October 2025 in Philly: The Biggest Events, Fests & Exhibitions

Doop! Not only is it your playoff-bound Philadelphia Union’s final regular-season home game, it’s Fan Appreciation Night at the stunning soccer-specific Subaru Park in Delco.

Cheer on Dániel Gazdag, Kai Wagner, Andre Blake and the rest of the gang during their match-up against New York City FC, and enjoy concessions specials, discounts on team merch and special gametime surprises. So basically, everyone scores!

Plus, stay tuned for more information about the Union post-season as they start their run toward the MLS Cup.

Through Sunday, October 5, 2025

Henry VIII’s former wives — all six of ’em — step out of his shadow and onto the stage in this Tony Award-winning Broadway production that channels 500 years of heartbreak into 21st-century empowerment.

Catch the Tudor queens-turned-pop princesses in action before the global sensation, SIX, closes its Philadelphia run early this month.

Through Sunday, October 12, 2025 (Wednesdays through Sundays)

Philly’s beloved roving beer garden, Parks on Tap, wraps up its summer tour, bringing brews and bites to urban parks and green spaces across Philadelphia.

Expect drafts from Mainstay Independent Brewing, Conshohocken Brewing, 2SP Brewing and more, as well as cocktails, burgers, cheesesteaks and snacks. The last remaining stops for the season include Powers Park in Port Richmond and the Strawberry Mansion Bridge above the picturesque Schuylkill River.

Through Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Officially running from September 15 to October 15, 2025, Hispanic Heritage Month offers a slew of citywide events highlighting Philly’s diverse Hispanic and Latino community, including:

• Latin American Book Fair at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts: The Latin American Book Fair is back for its seventh edition, connecting authors, illustrators, writers, designers and book lovers with an afternoon of free programming. Hosted in collaboration with the Mexican Cultural Center, this year’s event features 30 authors, organizations and community readers, plus cultural performances, live music, dancing and food (Saturday, October 4, 2025).

• Family Festival: Things That Go at the Philadelphia Museum of Art: The Philadelphia Museum of Art’s “Things That Go” Latinx Heritage Month family festival is the place to be loud and have fun, with hands-on art, music and crafts for kids. Highlights include a bilingual music experience, a make-your-own passport activity, and plenty of singing and dancing. This event is free with Pay-What-You-Wish admission; tickets are not required (Sunday, October 5, 2025).

• Musical Performances at the Esperanza Arts Center: Esperanza Arts Center’s calendar is especially packed this month. Highlights include Josean Ortiz’s Afro-Latino play Tite Curet Alonso: Lyrics and Poetry (October 5, 2025) and singer Marcelle McGuirk’s Sonidos Latinos concert featuring vocal music by Latina composers (Friday, October 10, 2025).

• Salsa Sunday at Bok Bar: Head to Bok Bar for an afternoon of classic salsa and bachata led by guest instructors from Estilo Dance Studio. Dance lessons are from 3 p.m. to about 4 p.m., then the dance floor opens up to all with tunes from DJ V Spice and DJ Big George till 8 p.m. It’s all free to attend, and beginners are welcome (Sunday, October 12, 2025).

• Dine Latino Restaurant Week: The Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce celebrates Latino-owned and operated restaurants and food trucks across the region with a special week-long promotion of one complimentary appetizer or dessert with the purchase of two dinner entrées, plus select limited-time menus (October 12-18, 2025). The week-long campaign culminates with a Chef’s Tasting led by the chef and founder of El Merkury, Sofia De Leon on October 30, 2025.

• “Tide to Table” Dinner from Sea Philly: A Latina- and woman-owned private charter, Sea Philly partners with Latino chef Pablo Toxqui of Haute Feast and the farmers of the Barnegat Oyster Collective for an unforgettable waterfront seafood dinner, including a raw bar, passed hors d’oeuvres and a three-course meal, plus welcome cocktails and wine pairings. Tickets are $275 (not including fees), and dinner starts at 6 p.m. (Saturday, October 18, 2025).

