Philly Fall 2024 Guide: The 60+ Biggest Events, Festivals & Exhibitions

PHILADELPHIA, September 27, 2024 – Welcome to fall in Greater Philadelphia — an incredible stretch marked not only by beautiful foliage, but an array of events spanning cultural celebrations, seasonal festivals, family-friendly activities and more.

To inform all your coverage needs this season, Visit Philadelphia has assembled this press release round-up to provide essential details on key events throughout the Five-County Region.

A few of the highlights on deck for visitors and residents?

• For spooky season fun, Philly’s got the nation’s largest haunted house at Eastern State Penitentiary.
• The Philadelphia Zoo, Sesame Place and Peddler’s Village are a seasonal go-to for time with the whole family.
• Folks can hit up a pumpkin patch or corn maze at Shady Brook Farm, Linvilla Orchards or Fox Chase Farm.

Whether you’re covering culinary events, arts and culture, outdoor activities, or another beat, don’t hesitate to reach out if we can aid in your storytelling.

Last Chance

Hispanic Heritage Month Events in Greater Philadelphia
2600 N. 5th Street

Officially running from September 15 to October 15, 2024, Hispanic Heritage Month offers a slew of city-wide events highlighting Philly’s diverse Hispanic and Latino community, including these over the October half of the celebration:

• Alexis Duque: Los Dueños De Nada at Taller Puertorriqueño: A special solo exhibition from Alexis Duque is on display as the Colombian-born, New York City-based artist celebrates people who society tries to force to the margins through paintbrush and pencil works inspired by Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano’s poem Los Nadies (through October 26, 2024).
• Cookbooks & Convos with The Sisterly Love Collective: Paola Velez Celebrates Bodega Bakes with Ashley Huston at Barnes & Noble Center City: Step into la cucina as award-winning Dominican-American pastry chef-turned-Internet-sensation Paola Velez chats with Ashley Huston (the baker-in-chief behind Philly’s Dreamworld Bakes) about her new book Bodega Bakes (October 3, 2024).
• Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight at Taller Puertorriqueño: The Free Library of Philadelphia presents a month of celebration at Taller Puertorriqueño with a Bilingual Family Storytime featuring arts, crafts and special readings of children’s books highlighting Latino culture, and the Echoes of Heritage workshop celebrating the profound impact of Latin American poetry in Philadelphia (October 12, 2024).

Southeast Asian Market in FDR Park
Through Sunday, November 3, 2024 (Saturdays & Sundays only)
1500 Pattison Avenue

It’s the season’s final month to enjoy “one of the best food markets in the United States” (per Food & Wine) as the seasonal Southeast Asian Market wraps up at FDR Park. The massive culinary treasure includes over 70 vendors offering traditional dishes, street food, native produce, plants, jewelry, apparel and more, set up in the (appropriately) southeast corner of the park. Bring a picnic blanket and enjoy your food fresh along with your take-home haul. Note: Some vendors are cash-only and there’s no ATM on site.

Scarecrows in the Village at Peddler’s Village
September 9 – October 27, 2024
100 Peddlers Village, Lahaska

While away the hours conferrin’ with the flowers and consultin’ with the rain as Bucks County play-shop-and-dine destination Peddler’s Village presents the 45th Scarecrows in the Village event. For eight weeks, more than 100 creative and colorful locally handmade scarecrows (ranging from silly to scary, and even some famous faces) line the grounds’ brick pathways, part of an annual competition where visitors can vote for their faves. The free display’s apex is the annual Scarecrow Festival (September 14 to 15, 2024), with scarecrow-making workshops, pumpkin painting, live music and kids’ activities.

FallFest at Shady Brook Farm
September 13 – October 30, 2024 (select dates)
931 Stony Hill Road, Yardley

Known for its drive-thru holiday light display, Bucks County’s Shady Brook Farm gets into spooky season, too, with the family-friendly FallFest. The annual event features hayrides, barnyard animals, kids’ games, pedal go-cars, the Barn of Horror and a Peanuts-themed corn maze, plus pick-your-own pumpkins, sunflowers and apples (sold separately). When the sun goes down, head to FallFest Fun After Dark (which requires a separate ticket) with bonfires, the Moonlit Maze, the not-so-scary Eerie Illuminations Halloween Light Show Wagon Ride and live music during FallFest unWINEd weekends.

Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park
Saturday, October 19, 2024 | 6 p.m.
2501 Seaport Drive, Chesterer 19, 2024 | 6 p.m.

