Fall is in the air and we can smell those hot Apple Donuts by just thinking about them. October is full of great events like Prairie Peddler Festival, Fall Flicker at Kingwood Center Gardens, and the Ohio State Reformatory’s terrifying Blood Prison. Here’s a list of festivals, fall fun, frights and more October events you’ll find on our calendar.
All Month Long
The Ohio Watercolor Society brings a celebration of the water medium to Mansfield for the OWS Watercolor Ohio 2019 Exhibition (Through Oct 27) at Mansfield Art Center. This exquisite exhibition will feature a mix of contemporary and traditional artists. The Fall Flicker (Oct 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, 24-25) at Kingwood Center Gardens is a weekly fall festival with activities, food, games, music, pumpkins, and more on Thursday and Friday evenings. Each week will have a different theme as well as “add-on” experiences that can be purchased like learning to create a Pumpkin Fused Glass Pendant or a flashlight tour of the Townsend House. Test your nerve in Blood Prison (Oct 3-6, 10-13, 17-20, 24-27, 31) at the Ohio State Reformatory, the only haunted house in a real prison. For a more family-friendly fall outing, check out Fun at The Barnyard Park (Saturday & Sunday, Oct 5-20) near Bellville, Ohio. The Barnyard Park offers over 26 fall attractions each weekend, but you won’t want to miss the Hocus Pocus Trick-or-Treat Trail (Oct 19) or the Glow Night Corn Maze & Scary Hollow Hayrides (Oct 26). Wayne’s Country Market will have free fall activities for kids like a straw maze, slides, corn bin, and a zip line during regular business hours through the month of October.
Festivals & Special Events
See all your favorite local talent across all genres at the Mansfield Music Fest (Oct 4-5) at Snow Trails. Shop from over 200 vendors in a primitive outdoor marketplace at the Prairie Peddler Festival (Oct 5-6) in Butler, Ohio. This festival also features live music, food, wagon rides, artist demonstrations, and hands-on crafts for kids. The Pour One Nine Beerfest 2019 (Oct 19) at Kingwood Center Gardens promises over 20 of Ohio’s finest fall brews, hundreds of Jack-o-lanterns, live music, food, and a cigar garden.
Experience a haunted hayride and hike at the Haunting at the Harvest (October 18-19) at Malabar Farm State Park. There will be a special movie shown in the barn and family activities at the visitors center. Trick-or-treat at the Monsterfield Masquerade (Oct 26) in Downtown Mansfield. Over 60 participating merchants will open their doors to trick-or-treaters and a Halloween parade will follow. The First Friday Shop Hop (Oct 4) in the Mansfield Carrousel District is a great way to get to know the many local shops and restaurants downtown. You can also expect to find plenty of specials, activities, and live entertainment throughout the evening.
The End of the Season
The Cooper Tires ARX of Mid-Ohio (Oct 5-6) at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course returns to bring a thrilling end to an epic 2019 motorsports season in Richland County. The American Rallycross Championship will be held on a temporary .7 mile, 10-turn asphalt and dirt configuration with a special jump in the Keyhole section at Mid-Ohio.
Get Moving
Get out and enjoy the crisp fall air and watch the leaves change color. Join in on the Fall Hike for Health (Oct 19) and the Fall Color Hike (Oct 19) at Malabar Farm State Park. You can also get moving at the Malabar Barn Dance (Oct 26) at Malabar Farm State Park. Beginners welcome! Grab your partner for line and square dancing with a live caller.
Great Performances
This month at the Renaissance Theatre, see Sing Out! A Choral Celebration (Oct 6). The Mansfield Symphony Chorus combines voices with the region’s best high school choirs. Bring the whole family to the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra – Family Pops: Once Upon A Symphony (Oct 20) and let the music take you to magical places. You can also have a Halloween-themed family movie night at the Renaissance Theatre for the Family Film: The Nightmare Before Christmas (Oct 27).
The Renaissance Performing Arts Association also brings audiences two stage productions to Theatre 166: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Oct 4-5, 11-12) and The Last Five Years (Oct 25-27).
What will you put on your calendar? Make sure to check the Destination Mansfield-Richland County Calendar of Events regularly as new events are added all the time. You’ll also find a list of live music offerings on the calendar and on the hashtag #RichlandLIVE on our social media platforms.