Through Sunday, October 26, 2025 (Saturdays & Sundays) 

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.

Dates vary by attraction

Halloween is a scream in Philadelphia. Each fall, Philly takes spooky season to the next level as creepy haunted houses pop up throughout the region, scaring up new and over-the-top Hollywood production-level experiences set inside some of the creepiest places you can imagine. Here are just a few who have announced opening dates in September:

• Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary: Each fall, Eastern State Penitentiary opens its cell blocks after dark for Halloween Nights. During the annual fall festival, the legendary facility transforms into one of America’s largest haunted houses with nearly a dozen different attractions, including multiple haunted houses, prison tours and more (September 19 to November 8, 2025, select dates).

• Fright Factory in South Philadelphia: Like a nightmare right out of a Stephen King novel, the dark and cavernous basement of a 120-year-old abandoned factory becomes one of the most unnerving places on the planet. That’s the setting for the high-scare, high-startle Fright Factory, a 25,000-square-foot South Philly warehouse hosting three themed areas (September 26 to November 1, 2025, select dates).

• Bates Motel in Glen Mills: Hollywood-level special effects ramp up the trilogy of terror at The Bates Motel in Delco, named one of the 10 Best Haunted House Attractions in America by CNN. The Bates Motel Haunted House offers high-tech effects, digital sound and lighting, and astonishingly realistic details, plus a 25-minute Haunted Hayride through the tall forest of Arasapha Farm and the walk-through Revenge of the Scarecrows Haunted Corn Trail (September 19 to November 2, 2025).

• Pennhurst Asylum in Spring City: Operating in the same facility that housed an infamous real-life psychiatric hospital for 80 years before being shut down, Pennhurst Asylum is a terrifying haunted attraction in Chester County. The 120-acre property offers three chilling venues: Pennhurst Asylum haunted house, The Morgue and The Tunnels (all respectfully presented while acknowledging the site’s problematic history), plus less-scary paranormal investigation and daytime tours (September 20 to November 2, 2025).

• 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 after flooding from Hurricane Ida in 2021, uncovering the mill’s dark and gruesome past. Explore the 160-year-old abandoned mill as you avoid the lingering spirits of workers who were subject to torment from their disturbed boss, featuring scare actors, high-quality sets, special effects and animatronics (September 26 to November 2, 2025).

• The Valley of Fear in Feasterville-Trevose: Located at the Phoenix Sport Club in Feasterville-Trevose, The Valley of Fear has offered thrilling Halloween frights for 35 years. Explore three varied attractions, including the disorienting Original Haunted Hayride through “America’s Most Horrifying Woods,” a terrifying hunt for One Eye’d Willie’s lost treasure at Escape Shipwreck Cove and the dreaded mansion of evil at the risen-from-the-ashes Miles Manor Haunted House (September 26 to November 2, 2025).

Dates vary by attraction

Pumpkin spice and everything nice, that’s what fall is made of. Sites, farms and orchards across the region turn the autumnal vibes up to the max with a great slate of seasonal fests.

• Pumpkinland at Linvilla Orchards: This gourd gala typically features a slew of ticketed activities like daytime and nighttime hayrides, corn and (slightly harder) haybale mazes, apple blaster target shooting, pick-your-own crops, fishing and more. Details are still developing for 2025, so keep an eye out for more information (September 6 to November 2, 2025).

• Scarecrows in the Village at Peddler’s Village: One of Bucks County’s favorite autumnal happenings, Scarecrows in the Village at Peddler’s Village is back for its 46th season with more than 150 creative and colorful locally handmade scarecrows, ranging from silly to spooky (September 8 to October 26, 2025).

• FallFest at Shady Brook Farm: Known for its drive-thru holiday light display, Shady Brook Farm gets into spooky season, too, with this festival, featuring corn mazes, pumpkin picking, wagon rides, live music and more (September 12 to October 30, 2025).

