Who doesn’t love fall? The season is especially enjoyable in the Gateway City, and our list of top things to do in St. Louis this October gives you umpteen ways to enjoy it.
Need more fresh trip ideas? Check our roundup of haunted happenings for hair-raising, spine-tingling events. If you can’t handle the horrors of Halloween, though, stick to theater and performing arts in St. Louis.
Jack’s Lighted Trail
Now until November 1
With glowing pumpkin sculptures, thematic photo opportunities and festive surprises around every corner, Jack’s Lighted Trail at Eckert’s Farm gives you one more reason to love fall in St. Louis. While the illuminated pumpkin trail will delight curious kiddos, the Spook-Easy will draw those 21 and older with deliciously themed cocktails. “We’re always looking for new ways to bring people together at Eckert’s Farm, and Jack’s Lighted Trail is unlike anything we’ve ever done before,” president Chris Eckert says. “It’s immersive, it’s magical, and it brings a whole new energy to the farm after dark. We can’t wait for guests to experience this brand-new fall tradition.”
Fright at the Museum
October 1 to 26
For those who revel in the extraordinary, Fright at the Museum promises a month of entertainment that will send shivers down your spine. The one-of-a-kind Halloween festival at City Museum features heart-pounding performances that push the boundaries of possibility, alongside carefully curated exhibits with artifacts that defy explanation and specimens that challenge imagination. When you need a break, step into the shadows of the Vampire Bar, where darkness and decadence intertwine. Here, you can sip crimson elixirs that transport imbibers to another realm of intoxicating ambiance and tantalizing flavors. Coven & Cauldron, a dimly lit pub, boasts a different world of magic, mystery and macabre, enticing curious mortals and practicing witches with enchanting brews. Fright at the Museum takes place from Oct. 1 to 26, giving you ample time to experience all the thrilling and captivating oddities and curiosities that City Museum has to offer this fall.
Halloween Nights at Grant’s Farm
October 2 to 30
Glowing trails, ghoulish displays, gentle surprises – this is Halloween Nights, a spellbinding after-dark experience at Grant’s Farm. A fall tradition for all ages, the experience begins with a haunted tram ride and ends in the tiergarten, where you can enjoy themed shows, scare zones, seasonal snacks, Insta-worthy photo ops and a monster mash!
St. Louis Bourbon Festival
October 3
The St. Louis Bourbon Festival returns to the historic Lemp Mansion as part of St. Louis’ spellbinding lineup of fall festivals and events. This year’s festival footprint doesn’t stop there, though. It has expanded along four city blocks with additional spaces to explore along Cherokee Street and Demenil Place featuring eerie tasting lounges and wicked VIP haunts. Brave imbibers can enjoy more than 500 whiskies from around the world, along with spine-tingling live music, street performers, food trucks and a scotch and cigar patio. Don your finest fall attire and embrace the Halloween vibe at this spooky soirée where bourbon flows and spirits rise.
Best of Missouri Market
October 3 to 5
This fall, the Best of Missouri Market returns to the Missouri Botanical Garden with more than 120 vendors, offering unique handicrafts, locally produced foodstuffs, bespoke jewelry, native plants and more. Kids will also have a blast with fall-inspired activities such as sustainable pumpkin decorating.
Brookdale Farms Fall Festival
October 3 to November 2
Nestled among the rolling hills of Eureka, Brookdale Farms has everything you need to satisfy your fall cravings. During its fall festival, pick the perfect pumpkins for classic jack-o’-lanterns, navigate the largest corn maze in St. Louis, take a hayride or board the cow train. In between bites of kettle corn, you can also pet furry farm animals, embark on low-ropes courses, play life-size board games and test your skills on a mechanical bull. Yee-haw!
Grove Fest
October 4
Dance, eat and party in the streets of The Grove during this annual festival praised for its diversity. Live music, interactive art, street performers, drag shows and a bubble bus set the tone, so you know that you’ll have a good time. Want to immerse yourself in the fun? Enter the pizza eating contest, best mustache and beard contest or hip-hop karaoke competition.
Chuseok Korean Harvest Festival
October 4
Held at Half Moon Circle in Tower Grove Park, the Chuseok Korean Harvest Festival centers on traditional Korean performing arts. Highlights of the program include a martial arts demonstration, K-pop performances and traditional Korean foods. Attendees can also participate in traditional games such as Yutnori, Ddakji and Gonggi; try on hanbok, traditional clothing of the Korean people; and learn about the traditional Chuseok charye table setting.
Historic Shaw Art Fair
October 4 and 5
Color us excited! A stone’s throw from the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Historic Shaw Art Fair returns to the intersection of Flora Place and Tower Grove Avenue this October. The fine arts fair features 120 artists showcasing their ceramics, paintings, pastels, photography, sculptures, woodwork and more, while food and music supplement the show.
St. Louis VegFest
October 5
Powered by plants, St. Louis VegFest has grown to include approximately 70 vendors, expert speakers and entertainers – plus, yoga sessions and kid-friendly activities – since the first event in 2018. This year, St. Louis VegFest will be held at the World’s Fair Pavilion in Forest Park, where you can learn more about the thriving vegan community in the region. St. Louis VegFest 2025 will happen rain or shine, so dress accordingly.