Dooooop! It’s October and it’s time for Dániel Gazdag, Kai Wagner, Andre Blake and the Philadelphia Union to put a wrap on their 2024 regular season with one last push for MLS playoff positioning. Come support the home team for its season finale match versus Eastern Conference powerhouse FC Cincinnati at stunning soccer-specific Subaru Park in Chester under the beautiful Commodore Barry Bridge.

Ongoing Highlights

Haunted Houses in Greater Philadelphia
4100 Main Street; 2200 S. Swanson Street; 301 W. Bristol Road, Glen Mills; Feasterville-TrevoseBates Motel, 1835 Middletown Road, Glen Mills; 2027 Fairmount Avenue

Halloween is a scream in Philadelphia. Take spooky season to the next level at over a dozen terrifyingly creepy haunted houses throughout the region, set inside some of the most sinister places you can imagine, including these favorites:

• The Valley of Fear in Feasterville-Trevose: Located at Phoenix Sport Club, The Valley of Fear offers three terrifying attractions including the Original Haunted Hayride through “America’s Most Horrifying Woods,” One Eye’d Willie’s lost treasure hunt at Escape Shipwreck Cove and the risen-from-the-ashes Miles Manor Haunted House (September 20 to November 2, 2024, select dates).
• The Bates Motel in Glen Mills: Hollywood-level special effects ramp up the trilogy of terror at The Bates Motel — named one of the 10 best haunted house attractions in America by CNN — scaring up screams at the Bates Motel Haunted House, the Haunted Hayride through the Arasapha Farm forest and the Revenge of the Scarecrows Haunted Corn Trail (September 20 to November 3, 2024, select dates).
• Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary: The cell blocks swing open after dark for Halloween Nights, transforming abandoned Eastern State Penitentiary (which once housed infamous criminals from Willie Sutton to Al Capone) into America’s largest haunted house with 15 different attractions of terror behind the walls, plus a popular beer garden (September 20 to November 9, 2024, select dates).
• Lincoln Mill Haunted House in Manayunk: The ghastly history of Lincoln Mill Haunted House tells a spine-chilling story of bodies “discovered” in a secret basement chamber of the 160-year-old abandoned mill after flooding from Hurricane Ida in 2021, uncovering the mill’s dark and gruesome past (September 27 to November 2, 2024, select dates).
• Fright Factory in South Philadelphia: The cavernous basement of a 120-year-old abandoned factory is the setting for Fright Factory, a high-scare 25,000-square-foot warehouse with three themed areas: dystopian factory Industrial Nightmare, abandoned asylum South Side Sanatorium and demonic Fright Factory Unholy (September 27 to November 2, 2024, select dates).

Fall Farm Fun in Greater Philadelphia
1000 Marshallton Thorndale Road, West Chester; 170 Church Road, Lincoln University; 2222 S. Valley Forge Road, Lansdale; 521 E. Uwchlan Avenue, Chester Springs; 370 Island Road, Kintnersville

Spooky season is also harvest season around Greater Philadelphia. Find fall fun across the region at family farms offering hayrides, corn mazes, farmers markets, kids activities and plenty of pumpkins for picking, including at these Countryside offerings.

• Fall Harvest Weekends at Highland Orchards: Visit West Chester family farm Highland Orchards for an eight-weekend harvest fest with pick-your-own pumpkin patches and apple groves, plus wagon excursions to the five-acre corn maze and apple cannons. Stop by the on-site farmers market for famous apple-cider donuts or craft brews at the Levante Brewing Beer Garden (September 14 to November 2, weekends only).
• Corn Maze, Pumpkin Patch and More at Lytle’s Farm: Head to the 40 acres that hold Lytle’s Farm — once owned by the family of William Penn — for kid-friendly harvest fun like a four-acre Scooby Doo mystery-themed corn maze complete with scavenger hunt and a festive hayride to the pick-your-own pumpkin patch (September 21 to November 2, 2024, Thursdays through Sundays).
• Harvest Days at Merrymead Farm: Choose your adventure at Merrymead Farm in Montgomery County. Weekend afternoons feature harvest activities like tractor rides, cornstalk tunnel and corn maze (plus add-ons like paintball). A lighter experience is offered Friday afternoons, and Thursday–Saturday evenings showcase a moonlight maze and after-dark hayrides, while Merry the Great Pumpkin oversees the fun (September 28 to October 27, 2024, select dates).
• Pumpkin Harvest at Milky Way Farm: It’s a family-friendly harvest celebration at Milky Way Farm with farm animals, hayrides, a cornfield maze and pick-your-own pumpkins on paid ticketed weekends, or stop by Friday afternoons for free strolls and animal visits. Hit up on-site Chester Springs Creamery for 48 cow-themed flavors of homemade ice cream (September 28 to October 27, 2024, Fridays through Sundays).
• Oktoberfest at Trauger’s Farm Market: Celebrate the harvest season at Bucks County’s century-old Trauger’s Farm with horse-drawn wagon rides, pick-your-own flowers and a kid-friendly haunted greenhouse every October weekend, with farm (and balloon) animals, fire trucks, caricature drawing and a clown show select weekends — plus fresh produce at the Farm Market (October 5-27, 2024, weekends only).

