October is my favorite time of year. The hills turn that deep orange and gold, the air gets that clean cool bite that makes you want a sweater and a cup of coffee, and the whole county shows up for the things we do every fall. I love spooky season. We always host a big Halloween party, I decorate the house up, and I have a lot of fun at the Playhouse. The colors of fall are beautiful here in this area, and really and truly my favorite time of the year. For me the season starts October first and carries all the way through New Year’s Day.
Here is what is happening in Berea and Madison County from mid October into the early November spooky season. Everything below is verified as of October 12. When in doubt call ahead. Things move fast this time of year.
The big weekend is Old Town 🎃
The Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen 58th Annual Fall Art Market runs Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Kentucky Artisan Center, 200 Artisan Way. Admission is free and it anchors the whole weekend. Walk the rows, grab a coffee, pick up a glass pumpkin or a hand thrown mug.
Friday, October 16, Old Town hosts the 2nd Annual Old Town Fall Festival. The Hocus Pocus outdoor movie is on the lawn at Memorial Park, free with kettle corn and a start around 7:15 p.m. Bring a blanket. The Maddox Made Pumpkin Glow Garden opens for pre glow voting from 6 to 9 p.m. and Sew a Trick or Treat Bucket runs 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Old Town Fabric if you want to make something before the weekend gets going.
Saturday, October 17, is the full day. The Fire and Fern Glass Pumpkin Patch opens at 10 a.m. with more than 300 hand blown glass pumpkins on display. The Glow Garden glows from 6 to 9 p.m. with winners announced around 7. Fall Fest After Dark runs 6 to 8 p.m. with a costume parade, food trucks and Moonlit Cinema on the Green at 8 p.m.
Saturday also brings three more events. Berea Earth Warriors holds its 5th Annual Fall Festival from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Pinnacles Amphitheater. In Richmond, October Fest runs 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Richmond Peddlers Mall and the Richmond Kentucky Highland Games start at 1 p.m. at the Madison County Fairgrounds. That is a full Saturday no matter how you slice it.
Pumpkin patches 🎃
Pumpkin patches are the backbone of the season. Baldwin Farms at 1113 Tates Creek Rd in Richmond is the classic. Ten acres of pumpkins, corn and hay mazes, pony rides on weekends and the Dragon Climb. Admission is free. Call 859 582 5785 to confirm hours before you head out.
Kidd Family Farm at 1723 Wallacetown Rd in Paint Lick is open through October 30. Friday 5 to 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday 1 to 7 p.m. Ten dollars per person includes the wagon ride and kids four and under are free. The 2026 maze is Kentucky football themed.
Rolling Acres Pumpkin Patch N More at 1169 Goggins Ln in Richmond is eight dollars per person, kids three and under free. You get the play area, corn maze, hayride, barrel train, bounce house and zip lines. Typical hours are Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 2 to 6 p.m. Call 859 314 8806.
Haunts are ramping up 🎃
Edge of Darkness Haunted House at 128 Mt. Vernon Rd in Berea is in its final season at the Berea location before it moves to the Fear Farm in 2027. They totally remodeled for this year and it runs Fridays and Saturdays from 8 to 11 p.m.
Legacy of Terror at 115 Legacy Dr in Berea runs October 30 and 31 from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Nightmares Haunt at 190 Old Wallacetown Rd in Berea is a free home haunt with a haunted barn and yard display. It runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through October and Halloween night, usually 7 to 10 p.m. Donations go to shelter dogs.
Fort Boonesborough State Park on the Kentucky River in Richmond runs its Halloween Lights Drive Thru through October 25. You drive through 1.5 miles of lights from your car, about five dollars per vehicle, dusk to 10 p.m. The park lists the drive thru for Oct 10 to 25, but previous years ran Oct 9 to 24, so confirm the exact dates before you go. The park also runs a Halloween Fest with decorated campgrounds and campsite trick or treating.
Trick or treat and trunk or treat 🎃
Trick or treat night is countywide on October 31 from 6 to 8 p.m. in Berea, Richmond and unincorporated Madison County. Halloween at the Park is at Berea Community Park, 1 Pirate Parkway, October 31, 6 to 8 p.m. Fire truck rides, inflatables, photo booth, free.
