What to Do in Washington in October

What’s scarier than Wild Wave’s annual Fright Fest? The fact that this spooky month-long event is the very last chance to visit the beloved theme park before their official closing on November 1. The haunted last hurrah is divided into family friendly (during the day) and a bit scary (after dark), with haunted houses, a kiddie hay maze, and an adults-only Vampire Bar. Most rides will be running, but not the water slides.

An October festival without a Halloween tie—though a good flannel works as a costume if you’re going as any member of a bygone Seattle grunge band. Half the fun lies in the names of the cover bands that perform: Red NOT Chili Peppers (singing RHCP), Fighting Foos (saluting Foo Fighters), and Nirvana tribute Nevermind. Held in the Grant County Fairgrounds, the annual concert is a celebration of all things, sounds, and fashions of the 1990s.

Suncadia Resort hosts its 20th annual fall event at the historic Nelson Farm. The event includes face painting, potato launching, and a giant hay pyramid, plus a classic pumpkin patch. Local brews and craft cocktails liven up the country line dancing and wagon rides; food trucks fuel square dancing lessons in quintessential fall fashion.

An event so big it can’t fit in one location, the annual tree-to-glass festival pops up at farms and cideries around the Port Townsend area. Aside from requisite tastings, an apple tart cooking class, a butchery workshop, and a DJ party at Glendale Farm fill the rest of the weekend. 

The Tri-Cities’ riverside Columbia Park hosts this serene annual tradition. Tickets score a kit to craft a floating lantern, each decorated and illuminated alongside live music before being set out on the Columbia at dusk. The admission fees also fund the cleanup of the artworks after the event.

Coupeville’s box office claim to fame as the filming location for 1998 Practical Magic becomes a whole weekend affair each October. Walking tours tout insider filming info and show off recognizable movie locales, adults-only movie nights encourage costumes, and a torchlight parade and street dance bring witchy energy to the main thoroughfare.

The Yakima Valley celebrates Día de los Muertos, kicking off a host of festivities with music, dance, a lowrider car show, and sugar skull decorating in Tieton. A large memorial altar hosts photos, breads, and candies as the centerpiece, and acclaimed Oaxacan artist Fulgencio presents a traditional sandpainting.