Image courtesy of Pumpkinfest.
Pittsburgh CAPA Gallery at Maker Faire.

6. Maker Faire at Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and Buhl Community Park: Oct. 14-15

Maker Faire, an event that’s part county fair, part science fair and part something entirely new, returns for two days of fun, educational activities. Produced by Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh in cooperation with HackPittsburgh, the all-ages event showcases invention, creativity and resourcefulness by gathering tech enthusiasts, crafters, food artisans and others. Exhibits and displays include vintage computers and game systems, chemistry projects and textile arts and crafts. Interact with 3D printers and CNC mills, electric vehicles and rockets and R/C toys, as well as green tech, innovative tools and more. There’s also the Robot Petting Zoo Makeathon, a hands-on workshop that teaches you how to design, build and program your own robotic creature with the Hummingbird Robotics Kit. As a bonus, for the first time in its three-year history, admission to Maker Faire, as well as the Children’s Museum, will be free.

Maker Faire takes place from Tickets are available for free or donation. Registration is required for the Robot Petting Zoo Makeathon workshop.

Image courtesy of Pumpkinfest.

7. Pumpkinfest at Allegheny Commons East Park: October 16

Make the most out of fall at the 26th annual Pumpkinfest in Allegheny Commons East Park. Presented by the East Allegheny Community Council, the children’s harvest day event includes a host of activities, including a petting zoo and pony rides, a pumpkin decorating contest, live entertainment and games galore. This year’s festival will also commemorate the sesquicentennial of Allegheny Commons Park. Built in 1867, Allegheny Commons is Pittsburgh’s oldest park. As a bonus, kids receive free pumpkins and a free treat and tote bag.

Pumpkinfest takes place from 1-5 p.m. at the corner of East Ohio St. and Cedar Ave. in Historic Deutsctown. The event is free and open to the public. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

Image courtesy of The Open Door.

8. Fall Festival at Union Project: October 21

Experience a wide array of autumnal flavors during the Fall Festival at the Union Project. Hosted by The Open Door, the event showcases a harvest of great food and drink from the Garfield Community Farm. Sample a variety of homemade pies, grilled food, hard cider from A Few Bad Apples, local beer and more. You’ll also find activities for the kids and a series of hands-on workshops and short educational talks focused on topics like Making Hard Cider, Solar Power 101, Intro to Edible Forest Gardens, Canning Basics and Brewing like a Monk.

The Fall Festival runs from 1-5 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $10 for seniors and children ages 12-16, $5 for kids under 12.

Image courtesy of the Pittsburgh Musical Theater.

9. Beauty and the Beast at the Byham Theater: October 26-29

Pittsburgh Musical Theater invites you to be their guest when they present Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at the Byham Theater. Based on the Academy Award-winning animated film, and featuring songs by Alan Menken, Tim Rice and the late Howard Ashman, the live show uses music and dance to tell the story of Belle, a beautiful, bookish young woman trapped in a cursed castle by a prince who was transformed into a cruel beast by an enchantress. Can Belle’s love turn him back into his true self before it’s too late?

Tickets for Beauty and the Beast start at $18.

Image courtesy of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.

10. Dracula at the Benedum Center: October 27-29

Kids and adults alike will delight when the ballet adaptation of Dracula swoops into the Benedum Center. The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre uses the power of dance to bring the dark magic of Bram Stoker’s 1897 gothic novel to life. Discontent with his corps of vampire brides, Dracula fixates on Svetlana, a young girl on the cusp of engagement, to satiate his thirst for fresh blood. His obsession forms a suspenseful love triangle between himself, Svetlana and her soon-to-be fiancé, Franz. The show features romantic costumes, imaginative 19th-century Transylvania-inspired set design and a score from Hungarian composer Franz Liszt.

Tickets for Dracula start at $28, and are available online, over the phone at 412-456-6666 or at the Box Office at Theater Square.

Honorable mentions:

Harvest Feast at the Frick Pittsburgh: October 1
Great Amazing Race Pittsburgh: October 1
First Caturday Pittsburgh by Schenley Plaza: October 7
Dogtober at the Waterfront: October 7
Happy Hauntings at Kennywood: October 7-29
Trunk n’ Treat at Riverside Drive-In: October 13-15
Halloween Spook-Tacular at Dependable Drive-In: October 21
Peppa Pig Live! at the Byham Theater: October 22
Halloween Happenings at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens: October 27
Boo-seum Trick or Treat at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History: October 28
Kids Halloween Party in Arsenal Park: October 28
Pittsburgh Vegan Festival at Unitarian Universalist Church of the North Hills: October 28

For more events, read 10 Pittsburgh events not to miss in October.

For live music, check out The best concerts and music festivals rocking Pittsburgh this fall.

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Amanda Waltz is a freelance journalist and film critic whose work has appeared locally in numerous publications. She writes for The Film Stage and is the founder and editor of Steel Cinema, a blog dedicated to covering Pittsburgh film culture. She currently lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and oversized house cat.