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October Festivals, Halloween Fun & More

POSTED BY
Dina Weinstein

The crisp fall air and the crunch of fallen autumn leaves ushers in the changing season. It’s a great time to decorate a pumpkin or take a walk through crunching bright leaves. Mark your calendars now for these Halloween-themed events and fall festivals. Some of these events are in person and others are virtual. All promise an enriching time. Many are FREE. Be sure and visit the websites to confirm dates, locations, and times as they may change after posting. Keep checking back as more events are announced and posted here. Let us know of others by emailing information to: info@rvaonthecheap.com.

Be sure to subscribe to email updates, follow @rvacheap on Twitter or like RVA (Richmond) on the Cheap on Facebook to stay in the know about the latest freebies & deals.

Richmond, Virginia festivals throughout October feature agriculture, food, music, and culture. This list will help you explore Richmond, save money and have fun.

🎃 Check out more seasonal fun events at Richmond area Pumpkin Patches, 🎃 Corn Mazes, and Fall Fun Farms
and in the Ultimate List of Halloween Events and Activities. 👻 

October 2021 Festivals Around Richmond:

All October – Artober arts festival

Presented by CultureWorks, artoberVA is a month long celebration of arts and culture in the Richmond and TriCities region, each October, which is National Arts and Humanities Month. artoberVA increases participation in arts and culture experiences and expands the exposure of organizations, venues, and artists shaping our vibrant and creative scene. We invite artists, organizations, businesses, and community members to take part. Explore, engage and be inspired by hundreds of events and artists during artoberVA. Learn more at https://richmondcultureworks.org/about-artoberva

🍎Apple picking fun, plus apple donuts, apple pie, apple cider, and wine

🎃Rassawek Autumn Festival on October 24, 2021 – 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM Rassawek Vineyard’s address is 6276 River Road West Columbia, VA 23038  This family friendly festival will be a unique event for people of all ages with many varieties of exhibits, demonstrations, music, food, drinks, entertainment and more. Onsite blacksmithing, carpentry, masonry, mechanic, lineman, sawmilling, equipment operators and more demonstrating, educating, and promoting their trade with the public. Rassawek Station features a small train car village, lodge cabin and general store. Antique cars and tractors will be on display throughout the festival. Entertainment: live bluegrass music, a truck and tractor pull managed by Dragon Motorsports, helicopter rides and crane rides.
Kids activities: haybale maze, pumpkin patch, interactive painting, farm chores, live farm animals provided by Goochland 4-H, barrel train rides and more.
Food trucks and food vendors, beer tents, a couple wineries & a cidery for purchase by the glass or the bottle.

 

Braehead Farm is having its annual Fall Festival Weekends in October! Every weekend, Beginning through Oct 31, from 9am-6pm. Hayrides through the decorated forest, an interactive game within the corn maze, a sunflower walk for the little ones! Also, visit with the Great Pumpkin in the pumpkin patch sitting on his hay throne from 10am-1pm and 2-5pm… bring your cameras! Play in the Family Playgrounds and visit the farm animals! $10.00 per person, age 2 and under free! (Fall/Winter Season Pass holders only pay $5.00 per person, age 2 and under free.) NO RESERVATIONS OR PRE-PURCHASED TICKETS NEEDED. ALL PUMPKINS ARE SOLD BY THE POUND AT .70 CENTS PER POUND. There is a pumpkin patch in the Festival area AND in the front of the farm in the PYO fields. They will have some wagons, but feel free to bring your own! Sometimes wagons are all in use. ALSO, YOU CAN JUST COME TO PICK PUMPKINS IN THE FRONT “”Pick Your Own” FIELDS, and pay no admission…just pay for what you pick! Also vegetables and flowers to pick! Stay for lunch and picnic. Shop in the market! There is something for everyone. Kettle Korn, Ice cream, fresh pressed apple cider, bakery items and more!

