Whether you're Team Apple or Team Pumpkin, there is tons of fall family fun headed towards the Wilmington, DE area over the next few months. From pumpkin picking to hayrides, spooky crafts to sweet treats, there's always something fun to do with the family in our area.
If the weather is iffy, please check with your host before you head out.
Hikes, Parks, & Leaf Peepin'
- 9/23 Brandywine Creek State Park Fall Equinox Hike: Explore the ecosystems of the park and talk about what makes autumn such a cool season!
- 9/23 Ramsey's Farm Bonfire Nights: Fridays and Saturdays in October. 6-9 pm.
- 10/1 - 10/31 Haunted Trails of Rockwood: The twists and bends of Rockwood’s 170 year-old garden paths are lit with dramatic lighting for the haunted holiday.
- 10/6 Caramel Apple Making & Wagon Ride: Get into the fall spirit by making delicious, caramel-coated apples, topped with your favorite sweets!
- 10/6 Wilmington & Western Railroad Hayride Express: Enjoy a 1-hour round-trip evening ride through the Red Clay Valley to Ashland on an original railroad flatcar converted especially for hayrides. Additional Dates: 10/13, 10/20, 10/27.
- 10/6, 10/7 Paranormal Adventure - Fort Delaware State Park: Participate in an actual paranormal investigation of Fort Delaware. Fridays and Saturdays in October.
- 10/7 + 10/8 Autumn Leaf Express: Surround yourself with the beauty and splendor of Autumn during the most colorful time of the year. Additional dates: 10/14, 10/15, 10/18, 10/21, 10/22, 10/28, 11/4. Wilmington & Western Railroad.
- 10/11 Fall Meadow Hike: Learn about interesting practices used to manage the meadows from Jim Magee, natural lands technician.
- 10/20 Enchanted Meadow Trick or Treat Weekend at Brandywine Creek
- 10/21 Sleep Under the Stars: Families camp overnight in beautiful Carousel Park with fun fall activities.
- 10/23 Foliage Wagon Rides: Join in on a leisurely wagon ride through the park to admire the fall foliage.
PYO Pumpkins
Image Credit: Jamie Clark
- Coverdale Farm Preserve: Come by for pumpkins, scarecrows, hayrides, seasonal treats, and much more. Some activity fees apply. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Ramsey's Farm Pick-Your-Own Pumpkin Patch: Ramsey Farm's pumpkin patch is 10-12 acres and yields 50,000 pumpkins each season. Weekends starting September 16th until October.
Haunted Farmers Markets
Food Trucks, Pumpkins, Candy and Market-Appropriate costumes.
- 10/20 Bellevue Farmers Market: 510 Duncan Road, North Wilmington
Behind the Bellevue Community Center. 3-7 p.m. - 10/26 Glasgow Park Farmers Market: 2275 Pulaski Highway,
Newark, DE 19702. 3-7 p.m. - 10/27 Carousel Park Farmers Market, 3700 Limestone Road, Pike Creek. 2-6 p.m.
Craft Festivals & Fall Fests
Fernando Cortes via Canva
- Woodside Farm Creamery Art & Craft Show: Join Woodside, and dozens of local artists featuring their work.
- Brandywine Hundred Fire Co. Fall Craft + Food Truck Event: Shop from 50+ vendors, crafters, and food trucks.
- Carousel Park Craft & Book Fair: A beautiful autumn day with over 100 local craftspeople to browse and shop with food trucks too!
- 10/1 Trinity Presbyterian Church Free Family Fun Fest: Family Fun Fest - it’s all free! Fire Truck, Food, Face Painting, Giant Bubbles, Free Gifts, Hands-on Service Project!
- 10/13 Hauntings in History Tours: Fridays & Saturdays, October 13 through 28: Hauntings in History tours walk you through the spooky streets of New Castle's historic district, and regale you with local legends and tales of the supernatural while you explore the darker side of New Castle's past.
- 10/14 Bear Library's 2nd Annual Fall Festival: Get ready for a day packed with exciting activities and entertainment for the whole family. Bear Library.
