There are plenty of spooky, scary Halloween events in Seattle this month, but October also has a lighter side: Leaves change colors, apples are ready for picking, vegetables are ready for harvesting, and pumpkins are ready for carving. Aside from the openings of season-long pumpkin patches, Seattle also has many special festivals, dinners, and parties devoted to all of these things. We've rounded them all up below, from pumpkin carving with cats to the Fall Foliage Festival & Plant Sale at the Rhododendron Species Garden to a harvest dinner at Delicatus. For more options, check out our Halloween calendar or our pumpkin patch listings.

OCT 13-15
Maple Viewing Festival
The Seattle Japanese Garden is meant to be enjoyed in all seasons and weather, so, regardless of what it looks like outside, it'll be a great time to check out the beautiful fall foliage. The festival promises crafts, taiko performances, scavenger hunts, tours, and a photography exhibit.

Olympic Peninsula Apple & Cider Festival
It's a fact that cider is one of those things essentially Northwest—it defines our region, and it's always seemed to especially define the fall. Take advantage of apple season this year with the first annual Olympic Peninsula Apple & Cider Festival, an ambitious three-day celebration of cider and the fruit it comes from. On Friday, indulge in a five-course feast paired with Alpenfire ciders and prepared by former Canlis executive sous chef Deborah Taylor and her husband, Scott Ross, (the couple who owns the buzzy new Port Townsend restaurant Finistére). The festivities will continue with a "hard cider tasting festival" on Saturday, featuring more than 40 ciders, apple pressing, live music, and an after-party that promises a fire show. To close out the weekend, there will be open houses at participating cideries, distilleries, and tap rooms on Sunday.

OCT 13-19
Pumpkins on the Patio
At this mini pumpkin patch at Seattle Pops, you can buy pumpkins for $0.39-per-pound (sourced from Gordon's Skagit Farm in Mount Vernon) and get a tasty ice pop for half-off. Their fall flavors include pumpkin pie, apple spice, and cranberry orange.

OCT 14
Meeker Mansion Cider Squeeze
At the historic Puyallup Meeker Mansion, you can buy some apples to turn into cider, watch an apple pie contest, buy apple snacks and goods from local vendors, and enjoy "hand clapping music."

Orting Pumpkin Fest
Enjoy pumpkin milkshakes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin pizza, and pumpkin cotton candy while watching scarecrows dance, riding in a cinderella pumpkin carriage, or perusing the Orting Valley Farmer's Market (among several other activities).

Old Ballard Liquor Co. Fall Dinner
The Nordic cafe and Aquavit distillery will host a special four-course, prix-fixe dinner in honor of the leaves a-falling, featuring pork terrine with hazelnuts, bacon, leeks, and cabbage salad; smoked mushroom salad with squash, sage, horseradish, and goat cheese; duck breast with parsnip cream and plum conserve; and applesauce cake with sweet goat cream for dessert.

Squash Ale Release and Pumpkin Carving
Pumpkins aren't the only gourd that can infuse beer with seasonal delight; taste Lowercase Brewing's new release, made with butternut squash (woah!) and whole spices. While you sip, pop a squat on the patio and carve a pumpkin while enjoying new art from Harro Scharbau.

OCT 14-15
Fall Bake Sale for Pigs Peace
If you're vegan, you almost definitely care about pigs. Celebrate both of these qualities about yourself at a vegan bake sale that supports Pigs Peace Animal Sanctuary, where you'll find an array of pumpkin-flavored treats.

Fall Native Plant Sale
Get lost in a sea of locally-sourced native plants for sale at Seward Park, and get expert advice on selection, planting, and care.

Suncadia Resort Harvest Festival
Suncadia Resort is throwing its 12th annual Harvest Festival on the historic Nelson Farm in Cle Elum, complete with a bevy of outdoor festivities like pumpkin archery, a petting zoo, a beer garden, crafts, a wine tasting dinner, and live music.

Swansons Fall Festival
Help support youth education programs at Tilth Alliance by engaging in some good old fashioned veggie car racing, arts and crafts, tractor rides, games, and other fall activities.