• Maze Days at Dilworth Park: For two weeks, Dilworth Park — aka City Hall’s “front yard” — becomes a fall-tastic all-ages playspace made wholly out of hay, accompanied by a lineup of kids’ storytime sessions, live music, outdoor movie screenings and more (October 15 to 31, 2025).

• Manayunk Fall Fest: One of Philly’s favorite riverfront neighborhoods joins the fall fun with a fete of its own. Introducing the Manayunk Fall Fest, a day full of local vendors and artisans to shop, food trucks fare to devour and family-friendly activities to enjoy. Also on deck: live music and a ticketed mac n’ cheese crawl (Saturday, October 18, 2025).

Through late December 2025

Catch your Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles live and in person when Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith take to their home turf for two October matchups.

First up, the guys go up against Nik Bonitto, Patrick Surtain II, Marvin Mims Jr. and the rest of the Denver Broncos (October 5, 2025). Three weeks later, cheer on the Birds as they take on vet/newcomer QB duo Russel Wilson and Jaxson Dart when the New York Giants muscle their way into town (October 26, 2025).

Dates vary by show

The chilly autumn breeze blows in some of our favorite names in music this October, including:

• $uicideboy$ Present Grey Day Tour 2025 at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion (Wednesday, October 1, 2025)
• The Witcher in Concert at The Met Philadelphia (Wednesday, October 1, 2025)
• Chance the Rapper at The Fillmore (Wednesday, October 1, 2025)
• Natasha Bedingfield at Theatre of Living Arts (Wednesday, October 1, 2025)
• Aminé at The Fillmore (Monday, October 6, 2025)
• Queens of the Stone Age at The Met Philadelphia (Tuesday, October 7, 2025)
• Addison Rae at The Fillmore (Tuesday, October 7, 2025)
• Noah Cyrus at The Fillmore (Friday, October 10, 2025)
• Avatar: The Last Airbender at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion (Saturday, October 11, 2025)
• Philly Music Fest at various locations (October 13-19, 2025)
• Mumford & Sons at Xfinity Mobile Arena (Tuesday, October 14, 2025)
• David Byrne at The Met Philadelphia (October 16-18, 2025)
• David Archuleta at The Foundry (October 17, 2025)
• Billie Eilish at Xfinity Mobile Arena (Tuesday, October 23, 2025)
• Laufey at Xfinity Mobile Arena (Friday, October 24, 2025)
• Giveon at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion (Saturday, October 25, 2025)
• The Philly Pops Season Kick-Off: Luck Be a Lady at the Kimmel Center (Saturday, October 25, 2025)
• Bryan Adams at Xfinity Mobile Arena (Wednesday, October 29, 2025)
• The Mountaintop at Arden Theatre Co. (October 30 to December 14, 2025)

Produced by the Center for Architecture and Design and celebrating its 21st year, DesignPhiladelphia is a multi-day fest highlighting the brilliance and creativity of Philadelphia’s design community — from the youngest designers to the most seasoned — with a host of events and installations.

Check out the official website for more information about panels, parties, hands-on family-friendly activities and other event announcements.

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.

October 2, 2025 – April 26, 2026 (select dates)

The orange and black are back, baby! An October 13, 2025 matchup with the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers marks the 2025-2026 home opener for Travis Konecny, Matvei Michkov, Sean Couturier and the rest of the Philadelphia Flyers.

That’s just the first of seven October home ice tilts, including games versus the Winnipeg Jets (October 16, 2025), the Minnesota Wild (October 18, 2025), the Seattle Kraken (October 20, 2025) and the New York Islanders (October 25, 2025). The Broad Street Bullies close out the month with matchups against intrastate rival the Pittsburgh Penguins (October 28, 2025), as well as the Nashville Predators (October 30, 2025).

Head up to Philly’s Roxborough neighborhood to join in the 13th annual Roxtoberfest free street festival.