- 10/21 Hagley Craft Fair: This premier show features works in wood, leather, pottery, jewelry, fibers, metal, and other media, and includes a specialty food market.
Fall Crafts
Photo Credit: Francesca Walker
- 10/2 New Castle Public Library - Super STEAM Club Pumpkin Party: We'll discuss the science behind growing pumpkins, enjoy pumpkin-flavored treats, and wrap up by planting our own pumpkin seeds within pumpkins.
- 10/4 Brandywine Hundred Library - Stuck Like Glue Crafters Club: Spend quality time together and strengthen that bond while creating items for gift-giving or to keep.
- 10/13 Route 9 Halloween STEAM LAB Time: Come and do some fun crafts for Halloween.
- 10/14 Ceramic Hand-Built Halloween Witch/Wizard Hat: Learn fundamental hand-building techniques and build your own holiday decoration!
- 10/21 Teen Craft: DIY Haunted Houses at New Castle Public Library: You will be decorating small doll houses, to create a spooky haunted house, using moss, eyeballs, skeletons, etc..
- 10/23 New Castle Public Library Halloween Family Crafternoon:This October we will be using glue, salt, and watercolors to make our own spiderwebs and other Halloween-themed artwork!
Halloween
Getty Images Signature via Canva
- 10/7 and 10/8 The Addams Family: America's darkest family comes to life in this original musical about love, family, honesty, and growing up.
- 10/13 The Delaware Contemporary's Freaky Friday: An eerie-sistable event filled with a pumpkin carving contest, costume contest, haunted gallery tours, fall beer and cider tastings, and live music.
- 10/14 Concord Pet Foods & Supplies Halloween Festival: They will have games, pumpkin painting, photo booth, costume contest, trick or treating for your pet and much more.
- 10/14 Fallfest at Tilton Park: Enjoy for this FREE annual Fall Fest with food, games, moon bounces, and more!
- 10/20-10/22 Boo at the Brandywine Zoo: All are invited to wear costumes while visiting the zoo animals at this merry, not scary, event.
- Halloween Ghost Ship: Bring the whole family in costume and enjoy Kalmar Nyckel, Tall Ship of Delaware deck tours, pumpkin painting, and much more. Copeland Maritime Center.
- The Saint Edmond's Fall Festival and Trunk or Treat: There'll be craft vendors, inflatables, raffles and a trunk or treat -- so you don't want to miss it.
- Wilmington Witches Walk Through Bellefonte: Put on your finest witchery and march proudly along with the Wilmington Witches as we do our inaugural march in celebration of Spooky season. The Wilmington Witches Walk is taking place in conjunction with The Shops of Bellefonte Boo-tique & Monster Market, so stick around after to enjoy food trucks, local vendors, live music, and more!
- Trunk or Treat - Claymont Community Center: Volunteers needed! 6 pm
- Fall Festival - Carrcroft Elementary School: Trick or Treat, Food Trucks, DJ, and pumpkin carving contest.
- Newark Senior Center Fall Flea Market: A variety of booths offer items including clothing, books, kitchen items, electronics, linens, toys, and much more!
- Claymont Library 10th Anniversary Spookebration: A night of goodies, costumes, fun with local vendors, and live music. 6 pm.
10/27
- Brandywine YMCA All Festival & Trunk or Treat: Join the Y for tons of family fun including crafts, bounce house, South Pool Pumpkin Patch, and more! 6 pm.
- Newark United Methodist Church - Trunk or Treat: Bring your family for a safe & spooktacular way to Trick or Treat. 6 pm.
- Wilmington & Western Railroad: Hayride Express: Enjoy a 1-hour round-trip evening ride through the Red Clay Valley to Ashland on an original railroad flatcar converted especially for hayrides. 6 pm.
- Ramsey Farm Bonfire Night: Come out for a bonfire in our picnic grove, the flashlight corn maze, and to enjoy the Brandywine Valley on an extended hayride. 6 pm.
- New Castle Annual Halloween Parade: Parade lineup starts. at St. Peters School parking lot. 6:30 pm.
- Haunted Trails of Rockwood: Take a stroll-if you dare-and enjoy Rockwood’s Heritage Garden at night! 6:30 pm.
