Akron Digest
October 2, 2026
Good Morning, Akron!
Happy October. Did you know October has its own sports holiday?
It's called the "sports equinox." This year, it falls on Monday, Oct. 26, when the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB all play on the same night.
The Cavs are in action that night, and so is Game 3 of the World Series. Could it be a Cleveland sports equinox?
This is an events-heavy special issue for October, so let’s dive in.
🎃 13 Ways to Get Spooked in Summit County This Month
Halloween falls on a Saturday this year. That's great news for some adults and logistically complicated news for anyone with kids. Here's how to spend the month, sorted by how much screaming you're signing up for.
🍬 For the small, costumed people in your life
Boo at the Zoo — The Akron Zoo's annual trick-or-treat runs Oct. 10–11, 17–18, 24–25, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Ticket sales stop at 6 p.m., and no one gets in after that. Treater tickets are $16 and observer tickets are $13. Adults may come in costume, a right you should exercise.
Trick or Treat in the Village — On Oct. 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., kids can trick-or-treat their way through Hale Farm & Village in Bath. Admission is $8 for ages 3–12 and $15 for adults. It's 19th-century candy distribution, which is a novelty in its own right.
Truck-or-Treat — Summit Metro Parks brings out its work vehicles and hands out treats. It's free, and it happens twice: Oct. 24 at Silver Creek Metro Park in Norton, and Oct. 31 at Goodyear Heights Metro Park. Both run 5 to 7 p.m.
Stow Haunted Hayride — On Oct. 17 from 5:30 to 8 p.m., a family-friendly 15-minute ride loops past 27 decorated campsites in Silver Springs Park. Afterward there's a bonfire and a free s'mores kit. Tickets are $6 for Stow residents and $8 for everyone else.
Oct. 17 is a triple-header. Downtown Akron Fall Fest brings free trick-or-treating to Main Street from 4 to 7 p.m. Nightmare on Front Street in Cuyahoga Falls offers vendors, food trucks and costume contests from 3 to 8 p.m.
🍸 For grown-ups who still like dressing up
The Masque — This Poe-inspired masquerade takes over the Akron Civic Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 8 p.m. Admission includes three drink tickets, hors d'oeuvres and dancing, and elegant dress is mandatory. Tickets run $106.35. It's pricey, but a terrific option if you’re feeling both spooky and elegant.
Murder in the Mansion — Running Oct. 15 to 30 at 7 p.m., guests comb Stan Hywet's manor house for clues to solve a murder before time runs out. Tickets are $45 for members and $55 for nonmembers.
Hocus Pocus: The Taste-A-Long Experience — The Civic screens the 1993 classic on Oct. 8 at 7:30 p.m. and serves themed sweets along the way. Costumes are encouraged, and tickets are $49.95.
Behind the Scream — “Hello Sidney.” David Arquette comes to E.J. Thomas Hall on Oct. 21 for a 30th-anniversary screening of "Scream," followed by a conversation about the franchise.
Circa Thriller! — The Akron Art Museum hosts a Halloween dance party on Friday, Oct. 30 from 7:30 to 11 p.m. This year’s edition includes a dance party, trick-or-treating in the galleries, and a costume contest judged by local Akronites.
The Rocky Horror Show — Ohio Shakespeare Festival stages it at Greystone Hall from Oct. 8 to Nov. 1, with $15 tickets. Don't bring your own props; approved goodie bags are sold at the door.
👻 For people who actually want to be scared
The Haunted Schoolhouse & Laboratory — These are two haunts with seven floors between them at 1300 Triplett Blvd. The schoolhouse was Thomastown Elementary until it closed in 1973. The owner claims it's the longest-running haunted attraction in the country that has never moved or skipped a season. Bonus: admission is free on your birthday.
Akron Independent Horror Short Film Festival — Oct. 10 at 6 p.m. at the Civic brings three hours of horror shorts, vendors and food trucks, plus "scareoke" at the after-party. Tickets are $18.80.
🏠 The main event: Akron's Trick or Treat Night is Saturday, Oct. 31, from 5 to 7 p.m. If you're handing out candy, turn your porch light on. Other Summit County communities set their own times, so check your city's website.