Pumpkinland at Linvilla Orchards
September 7 – November 3, 2024
137 W. Knowlton Road, Media

The name says it all at Linvilla Orchards’ annual Pumpkinland fall festival. The Delaware County gourd gala features a slew of daytime ticketed activities like harvest hayrides around the farm, corn and (slightly harder) straw bale mazes, apple blaster target shooting, pick-your-own crops, fishing in Orchard Lake, and pony and train rides. Things get spooky after dark with moonlight hayrides around the farm or to the nearby Witch’s House, ending at a campfire with cider and marshmallows.

The Count’s Halloween Spooktacular at Sesame Place
September 14 – November 3, 2024
100 Sesame Road, Langhorne

One, ah-ah-ah! Two, ah-ah-ah! Count all the way through not-so-spooky season as Sesame Place — the only Sesame Street themed amusement park in the nation outside California — during The Count’s Halloween Spooktacular annual event. Come in costume (of course) as the Bucks County park is transformed into a family-friendly Halloween extravaganza featuring Halloween-themed shows Our Street on Halloween and Furry Friends Halloween Dance Party and activities like Tropical Trick-or-Treat Trail, Spookley’s Pumpkin Patch and Scarecrow Scavenger Hunt. Don’t miss the special parade and the Halloween Dine with Elmo & Friends Buffet.

Witness to Revolution: Unlikely Travels of Washington’s Tent at Museum of the American Revolution
Through Sunday, January 5, 2025
101 S. 3rd Street

In the fascinating Witness to Revolution: The Unlikely Travels of Washington’s Tent exhibition, visitors discover rare documents, inspired works of art and historical objects that paint a fuller picture of the shelter used as George Washington’s headquarters throughout the War for Independence. The tent — the Museum of the American Revolution’s signature artifact — served as the battlefield home, strategic meeting place and office quarters for General Washington, and the exhibition tells the stories of the many individuals who worked to preserve and pass down this vital symbol of America.

Events, Festivals & October Openings

October’s Biggest Concerts
858 N. Broad Street

Outdoor concert season may be over, but Philly’s live music scene never sleeps. Here are some can’t-miss concerts from big-name artists rolling through Philly this October:

Jersey Boys at Walnut Street Theatre
October 1 – November 3, 2024
825 Walnut Street

Big girls don’t cry, but they (and the boys and everyone else) do get hyped for the opening of the Jersey Boys documentary-style jukebox musical, coming to the Walnut Street Theatre. Go behind the music and inside the story of Frankie Valli and his band The Four Seasons as they rise from the streets of Belleville, New Jersey, on a rocky journey to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, with an original sound that radio just couldn’t get enough of in the 1960s. Oh, what a night!

The Book of Mormon at the Academy of Music
October 1-6, 2024
240 S. Broad Street

Written by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the outrageous and uproarious Tony Award-winning musical comedy Book of Mormon (part of the Academy of Music’s annual Broadway Series) follows the misadventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries tasked with spreading the good word halfway across the world. But while regarded as one of the funniest musicals ever staged, it’s also surely an adults-only production — so you’ll want to keep the kids at home for this one.

DesignPhiladelphia Festival
October 1-13, 2024
1218 Arch Street

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, DesignPhiladelphia is a 13-day fest highlighting the city’s design excellence, the skills of local designers and the impact of design on everyday life, held at sites across the city including home venue Center for DesignPhiladelphia (formerly Center for Architecture and Design). The event draws thousands to nearly a hundred (mostly free) exhibitions, lectures, workshops and demonstrations representing scores of artists, professionals and students in practically every design discipline like product and interior design, graphic design, architecture, multimedia, automotive, urban planning and much more.

