Cincinnati's Best Fall Festivals and Events To Keep You Entertained This Season

Ohio Renaissance Festival

For weekends steeped in magic, chivalry, Arthurian flair and fantasy vibes, don your favorite corset or suit of armor and pick your favorite themed weekend to join in. Cheer on your favorite jouster with a giant turkey leg in hand, then wash it down with ale. 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 27. $23 adult; $21 seniors/military/fire/EMS; $9.50 child. 10542 E State Route 73, Waynesville, renfestival.com.
Photo: Adam Doty

Murder on the Menu

Spring, 1879: A gunshot rings out near Washington Platform; the body of a young businessman is soon found dead in the alley across from City Hall. It’s Cincinnati’s oldest unsolved murder case, and the night begins with a walking tour of the crime, followed by a four-course dinner, during which the rest of the story unfolds. Dishes are what was common in Cincinnati circa the late 1800s and are paired with local craft beer. 6-9 p.m. Sept. 19; Oct. 17. $50. Washington Platform, 1000 Elm St., Downtown, queencityhistory.com.
Photo via Facebook.com/QueenCityHistory

Cincinnati Comic Expo

Cincinnati’s largest comic con and pop culture expo is back for its 10th-annual show and features artists, publishers, authors, cosplayers and fans from around the globe including slated guests Morena Baccarin (Deadpool, Gotham), Kathy Najimy (Hocus Pocus), Emmy Raver-Lampman (The Umbrella Academy), Jewel Staite (Firefly), Alan Tudyk (A Knight’s Tale) and Will Wheaton. 3-8 p.m. Sept. 20; 10-7 p.m. Sept. 21; 10-5 p.m. Sept. 22. $25-$55 adult; $5 kids; meet and greets and photo ops cost extra. Duke Energy Convention Center, 525 Elm St., Downtown, cincinnaticomicexpo.com.
Photo via Facebook.com/CincinnatiComicExpo

Oktoberfest Zinzinnati

Cincinnati is a city steeped in German heritage; celebrate that with North America’s largest Oktoberfest, second only to the OG in Munich. Feast on sauerkraut balls, goetta, cream puffs, bratwurst, pretzels, limburger cheese, etc. There will also be bratwurst-eating contests, the “World’s Largest Chicken Dance,” German music and more. 11 a.m. -11 p.m. Sept. 20; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sept. 21; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sept. 22. Free admission. Second and Third streets between Walnut and Elm streets, Downtown, oktoberfestzinzinnati.com.
Photo via Facebook.com/OktoberfestZinzinnati

Fire Up the Night

International teams head to Coney Island to compete in a fireworks face-off. All three competitors — Belgium, Vietnam and Russia— go head to head in a pyrotechnic showdown for international bragging rights. The winner will be determined by a panel of judges. Gates open 4 p.m.; fireworks begin at 8:30 p.m. Sept. 21. $25 per carload. Coney Island, 6201 Kellogg Ave., California, coneyislandpark.com.
Photo via Facebook.com/ConeyIslandAmusementPark

ISH Festival

Launched in 2017, this arts and cultural festival explores Jewish and Israeli traditions through art, food, music for all ages. 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 22. Free. Washington Park, 1230 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, ishfestival.com.
Photo via Facebook.com/IshFestival

The Great Pumpkin Fest

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! King’s Island will be a place transformed come October. But, during this fest it’s all treats and no tricks. Check out mazes, trick-or-treating and the park’s Halloween-themed events and décor, suitable for all ages. Noon-7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays Sept. 22-Oct. 27. Tickets start at $34.99. 6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason, visitkingsisland.com.
Photo via Facebook.com/KingsIsland

Greater Cincinnati Restaurant Week

Become a culinary tourist in your own city during CityBeat’s Greater Cincinnati Restaurant Week. Local eateries like Sartre OTR, Salazar, Nicola's, Taste of Belgium and many others will offer $26 and $36 three-course prix fixe menus (excluding beverages, tax and gratuity). Sept. 23-29. $26-$36. Visit greatercincinnatirestaurantweek.com for a full list of participating restaurants.
Photo via Facebook.com/GreaterCincinnatiRestaurantWeek

Rhythm Brew Art and Music Fest

With autumn comes cozier music fests. Enter: the three-day Rhythm Brew Art and Music Fest. Peruse local art and listen to music from more than 35 bands on three stages including Rumpke Mountain Boys, Young Heirlooms, Sylmar, Frontier Folk Nebraska, Common Center, Hickory Robot and more. 9 p.m. Sept. 27; 2 p.m. Sept. 28; noon Sept. 29. $25 per day; $40 weekend pass; $100 VIP. Riverfront Live, Kellogg Ave., East End, rhythmbrewfest.com.
Photo via Facebook.com/RythmBrewFest

Country Applefest

Whether you pronounce it caramel or caramel, get ready to get some of the delightful sugary stuff stuck in your teeth. This fall festival is a celebration of all things apple: candy apples, cider, fritters, pies and more. Relish in the apple extravaganza and shop arts and crafts like pottery, jewelry and handmade, possibly apple-scented soaps. 10 a.m.- 7 p.m. Sept. 28; 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. Sept. 29. Free admission. Warren County Fairgrounds, 665 N. Broadway St., Lebanon, countryapplefest.com.
Photo via Facebook.com/CountryApplefest