🔥 Top Events This Weekend
Here is our list of hand-picked events around the area:
Norton Cider Festival 🍎
Friday, October 2–Sunday, October 4 | Columbia Woods Park, Norton
The Norton Cider Festival puts the annual autumn assignment front and center: cider, apples, food, local vendors, and a few hours outside before the heavy-coat part of the calendar begins. It is a family-oriented stop for anyone looking to turn pumpkin-season errands into an actual outing.
The entire festival takes place in Norton center, which makes it an easy in-and-out option rather than a full day of logistical planning. Check the festival site before heading over for the current entertainment, vendor, admission, and parking details.
Ohio Mart 🛍️
Friday, October 2 - Sunday, October 4 | Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens
Ohio Mart fills Stan Hywet with more than 150 juried artists and the estate’s Vintage Finds sale. Shop pottery, jewelry, paintings, home goods, and the sort of purchases that make a reusable tote feel like sound planning.
Admission includes a self-guided Manor House tour, so leave time for more than the vendor tents. Stan Hywet offers $5 on-site parking and free remote parking with continuous shuttles, a useful detail for an event spread across the estate.
Harvest Festival at Hale Farm & Village 🍂
Saturday, October 3–Sunday, October 4, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. | Hale Farm & Village, Bath
Hale Farm & Village turns its 19th-century setting toward the work and flavors of harvest season. Visitors can see historic cooking and food-preparation demonstrations, cider pressing, and seasonal farm activities, while Johnny Appleseed makes two appearances each day. There is live music, seasonal food, a pumpkin patch, and free pumpkin painting with a pumpkin purchase.
It is a particularly good fit for families who like a little history with their apple butter. Hale Farm sits in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, so the drive itself supplies some fall scenery.
Ohio Plant Show & Houseplant Expo 🪴
Saturday, October 3–Sunday, October 4, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. | John S. Knight Center
The Ohio Plant Show & Houseplant Expo is the weekend’s indoor option for people whose fall decorating plans include adding one more leafy responsibility to the living room. Botanical Soirée returns to the John S. Knight Center for its second Akron show, with more than 100 tables of plants from growers around the country, from hoyas and monsteras to rare aroids, orchids, and bonsai.
General admission is $10 cash or $12 card at the door, and kids 15 and under get in free. Entry closes at 2:30 p.m. each day, and early birds can grab a VIP pass online through Friday for a 9 a.m. head start. It’s an easy pick for collectors, new plant parents, and anyone who has ever said, with complete sincerity, that there is definitely room for one more pothos.
📌 Everything Else Worth Knowing
Some bonus picks from us:
🎶 Music & Fall Nights
Wish You Were Here: The Great Tour in the Sky
Saturday, October 3, 8 p.m. | Akron Civic Theatre
This Pink Floyd tribute concert benefits Akron Children’s pediatric palliative care program, with a large-scale live recreation of classic material.
More info →
Annual Fall Festival
Saturday, October 3, noon–6 p.m. | The Winery at Wolf Creek, Barberton
Spend an afternoon with live music, food, shopping, and fall activities.
More info →
🎨 Farms, Markets & Fall Fun
Dogtober Fest
Saturday, October 3, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. | Lock 3
A free afternoon of pet costume contests, a dog-and-owner look-alike contest, and a peanut butter licking competition.
More info →
Pumpkin Pandemonium
Now through October 25 | Heritage Farms, Peninsula
Hayrides, a harvest maze, scavenger challenges, pumpkins, and food vendors make this a full fall-farm afternoon in the Cuyahoga Valley.
More info →
📸 #SeenInAkron
🎬🎥 Akron Weekend Movie Action
Nightlight Cinema
Primetime
In 2006, To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen sets out to make television history.Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
The History of Concrete
After attending a workshop on how to write and sell a Hallmark movie, filmmaker John Wilson tries to use the same formula to sell a documentary about concrete.Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
The Incomer
On an Orkney isle, siblings Isla and Sandy survive by hunting seabirds, retelling the stories of their ancestors, and defending the isle from dreaded "Incomers". Their world is upended with the arrival of an awkward council worker who has come to uproot them from their homeland.Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Highland Square Theatre
Heart of the Beast
After surviving a plane crash, a former special-forces soldier and his combat dog must make it through the Alaskan wilderness together.Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
Weekend Weather
Friday
66 🌡️ 46 | 🌧️ | 74% 🌧️
Saturday
67 🌡️ 45 | ☀️ | 3% 🌧️
Sunday
71 🌡️ 50 | 🌤️ | 8% 🌧️
Thanks!
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