The rare October festival that doesn't have some sort of 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, Washed In Black (they sing Pearl Jam), 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.

How to put tiny Thurston County town Bucoda on the map? In fall, a monthlong salute to all things spooky does its best, culminating in a mass "Thriller" dance near Halloween. The festival also includes a haunted house, costume contests, pumpkin carving, and a hearse procession, along with the signature casket races. Bucoda: dead and loving it.

We've bemoaned the shortage of amusement parks in our region, but Wild Waves continues to carry the banner for thrills—and in October the chills don't come from getting out of the water. The Halloween event is divided into family friendly (during the day) and a bit scary (after dark), with haunted houses, a mummy wrapping contest, and an all-new Vampire Bar. Most rides will be running, but not the water slides.

Suncadia Resort hosts its 18th annual fall event at the historic Nelson Farm. The free event includes face painting, ax throwing, and a hay pyramid, plus a classic pumpkin patch. A touch-a-truck area thrills the big wheel enthusiasts among us, and local brews and craft cocktails liven up the country line dancing and wagon rides. 

An event so big it can't fit in one location. Cideries and distilleries across the Port Townsend area put on a giant tasting across the region, while an apple-filled orchard brunch and evening garden dance party fill the rest of the weekend. 

One of Eastern Washington's loveliest annual events takes place at the riverside Columbia Park in the Tri-Cities. Every adult ticket comes with a kit to make a floating lantern, each decorated and illuminated in the evening before being set out on the Columbia. The admission fees also fund the cleanup of the artworks after the event.

The Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden may be at its biggest bloom in summer, but in fall it hosts a free celebration of more subtle hues. Tour guides share a peek at the grounds and plant vendors sell take-home greenery. Kids get a scavenger hunt among the season's final colors.