Spooky Mini Golf at Franklin Square
October 1-31, 2024
200 N. 6th Street

Channel your favorite ghostly tour players from Arrrgh-nold Palmer to Boooo-by Jones as Philly Mini Golf at historic Franklin Square transforms into Spooky Mini Golf, featuring 18 holes of eerie lights, haunting music and scary surprises under the cover of a spooky fog. Tickets are required for the Center City miniature golf course, which features Halloween décor across its greens dotted by famous Philly landmarks like the LOVE sculpture, Elfreth’s Alley, the Chinatown Friendship Gate and Boathouse Row.

Simone Biles Gold Over America Tour at the Wells Fargo Center
Friday, October 4, 2024 | 7:30 p.m.
3601 S. Broad Street

The greatest sports city of all time welcomes perhaps the greatest Olympic athlete of all time as Simone Biles’ Gold Over America Tour tumbles, handsprings, vaults and pikes into the Wells Fargo Center. Join the freshly minted, four-time Olympic gold medalist and fellow Paris Games teammates like Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and Fred Richards (along with stars from other nations’ national teams and college all-stars) for a high-energy, high-flying, highly anticipated gymnastics show … and a full-throated celebration of some of America’s most-decorated Olympic athletes.

Revolutionary Germantown Festival at Cliveden
Saturday, October 5, 2024 | 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
6401 Germantown Avenue

The historic Cliveden estate plays host to the annual (and free!) Revolutionary Germantown Festival, celebrating the crucial role the Germantown neighborhood had during the American Revolution. Join first-person interpreters and re-enactors for incredible stories from the 1777 Battle of Germantown, view a replica of George Washington’s tent and mobile headquarters, and explore Cliveden and other Germantown historic sites on free tours throughout the day. The event will emphasize stories from the diverse of 17th-century Germantown.

Roxtoberfest 2024 in Roxborough
Saturday, October 5, 2024 | Noon-6 p.m.
Ridge Avenue between Lyceum Avenue and Leverington Avenue

Head up to Philly’s Roxborough neighborhood to join in the 12th annual Roxtoberfest free street festival. Hit the hills for a massive celebration along Ridge Avenue, including German-themed entertainment and competitions, food trucks, live music, costumed pets, activities for the kids and plenty of beer for the adults, plus more over 100 local crafters, artists, makers and community organizations. New for 2024 is the Scarecrow Walk in Gorgas Park, where attendees can stroll the block, snap selfies with their favorite field guardians and vote for the best scarecrow creation (and even create their own).

Downingtown Fall Fest
Sunday, October 6, 2024 | 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Green Street & East Pennsylvania Avenue, Downingtown

Break out your favorite flannel and head to Chester County for the Downingtown Fall Fest street and brew festival. The annual fête along Green Street and Pennsylvania Avenue features tons of food, artists and craft vendors, and plenty of great beer selections from Victory Brewing Company, the famous Philly-area craft brewery founded in Downingtown in 1996 (now expanded to four locations across the region). Pro tip: Bring cash for beer garden and vendor purchases as the festival is cash-only.

YèShì Chinatown Night Market
Thursday, October 10, 2024 | 6-10 p.m.
10th Street between Arch Street and Winter Street

Philly’s celebrated Chinatown — one of the oldest and largest in the nation — hosts the YèShì Chinatown Night Market (with yèshì, or 夜市, the Mandarin word for night market), a nighttime street festival down 10th Street between Arch Street and Winter Street and along surrounding streets. The neighborhood fest offers amazing food, live performance, arts, crafts and shopping including over 60 vendors serving 20,000 attendees coming together to celebrate Chinatown’s rich culture and chow down on some of the city’s best eats.

23rd Street Armory Oktoberfest
October 11-12, 2024
23rd Street Armory, 22 S. 23rd Street

The 16,000-square-foot indoor Drill Hall hosts the sixth annual Brauhaus Schmitz 23rd Street Armory Oktoberfest, a boisterous three-session Friday-and-Saturday event billed as Philly’s most authentic German fall fest. The Rittenhouse Square venue — home to the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry — is transformed into a traditional Munich festival tent with German food and beer (served in one-liter masskrüge at tables and benches imported from Bavaria) alongside a raised stage with oompah music and dancing. The best part: General admission tickets include a free first liter of beer.

