Autumn Activities

In Cherokee

Through Oct. 2
Celebrate WDSTKtoberfest in downtown Woodstock. Participating restaurants will offer Bavarian food and drink specials during the event. On Oct. 1, there will be a pub crawl, 2-6 p.m. visitwoodstockga.com/wdstktoberfest.

Oct. 1
Autumn Fest is 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at Barrett Park in Holly Springs. The festival features more than 80 arts and crafts vendors, a kids zone with free games and activities, and food vendors. www.hollyspringsga.us/autumnfest.

Oct. 8
Tailgate With a Firefighter, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at The Mill on Etowah in Canton, will feature face painting, games, fire trucks, dress like a firefighter contest, food in a souvenir fire helmet and more. Tickets for games are $1. Presented by Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services and Safe Kids; all proceeds help fund fire safety education. www.etowahmill.com/events.

Oct. 15
The Taste and Brews Fall Festival is back from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. in Etowah River Park in Canton. Taste, sample and enjoy the flavors of Georgia, and listen to live music by regional acts. Admission is free, and there will be a variety of children’s activities. www.tasteandbrews.com.

Oct. 21
Screen on the Green: “Hocus Pocus 2,” begins at 8 p.m. at The Mill on Etowah in Canton. A meet and greet with the Sanderson sisters will be at 7 p.m. www.etowahmill.com/events.

Oct. 21-23, 28-30
“A Party to Murder,” directed by Jeannie and Wally Hinds, will be at the Canton Theatre. Performances are at 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Come dressed in your costumes for a contest during intermission. www.cherokeetheatre.org.

Oct. 22
The Great Pumpkin Fest, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., will have a DJ, craft and food vendors, hayrides, ax throwing, archery, a costume contest and more, at Cherokee Veterans Park in Canton. Wear your costumes and trick-or-treat with vendors. Admission is free. www.playcherokee.org.
Wear your Halloween costumes, and join the inaugural No Tricks, Just Treats Walk, noon-6 p.m., along Main Street in Canton. www.cantonga.gov.

Oct. 26
Scavenger Hunt: Halloween Hike is 6:30 p.m. at Lewis Park in Woodstock. Wear your costumes, and have flashlights ready. Cost is $10 per participant. All ages are welcome; minors must be accompanied by an adult. Registration ends 5 p.m. Oct. 24.
www.playcherokee.org/178/Outdoor-Recreation.

Oct. 28-29
Denim Fest, a fall festival and ode to history, will be 4-10 p.m. Friday and noon-10 p.m. Saturday at The Mill on Etowah in Canton. There will be trick-or-treating, barbecue tasting, a kid’s costume contest, an adult denim jacket contest, live music and more. www.etowahmill.com/event/denimfest.

Eagle Watch presents Carnevil, a haunted carnival with hayrides, concessions, games and more at 3045 Clubhouse Drive, Woodstock. There will be a “safe scare” for kids at 6 p.m. Activities for all from 7-10 p.m. Cost is $10 per five activity tickets. Eagle Watch residents get five tickets per amenities ID.

Oct. 29
Cherokee County Veteran Organizations’ BBQ features live bands, a craft fair, raffles, trick-or-treating, a costume contest and more, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. at the American Legion Post 45, 160 McClure St., in Canton. Georgia Barbecue Association members and amateurs will compete for prizes and awards. Barbecue plates will be available for purchase, benefiting Veteran Suicide Awareness and the Cherokee County Homeless Veterans Program. For more information, email jlindenmayer80@gmail.com or john_b1966@comcast.net.

Oct. 31
Halloween Trail of Tricks and Treats will be 5-9 p.m. at Rubes Creek Trail, across from Fire Station 14 in Woodstock. There will be activities for all ages. Bring flashlights and collect treats from vendors along the 1.4-mile trail. https://woodstock.recdesk.com.

Outside Cherokee

Through Oct. 30
Pumpkin Fest includes unlimited access to the corn maze, hay ride, petting zoo, scarecrow building and more at Pettit Creek Farms in Cartersville. Admission is $15 for adults and $12 for ages 2-12. https://pettitcreekfarms.com/pumpkin-fest-2.

Oct. 1-2
Georgia Marble Festival is back at Lee Newton Park in Jasper, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. There will be live entertainment, a parade, kids zone, arts and crafts, quarry tours, chainsaw carving and more.
www.georgiamarblefestival.com.

Oct. 8-9
Chalktoberfest, a chalk and beer festival on Marietta Square, is free and ​open to the public, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and
11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. www.chalktoberfest.com.

Oct. 8-9, 15-16
The Georgia Apple Festival begins at 9 a.m. each day at the Ellijay Lions Club Fairgrounds. Admission is $10; children 12 and younger are admitted free. Visitors can expect more than 300 vendors with handmade items, a parade and an antique car show. www.georgiaapplefestival.org.

Oct. 15-16
The Gold Rush Days Festival is held annually in Dahlonega to celebrate the 1828 discovery of gold in the city. More than 200 art and craft exhibitors and vendors will gather around the square and historic district for this two-day festival. https://goldrushdaysfestival.com/gold-rush-days.

School Festivals

Oct. 14
Bascomb Elementary, 6-8 p.m., 1335 Wyngate Parkway, Woodstock, 770-721-6630. There will be games, candy, face painting, an obstacle course, food trucks, Kona Ice, a DJ and more.

Oct. 28
Free Home Elementary, 6-9 p.m., 12525 Cumming Highway, Canton, 770-721-5960. There will be food trucks, vendors, games, raffles, a chili cook off and more.

Nov. 4
Ball Ground STEM Academy, 6-9 p.m., 321 Valley St., Ball Ground, 770-721-5900.

Trunk or Treat

Oct. 8
Timothy Lutheran Church, 5:30-7 p.m., 556 Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock, 770-928-2812.

Oct. 26
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 6-8 p.m., 1208 Rose Creek Drive, Woodstock, https://gslutheran.org. Hickory Flat United Methodist Church, 5:30-7:30 p.m., 4056 E. Cherokee Drive, Canton, www.hickoryflat.org.

Oct. 29
Bascomb United Methodist Church, 5-7 p.m., 2295 Bascomb Carmel Road, Woodstock, 770-926-9755. Activities include a haunted hut, costume contest, hayrides and more.

Oct. 30
Hopewell Baptist Church, 6-9 p.m., 78 Ridge Road, Canton, 770-213-1690.

Ghost Tours

Acworth Ghost Tours
Stroll down sidewalks in historic Acworth while listening to tour guides tell stories based on documented sightings, firsthand experiences, research and history. Tours are Friday and Saturday evenings (weather permitting) in October. www.jimmagus.com.

Ghosts of Marietta
Tour guides will excite you with tales of departed spirits and mysterious residents as you walk through Marietta’s historic streets, and, if you’re lucky, you will experience them, as well. Visit www.toursofmarietta.com/ghost-tours to book a tour, Fridays through Sundays year-round.

Roswell Ghost Tour
Follow experienced paranormal investigators on a 2.5-hour walking tour, operating year-round. Learn about paranormal phenomena experienced by residents, businesses and tour-goers on a hunt for haunts. View the tour schedule at http://roswellghosttour.com.

Dahlonega Walking Tours
Dive into the rich and fascinating history of Dahlonega with the Historic Ghost Tour, a 1.5-mile guided tour with approximately 15 stops. Or, for ages 21 and older, Grapes and Ghosts Wine Tour takes guests on a .6-mile guided tour. Sample local wines while listening to stories about the town’s history. Check the calendar for tour dates www.dahlonegawalkingtours.com/facilities.