Fall is in full swing in Florida, with no shortage of spooky and festive autumnal activities happening around Central Florida. From scare zones to pumpkin patches to major live music events to food fests and more, here are the 20 best Orlando fall bucket list activities that don’t involve theme parks.

Partin Ranch Corn Maze Fall Festival 5601 N. Canoe Creek Road, St. Cloud Saturdays and Sundays starting Oct. 5 Partin Ranch Corn Maze’s Fall Festival is full of all things autumnal and family friendly. Activities include a pumpkin patch and general store, barrel train, ranch animal viewings, hayrides, games and several lengthy crop trails to roam through. Credit: Photo via Partin Ranch Corn Maze
Mortem Manor Old Town, 5770 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, Kissimmee All year This spooky experience may be open year-round, but fall is really its time to shine. Mortem Manor, located just outside Orlando, offers guests the chance to stroll through a two-story Victorian-themed haunted mansion. There are live scare-actors, animatronics and no shortage of creepy special effects. Credit: Photo via Mortem Manor/Facebook
Credit: Photo via Matt Keller Lehman

Fall Fiesta in the Park

Lake Eola Park, downtown Orlando Nov. 2 and 3
The 52nd Annual Fall Festival in the Park will happen Nov. 2 and 3. Guests can celebrate the half-century-old community favorite with live entertainment, local vendors, craft booths and more. Credit: Photo via Fiesta in the Park/Facebook
Thornton Park District’s 11th annual Halloween Block Party Thornton Park Saturday, Oct. 26 Featuring a stacked lineup of Cirque du Soleil-themed performers, go-go dancers, stilt walkers and vaudeville entertainment, this party is sure to leave neighborhood Halloween-lovers and revelers both petrified and pleased. This year’s event not only boasts the usual festivities and creatively costumed attendees, but also the (separately ticketed) Freakshow and a scare-trail at the Veranda, put on by the alt-drag and burlesque masterminds Gala of Ghouls and Davi Oddity, with showings at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Credit: Photo by Matt Keller Lehman
Creative City Project’s Happy Frights Leu Gardens, 1920 N. Forest Ave., Orlando through Oct. 31 Featuring live music, eight trick-or-treat stations, Halloween-themed excursions and more, Happy Frights at Leu Gardens offers a family-friendly fall experience. Credit: Photo via HalloweenInTheGarden.com
Creative City Project’s Haunting Nights Leu Gardens, 1920 N. Forest Ave., Orlando through Oct. 31 Recommended for those 13 and older, Haunting Nights provides a late-night opportunity to get tangled in a spooky Halloween adventure, complete with fall-inspired food and drinks, a hedge maze and Bigfoot sightings. Credit: Photo via Creative City Project
Cows ‘n Cabs Central Park, Winter Park Saturday, Nov. 9 Cows ‘n Cabs, one of the most popular food-and-drink fests in the city, is on its way back. A slew of restaurants (35-plus) and vendors offering more than 200 beer/wine/booze options are slated to set up in Central Park between Park and New York avenues Nov. 9 from 6-10:30 p.m. An affiliated event — “Burgers, Bubbles, Beer” — takes place Nov. 7 from 7-10 p.m. featuring “six to eight” restaurants. Only 200 tickets will be sold to this exclusive event. Cost is $250. Credit: Photo via Coms 'n Cabs/Instagram
Credit: Photo by MediaGeekz
A Petrified Forest 1360 E. Altamonte Drive, Altamonte Springs Through Nov. 2 With varying event offerings like Blood Moon, Total Eclipse, Kids Day and more, A Petrified Forest offers guests intricate scare trails, haunted houses and close-up encounters with ghoulish beings. Credit: Photo via A Petrified Forest/Facebook
Fall Festival at Southern Hill Farms 16651 Schofield Road, Clermont Thursdays through Sundays, Sept. 28 to Nov. 17 Southern Hill Farms, located in Clermont, is gearing up for its eighth annual Fall Festival, complete with a pumpkin patch, live entertainment and more. Guests can pick out a pumpkin, get lost in the 5-acre corn maze and enjoy the fall-themed food and local food trucks. Ticket purchase is required for admission. Credit: Photo via Southern Hill Farms/Facebook