OURFest Parade & Festival
October 11-13, 2024
Parade begins at 5th & Market streets

Philly doesn’t revel in Pride just in June. Each October since 1990, the city has held the annual OURfest (which stands for “Our Uniting Resilience Festival”) to celebrate National Coming Out Day. The festival block party (known as OutFest until 2022) features live performances, speeches, craft and apparel vendors, fair food, and scores of organizations offering NCOD resources and promoting LGBTQ+ visibility. Kick off the long weekend with the second annual Ourfest Parade — the nation’s first National Coming Out Day Parade — from 5th and Market streets to Broad and Locust streets.

Fall Rittenhouse Square Fine Craft Show
October 11-13, 2024
210 W. Rittenhouse Square

An autumn companion to the park’s annual spring fine arts show, the Fall Rittenhouse Square Fine Craft Show showcases over 150 functional craft artisans and their master-level works in ceramics, jewelry, wood, digital art, decorative and wearable fiber, furniture, glass, photography and more. The event, which has been held in Rittenhouse Square park since 1928, is the oldest fine arts show in the nation.

Scrapple & Apple Festival at Reading Terminal Market
Saturday, October 12, 2024 | 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
1136 Arch Street

The 130-year-old Reading Terminal Market public food hall celebrates the intersection of a Philly favorite food and a beloved fall staple with the brand-new Scrapple & Apple Festival, held inside the 1.7-acre Center City landmark. Attendees at the free-to-attend, pay-as-you-go feast enjoy small bites, entrees and sweet treats — crafted by the market’s merchants — themed around the flavors of scrapple, apples … or both! The family-friendly event also features live music and fun kids’ crafts.

OctoberFeast at Peddler’s Village
October 12-13, 2024
Peddler’s Village, 100 Peddlers Village, Lahaska

The eighth annual OctoberFeast celebrates a full weekend of fall fun at Peddler’s Village in Lahaska, Bucks County. The free two-day German-inspired fair features ax-throwing, pony rides, a petting zoo, lawn games, pumpkin painting, food trucks and a food tent, and plenty of boutique shopping. Swing into the season with three live German brass bands, a German dance-team performance and lots of craft brews. Grab your own custom stein from the beer garden and stroll amongst larger-than-life scarecrows, part of the Scarecrows in the Village display (more on that above).

Boo at the Zoo at the Philadelphia Zoo
October 12-27, 2024 (Saturdays & Sundays only)
3400 W. Girard Avenue

For three weekends in October, historic Philadelphia Zoo — America’s oldest — transforms into a Halloween spectacular during the all-ages Boo at the Zoo festival. Grab your costume, bring a (big) bag and trick-or-treat among the zoo’s 1,900 animals from African Lions and Western Gorillas to Golden Tamarins and Red Pandas (where your faves might be munching on some fall gourds). Enjoy spooky décor, festive treats, pumpkin displays and plenty of activities for human visitors. New for 2024: a Halloween-themed Nature Blazer scavenger hunt. The festival is free with general admission or membership.

The Crafted World of Wharton Esherick at the Brandywine Museum of Art
October 13, 2024 – January 19, 2025
Hoffmans Mill Road, Chadds Ford

Famed wood sculptor Wharton Esherick, the “Dean of American Craftsmen,” lived deep in the Chester County woods atop a mountain near Valley Forge National Historical Park for 40 years (now the Wharton Esherick Museum). The nearby bucolic Brandywine Museum of Art, housed in a renovated 1864 gristmill, presents the new The Crafted World of Wharton Esherick exhibit highlighting works from the father of the studio furniture movement through a curated selection of richly detailed pieces, including early woodcut illustrations, furniture reimagined as organic sculpture and many other rarely seen works.

Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field
Sunday, October 13, 2024 | 1 p.m.
One Lincoln Financial Field Way

There’s only one chance in October to catch the greatest birds on turf live and in person. Head down to Lincoln Financial Field to watch Jalen Hurts, Jalen Carter, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and the rest of your 2024 Philadelphia Eagles take on interconference foe the Cleveland Browns with stars Deshaun Watson and Amari Cooper. And since you can’t miss a game even when the Birds are playing away from home, check out the action at your fave Philly sports bar or find a new pub you haven’t tried before.