Hit the hills for a massive celebration along Ridge Avenue that typically features German-themed entertainment and competitions, food trucks, live music, costumed pets, activities for the kids and plenty of beer for the adults, plus over 100 local crafters, artists, makers and community organizations. Stay tuned to the official website and Facebook page for more information about the 2025 event.

Back by popular demand after a sold-out run this spring, one of the nation’s biggest outdoor Asian food festivals returns to Dilworth Park when Panda Fest spends the weekend outside of City Hall.

Enjoy experiential activities, tastings and market fairs that showcase the beauty and richness of Asian culture and cuisine with over 35 food vendors offering more than 80 entree options.

No pandas were harmed in the making of this festival (lol), but attendees can check out a giant panda inflatable, panda-related merch and receive two free gifts: a custom Philly panda pin and an inflatable panda headband.

St. Nick’s Italian Festival in South Philly has paid tribute to the neighborhood’s Italian heritage annually since 1987, but its roots go back much further, dating to the arrival of the first Italian immigrants in the early 1900s.

This annual celebration of faith, family and tradition features mass and an open-air religious procession; authentic Italian cuisine from beloved vendors like The Kitchen Consigliere, Marra’s Pizza and Termini Bros Bakery; live entertainment; and family-friendly fun including rides, face painting and games. The fest, which is open to the public, is free to attend with pay-as-you-go food and drink.

In mid-October, 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).

The neighborhood fest offers amazing food, live performance, arts, crafts and shopping, all in celebration of Chinatown’s rich culture.

Join WHYY for a special preview screening of award-winning documentarian Ken Burns’ newest series, The American Revolution, at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion. The docuseries explores both the triumphs and challenges of the Revolutionary generation, as told by America’s political leaders, their British counterparts and the everyday people living through the birth of a nation.

A part of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps’ 250th anniversary celebrations (below), this special screening is followed by an exclusive conversation between the filmmaker and WHYY Fresh Air’s Terry Gross. General admission is pay what you wish, but registration is required.

October 9-16 & November 7-11, 2025

The U.S. Armed Forces kick off America’s 2026 Semiquincentennial in late 2025 with The Navy & Marine Corps 250th Celebration, honoring the 250th birthdays of both the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.

The celebration will feature a historic gathering of ships at Penn’s Landing, events and a veterans’ reunion on Independence Mall, a large concert, an air show featuring the Blue Angels and more, plus exhibits at museums like the American Swedish Historical Museum, Independence Seaport Museum and aboard Battleship New Jersey.

The 130-year-old Reading Terminal Market public food hall celebrates the intersection of a Philly favorite food and a beloved fall staple at the second annual 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 entertainment and fun kids’ crafts.

Hold it steady! The 8 Seconds Rodeo, a traveling showcase of the “bravest riders, nastiest bulls, tastiest food” and livest entertainment in rodeo, rides into Philly for one night only. Come early for shopping, mechanical bull riding, line dancing, rope lessons, food vendors and a beer garden.

Don’t miss a single twist, turn or buck once the main event kicks off. Contemporary cowboys and girls pay tribute to the long legacy of Black rodeo — while throwing their (10-gallon) hat in the ring for the $60,000 grand prize. Featured events include mutton bustin’, bareback riding, barrel racing and bull riding, plus dancing on the dirt. Tickets are required.

Transport yourself to Germany without leaving Bucks County when Peddler’s Village hosts its annual OctoberFeast.

Over the course of two days, visitors can sample beers in the beer garden, enjoy fare from food trucks, and delight in live entertainment and family-friendly activities.

October 11-12 & 18-19, 2025

Hundreds of artists and community spaces open their doors to the public during Philadelphia Open Studio Tours (POST), an annual tradition that seeks to make workshops, galleries and other creative spaces more accessible.

Expect free self-guided tours, live demonstrations, exhibitions and more to pop up in more than 26 neighborhoods across the city, making POST one of the largest open-studio events in the nation. Studios east of Broad Street are open October 11 and 12, 2025, while studios west of Broad Street are open October 18 and 19, 2025.

