Your guide to Hocking Hills fall events
Including local bands, nearby nightlife, and more
Anyone who’s been to Hocking Hills will understand if all you do while visiting is stare, without ceasing, at the splendor of the fall colors. But with so many fun Hocking Hills fall events coming up, you can take a break from nature and add these don’t-miss events to your visit.
Here are some featured upcoming fall events in the Hocking Hills region, including nearby nightlife options. For full details and an extensive list visit our events page.
Rockside Winery and Vineyards Thirsty Thursdays
Visiting a Hocking Hills vineyard is a memorable activity — visiting one with $4 glasses of wine for Happy Hour Thursdays is a celebration. Take Friday off work and rent a cabin. Enjoy the advantages of the midweek visit to Hocking Hills and relax with a picnic and local wine with gorgeous views of the autumn foliage.
Rockside Winery and Vineyards
2363 Lancaster Newark Rd. NE, Lancaster
rocksidevineyards.com
Saturday Live Music at Millstone BBQ
If you’re craving barbecue, this is your go-to in the area. If you’re also looking for great music and a fun time you’re in the right place. Most Saturdays, Millstone features live music by local favorites. Recent musicians: Michael Smith and Scotty Myers. Shows start early — 6 p.m. — so you can sit outside and watch the bands play while enjoying your barbecue.
Millstone Southern Smoked BBQ
12790 Grey St., Logan
millstonebbq.com
Haunted Hocking Hills
Halloween is a thrilling time to visit the Hocking Hills region. With ghost stories galore and lots of local legends, the recess caves and deep gorges seem almost sinister at dusk in October. A new attraction for those who believe in the legend and lore of the Hocking Hills region, Haunted Mountain will lead groups on tours of this spooky location. Opening night (“Haunted Mountain Unveiled”) will feature drinks, snacks, and, naturally, Zombie Laser Tag.
Sugarloaf Mountain Amphitheater
Opening night Oct. 3
Haunted Mountain Tours to follow each Friday and Saturday evenings
5968 Marietta Rd., Chillicothe
Hayes Carll: Stuart’s Opera House
What a treat to have this Texas singer-songwriter in the area this autumn. There could be nothing better than a long hike on a Tuesday afternoon, dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants and catching this show at Stuart’s Opera House in nearby Nelsonville. Hayes Carll may not be your favorite twangy singer yet, but even those who swear they don’t like country-influenced Americana have converted when they hear the song “Another Like You.”
Stuart's Opera House
8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6
52 Public Square, Nelsonville
stuartsoperahouse.org
The 2015 Fall Campout at Duck Creek
Back for its fourth year, this combination campout and music festival is perfect for those who love the combination of nature and live music. Nestled in the lush forest along Duck Creek in Logan, you’ll pitch your tent and spend Friday night and Saturday listening to groups like Hocking River String Band and Whiskey Bent Valley Boys. With camping areas like “Party Down Zone” and “Quieter Camping Zone,” you’ll find the right place for you and your group — whether you’ve got a cooler full of juice boxes for the kids or brewskies for the grown-ups. The event promises that “by Sunday morning, your feet will hurt from dancing, your voice will be gone from yeehawin’, and all of your clothes will smell like a country campfire.” Don’t miss out — tickets can be purchased at Campout at Duck Creek.
Duck Creek
Friday-Saturday, Oct. 9-10
28508 Murphy Rd., Logan
Grandma Gatewood’s Fall Colors Hike
Named for one of the first women to hike the Appalachian trail (at age 67!), this hike is perfect for those looking for a more social walk through the woods. This Hocking Hills event will be knowledgeable and exhilarating as local naturalist Pat Quackenbush (read an interview here) shares his extensive knowledge and passion for the region as he leads this six-mile hike from Old Man’s Cave to Cedar Falls and back. Be sure to bring snacks and beverages — this hike is not an easy one, and you’ll enjoy the challenge of the hilly walk while witnessing the amazing fall foliage of the Hocking Hills region. Reservations required.
Old Man’s Cave Visitors Center
1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17
State Route 664 S., Logan
Poe on the Radio by Logan Theatre Group
Nothing quite gets you in a spooky mood as much as the great Edgar Allan Poe. The Logan Theatre Group is adapting six Poe tales into staged readings. With a costume contest and refreshments at the end of the event, you’ll hear such great spine-tingling tales as “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “Never Bet the Devil Your Head.”
Logan Theatre Group
7:30 p.m. Oct. 30 and 31
25 N. Mulberry St., Logan
Circleville Pumpkin Show
One day of pumpkin parades is not enough. Four days seems to fit the bill for this season’s Circleville Pumpkin show. Oct. 21-24 gives you a good window to make the time to visit this classic downtown main street and witness varieties of pumpkins and pumpkin sculptures you could never even dream of.
Happy Halloween, Hocking Hills! And to all the visitors — and locals — we hope you enjoy all these great fall events this October.