Fireworks & Fountains Show: Spark Your Imagination at Longwood Gardens
Sunday, October 13, 2024 | 8:15 p.m.
1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square

The over-a-thousand acres of botanical garden aren’t the only draw to Longwood Gardens. One of its most stunning attractions are the Illuminated Fountain Performances, 30-minute color-lighted musical dancing water shows at the center of a magnificent five-acre fountain garden. During this special Spark Your Imagination show, watch the dancing fountains jam to the indie sounds of Coldplay, Florence + The Machine, The Cranberries and more, played over the enhanced sound system. Grab new reserved seating throughout the venue or catch the views from the brand-new tiered Conservatory Overlook.

Indigenous People’s Day Philly at Shackamaxon (Penn Treaty Park)
Monday, October 14, 2024
1301 N. Beach Street

Long before European settlers renamed it, Penn Treaty Park on the Delaware River was an important site to the local Lenni-Lenape called Shackamaxon, a centuries-old gathering place for sachems from Indigenous tribes to meet for council. As such, the site is the fitting epicenter for the annual Indigenous People’s Day Philly celebration. Indigenous communities from across the nation gather at Shackamaxon to mark five-plus centuries of First Nations history through cultural performances, speakers, workshops, educational sessions, vendors, advocacy organizations and lots of food.

Philadelphia Film Festival
October 17-27, 2024
1412 Chestnut Street

Roll camera and … action! Each year, the Philadelphia Film Society (PFS) travels to festivals around the globe in search of innovative new films. For the event’s 33rd season, curators returned with over 100 features, shorts and documentaries — along with a selection of local works — to screen during the 11-day Philadelphia Film Festival. Held at the PFS’s three theaters (Philadelphia Film Center, East in Old City and at The Bourse), the fest also features panels, talkbacks, and meet-and-greets. Stay tuned to the PFF website for the 2024 schedule.

Philly Bike Ride
Saturday, October 19, 2024 | 7:30 a.m.
Starts and finishes at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

It’s not a race. In fact, it’s uite the opposite. Now in its third year, the 4,000-participant Philly Bike Ride is the city’s only car-free urban bicycle joyride. Cyclists of all levels spend the day cruising 20 miles of car-free streets and trails from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, through Center City and Old City, back up the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and Schuylkill River Trail before returning to a festival at Eakins Oval. Paid registration is required to ride, but the finish-line festival is free and open to the public.

Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center
October 19, 2024 – April 15, 2025 (select days)
3601 S. Broad Street

The orange and black are back! An October 19, 2024 matchup with the Vancouver Canucks at the Wells Fargo Center marks the 2024-2025 home opener for Travis Konecny, Sean Couturier, Cam York and the rest of the Philadelphia Flyers. That’s just the first of five October home ice tilts, including versus the Washington Capitals on October 22, 2024 in the year’s first division battle, followed by spots against the Minnesota Wild (October 26, 2024) and Montréal Canadiens (October 27, 2024) before wrapping the month with the St. Louis Blues on Halloween night (wear your costumes!).

Philadelphia Open Studio Tours
October 19-20 & 26-27, 2024
Various studios and galleries in Philadelphia (TBA)

The largest, self-guided, free-to-attend tour of artist studios and creative workspaces in the region celebrates its silver anniversary during the 2024 Philadelphia Open Studios Tours (POST) event. One of the premier open studio tour events in the nation, POST opens the doors to studios in 26 Philly neighborhoods featuring hundreds of artists and community spaces to make workshops, galleries and other creative spaces more accessible. Studios west of Broad Street are open October 19 and 20, 2024, with those to the east on October 26 and 27, 2024.

Mickalene Thomas: All About Love at the Barnes Foundation
October 20, 2024 – January 12, 2025
2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

The Benjamin Franklin Parkway’s Barnes Foundation presents the East Coast debut of the first major international tour of new exhibition Mickalene Thomas: All About Love. The exhibit showcases a series of vivid works (spanning the early 2000s to today) from the Camden, New Jersey-born artist utilizing mixed media — including paintings, collages, photography, videos and installations — and highlighted by stunning large-scale rhinestone-bejeweled painted tableaus. The exhibit — spotlighting Black femininity, agency, desire and an empowered vision of beauty — runs through January of 2025.

WWE Monday Night Raw at Wells Fargo Center
Monday, October 21, 2024
3601 S. Broad Street

Hard facts: WWE’s superstars love Philly as much Philly loves (or loves to hate) them. WWE Monday Night Raw hits back when World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, Intercontinental Champion Gunther and your favorite Raw superstars (and who knows who else … there are always special surprises when the WWE comes to town) return to Philly for the first time since Wrestlemania 40. Dust off the ol’ championship belt and head down to Wells Fargo Center to join thousands of fans cheering, booing and experiencing all the gravity-defying, in-ring action live.

