7 ways to have the best Halloween in Dayton

Halloween events for all ages, haunted attractions, corn mazes, pumpkin patches and more

It's Halloween season, and we have your one-stop shop for special events and things to do to get you in the Halloween spirit. Halloween isn’t just a one-day celebration, after all!

Here are some ways to enjoy the days leading up to Halloween in Dayton:

Credit: Tom Gilliam

Credit: Tom Gilliam

Halloween may have been originally meant to commemorate the dead, but it's become the source of scary fun and living life to the fullest. Grab your most creative costume, your best people and leave the kids at home for Hauntfest on Fifth, Ale-O-Ween and more Halloween fun just for adults.

Halloween doesn't have to cause nightmares! There are plenty of ways to get in the spirit without tears. From Halloween-themed theater and classical music, to a Halloween festival and parade, to a day at the zoo with animals, to indoor trick-or-treating, there are plenty of ways kids can celebrate Halloween all month long.

Ready to be chased by a chainsaw-toting zombie? It's haunted house season, and there are some pretty spectacularly scary attractions throughout the region. Just be warned: you may have nightmares after a visit to these haunted houses, hayrides and trails.

>> Kings Island voted Best Theme Park Halloween Event in the country

>> What you need to know about Kings Island’s Haunt

Credit: Elise Donoghue

Credit: Elise Donoghue

4. CORN MAZES

Sometimes you want your Halloween fun to offer a different kind of scare (one without a chainsaw)! These corn mazes may leave you feeling scared you won't find your way out, but otherwise offer some milder Halloween fun. Yes, wandering aimlessly through corn fields is fun!!

>> WATCH: Check out the Bonnybrook Corn Maze

This is one of the best Halloween traditions around. Take a hayride, drink some cider and go on a quest for a pumpkin that even Linus and the Peanuts gang would love. These local farms are places are perfect for pumpkin hunting.

Check out our guide to trick-or-treat dates and times in communities throughout the region so you can start planning now.

7. ENJOY A BEAUTIFUL PUMPKIN GLOW

This is a Dayton tradition that spans more than two decades. Join in the fun and help carve pumpkins and then see them all aglow. The Stoddard Avenue Pumpkin Glow has opened carving to the general public this year.  The community is invited to gut and carve pumpkins in a heated tent near Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 500 N. Belmonte Park N., from 9 a.m to 9 p.m. the Friday to Monday of Oct. 26, 27, 28 and 29. The free community pumpkin glow will take place 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30 and Wednesday, Oct. 31 on the hill next to the church.

>> How to get involved in the Stoddard Avenue Pumpkin Glow

>> Adventures on the Great Miami is hosting a pumpkin glow, too

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