The trunk or treats start a few days before. First Baptist Church in Richmond hosts its Trunk or Treat on October 28 from 5 to 7:15 p.m. The Madison County Sheriff’s Office runs its Trunk or Treat at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Richmond on October 29. Hurricane’s Community Trunk or Treat is at 124 Mini Mall Dr in Berea on October 30 at 6 p.m.
On stage at the Playhouse 🎭
I run the Playhouse at 214 Richmond Rd in Berea, so I will be the first to say I am biased. But our shows are good and I am proud of what the Bluegrass Players and Spotlight Acting School put on every year.
Zombie Night: The Musical by the Bluegrass Players opens October 23 and runs October 23, 24, 25, 30 and November 1. There is no October 31 performance. Have a Nice Doomsday by the Bluegrass Players opens October 30 and runs through November 8.
The spooky season carries into November with Beetlejuice JR. presented by Spotlight Acting School. The cast is ages 14 to 18 and the show is rated for ages 8 and up. It runs November 13 to 22 at the Playhouse. Blue Cast is November 13 to 15, Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. Purple Cast is November 20 to 22, same schedule. Friday performances are Pay What You Can and unsold tickets release two hours before showtime. It is a fast, funny, spooky show and the kids are going to kill it.
Free and family friendly at the library ✨
Libraries keep things free and family friendly. Madison County Public Library programs include October 12 from 4 to 5 p.m., Crafternoon Pumpkin Seed Mosaics at both branches. On October 17, the Halloween Fest and magic show runs at both branches. Berea branch has the fest from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and the magic show from 12 to 1 p.m. Richmond branch has the fest from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and the magic show from 3 to 4 p.m.
October 29 brings Halloween Party at the Berea branch from 6 to 8 p.m. and Spooky Stories at the Richmond main branch from 7 to 7:45 p.m. On October 31, the Richmond branch hosts a magic show and airbrush face painting at 1:30 p.m.
Two more weekend favorites 🎃
White Hall Historic Site at 500 White Hall Shrine Rd in Richmond hosts its Halloween Tea on October 23 at 6 p.m. It is catered by Golden Leaves and reservations are required.
Chenault Vineyards at 2284 Barnes Mill Rd in Richmond has two events. The A Treat to Die For Murder Mystery Dinner is on October 28 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., presented by Bluegrass Mystery Theatre. Eighty one dollars per person. Halloween Trivia Night is on October 30 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Welcome Center. Free, but reserve tables for groups.
October in Madison County is busy and a lot of the best events are run by volunteers. When you can, buy tickets early, arrive a little early for parking and bring a friend. The season is short, the weather is good and the community shows up. That is what I love about it. See you out there.
This draft uses only verified dates, venues and prices as of Oct 12, 2026. For the most current hours and tickets, check the official sites for each organization.
Upcoming Community and Theater Events
- October 16-17, 2026: 2nd Annual Old Town Fall Festival at Old Town Artisan Village, Berea. 🎃
- October 17-18, 2026: 58th Annual Fall Art Market at the Kentucky Artisan Center, Berea. 🎨
- October 23-25, 30 and November 1, 2026: Zombie Night: The Musical (The Bluegrass Players) at The Spotlight Playhouse. 🦿
- October 30 – November 8, 2026: Have a Nice Doomsday (The Bluegrass Players) at The Spotlight Playhouse. 🌍
- November 13-22, 2026: Beetlejuice JR. (Spotlight Acting School) at The Spotlight Playhouse. 👻
Tickets and info for all shows: thespotlightplayhouse.com
Sources
- Visit Berea: 58th Annual Fall Art Market
- Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen
- Visit Berea: 2nd Annual Old Town Fall Festival
- Madison County Public Library
- The Spotlight Playhouse
About the Author
Chad Hembree serves as the Executive Director of Spotlight Acting School, The Spotlight Playhouse, and Spotlight Performing Arts. A resident of Berea, Kentucky, and a former member of the Berea Council, he has spent decades working in community theater, arts education, and local journalism. Since 1995, he has operated BereaOnline.com, focusing on local news, civic issues, and stories that highlight community collaboration and grassroots efforts across Madison County.
This article originally appeared on BereaOnline.com.