From festivals to fairs, here are 30+ fall and Halloween-themed Augusta-area events

While the weather is still rather warm, fall is almost here and many of the season's festivities are on the way from craft markets and hay rides to trick-or-treating and other Halloween hijinks. Here are more details on these and other autumn activities around the Augusta area:

Fall-time favorites

The 48th annual Aiken's Makin is Sept. 6-7 along Park Avenue between Union and Chesterfield streets. It's open daily at 9 a.m. to closing 6 p.m. Friday and 5 p.m. Saturday. There will be more than 200 vendors in attendance selling food, pottery, mosaics, and other hand-made goods. Admission is free. For more information, go to aikenchamber.net.

Usher's new Georgia restaurant: OMG, Usher helps open first Dave's Hot Chicken in Georgia with more restaurants to come

Arts in the Heart of Augusta is Sept. 20-22 in Augusta along Broad Street. There will be more than 150 arts and craft vendors, multiple stages with a variety of live music acts, and a global food village with cuisine from 20 different countries. Admission badges are $15 in advance and $20 at the gate. They offer admission for the whole weekend. For more information on how to get them, go to artsintheheartofaugusta.com.

IRONMAN 70.3 AUGUSTA is Sept. 29 and is a swimming, cycling, and running competition that stretches from downtown Augusta to south Augusta. For more info, go to ironman.com/im703-augusta.

The 35th annual Oliver Hardy Festival is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 5 along North Louisville Street in Harlem. It's a celebration of the live and legacy of Harlem-native Oliver Hardy who made audiences around the world laugh with his partner Stan Laurel in the early 20th century. The festival will feature more than 100 vendors, live entertainment, a parade, and a kids area. Admission is free.

Aiken Fall Steeplechase Championship is Nov. 23 at the Aiken Steeplechase. Ticket prices vary. For more information, go to aikensteeplechase.com.

Fall festivals, markets

Autumn Market by Peachy Event Co. is 5-9 p.m. Sept. 14 in Augusta at 1905 Gordon Hwy. There will be hay rides, multiple vendors, music, food, crafts, kid-friendly activities, and a food drive.

Pumpkin Fest at Sara's Farm Adventure is Sept. 19 through Nov. 2 in Trenton, SC at 100 Greenhouse Rd. It's open 1-10 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Sun. There will be a pumpkin patch, a petting zoo, corn maze, pig racing, hayrides, food trucks, and other attractions. Tickets start at $18 and are available at sarasfarmadventure.com.

The Maize at Steed's Dairy is Sept. 28 through Nov. 24 in Grovetown at 4634 Wrightsboro Rd. It's open on the weekends from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 1-7 p.m. Sunday. There will be a five-acre corn maze, petting zoo, pony cart rides as well as hayrides, a kids play area, zip line, pumpkin patch, jumping pillow, slide, and cow milking demonstrations. Concessions will also be available. Admission is $12 for ages 3 and older, free for younger children, and $9 for seniors, military, and groups of 15 or more. For more info, go to steedsdairy.com/corn-maze.

Eudora Wildlife Safari Park's Fall Festival is every Friday-Sunday Oct. 4 through Nov. 3 in Salley, SC at 219 Salem Ln. It's open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday-Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Eudora offers drive-thru zoo-like experiences with a range of exotic animals. There will be a pumpkin patch, painting, slingshot, food, games, and activities. For more information including ticket prices, go to eudorafarms.net.

Fall Wine Festival is 3-7 p.m. Oct. 6 at the Augusta Common between Broad and Reynolds streets. There will be unlimited wine and mimosa tastings, live entertainment, food trucks, vendors, and cocktail demonstrations. Tickets start at about $50 at eventbrite.com.

New iPhone: When does the iPhone 16 come to Georgia? What to know before making any upgrades

Sweetwater Ag Products' 3rd annual Fall Festival is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 12 in North Augusta at 390 Sweetwater Rd. There will be pumpkins, hay bales, corn stalks, food trucks, a kids area, and craft vendors.

Boondock Farms' Harvest Festival is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 12 in Jackson, SC at 755 North Foreman St. There will be live music, food trucks, arts and craft vendors, and a farmers market. Admission is free. Boondock Farms will have a similar fall festival again 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 9.

Back to Nature Garden Center's Fall Craft and Artisan Market is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 12 in Augusta at 1815 Kissingbower Rd. There will be up to 40 local artisans selling their jewelry, food, art, and more. Admission is free.

Fall Fission Festival is 1-4 p.m. Oct. 19 at Savannah River Site Museum in Aiken at 296 Hoods Lane SW. There will be STEM activities, games, contests, a DJ, a Halloween costume contest, food trucks, and candy. Admission is free.

Grace Church of Aiken's Fall Festival is 2-5 p.m. Oct. 19 in Aiken at 144 Talatha Church Rd. There will be hay rides, food, bounce house, face painting, and games. Admission is free.

Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church's 2nd annual Fall Festival is 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 9 in Augusta at 720 Telfair St. There will be food trucks, games, a dunk tank, vendors, live music, a silent auction, a pie baking contest, and tours of the church. All proceeds will help the church restore its stained glass windows.

Fairs, carnivals

Augusta Partnership for Children's Circus Carnival and Health Fair is 3-6 p.m. at the Hub for Community Innovation Augusta at 631 Chafee Ave. There will be a DJ, games, free food, face painting, and other activities.

