Ready for sweater weather, Columbia? From pumpkin patches and corn mazes to apple picking and German beer celebrations, fall is one of our favorite seasons in the Capital City.
Get ready to come alive — or play dead at a fall-tastic haunted house like Deceased Farm — with this guide featuring 40+ fall events happening now through November.
Festivals
Harvest Festival at The FARM 1780 | Saturday, Sept. 27 | 10 a.m.–5 p.m. | The FARM 1780, Lexington, SC | $20+ per vehicle, $30 day of | Celebrate fall with family-friendly activities, including a you-pick pumpkin patch, a children’s play area, and food from local vendors.
Midlands Plant & Flower Festival | Friday–Sunday, Oct. 3–5 | Times vary | South Carolina State Farmers Market | Free admission | Explore a wide selection of plants and flowers at the annual fall festival.
Cayce Fall Fest | Saturday, Oct. 4 | 12–6 p.m. | Granby Gardens Park, Cayce | Free admission | Celebrate with live music, a DJ, great food and beverages, and a kids’ area featuring face painters and more at this family-friendly event.
JerryFest | Sunday, Oct. 5 | 11:30 a.m.–8 p.m. | Five Points | Free admission | Celebrate Jerry Garcia with live music on two stages.
South Carolina State Fair | Wednesday, Oct. 8-Sunday, Oct. 19 | Times vary | South Carolina State Fairgrounds | $10+ | Harvest happiness at this year’s state fair with rides, food, animal exhibits, and much more.
Famously Hot South Carolina Pride Festival | Friday, Oct. 3-Saturday, Oct. 4 | 12 p.m. | Main Street | Free | This year’s fest has a Y2K theme.
SC Korean Festival | Saturday, Nov. 1 | 11 a.m.–6 p.m. | Korean Community Presbyterian Church, 1412 Richland St. | Free admission | Experience traditional and modern Korean performances, cultural exhibits, children’s games, and authentic cuisine at this rapidly growing community festival.
Fall Back Fest | Friday, Nov. 7 | Times vary | State Street, West Columbia | Free admission | Enjoy live music, art, food, and drinks at the 10th Annual Fall Back Fest in West Columbia.
Jam Room Music Festival | Saturday, Nov. 15 | 12-10 p.m. | Finlay Park| Free | Rock out to 10 bands on two stages as the festival makes its park debut.
Haunted houses
Deceased Farm | 382 Olde Farm Rd., Lexington | $30+ (cash only) | Take a self-guided jaunt through terrifying buildings, outdoor zones, and creepy corn fields.
Terror Falls Haunted Farm | 370 Mack St., Gaston | Beginning Friday, Oct. 3, $25 will give guests access to all four haunted attractions — Frobite Manor, Terror Trail, Terror Falls Penitentiary, and “Carnevil” of Souls.
The Dark Castle | 2076 Highway Church Rd., Elgin | Starting Friday, Sept. 26, one ticket for $20+ offers access to three spine-chilling experiences — the Dungeon of Darkness haunted house, the Dark Knight’s realm outdoor trail, and an interactive survival challenge where you shoot zombies with a laser gun.
Halloween happenings
Dark History Tour | Throughout October | 10 a.m.–5 p.m. | South Carolina State Museum | Included with admission | Explore infamous tales of South Carolina’s history on this self-guided tour, featuring legends, catacombs, and Gullah Geechee folklore.
Boo at the Zoo | Friday, Oct. 17-Thursday, Oct. 30 | Riverbanks Zoo | $18 | Stroll through the animal exhibits at this Halloween event with trick-or-treat stations and haunted carousel rides.
Nightmare in Elmwood 5K | Saturday, Oct. 25 | Elmwood Park | $20+| Run through the historic Elmwood neighborhood with haunted surprises along the course.
Halloween at Hogwarts | Sunday, Oct. 26 | 3 p.m. | Koger Center for the Arts | $12.50+ | Try this family-friendly Halloween celebration featuring hair-raising classical favorites and music from the Harry Potter films at this magical concert.
Trunk or Treat | Monday, Oct. 27 | 5:30–7 p.m. | Robert Mills House & Gardens | Free | Join Historic Columbia for a safe + fun Halloween experience with candy, games, costume awards, and prizes for the best-decorated trunks.
Oktoberfest
Steel Hands Oktoberfest | Friday, Oct. 3 | Join the free Oktoberfest event at Steel Hands for German music, food, and the special Festbier brew.
Columbia Craft Oktoberfest | Saturday, Oct. 4 | Celebrate with the live music from The Regulars and food from La Dolce Vita.
Newberry Oktoberfest | Friday, Oct. 3 | This free event is Newberry’s largest annual event and features live music all day, a best traditional dress contest, and wandering accordionist Bob Wilusz in full German clothing.
Savage Craft Oktoberfest | Saturday, Oct. 4-Sunday, Oct. 5 | This year features a Hops to Harvest theme with live music from country artist Cody Webb.
Bierkeller Columbia | Friday, Sept. 26-Sunday, Sept. 28 + Friday, Oct. 3-Sunday, Oct. 5 | Bierkeller has that Oktoberfest feel year-round, but the German canal side brewery will host two official weekends to celebrate this year.
Oktoberfest at WeCo Bottle and Biergarten | Friday, Oct. 10 | The West Columbia biergarten will have food trucks for the weekend and have a rotation of German brews on tap.
Oktoberfest Columbia | Friday, Oct. 10-Sunday, Oct. 12 | Columbia’s original Oktoberfest at Incarnation Lutheran Church offers authentic German beer, food, live oompah bands, pastries, and family-friendly entertainment.
Pumpkin patches + mazes
Clinton Sease Farm | Friday, Sept. 19-Sunday, Nov. 2 | 382 Olde Farm Rd., Lexington | Times vary | Experience the “Barnyard Animals” corn maze, farm animals, playgrounds, wagon rides, and more.
Stewart Farms | Opens Saturday, Sept. 27 | 6600 Highway 92, Enoree | $8 (ages 6+), free (ages 5 and under) | Explore a corn maze, pumpkin patch, and wagon rides; nighttime activities include Big Boo and haunted wagon rides.
Lever Farms | Shop pumpkins and attend one of the Pomaria farm’s fall events.
Seasonal essentials
- Tired of losing your sunglasses in the water? These floating sunglasses provide optimal clarity and comfort for all your summer adventures.
- Shield yourself from the sun while adding a touch of flair to your outfit with one of our hats.
- This iceless cooler keeps your drinks cold for seven hours.