Philly Music Fest
October 21-27, 2024
1201 Frankford Avenue

There is no live music city in America quite like Philadelphia. Dive deep into the Philly music scene at the 2024 Philly Music Fest (PMF), a nonprofit hyper-local music festival founded in 2017 to highlight Philly talent. Over the course of seven nights, attendees enjoy 23 local favorites like Amos Lee, Mondo Cozmo, Catbite, Hurry, The Tisburys and Slaughter Beach, Dog (plus a special mystery performer) at a half-dozen area venues like Johnny Brenda’s, World Cafe Live and Underground Arts. Check out the full lineup at the official PMF site.

Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center
October 23, 2024 – April 13, 2025 (select dates)
3601 S. Broad Street

Play the song … 1-2-3-4-5-76ers! It’s another season of bell ringing for the Philadelphia 76ers — the 76th in franchise history. All-stars Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and newcomer Paul George hit the Wells Fargo Center floor for the season opener versus Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, October 23, 2024. The season rolls on with October’s other home matchup, a Halloween Eve (aka “Mischief Night”) tilt hosting the Detroit Pistons, with former Sixers star Tobias Harris making his first return to Philly.

PECO Multicultural Series Presents Taste of the Philippines at Cherry Street Pier
Saturday, October 26, 2024 | 1-5 p.m.
121 N. Christopher Columbus Boulevard

The 2024 PECO Multicultural Series season comes to a close in October with the 10th annual Taste of the Philippines festival at the Delaware waterfront’s Cherry Street Pier. Join attendees from all backgrounds in celebrating Filipino-American History Month at the largest festival highlighting Filipino heritage and culture in the region, with showcases from artists performing traditional dance and music, artisans and crafters, a marketplace bursting with local and international vendors and lots and lots of authentic Filipino cuisine including adobo, sinigang, lumpia, lechon and more.

Head of the Schuylkill Regatta
October 26-27, 2024
Kelly Drive & Fountain Green Drive

Rowers of all levels — high school, college, elite and world champions — converge on the Schuylkill River for the two-day Head of the Schuylkill Regatta. The race winds along Kelly Drive, which offers optimal viewing points and a festive atmosphere made up of rowers and spectators alike.

Hamilton at the Academy of Music
October 29 – November 23, 2024
240 S. Broad Street

Be in the room where it’s happening! The room? The historic Academy of Music. The happening? Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway blockbuster hip-hop musical Hamilton — returning to the city of its namesake’s greatest achievements (from Revolutionary War artillery officer to Presidential Advisor and First National Bank founder) and romantic downfall (The Reynolds Affair). Don’t throw away this shot to hear all the hits from Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, Eliza Schuyler, King George III and the rest of the revolutionary gang in over 30 Broadway Series performances on Philly’s Avenue of the Arts.

Best Things to Do in Philly Every October

Enjoy Leaf Season with a Fall Foliage Excursion
Various locations including 1400 N. Outer Line Drive, King of Prussia

October means autumn is in full swing in Philly, and there are fewer big cities better for enjoying fall foliage. Join fellow leaf peepers at green spaces in Philly like Fairmount Park, Morris Arboretum and along the Schuylkill River Trail. Or explore the season’s colors in the Countryside at Tyler State Park and Washington Crossing Historic Park in Bucks County, Longwood Gardens and Marsh Creek State Park in Chester County, Ridley Creek State Park and Tyler Arboretum in Delaware County, and Montgomery County’s Valley Forge National Historical Park. Philly’s peeper peak comes around mid-October.

Hit a Local Farm for Pumpkin Patch and Apple Picking Season
Various locations including 931 Stony Hill Road, Yardley

Fall harvest season means heading out to local farms and orchards to pick pumpkins (and gourds and apples and more) to take home. Numerous area farmsteads are transformed every fall into pick-your-own pumpkin patches and apple groves (many with hayrides to the fields, corn mazes and rides) like Hellerick’s Family Farm in Doylestown, Shady Brook Farm in Yardley, Highland Orchards in West Chester and Fox Chase Farm in Northwest Philly, plus the popular Pumpkinland at Linvilla Orchards in Media.