•18-31 October 2021 – Richmond Restaurant Week

 

•27-31 October 2021 Virginia Film Festival – A program of the University of Virginia, celebrating the art of film in Charlottesville for 34 years! The 2021 VAFF will be held October 27-31.

A program of the University of Virginia, celebrating the art of film in Charlottesville for 34 years! The 2021 VAFF will be held October 27-31.

 

•23 & 24 October 2021 HARVESTFEST  – Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden – Celebrate all that fall has to offer! This two-day event has a festival vibe with live music, food, and adult beverages, plus family-friendly activities. Saturday Live Music! ​

Ken Kellner Trio 1:30-3:30 p.m. in the Cochrane Rose Garden ​
Hazeltone 5-8 p.m. outside of Bloemendaal House — Hazeltone a regional Roots Rock original music band with influences coming from The Doors, John Mayer, Neil Young and others.​
Sunday Live Music!​
Ken Kellner Trio – 1:30-3:30 p.m. in the Cochrane Rose Garden ​
Gypsy Jazz Duo – 1:30-3:30 p.m. outside of Bloemendaal House​
​Both Days​
Family Fun Activities 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Watch a pumpkin carving demonstration, build a fairy house with fall material, try petal pounding, listen to a “scary” storytime and more.

 

Robinson Theater Annual Fall Festival (2903 Q St Richmond, VA 23223) There will be food, live music, costume contest, and more

 

 

Dorey Park Fall Festival

Sat., Oct. 30th Annual Fall Festival and last day of the market season celebration. Activities & Events: Teeny Tiny Farm Petting Zoo, Face Painting, Balloon Twister, Live Music with Kevin Davis & BanCaribe, Pumpkin Patch (grab a ticket at the info table, 1 per child please), Treat bags and free popcorn for kids, Kid’s Crafts & Games. PLUS all of our wonderful vendors with fresh produce, flowers, jams & jellies, fresh baked items and more!

•Heart of Virginia Wine Trail’s Fools’ & Ghouls Festival – Saturday, October 30th, 2021 — Join the Heart of Virginia wineries for a day of wine, Fall fun, and Halloween! Costumes encouraged. Listen to live music, taste wine from 5 wineries, shop local vendors, and browse the food truck court. COVER FEE = $20.00 in advance, $25 at the gate This cover fee grants you access to live music, food trucks, vendors, plus a souvenir wine glass. 

 

Fall Family Event. The festival takes place in our church parking lot and features something for everyone. Safe and Fun for Family & Friends. Stew for $2 a bowl and everything else is FREE-Hot Dogs, Cotton Candy, Fried Oreos, Popcorn, Hot Cocoa, Balloon Animals, LOTS of bouncy houses, Lots of games.

Midlothian Food Festival (CANCELLED IN 2021)

Find out how to celebrate the Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos in Richmond.

Lizz Dwayne Johnson poses beside a homemade Day of the Dead ofrenda or alter, dressed in a folkloric Mexican dress. Day of the Dead is a pre-Hispanic celebration coinciding with All Saints Day on Sunday, November 1st and All Souls Day, Monday, November 2nd, stemming from the indigenous cultures of Mexico that believed that the souls of the dead return each year to visit with their living relatives – to eat, drink and be merry. Just like they did when they were living. There are several days of offerings and candles. October 28 is for the souls who walk alone and have not found the light. October 29 for the forgotten and helpless souls. October 30 for those who died in an accident. October 31 is for grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-great-grandparents. November 1 is called All Saints’ Day and is dedicated to children. November 2 day of the faithful departed who are adults. November 3, all the dead are dismissed and the altar offering is dismantled. In the Day of the Dead observances, the deceased are not to be feared but rather celebrated and enjoyed as they were in life.

Want to get more into the Holiday mood? Check out the Ultimate List of Richmond-area Halloween Events and Activities.

