Halloween & Fall Festivals in Lancaster County

It’s time for fall in Lancaster County, which means crops are harvested, colorful leaves adorn the trees, and fireplaces flicker to life. Home to sprawling countryside, farm-fresh agriculture, and home-cooked comfort foods, there's no better place to experience fall than in Lancaster.

Halloween in Lancaster

Halloween in Lancaster means more than just trick-or-treating. Get into the spooky spirit with a candlelight ghost tour of Lancaster. Walk the streets of Downtown Lancaster as you absorb 300 years of haunted history, forgotten mysteries, and tales of star-crossed lovers.

If walking isn’t your idea of fun, enjoy Lancaster’s only motorized ghost tour at Strasburg Scooter Tours. After sundown, zip through the backroads of Strasburg, and delve into local folklore and Lancaster’s spooky stories.

For families with littles, stop by Yummie’s Halloween Boo Bash at Kitchen Kettle Village on Saturday, October 26. Enjoy a costume contest, whoopie pie making experience, hot chocolate bar, spooktacular scavenger hunt, and more!

To experience Halloween at the World’s Best Family Park, check out Dutch Wonderland’s Happy Hauntings event, featuring the Trick or Treasure Trail, Duke’s Halloween Bubble Bash, must-try Dutch Wonderland rides, and more!

Explore more fall activities!

Fairs and Festivals

Lancaster County hosts numerous agricultural fairs and farm shows each year, exhibiting the best livestock, produce, baked goods, and artwork that Lancaster locals have produced. Enjoy Lancaster fair classics like tractor pulls, cattle shows, parades, and auctions. Get to know the county—and the people who live here—at some of Lancaster’s best fairs:

• Ephrata Fair | Sept. 24 – 28
• Manheim Community Farm Show | Oct. 7 – 11
• New Holland Farmers Fair | Oct. 2 – 5
• Solanco Fair | Sept. 18 – 20
• West Lampeter Community Fair | Sept. 25 – 27

Put those leftover Halloween pumpkins to use at Cherry Crest Adventure Farm’s Pumpkin Madness Festival on Saturday, November 2. Spend the afternoon demolishing pumpkins at fun events like pumpkin smashing, pumpkin bowling, pumpkin putt-putt, and more!

Catch a film at the Red Rose International Film Festival, November 8 – 10. Attendees will enjoy a variety of shorts, documentaries, and feature-length films, bringing global perspectives to the Lancaster community.

Check out more fairs and festivals.

Outdoor Adventures

Soak up the fall colors this October at one of Lancaster’s gorgeous parks and preserves. Stroll through seven-acre Lititz Springs Park, home to multiple pavilions and picnic areas, a playground, and an array of scenic water features. Rent an e-bike from Let’s Roll Columbia or Chiques Rock Outfitters, and hop on the Northwest River Trail—a peaceful trail surrounded by streams, tall rock faces, and lush foliage. Not into nature trails? Take a ride with Strasburg Rail Road or Smoketown Helicopters for a unique view of Lancaster’s foliage and farmland.

Check out more must-visit spots for fall foliage!

Savor the flavor of fall with your own hand-picked produce. Whether you’re looking to roast pumpkin seeds or bake an apple pie, Lancaster produces plentiful crops of fruits and vegetables to suit your needs. Visit Barnyard Kingdom on weekends in September and October, and take a wagon ride to their 10-acre pumpkin patch. Drop by Cherry Hill Orchards to browse 45 varieties of apples with varying ripening dates from mid-July to mid-November. 

Find more apple picking and pumpkin picking recommendations in Lancaster County.

Wind your way through the twists and turns of the Amish Farm and House’s quilt-patterned corn maze. Looking for a bigger challenge? Put your problem-solving skills to the test as you spend an afternoon in Oregon Dairy’s 18-acre corn maze. This year’s design, yet to be officially unveiled, centers around the theme “War of the Roses.”

Find more corn mazes around the county!