Great Outdoor Weekend

Feel that brisk breeze with Green Umbrella’s annual outdoor events sampler. Great Outdoor Weekend presents opportunities for children and adults to try different outdoor recreation and nature awareness programs available in Greater Cincinnati. Each fall there are more than 100 events available. Sept. 28-29. Free. Various locations. greenumbrella.org/gow.
Photo via Facebook.com/GreenUmbrella

Haunted Brewery Tour

Take this haunted tour along the Cincinnati Brewing Heritage Trail and stop at the Christian Moerlein Malt House Taproom to solve a creepy puzzle. In this interactive mystery, you’ll hear five haunted tales and use clues to figure out which story isn’t based on history. The production is a collaboration between Christian Moerlein Brewing, the Brewing Heritage Trail, Cincinnati Escape Room and Cincinnati Landmark Productions. It’s a trip back in time, through a darkened brewery and into an abandoned cellar. They’ve added lights-on tours this year. Starting at 7 p.m. every Friday and 6 p.m. every Saturday in October. $25. Christian Moerlein Malt House Taproom, 1621 Moore St., Over-the-Rhine, hauntedbrewerytour.com.
Photo via Facebook.com/BrewingHeritageTrail

Kentucky Wool Festival

Drive through winding country roads before landing at the Kentucky Wool Fest; be greeted by the wafting scent of fried food, twangy banjos, a petting zoo and vendor booths with handcrafted items selling everything from threads to keep you warm to goat-milk soap and lots and lots of wool. Watch sheep herding and sheep shearing demos as well as artisans turn wool into yarn and fiber works. 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Oct. 4 and 5; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 6. $5. 48 Concord Caddo Road, Falmouth, kywoolfest.org.
Photo via Facebook.com/KentuckyWoolFestival

Donauschwaben Oktoberfest

The 27th-annual Donauschwaben Oktoberfest features more than 25 beers on tap, homemade food, live German-style entertainment, a car show and more. Oct. 4-6. $3 adults; free for children 12 and younger. Cincinnati Donauschwaben Society. 4290 Dry Ridge Road, Colerain, cincydonau.com.
Photo via Facebook.com/DonauschwabenSociety

AC2 Live

Emmy Award-winning host Andy Cohen and award-winning anchor and correspondent Anderson Cooper will host an “intimate evening” interviewing each other and accepting questions from fans. 8 p.m. Oct. 4. $60-$100. Aronoff Center, 650 Walnut St., Downtown, cincinnatiarts.org.
Photo via Facebook.com/AronoffCenter

HallZOOween

Tricks and treats aren’t just for humans — zoo residents get in on the fun with special pumpkin enrichment activities every weekend in October. Kids can trick-or-treat at stations scattered throughout the grounds, catch a show from Phil Dalton’s Theater of Illusion and even hop on the Hogwarts Express. Costumes are encouraged, as is bringing along your own treat bag to help the zoo go green. Noon-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays Oct. 5-27. Free with zoo admission: $15 adults; $9 kids. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, 3400 Vine St., Avondale, cincinnatizoo.org.
Photo via Facebook.com/CincinnatiZoo / Erica J. Hill

CliftonFest

This annual arts fest takes over Ludlow Avenue for a weekend of art, music and shopping. Enjoy the spirit of the neighborhood with live art drawings on the sidewalk, performances from local bands on two different stages and artisan shopping. Register your four-legged friends for the pet parade (costumes encouraged). 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Oct. 5. Free admission. Ludlow Avenue, Clifton, cliftonfest.com.
Photo via Facebook.com/CliftonFestonLudlow

Weekend of Fire

Calling all spice lovers: Jungle Jim’s Weekend of Fire presents all things hot, including, salsas, dry rubs, hot sauces and bloody marys. Bring pals who can take the heat and peruse over 50 vendors. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 5; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 6. $10 adults; $2 kids. Jungle Jim’s, 5440 Dixie Highway, Fairfield, junglejims.com.
Photo via Facebook.com/JungleJim’s

Sunflower Festival

The Gorman Heritage Sunflower Festival oozes cuteness. Take a stroll through towering golden sunflowers — and snip a bundle to take home. The fest also includes hayrides, vendors, a sunflower field maze, food trucks, pumpkin picking and a MadTree beer garden. Sunflowers are $1 per stem or $10 per dozen. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 5 and 6. $8 adults; $5 kids 3-17/seniors; free kids under 3. Gorman Heritage Farm, 10052 Reading Road, Evendale, gormanfarm.org.
Photo via Facebook.com/GormanHeritageFarm

Young’s Dairy Fall Farm Pumpkin Festival

Slip on your fave sweater and take a road trip to Yellow Springs, Ohio for all things pumpkin at Young’s Jersey Dairy farm’s 43rd-annual Fall Farm Pumpkin Festival. Bowl with ’em, paint ’em, eat ’em donut-style (and cinnamon-encrusted), take a tour of the town’s cheese-making facility and learn how to milk a cow. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 5 and 6. 6880 Springfield-Xenia Road, Yellow Springs, youngsdairy.com.
Photo via Facebook.com/YoungsJerseyDairy