Celebrate Spooky Season at a Terrifying Haunted House or Scary Attraction
Various locations including 2027 Fairmount Avenue

Argue amongst yourselves, but it’s easy to make the case for Philadelphia as the best city in the nation for Halloween’s most terrifying (and most renowned) haunted houses and attractions. It all starts with Halloween Nights at abandoned prison Eastern State Penitentiary, the largest haunted house in America. Haven’t had enough? Scare your skivvies off at Pennhurst Asylum inside a real shuttered psychiatric facility, Fright Factory housed in a 120-year old derelict industrial complex or Bates Motel, named one of America’s 10 best haunted house attractions by CNN, along with many more.

Mark Your Calendars for a Fall Street, Beer or Food Festival
Various locations including 1136 Arch Street

Official Oktoberfest might wrap in early October, but that doesn’t mean beerfest and street festival season doesn’t extend into fall (and beyond) as neighborhood blocks, farms, landmarks and parks throughout Philadelphis and The Countryside break out the craft beer, food trucks, artisan vendors and fair fun. Hit up food fests like Reading Terminal Market Scrapple & Apple Festival and Taste of the Philippines, street fairs including Roxtoberfest, Downingtown Fall Fest and YèShì Chinatown Night Market and beer festivals such as 23rd Street Armory Oktoberfest, Ambler Oktoberfest and Kennett Brewfest.

Get Psyched for Hockey and Basketball Season Home Openers

The first full month of fall means Sixers basketball and Flyers hockey start back up again as both teams celebrate their home openers. Hardcourt stars from Julius Erving to Joel Embiid and icemen like Bobby Clarke and Claude Giroux have been exciting crowds at the South Philadelphia Sports Complex for decades, but there’s nothing like that first home game of the season, showcasing veteran stars, fresh faces, intriguing rookies … and great new food items at “The Well.”

Explore the Delicious Offerings at Area Farmers Markets
Various locations including South 2nd & Lombard streets

The five-county Philadelphia region lays claim to over 200,000 acres of farmland. Thanks to its place as the Northeast’s heartland (and a rich Pennsylvania Dutch market tradition), fantastic farmers’ markets offer fresh food, produce, veggies, drinks and bakery items all fall harvest season long. Grab all sorts of ingredients, snacks and ready-to-eat meals at countryside spots like Bryn Mawr Farmers’ Market, Phoenixville Farmers’ Market, Upper Merion Farmers Market and the West Chester Growers Market or in the city at Rittenhouse Farmers’ Market, Clark Park Farmers’ Market, Headhouse Farmers’ Market and more.

Stack Your Closet with Fall Fashions from Vintage Stores and Local Boutiques

The best part of fall? New wardrobes full of cozy sweaters, comfy hoodies, cute sweatpants, warm jackets, fuzzy boots and more. Eschew big box stores and giant retailers and head to a plethora of local vintage clothing shops and boutiques. Some of the best city neighborhoods to spend a day of pre-loved and handmade clothes shopping down walkable blocks include South Street, Northern Liberties, Old City, Chestnut Hill and Fishtown. Or head out to countryside main streets in West Chester, Ambler, Doylestown, Newtown, New Hope and Ardmore for fantastic fashion finds.

Grab Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Baked Goods from a Local Bakery

Oh, that special time of year. That’s right, it’s pumpkin spice season in Philadelphia. Whether you enjoy the sweet treat in latte form or infused in muffins, cookies, tea, pound cake, bagels, scones, smoothies or donuts, October is a great time to stop by a local café or bakery. Philly offers scores of amazing local coffee bars and bakeshops like Isgro Pastries, Cake Life, Federal Donuts, Vernick Coffee Bar, The Bakery House, Spread Bagelry, Dottie’s Donuts and many spots in Reading Terminal Market like Metropolitan Bakery, Flying Monkey, Termini Brothers, Sweet T’s and Beiler’s.

About Visit Philadelphia:

VISIT PHILADELPHIA® is our name and our mission. As the region’s official tourism marketing agency, we build Greater Philadelphia’s image, drive visitation and boost the economy. On Greater Philadelphia’s official visitor website, visitphilly.com, visitors can explore things to do, upcoming events, themed itineraries and hotel packages.

Compelling photography and videos, interactive maps and detailed visitor information make the site an effective trip-planning tool. Visitors can also find loads of inspiration on Visit Philly’s social media channels.

Note to Editors: For high-resolution photos and high-definition B-roll of Greater Philadelphia, visit the Photos & Video section of visitphilly.com/mediacenter.