Zoo Boo
Watch animals eat pumpkin "enrichments," see jack-o-lanterns made by zoo keepers, and participate in a community sculpture contest by building a sculpture out of recycled materials to be displayed at the Point Defiance Zoo during Zoo Boo.

OCT 14-28
Free Weekend Walks
There's no need to travel all the way to New England for fall foliage—just head to the Kubota Garden on Saturday mornings for a free guided tour. Don't forget to snap some photos of the Japanese maples and other beautiful trees for your Instagram.

OCT 15-29
Ikebana Exhibit
Feel centered with the Mercer Island's Sogetsu Ikebana school as they demonstrate and display their traditional Japanese flower arrangements in the Volunteer Park Conservatory's Seasonal House.

OCT 21
Ray's Boathouse Pumpkin Carving Party
Cozy up on a heated patio, spill some pumpkin guts, and exhibit your coveted carving talent at this all-ages party.

OCT 21-28
Fall Foliage Festival & Plant Sale
Meet gardening experts, learn how to snap glorious pics of nature, enjoy Kansas style BBQ, and pick up some seasonal plants (specifically rhododendrons, companion plants, and ferns) to take home at this fall festival presented by the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden and Pacific Bonsai Museum.

OCT 21 & 25
Pumpkin Carving with Cats
Carve pumpkins in the company of cats. BYOP or make use of one of the Seattle Meowtropolitan's generously provided jack o' lanterns-to-be. The cats will be on hand as consultants, we guess.

OCT 25
Behind the Bottle Harvest Dinner
Join Sip Northwest Magazine for this year's Washington State Wine harvest, featuring local sommeliers from Savage Grace Wines, W.T. Vintners, Two Vintners Winery, and Kevin White Winery. They'll be pairing some carefully curated vino with a seasonal five-course, French-style tasting menu from RN74's head chef, Tom Griese.

Hale's Pumpkin Carving Contest
Grab a pumpkin and carve a design that speaks to you—whether its a classic jack-o-lantern or an intricate portrait of Paul Newman's face—at this annual competition at the Fiddler's Inn.

Pumpkin Carving, Horror Movies & Beer
Spend your hump day settling down with a classic Halloween combo of activities: beer-drinking, horror film-watching, and pumpkin-carving. The Pine Box will have a couple dozen pumpkins and tools, but you can also bring your own.

OCT 26
Night Lab: Pumpkin Party
Work on your pumpkin-carving craft to win the carving competition (Ada's Technical Books will provide tools and stencils) while tasting a flight of pumpkin beers, snacking on pumpkin bread, and hearing a scary soundtrack of horror-themed music. Also browse a curated selection of creepy books.

OCT 27
Sous Sol Wine Harvest Dinner
It's a cruel world, but the Northwest is still abound with plentiful gifts of the harvest season. Celebrate at this annual fall dinner at Delicatus, featuring wine pairings (for an extra $15) from local winery Sous Sol. This year's menu features cured “Mojama” albacore tuna, grilled escarole salad, ricotta and duck confit agnolotti, roasted pheasant and turnip steak, and a rustic pear tart with salted caramel sauce and fresh whip for dessert.

OCT 28
Big Pumpkin
There are few better uses for a hollowed-out pumpkin than to fill it with delicious beer. At this festive kegger, the Barrel Thief will fill a large pumpkin with their Dogfish Head Punkin Ale, put a spigot in it, and hand out pours for five bucks.

Pumpkin Bash
Imagining an elephant eating a pumpkin isn't a bad way to distract yourself from your problems for a minute. Learn about the behavioral tendencies of hippos, bears, Malayan tigers, lemurs, and other animals as they figure out the best way to eat (or possible just ignore) tasty gourds. Kids can also enjoy trick-or-treating at this Woodland Park Zoo event.

OCT 29
West Seattle Harvest Fest
If you've had your fill of sauntering around beer beer gardens this season, consider changing it up by drinking local root beer from The Beer Junction topped with Husky Deli vanilla ice cream. While you're there, enjoy fall activities Applepalooza and a scavenger hunt, and taste chili from local restaurants who will be competing in a cook-off.