Move Over, Pumpkin Spice Latte: These Fall Events in Washington County Are Worth Some Serious Hype

The annual EQT Washington and Greene Counties’ Covered Bridge Festival is the official kickoff of fall festivities here in Washington and Greene Counties. In total, Washington County has 23 historic bridges – the second most of any county in the state – that are the center of the festival’s continuous efforts to pay homage to the deep-rooted history of our county.

This year is the 53^rd annual Covered Bridge Festival and set to be the best yet, with plenty of food, drink and local craft vendors flocking to the other nine festival sites. Each site is unique, with their own individual lineups of historical re-enactments, live entertainment, homestyle foods, crafting demonstrations, handmade arts and crafts and more at each site.

Visitors can tour each of these sites on the Covered Bridges Driving Tour, which can be completed at any time during the year but is most stunning during the fall season. We encourage you to use this guide and always plan ahead, though – many of these bridges are on narrow roads (they’re historic, after all) and in some remote settings with limited cell service, so consider printing the guides out as a backup just in case.

This year’s event is September 21-22, 2024. Festival hours are 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The festival is rain or shine, so pack accordingly for the weather.

There is not a single fall food item that can defeat a warm pretzel with cheese sauce, potato pancakes and apple strudel. There, I said it and will not take comments.

If you feel the same way I do and haven’t been to the PA Bavarian Oktoberfest in downtown Canonsburg yet, this is your time to rectify that. The festival has been named one of the Top Ten Oktoberfest Celebrations in the nation and is some serious German-inspired fun for the whole family. Dads, if you have lederhosen, now is the time to bust them out.

The event also features two stages playing both traditional German music and today’s hits, carnival rides and games, a children’s craft area, an assortment of beers and, of course, plenty of German and American cuisine. No matter what you’re most excited about, my advice is this: come hungry.

This year’s Pennsylvania Bavarian Oktoberfest is September 20-22. Hours vary by day, so be sure to check our updated page for updates.

The Cecil Township Fall Festival is one of those feel-good festivals associated with the best parts of fall: that familiar sense of nostalgia, community and the vibrancy of the season.

This festival has it all: Over 100 food and craft vendors, food trucks, a petting zoo, free children’s activities and crafts, plus live music on both days. There’s also live demonstrations and workshops to learn traditional crafts like woodworking, pottery and quilting. The best part? The event is free for all.

The 2024 Cecil Township Fall Festival is September 28-29 in Cecil Park.

Halloween and scary movie lovers, this one is for you. The West Alexander Scare Fair is promising 2024 to be its most terrifying year yet to all those who dare to attend. It’s a whole month of eerie attractions, spooky entertainment and hair-raising encounters – perfect for those looking for a little (or a lot of) thrill this Halloween season.

General admission is $18, while kids 18 and under are just $12. With new and increasingly frightening improvements being made to the experience every year, the West Alexander Scare Fair is worth visiting a couple of times, especially because repeat trips in the same night are only $5.

In addition to being terrified out of your wits, visitors can also try their luck in a ghostly escape room, as well as fire pits and concessions.

 The experience is not recommended for children under 8. The West Alexander Scare Fair is open Friday and Saturday nights in October from the 4^th through the 26^th between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.

If you’re serious about your love for apples and all the wonderful products of this beloved fruit like I am, you’ll be delighted to know there’s a whole festival in Hickory just for us apple fans. The Hickory Apple Festival is back and better than ever, with nearly 100 local vendors and crafters, pony rides, a petting zoo, chainsaw sculpting, blacksmithing, clown shows and so much more. All that and we haven’t even talked about apples yet.

Fan favorites at the festival include homemade apple crisp and pies, homemade apple butter and applesauce, hand-dipped candied and caramel apples, brick-oven baked bread and fresh apples, among other delightful apple-ly treats.

The Hickory Apple Festival is October 5-6 in downtown Hickory. The entire festival is cash only, so make sure to bring some cash or make a note to use the ATMs available on site.

Brew up some Halloween fun (see what I did there?) at the final event of the year at the Monongahela Aquatorium. The annual WitchFest is a celebration of all things witchy and macabre, with tons of live music, food trucks from all over the county and over 50 vendors selling various oddities, curiosities and other witchy wares.

There’s even a series of fun and eerie contests for witches like best cackle, best dressed and best hat. Though dressing up isn’t mandatory, you’ll probably want to conjure your hat and broom once you see how many other witches are dancing the night away.

This event is adults-only, so we suggest leaving your apprentices and other tiny spellcasters at home.

The Monongahela Aquatorium’s WitchFest is October 19 – don’t miss it or else you might get turned into a toad.