- Paranormal Adventure - Fort Delaware State Park: Visit areas where paranormal activity has been suspected, alongside investigators from Diamond State Ghost Investigators. 6:30 pm.
- Legend of the Brandywine Werewolf: Come explore the history of spooky encounters along Brandywine Creek. 6:30 pm
- Craft and Vendor Fair: To benefit Service Dogs, a charity project of the Chapter of Delaware, Order of the Eastern Star. 9 am.
- Ramsey’s Farm Pick-Your-Own Pumpkin Patch: Ramsey Farm's pumpkin patch is 10-12 acres that yiels 50,000 pumpkins each season. 0 am.
- Book-or-Treat at the BookShelf: All children who arrive in Costume will receive a free USED book and a treat.10 am.
- FREE Trick or Treat Event at UFO!: There'll be some in-store fun and giveaways like candy and chances to win a prize and discounts with their UFO raffle contest! United Furniture Outlet. 10 am.
- Tram and Treat at Winterthur: Enjoy crafts, games, and music by The McChords. Warm up by fire pits while tapping your toes to the Newark Ukesters. 10 am.
- Halloween at Nemours Estate: Family-friendly fun with live music from Bella Von, food truck, trick or treating for prizes, activities, and more. 10 am.
- Coverdale Halloween Parade: March in Coverdale’s Trick-or-Treat Parade. Follow the parade path to meet and treat the animals – and YOU! Stay after for Autumn Fun. 11 am.
- Halloween at Hagley: Children are invited to come in costume and visit treat stations throughout the beautiful surroundings of Hagley’s powder yard. 11 am.
- Halloween in Hockessin: 11 am.
- The Great Pumpkin Hunt: Bring the kids to hunt for mini pumpkins and stick around to paint their faces! 11:30 am.
- Brandywine Hundred Fire Company Open House and Halloween Parade: Join the parade as we march towards the Fire House for a day packed with fire safety tips, FREE smoke detectors, and Halloween thrills! 12 pm.
- Wilmington & Western Railroad: Autumn Leaf Express: Surround yourself with the beauty and splendor of Autumn during the most colorful time of the year. 12:30 pm.
- Halloween Parade: Free food, gifts, pumpkins, music, face painting, games and more. 2 pm.
- Hogwarts Halloween Party at the New Castle Public Library: Join the library for a magical afternoon full of craft activities, Hogwarts themed treats, and more! 2 pm.
- Spooktacular Festival: Join NFuse Dance October 28th at 3 p.m. for our annual fall festival. Enjoy vendors, dancing, games, arts n crafts, and more!! 3 pm.
- Stanton Newport Little League Trunk and Treat: Stanton Middle School 5:30 pm.
- Full Moon Hike: What’s happening in the park under the light of the full moon? 6 pm.
- Monsters, Myths, & Multiverses: The Science of Imagination: Study the science of fantasy and sci-fi by engaging in a variety of activities from your favorite movies, games, books, and more. Delaware Museum of Nature and Science. 6 pm.
- Haunted Trails of Rockwood: Take a stroll-if you dare-and enjoy Rockwood’s Heritage Garden at night! 6:30 pm.
- Paranormal Adventure - Fort Delaware State Park: Visit areas where paranormal activity has been suspected, alongside investigators from Diamond State Ghost Investigators. 6:30 pm.
- Bellevue State Park Halloween Wagon Rides: Dress in your Halloween best and join Bellevue for a fun and relaxing fall wagon ride around the park. 10 am.
- Peoples Plaza Car Meet and Trunk or Treat: Bring the family in their costumes for Safe Trick-or-Treating and enjoy a fun car meet too! 10 am.
- Trunk O' Treat: Stop by for for some family fun and lots of treats! 11 am.
- Wilmington & Western Railroad Halloween Express: A friendly witch rides the train and gives a special treat to all the little ghosts and goblins. 12:30 pm.
- Newark Halloween Parade & Trick or Treat Main Street: This event comes with marching bands, floats, antique automobiles, costumed characters, and more. 3 pm.