A large stretch of Germantown Avenue in Chestnut Hill transforms into an open-air art and craft marketplace for the 41st annual family-friendly Fall for the Arts Festival.

More than 200 talented and diverse artists and vendors set up shop along the avenue, offering photographs, watercolors, sculptures, pottery, glass art, tapestries, jewelry and more. Enjoy maker demonstrations, boutique shops highlighting the latest fashion trends, restaurants serving up delectable dishes, live demonstrations, live music, children’s activities and culinary delights. The event is free to attend, with pay-as-you-go food and drink.

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.

Themed “Out Loud, Out Front: Power Protection & Pride,” the festival block party (known as OutFest until 2022) features live performances and DJ sets, speeches, craft and apparel vendors, fair food, beer gardens, and scores of organizations offering NCOD resources and promoting LGBTQ+ visibility.

Kick off the weekend’s celebrations with the OURfest Symposium, followed by after-parties, on Saturday, October 11, 1025.

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 Peoples’ Day Philly celebration.

Indigenous communities from across the nation gather at Shackamaxon to mark five-plus centuries of First Nations history at this pay-what-you-wish festival (suggested donations are $12 for adults and $5 for kids and elders). The inspiring event typically features cultural performances, speakers, workshops, vendors, food and more.

Lights, camera … action! Each year, the Philadelphia Film Society (PFS) travels to festivals around the globe in search of innovative new films. For the event’s 34th season, curators returned with over 100 features, shorts and documentaries to screen during the 11-day Philadelphia Film Festival.

Held at each of the PFS’ three theaters, the fest also features star-studded red carpet moments, inspiring Q&A sessions and more. Stay tuned to the PFF website for the 2025 schedule.

The Philly Bike Ride invites cyclists of all skill levels to cruise through 20 miles of car-free streets. The closed-course route takes bicyclists from the Philadelphia Museum of Art and back, ending with a festival featuring music, food and activities.

Registration is required to participate in the Philly Bike Ride, but the finish-line festival is open to the public and free to attend.

”When in the course of human events …” The centerpiece of the Museum of the American Revolution’s 2026 programming, The Declaration’s Journey exhibition traces the history of one of America’s founding documents over the 250 years since its adoption in 1776.

Utilizing artworks, documents and artifacts, the exhibition explores the Declaration’s complex legacy and its role in inspiring more than 100 independence movements across the world.

With 18 pieces by Henri Rousseau in its galleries, the Barnes Foundation is home to the world’s largest collection of works by the artist.

Explore Rousseau’s genius in this new exhibition — a collaboration between the Benjamin Franklin Parkway museum and the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris — bringing together paintings from the Barnes’ permanent collection and pieces from around the world.

Have you ever been determined to find happiness against all odds?

This uplifting Tony Award-winning musical explores growing up — and growing old — while navigating a dysfunctional family, first loves, crime schemes and a condition that causes rapid aging.

The 2025 PECO Multicultural Series season comes to a close in October with the 11th annual Taste of the Philippines festival at the Delaware River 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, a bustling marketplace, and lots and lots of authentic Filipino cuisine, including adobo, sinigang, lumpia, lechon and more.

Cheer on fanciful kinetic sculptures and contraptions driven by human pilots racing down an urban obstacle course at the Kensington Derby and Arts Festival, an only-in-Philly event along Frankford Avenue between East York Street and Sergeant Street.

Also on the docket: plenty of street eats, live music and art demonstrations, regional shopping, and tons of family activities, including Halloween costume contests for kids and pets. The day closes out with WWE-style wrestling matches, courtesy of Awful Wrestling, Philly’s newest wrestling league that’s debuting right here at the festival.

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.

Drawing 8,000 rowers and 20,000 to 30,000 spectators, the race winds along Kelly Drive, which offers optimal viewing points to enjoy the festive atmosphere and watch 260-plus clubs, high schools and colleges race.