Maker Faire Orlando Central Florida Fairgrounds, 4603 W. Colonial Drive, Orlando Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 9-10 This nonprofit, family-friendly celebration features local creators and enthusiasts of all things science, tech, art, music, robots and more. Credit: Photo via Maker Faire Orlando/Facebook
Central Florida Zoo Boo Bash 3755 W. Seminole Blvd., Sanford Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 26-27 The Central Florida Zoo is offering three weekends of wild Halloween fun onsite and alongside the animals. The not-so-spooky event invites kiddos of all ages to show up in costume to trick-or-treat and join in on some special Halloween activities. All Boo Bash activities and experiences are included with zoo admission. Credit: Photo Central Florida Zoo/Facebook
Asian Lantern Festival 3755 W. Seminole Blvd., Sanford Nov. 15-Jan. 19 The Asian Lantern Festival makes a radiant return to the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Sanford this fall. This year’s event, themed “Into the Wild,” takes place on select nights from Nov. 15 to Jan. 19. The festival features a wide array of handcrafted lanterns situated on a 3/4-mile loop around the zoo, illuminated by more than 10,000 LED lights. Credit: Photo via Central Florida Zoo/Facebook
FusionFest Seneff Arts Plaza, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts Nov. 30-Dec. 1 This annual two-day festival invites people from more than 110 different cultures and various backgrounds to enjoy music, dance, food, arts and live performances in downtown Orlando. Credit: Photo by Matt Keller Lehman
Dazzling Nights Leu Gardens, 1920 N. Forest Ave., Orlando Nov. 29-Jan. 5 Immerse yourself in the holiday spirit this season with the return of Dazzling Nights, as Creative City Project once again decks the halls of Harry P. Leu Gardens. The 50-acre gardens will be transformed into a winter wonderland for families to explore starting Nov. 29. The interactive ¾-mile-long experience features over a million twinkling holiday lights, shining forests, festive shows and even snow in Florida. Credit: Photo courtesy Creative City Project
Orlando Renaissance Festival 3437 Barnstable Place, Orlando Dec. 7-8, 14-15 The Orlando Renaissance Festival will take visitors back in time for two weekends this year. The festival is family-friendly and features interactive live performances and acrobatics, chess games, a lively medieval marketplace and everything else you could want when taking a trip back to the Dark(ish) Ages. Credit: Photo via Orlando Renaissance Festival/Facebook
Rocktoberfest Central Florida Fairgrounds, 4603 W. Colonial Drive, Orlando Friday-Saturday, Oct. 25-26 Local radio station WJRR throws a big ol’ festive Rocktoberfest at the Fairgrounds with all the eats, drinks and live rawk you’d expect. Credit: Photo via Rocktoberfest
Scream-A-Geddon Horror Park 27839 St. Joe Road, Dade City Through Nov. 2 This intense Dade City horror park is creeping visitors out once again. This year’s event attractions include the houses Demon’s Revenge, Bloodwater Bayou, Ravenhill Asylum and many more nightmarish activities. Credit: Photo via Scream-A-Geddon Horror Park/Facebook
Gators, Ghosts and Goblins at Gatorland 14501 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando Weekends through Oct. 27 Gatorland’s Gators, Ghosts and Goblins is a family-friendly Halloween event filled with wildlife and spooky entertainment. This year’s event promises the return of Swamp Ghost’s Monster Museum complete with an all-new exhibit, all new haunt zones, the Cryptid Express ride, interactive characters, animal meet-and-greets, shows, vendors, a kids’ Halloween costume party, an undead polka band and more festivities. Credit: Photo courtesy Gatorland