Family & Dog-Friendly Fall Events in Philadelphia 2025
Here is a collection of family and dog-friendly Fall events happening throughout Philadelphia and surrounding areas! I’ve gathered everything from fall festivals to ghost tours that are dog-friendly happening this Fall in the city. Some events are dog friendly, and you will know because it will be marked with a paw print! If you have any questions regarding the events, please contact the events coordinators using the links below.
Traditional Fall Fun
Woodmere’s Straw Maze
Woodmere Museum in Chestnut Hill is hosting its annual straw maze now through November 30th! This is a great family-friendly fall activity for your little ones! The maze is open every weekend from 10 am through 5 pm, and is only $5 per child (adults and children under 3 are free!)
Scarecrows in the Village 🐾
Now through October 26th, Peddler’s Village will host its annual Scarecrows contest! You and the family can make a day trip to the Village to see this year’s new 150 scarecrows, and vote for your favorites through the Peddler’s Villages app! This is always a fun day spent together, as kids love voting for their favorite and looking at all of the scarecrows inspired by famous characters and pop culture references! Dogs are welcome at Peddler’s Village, but must remain on leashes at all times and must be cleaned up after. Dogs are allowed on Earl’s New American’s patio if you want to grab dinner there, but only service animals are allowed inside restaurants.
Dilworth Parks Maze Days 🐾
From October 15th through the 31st, Dilworth Park is hosting Maze Days, which will be filled with various activities! Maze Days, taking place from 9:00 am – 9:00 pm will feature children’s storytimes, pumpkin carving, themed happy hours in Dilworth Park’s seasonal beer garden, and much more! In addition to Maze Day’s daily activities, on October 18th, the park will be filled with live music, fresh apple cider making, a Stein-hoisting contest, and bingo with prizes. Maze Days will also be taking place on the same days as Dilworth’s Made in Philadelphia Fall Market, where you can browse through all the vendors and check out local small businesses. Dilworth Park is pet-friendly, making Maze Days a great opportunity for family fun for everyone!
Styer Orchard 🐾
Styer Orchard is a dog-friendly orchard that offers apple picking and hayrides. While dogs are welcome on the orchard, they must remain on leashes and be cleaned up after. The orchard is open Tuesdays through Sundays, with shortened hours on Sundays. Styer’s has hayrides running throughout the day, with the last one taking place a half hour before they close. Styer Orchard makes for a great place to bring the whole family together for apple picking and a day filled with fall fun!
Maple Acres Farm Market 🐾
Maple Acres Farm is a dog-friendly farm filled with lots of fresh produce, flowers, hayrides, farm animals, and even a pumpkin patch! Hayrides are offered every first Saturday of the month at 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm. Hayrides cost $12 per child and $6 per adult. It can be great to spend the day taking a hayride through the farm to meet all their animals and browsing all of their produce and flower options.
Boo at the Zoo
Did you know that the Philadelphia Zoo hosts a Halloween party three weekends every October?! The Philadelphia Zoo’s annual Boo at the Zoo returns this year for three weekends of trick-or-treating (October 11th-13th, October 18th & 19th, and October 25th & 26th), seasonal decor, photo opportunities, festive offerings & children’s activities! All Boo at the Zoo activities are included with general admission, so make sure to check out their schedule! And great news – they even have a Sensory Friendly Boo at the Zoo Morning scheduled for October 11th!
Fall Festivals
Roxtoberfest 🐾
Roxborough’s annual Roxtoberfest is taking place on October 4th, from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm, along Ridge Ave. from Lyecum to Leverington. Ridge Avenue will be filled with various food trucks, craft brews, German-themed entertainment, live music, and different competitions and activities for kids! Roxtoberfest is a great day to have a casual, fun-filled Saturday with your pet and family!
Oktoberfest at Evil Genius 🐾
October 4th, from 12-6 pm, Evil Genius Beer Company will be hosting a 21+ Oktoberfest event. Enjoy an afternoon of live performances, German-inspired food, drinks, and games, and of course, a Stein-holding competition. Evil Genius is dog-friendly, but it depends on how your dog may react to crowded places and whether they are the best fit to accompany you to this event. All GA tickets include an exclusive Evil Genius stein.