October 25, 2025 – April 12, 2026 (select dates)

Play the song … 1-2-3-4-5-76ers! With promising rookies — first- and second-round draft picks VJ Edgecombe and Johni Broome — joining Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, (fingers-crossed) Paul George and Joel Embiid on the floor, the 76ers aim to bounce back from a hard 2024-2025 season.

Catch the first glimmers of what this season could hold when the guys take on the Charlotte Hornets at the season home opener at the Xfinity Mobile Arena (Saturday, October 25, 2025), followed by a matchup against the Orlando Magic (Monday, October 27, 2025). On Halloween, the Boston Celtics come to town for one of the first games of the NBA Cup in-season tournament.

Bring the fam out to eclectic East Passyunk for a day of Halloween festivities. Kids can trick-or-treat up and down the Ave while parents take advantage of specials at participating businesses and shop goods from over 80 artisans and makers.

The free festival also features live music, pumpkin carving, a dog costume contest and tons of fun activations. Don’t miss a special spooky pop-up art display by the Drunkin Knit Wits and South Philly Yarn.

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 typically comes around mid-October.

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.

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.

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 Philadelphia 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.

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 and intriguing rookies.

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.

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.

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.

With summer in the rearview, crisp and cozy fall weather takes over with temperatures in Philadelphia reflecting the new season. Daytime high temperatures average a pleasant 67 degrees Fahrenheit with overnight lows down to 48. In the last month of Daylight Saving Time, the sun shines almost 6.5 hours per day, with around 11 days experiencing some rain.

October snow is rare, although the city did receive several inches during the Halloween weekend nor’easter of 2011. Philly reached an October record of 95 degrees as recently as 2019.

Philly’s festival season kicks into high gear in October. Oktoberfest continues with beerfests dotting the region from Center City to Ambler to Peddler’s Village. Harvest festivals abound down on the farm and across pumpkin patches and hay mazes in the four-county countryside, even extending to City Hall and Reading Terminal Market. Cooler temps mean great neighborhood street festivals and block parties from Roxborough to Downingtown.

Plus, don’t miss food festivals including Taste of the Philippines, music gathering Philly Music Fest and the annual OURFest National Coming Out Day festival.

Break out your best costume and head out for tricks and treats in October. For the serious Halloweeners, Philly offers at least a dozen terrifying professional movie-production-scale haunted houses — headlined by the nation’s largest at abandoned Eastern State Penitentiary — and several spooky ghost tours.

If screams aren’t your speed, hit up a bevy of family-and-kid-friendly Halloween events around the area like Boo at the Zoo at the Philadelphia Zoo, Spooky Mini Golf at Franklin Square, The Count’s Halloween Spooktacular at Sesame Place and Scarecrows in the Village at Peddler’s Village.

There’s simply no better month for Philly sports. It’s Red October at Citizens Bank Park as the Phillies try to capture another title during the MLB postseason. The Eagles race headlong into the first full month of NFL football at Lincoln Financial Field.

At the Xfinity Mobile Arena, both the NBA’s 76ers and NHL’s Flyers kick off new seasons with home opener celebrations and a full slate of games, while the Union wrap up their MLS regular season in Chester. And in grand Philly tradition, the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta is run each October on the famous river.

October is a spectacular month for multicultural events in Philly. The second half of Hispanic Heritage Month ramps up. The Southeast Asian Market wraps up its season in FDR Park, while the YèShì Chinatown Night Market takes center stage in Center City. The final PECO Multicultural Series event of the year takes place with Taste of the Philippines.

October also means the OURFest Parade & Festival for National Coming Out Day, and the annual Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration at Shackamaxon (Penn Treaty Park).

If everything here hasn’t convinced you just how jam-packed Philly is for fun, exciting and belly-filling events in October, come experience for yourself.

Tucked neatly in between the heat of the summer and the start of the fall-and-winter holidays corridor, October is a great (and busy) time to visit Philly before wintry weather sets in with a myriad of stuff to do from farms and haunted houses to historical and family-friendly events to professional sports and professional theater.