Western Carolina State Fair is Oct. 11-20 at the Aiken Fairgrounds at 561 May Royal Dr. There will be rides, games, and a rodeo. For more info, go to westerncarolinastatefair.com.

Georgia-Carolina State Fair is Oct. 18-27 in Augusta at 308 Hale St. It's open daily 5 p.m. Monday-Friday and noon Saturday-Sunday. There will be a ton of games and rides, a "Miss Georgia-Carolina State Fair" beauty pageant, a livestock and a plant identification contest. Advance tickets are $7 and unlimited rides with admission are available for $30. For more info, go to georgiacarolinastatefair.com.

Columbia County Fall Fair is Oct. 31 through Nov. 10 at the Columbia County fairgrounds in Grovetown at 5462 Columbia Rd. There will be games, rides, and several live entertainment acts like a demolition derby, a magician, and a sea lion splash. Tickets are available in advance for $25. Unlimited rides are available at the fair Monday-Friday for $25. For more info, go to columbiacountyfair.net.

Stranger things in Georgia: Two-headed animals on display in Atlanta's gold-domed capitol

Halloween, horrific happenings

Georgia Horror-Fest is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 22 at Columbia County Exhibition Center in Grovetown at 212 Partnership Dr. There will be meet-and-greets with actors from horror movies, a cosplay contest, thematic vendors, and panels. General admission is $20 but children ages 11 or younger get in free. For more info, go to georgiahorrorfest.com.

The 8th annual October Spooktacular will be available for viewing Sept. 28 through Nov. 1 at Le Chat Noir in Augusta at 798 Ellis St. More than 25 artists will present their creepy, crawly artworks. A costume-friendly reception will be 6-8 p.m. Oct. 18. Le Chat is also hosting the 3rd annual 31 Days of Cine Horror Film Festival 7 p.m. Sept. 28. Admission is free.

Rocky Horror Picture Show is 8 p.m. Oct. 1 at the Miller Theater in Augusta at 708 Broad St. There will be a screening of the original unedited movie with a live shadow cast and audience participation. There will also be a memorabilia display with artifacts and an actual costume from the movie as well as a costume contest. Costumes are welcome. For safety reasons, no outside props will be permitted. However, prop bags will be available for purchase in the lobby and will include a variety of the classic prop list items. Tickets start at $49 and are available on millertheateraugusta.com.

The Murderettespresent "The Midnight Realm" Tapas and Burlesque is 7 p.m. Oct. 5 at the Back to Nature Garden Center. Tapas and complementary wine are included with admission. Costumes are encouraged. It's restricted to ages 21 and older. Tickets are about $33 and are only available in advance at simpletix.com.

South Carolina Ballet’s “Dracula: Ballet with A Bite” is 7:30 p.m. Oct. 18 at Columbia County Performing Arts Center in Evans at 1000 Market St. It's an adaptation of Bram Stoker's terrifying novel set to an original rock/jazz score. The show is suggested for audiences 13 and older. Tickets start at about $30 and are available at thecenterofcc.com.

Wilson YMCA Halloween Bash is 5-7 p.m. Oct. 25 in Augusta at 3570 Wheeler Rd. There will be trick-or-treating, games, vendors, a haunted house, and spooky tunes. Admission is free.

Columbia County's Screen on the Green is 6 p.m. Oct. 25 at Gateway Park in Grovetown at 211 Partnership Dr. The 2023 edition of "Haunted Mansion" will be screened and there will be food vendors.

Augusta Symphony's "Halloween at the Symphony" is 4 p.m. Oct. 27 at Jabez Sanford Hardin Performing Arts Center in Evans at 7022 Evans Town Center Blvd. General admission is $33 while students get in for $10. Tickets are available at etix.com.

Spookduckular Event is 10-11:30 a.m. Oct. 29 at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park in Augusta at 1858 Lock and Dam Rd. There will be games, crafts, a costume contest, and treat bags. Advance registration is required and costs $15.74 per child. Those interested can register at phinizycenter.org.

Here are some of the upcoming trick-or-treat and trunk-or-treat events:

• North Augusta Public Safety Trunk-or-Treat is 5-8 p.m. Oct. 12 at Riverview Park Activities Center at 100 Riverview Park Dr.

• Columbia County'sTrick-or-Treat is 6-9 p.m. Oct. 17 at Evans Towne Center Park in Evans off Washington Road.

• North Augusta Family YMCA's Trunk-or-Treat is 6 p.m. Oct. 20 at 401 West Martintown Rd.

• Bernie Ward Community Center's Trunk-or-Treat is 6-8 p.m. Oct. 24 in Augusta at 1941 Lumpkin Rd.

• Paws in Paradise's Trunk-or-Treat is 6:30-8:30 p.m. Oct. 24 in Evans at 4319 Evans to Locks Rd.

• Aiken's Trunk-or-Treat is 3-6 p.m. Oct. 26 at Citizens Park at 1060 Banks Mill Road SE.

• South Aiken Presbyterian Church's Trunk-or-Treat is 5-7 p.m. Oct. 27 in Aiken at 1711 Whiskey Rd.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Augusta-area festivals, Halloween events coming fall 2024