Fall Harvest & Great Pumpkin Patch
On Sunday, October 5th, from 1 pm through 4 pm, a Fall Harvest and pumpkin patch is taking place at The Willows Park in Villanova! There will be various fall-themed activities, food & refreshments, music & entertainment for your family to enjoy! Activities include tractor rides, gem mining, mechanical pull, pumpkin picking, and more! To participate in the free Great Pumpkin Patch, you must register here.
Made In Philadelphia Fall Market 🐾
From October 10th through the 12th, an all-day (12 pm-8 pm) Fall market will be taking place at Dilworth Park in Center City, featuring over fifty local artisans! There will be many paintings, jewelry, crafts, and more available for you and your family to enjoy, browse, and buy!
OktoberFeast
October 11th and 12th, Peddler’s Village will be hosting their 9th annual OktoberFeast! A day featuring various food trucks, a beer garden, live entertainment, and family activities (such as lawn games, pumpkin painting, sand art, and more!) This is a great way to try new foods and beers while enjoying the cute local businesses, and even checking out the handmade scarecrows that will be placed throughout.
Manayunk Fall Festival 🐾
On October 18th, from 11 am to 4 pm, the Manayunk Fall Festival will be taking place on Main Street! The day will be filled with local vendors and artisans, tasty fall treats, food trucks, family-friendly fun and games, live music, and even a Mac N’ Cheese Crawl! This is the perfect fun-filled day for everyone in the family!
Evil Genius’ Harvest Fest 🐾
This year, on October 18th, Evil Genius Beer Company is hosting a family and dog-friendly Fall Block Party from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The block party will feature pumpkin painting, food, local vendors, and much more! Evil Genius Beer Company welcomes dogs every day, but bringing them to the block party will make it even more fun and special!
Halloween on the Hill 🐾
Chestnut Hill’s annual Halloween on the Hill will be taking place from October 25th through the 31st, with its trick-or-treating event on October 26th. Halloween on the Hill is a great opportunity for all Autumn and Halloween fun for everyone in your life – from your kids, friends, and even your dogs, spend a day in Chestnut Hill experiencing outdoor dining in the crisp Fall weather or enjoy one of the local shops! Halloween on the Hill’s trick-or-treating will take place on October 26th from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, where participating businesses along Germantown Ave and Bethlehem Pike will be handing out candy and non-food treats to those in costume! You may spot some businesses with a teal pumpkin, which indicates they are also giving out non-food treats – in case someone in your group has a food intolerance or allergy!
HarvestFest 🐾
Awbury Arboretum is hosting a Harvest Festival on the Arboretum’s farm on October 26th from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Bring your dog, friends, and/or family for a Fall-filled day on the farm, where you can enjoy live music, a brew garden, and a bunch of local vendors. There will also be hayrides, s’mores pits, crafts, games, and local apples and pumpkins to choose from!
Apple Festival at Peddler’s Village 🐾
November 1st and 2nd, Peddler’s Village is hosting its annual Apple Festival from 11:00 am – 6:00 pm. While admission is free, all attractions and products are pay-as-you-go. While the festival is over at 6:00 pm, the shops at Peddler’s Village are open until 8:00 pm on Saturday, November 1st! Dogs are welcome at Peddler’s Village, but must remain on leashes at all times and must be cleaned up after. Dogs are allowed on Earl’s New American’s patio if you’re looking to grab dinner there, but only service animals are allowed inside restaurants.
Pet Costume Contests & Parades 🐾
Paws & Pumpkins 🐾
Paws & Pumpkins is a sponsored event by Chesnut Hill Brewing and is being hosted at Cliveden Park in East Germantown on October 11th, from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm. Paws & Pumpkins is a dog costume walk and social hour, where your fur-babies can enjoy a photobooth, meet other furry friends, and take a walkabout. There will also be raffles, seasonal snacks, and a performance from Philadelphia Civic Symphony!
Evil Genius’ Dog Costume Contest 🐾
Evil Genius Beer Company is hosting a dog costume contest, where your pet can compete for prizes, on October 11th from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The Costume Contest event will be supporting Palmer Doggie Depot, so it’s a great way for you and your pup to have fun while helping to make a difference! Dogs in costume will receive a formal introduction by an emcee as they strut down the catwalk.
