, November 28, kicking off the holiday season on Small Business Saturday. The free celebration brings the city's iconic holiday lights, ice skating, live entertainment, and seasonal vendors together in the heart of downtown.

It is the perfect capstone to this roundup: a reminder that in Ohio, the community calendar never really slows down. From the last joust of the Renaissance Festival to the first glow of Cleveland's holiday lights, there is always a reason to gather, to celebrate, and to feel connected to the place you call home.