 

Earlier in the month we enjoyed: 

•Richmond VegFest: http://www.veggiefest.org/
•Powhatan Festival of the Grape. At Historic Courthouse Village. Visit powhatanwinefestival.com
•2-3 October 2021 – 2nd Street Festival 
•Westover Fall Festival
•2 & 3 October, 2021 Virginia Wine Festival – Ashburn, VA – Virginia Wine Festival is the oldest wine festival on the East Coast. Each year, the festival features many of VA’s best wineries, craft exhibitors, seminars, and incredible music. At the Virginia Wine Festival you can celebrate and taste from more than 150+ VA Wines – and this year the VA Oyster Pavilion is Back – have a Shucking Good Time! Craft beer trucks will also be available – beer is an additional cost (not included in your unlimited wine sipping admission ticket)
• State Fair of Virginia  13191 Dawn Blvd Doswell, VA 23047 

•8-10 October 2021 – Richmond Folk Festival 

•Oct. 8-10 2021 – James River Writers Conference

•10 OCTOBER 2021 AT 1 PM – 4 PM – Fall Festival – West Broad Village

•OCT 9 & 10 at 11 am-6 pm – Egyptian Festival at St. George & St. Philopater Coptic Church, 4305 8th St, Richmond, VA 23223-5515  Egyptian Festival at St. George and St. Philopater Coptic Church features several traditional foods and the Coptic heritage.

•Sun. Oct. 10 at 1 pm – 4 pm – Fall Festival at West Broad Village. Put on your best Halloween costume and join West Broad Village, 2400 Old Brick Rd., Glen Allen, for festive fall activities including pumpkin decorating and live music by Go Go Gadjet.

•Sun., Oct. 10 at 10 am – 4 pm Fall Festival at Wandering Cow Farm, 3256 Black Creek Dr, Mechanicsville, VA 23111  A fall day of fun! Get your Pumpkins, Mums, and Floptarts Sweet treats! Enjoy spooky crafts, festive games and meet our fuzzy animals. We can’t wait to see you there! Costumes welcomed

•Graves Mountain Apple Harvest Festival 2021 Graves Mountain Farm, 205 Graves Mountain Ln Syria, VA 22743. Family and community Harvest Festival.  APPLES from area orchards, Pick Your Own 

•Midlothian Village Day Festival 2021 at Midlothian Middle School

•Dogtoberfest at Brambly Park (1708 Belleville St. Richmond). A fall festival for Fido! There’s something for everyone at this family-friendly festival. We’ll have a Pet Pageant, a caricature artist, an art auction, fun prizes and more! And best of all, it’s free to attend! So grab the kids (two-legged or four) and head out to Brambly Park on Saturday, October 16th. Be sure to tell the hostess you’re there to support VET Fund, and Brambly Park will donate 10% to help provide life-saving care to pets in need.

•Annual Scott’s Addition Pumpkin Festival (October)

•Richmond Bluegrass Festival 2021 at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

• Fall Festival Coyote Hole Ciderworks – Fresh cider, apple cider donuts, vendors and food. Beer, cider, wine and mulled cider on tap. Live music both days! Saturday Dan Trull plays 1-4, Unsuitables band is 5:30-8:30pm and on Sunday Noah Fowler 1-5pm.

•Gourds, Goblets and Ghouls Festival – Hanover Vegetable Farm – Live music, wineries, cider, mead, spirits, a beer garden, 20+ vendors, hay rides, pumpkin picking, corn maze and lots of fun activities for the whole family. The Red Vein Haunted House will be open and ready to scare.

 

Be sure to subscribe to email updates, follow @rvacheap on Twitter or like RVA (Richmond) on the Cheap on Facebook to stay in the know about the latest freebies & deals.

More fall fun things to do in and around Richmond:

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About Dina Weinstein

Dina Weinstein is a Richmond, Virginia based award-winning journalist who reports for numerous local and national outlets. Weinstein moved north from Miami, Florida where she worked mentoring young journalists as an advisor at the Miami Dade College student newspaper The Reporter. She is a Boston native and a proud graduate of Boston University School for the Arts and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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