Bark in the Borough 🐾
On October 12th, from 11 am to 3 pm, Bark in the Borough will be taking place in Phoenixville, PA. Bark in the Borough is an event to benefit Phoenix Animal Rescue, where various vendors such as Jurassic Bark, Pet Friendly Dog Bakery, Witchy Philly Candle Co., and more will be there supporting the cause. In addition, there will be raffles taking place, a Howl-o-Ween costume contest, and of course, tons of adoptable pups!! Make sure to bring your pup by to enjoy all the festivities.
Hound-O-Ween 🐾
Street Tails Animal Rescue is hosting a Pet Costume Contest at Liberty Lands Park on October 18th, from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Bring your pet in a costume and let them walk the stage at Hound-O-Ween, where they have a chance to win from their variety of contest categories! The largest prize for one of the costume contest categories is a grand prize of $500, so make sure your dog brings their A-game! In addition to the costume contest, there will also be various raffles, vendors, food trucks, and more to enjoy! To secure your spot in the costume contest, Street Tails Animal Rescue is asking for you to pre-register for the event starting October 1st.
Ardmore Day: A Spooktacular Celebration 🐾
Ardmore Day is taking place on October 18th, from 11:00 am through 4:00 pm, at Schauffele Plaza, and will be a fun-filled day for everyone in your family! The Ardbark Dog Parade and Contest is definitely the main attraction this year! Dress your pup up in their best costume and enter them in the parade and contest, which will be presented by Michael Barkann and NBC Sports Philadelphia! There will also be a spooktacular costume parade where kids can stop by participating businesses in Ardmore for a candy scavenger hunt. Some other fun activities taking place on Ardmore Day are face painting, sidewalk sales, live music, and even a family fun zone containing bumper cars and mini golf!
Manayunk Costume Parade & Trick-or-Treating 🐾
Manayunk is hosting its annual Costume Parade and Trick-or-Treating along Main Street on October 25th! The costume parade starts at 11:00 am at Pretzel Park and will make its way down Main Street, where select businesses will take place in handing out candy for trick or treating until 2:00 pm. The costume parade is for everyone!! All adults, kids, and pets are welcome to dress up and show off their costumes around Manayunk!
Bark-O-Ween Block Party 🐾
The Collar Club, a social club for pets located in Center City Philadelphia, is hosting a Bark-O-Ween Block Party! The event will take place on October 25th from 12 pm – 5 pm and will include loads of fun activities for you and your fur baby to enjoy! Things like Bobbin’ for Bones, open play & social time, and a costume contest are just some of the things The Collar Club has in store for this event! Dogs must be friendly and up to date on their vaccinations to attend.
Bark-or-Treat Trail 🐾
On October 26th, from 11 am to 1 pm, Franklin Square will be hosting a Trick-or-Treat event for dogs called Bark-or-Treat Trail! All pups are encouraged to dress in costume, follow a trail of treats, and collect available giveaways. There will also be cute photo ops, music, and a play area for all dogs and their owners to enjoy!
Walking Ghost Tours
Ghost Tours of Philadelphia 🐾
Ghost Tours of Philadelphia is a dog-friendly “candlelight walking tour along the back streets and secret gardens of Independence National Park, Old City, and Society Hill, where ghostly spirits, haunted houses, and eerie graveyards lurk in the night!” Tickets are $27 for adults and $16 for kids ages 4-12. The tour lasts on average from 75 to 90 minutes and is open year-round! The tour is available every day from March through November, while December through February, it is only open on weekends.
The Founding Phantoms Ghost Tour 🐾
The Founding Phantoms Ghost Tour is a dog-friendly walking ghost tour of some of Philadelphia’s haunted locations, while you hear the lesser-known haunting stories of the Founding Fathers. The tour costs $35, is adults (and pets!) only, takes place nightly at 9:00 pm, and lasts around 90 minutes.
Haunted Philadelphia Ghost Tour – Lizzie Borden Ghost Tours 🐾
The Lizzie Borden Ghost Tour company is a dog-friendly walking tour available daily, rain or shine. There are four tours to choose from: Philly Ghosts: Phantoms of Philadelphia, Philly Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl, Philly Ghosts Ultimate Dead of Night, and Rockstars of the Revolution: American Founders and Patriots. Tours start at $25, and last on average 2 hours. Extended tours are offered, where you get to attend additional locations after the regular tour ends. Extended tours add about four locations and an additional 30 minutes.
To find more activities to treat your dog to – check out my Philadelphia Dog-Friendly Ice Cream blog to find all the best places in the city to get your dog a yummy sweet treat!