Life of Pi
October 7 to 19
Told with jaw-dropping visuals, world-class puppetry and mind-bending stagecraft, Life of Pi is an epic story of perseverance and hope that speaks to every generation. “An exhilarating evening of theater,” according to The Wall Street Journal, the Broadway play is based on the novel of the same name that has sold more than 15 million copies, becoming a worldwide phenomenon. After a shipwreck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a 16-year-old boy named Pi survives on a lifeboat with four wild companions – a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan and a Royal Bengal tiger. Join the breathtaking journey and see how the tale unfolds when Life of Pi comes to The Fabulous Fox.
The Woman in Black
October 8 to 26
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents a story that refuses to stay buried. Arthur Kipps has carried a dreadful secret for years. Determined to confront his darkest memories, he hires a young actor to help bring his nightmare to life and finally put it to rest. As rehearsals unfold, though, something sinister stirs in the shadows. A haunting stage adaptation of Susan Hill’s ghost story, The Woman in Black pulls audiences into the mystery of Eel Marsh House, where shadows stretch long, voices whisper in the wind and an inescapable terror lurks just out of sight. Once you see her, there’s no turning back. Join us – if you dare.
Oktoberfest in Soulard
October 10 and 11
Home to the Anheuser-Busch Brewery and Biergarten, Soulard is the perfect location for Oktoberfest. The free, family-friendly event honors St. Louis’ German brewing traditions with multiple beer stands serving the best suds around town. Attendees can also enjoy traditional German food, a wine garden and live music.
GalaxyCon
October 10 to 12
More than a comic con, GalaxyCon is a mecca for comic books, pop culture, sci-fi, fantasy, anime, gaming, cosplay and wrestling! Held at America’s Center Convention Complex, the three-day festival of fandom will feature celebrities, artists, writers, voice actors, cosplayers, entertainers, creators, wrestlers, fan groups, panelists and people like you!
Saint Louis Ballet Fall Series
October 11 and 12
In its fall series, Saint Louis Ballet presents an extraordinary triple bill celebrating musical brilliance, choreographic innovation and stylistic range. From the jazzy exuberance of Take Five…More or Less by Broadway legend Susan Stroman to the striking modernism and classical depth of George Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments and the elegant precision of his Divertimento No. 15 set to Mozart’s luminous score, this program offers a dynamic journey through rhythm, emotion and the timeless beauty of ballet.
Delish on Delmar
October 17
A fresh blend of block party, food festival and makers market, Delish on Delmar celebrates the legacy of Delmar Boulevard. Shop for unique gifts at Craft Alliance and Third Degree Glass Factory, get creative with your youngsters at MADE for Kids and stay energized with bites from local staples such as Florentin, Fountain on Delmar and Steve’s Hot Dogs. See you on the street!
Wolf Fest
October 18
Party with the pack at the Endangered Wolf Center! During Wolf Fest, you can embrace the best aspects of the unique attraction. After visiting wild canids such as red wolves, Mexican wolves, painted dogs and fennec foxes during an open house-style tour, you can enjoy food trucks, live music and kids’ activities with the whole family.
Fall Colors Expedition
October 18 and 19
Join Big Muddy Adventures on a breathtaking journey through the Missouri River Valley via canoe. This overnight expedition will cover 30 miles of the Missouri River, including incredible views of fiery fall foliage – plus, riverside tent camping, meals and snacks. You don’t need paddling experience, but participants must be 18 or older.
Circus of Life
October 24 to 26
Counterpublic, a St. Louis-based triennial exhibition reimagining the possibilities of art in public life, will present its inaugural convening, Circus of Life, at The Big Top in the Grand Center Arts District. Free and open to the public, the festival will bring artists, performers, poets, curators, organizers, activists and educators together for an epic celebration. Over three days, Circus of Life will offer alternate ways of gathering via shared experience, reflecting a desire to reconnect art and life. Inspired by the history of the circus – which, in addition to comprising a diverse array of entertainment, serves as a space for creative expression where all are welcome – Circus of Life will present work by individuals and collectives that are committed to challenging the most ingrained of our assumptions, asking us to expand our imaginations to envision living otherwise. On the circus grounds, artists of all stripes will perform and host booths of fun, reflection and exchange that have been created specifically with the current socio-political moment in mind, offering challenges and questions for the public to consider. Serving as a site where pleasure meets rowdiness, joy meets skepticism and indulgence meets experimentation, Circus of Life will be a space to make meaning together.
Apple Butter Festival
October 25 and 26
Attracting more than 100,000 visitors every year, the Apple Butter Festival is the largest event in Kimmswick. While participants can enjoy the small-town ambiance, live entertainment and between 500 and 600 food, drink and craft vendors, there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes, too. On Friday, the Kimmswick Historical Society gathers to peel and prepare the apples. Then, before dawn on Saturday and Sunday, the apples are cooked in a kettle over a wood-burning fire until the fragrant spread is thick enough to seal in jars. After one taste of the apple butter, you’ll want to stock your pantry with the indulgence.
