📅 October RECAP of EVENTS 🍂

Activities Around The Treasure Valley!

The foothills went gold overnight. There's a corn maze within fifteen minutes of basically everyone reading this. And somewhere in Caldwell, dachshunds are training for a race.

October is the Treasure Valley's best month and it isn't especially close. Here's what we've got for you.

What's inside 👇

🥔🍺 The first weekend is a lot

Potato Days comes to Boise October 2–4 at the Idaho Botanical Garden (loaded fries, beer garden, truck raffle). Boise State Homecoming takes over campus. Downtown Meridian turns into a free German street party for Meridian Oktoberfest on the 3rd, while Caldwell throws Hay Day at Indian Creek Plaza the same afternoon. Pick two. We'll help you choose.

🌽 Corn maze season is at full strength

Lowe Family Farmstead's original corn maze turns 30 this year. Ten Mile Farms went bigger. Shindig Farms has what's billed as Idaho's largest straw maze — and a haunted version of it on Friday and Saturday nights. Plus Cherry Hill in Caldwell and Pumpkin Palooza in Meridian. Hours, prices, and which ones work for little kids: all in the guide.

🦴 Wiener dogs. Scarecrows. Witches.

Dogtoberfest brings the wiener dog races to Caldwell on the 9th. Scarecrows line the Botanical Garden paths all month and take over Kuna storefronts mid-month. Witches' Night Out hits The Village on the 8th. The Spooky Light Show at Roaring Springs runs nightly from the 9th — stay in the car, keep the heat on, no one has to be brave.

🎟️ The season openers all land at once

Boise Phil opens with Beethoven's 7th. Ballet Idaho goes West. Opera Idaho does Mozart. Broadway brings & Juliet to the Morrison Center. The Steelheads drop the puck downtown on the 23rd. Culture season is officially back.

👻 And then Halloween week goes all out

Boo at the Zoo both days of the 24th–25th (free for members). Trunk-or-treats in Meridian, Kuna, Caldwell, and Star. The YMCA Halloween Run with a brand-new half marathon. Fright Nights at the Old Pen. Rocky Horror at the Egyptian. The Haunted World out in Caldwell for the truly committed.

⛷️ One more thing, because it's Idaho

The 75th annual Ski Swap lands October 30 at Expo Idaho. Yes, we're talking about snow already. No, we're not sorry.

FULL GUIDE HERE 👇

October 1 – November 2: The Scarecrow Stroll returns to the Idaho Botanical Garden, open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Handmade scarecrows built by local families, schools, and businesses line the garden paths, and visitors vote for their favorite. Included with regular admission. Note that the Garden's parking lot is temporarily closed — park at the Table Rock Trailhead instead.

October 1–4: The Venardos Circus wraps up its run under the big top at The Village at Meridian, with Broadway-style shows featuring acrobats, aerialists, and clowns Thursday through Sunday.

October 2–3: Boise State Homecoming takes over the Bronco campus. The parade rolls down Friendship Lane Friday from 6 to 7 p.m., and the Broncos host Utah State at Albertsons Stadium Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

October 2–4: Potato Days comes to Boise for round two, taking over the Idaho Botanical Garden with loaded baked potatoes, fries, tots, live music, a beer garden, and a vendor village. The Ford truck raffle winner is drawn Sunday.

October 2–4: The Canyon County Fall Home Show fills the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa with remodeling, landscaping, and home project vendors. Hours are Friday 5 to 9 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for seniors, and free for kids 12 and under.

October 3: Downtown Meridian becomes a free German street party at Meridian Oktoberfest, running 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. with around 70 vendors, a kids' craft area, stein-holding and brat-eating contests, and live music all day.

October 3: Caldwell celebrates its farming roots at Hay Day, a new fall festival at Indian Creek Plaza from 1 to 5 p.m. Expect the grape harvest, hops, pumpkins, antique tractors, local vendors, and hands-on farm activities for kids.

October 3–10: More than 80 artists paint their way across the valley during the Eagle Plein Air Festival. It kicks off with Saturday's Quick Draw on State Street from 10 a.m. to noon and wraps with a show and sale October 10. Free to watch.

October 8: Witches' Night Out brings a free Halloween evening to The Village at Meridian from 6 to 9 p.m., benefiting Faces of Hope, with an appearance by animal expert Corbin Maxey.

October 9: Dogtoberfest takes over Indian Creek Plaza in Caldwell from 5 to 9 p.m. — a party for dogs and their people, headlined by the always-popular wiener dog races.

October 9–30: The Spooky Light Show at Roaring Springs in Meridian is a drive-through display of ghosts, skeletons, and spiders synced to music on your car radio, running nightly 7 to 9:30 p.m. Spooky rather than scary, so it works for the whole family.

October 10: Eagle Harvest Fest fills Heritage Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with 1,500 free pumpkins for kids to decorate, library crafts, fiddle music, blacksmith demos, food, and vendors. Free to attend.

October 10: Get your hands dirty at the Huston Vineyards Harvest Party in Caldwell from noon to 5 p.m. Pick Cabernet grapes, tour the crush pad with the winemaker, and stomp grapes barefoot, with BBQ on site. General admission is $25 and includes a glass of wine.

October 10–11: The Boise Philharmonic opens its season at the Morrison Center with Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, Smetana's The Moldau, and the Sibelius Violin Concerto featuring Timothy Chooi. Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

October 11: Lace up for the City of Trees Marathon, starting and finishing at Albertsons Stadium. The marathon goes off at 8 a.m., the half at 8:30 a.m., and the 10K and 5K at 9 a.m. Registration for the shorter distances closes October 10.

October 14–30: Follow the map to the Kuna Scarecrow Contest, with scarecrows staged at businesses all over town. Snap a selfie, vote for your favorite, and watch for winners announced October 31.

October 15–17: Music Theatre of Idaho stages The Addams Family at the Nampa Civic Center, the comedy musical where Wednesday brings her very normal boyfriend home to meet the family. Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m.

October 16: The Viva Nampa Festival brings a free downtown street party to Nampa from 6 to 10 p.m., produced alongside the 208 Night Market.

October 17: Local filmmakers screen the horror shorts they shot in two days at the Idaho Horror 48-Hour Film Festival, 4 p.m. at the Egyptian Theatre. All ages, tickets $10.

October 17: Trunk or Treat comes to Indian Creek Plaza in Caldwell from 5 to 7 p.m. Free and family-friendly.

October 20–25: Broadway in Boise presents & Juliet at the Morrison Center, the jukebox musical that reimagines Juliet's life after Romeo, set to Max Martin pop hits. Recommended for ages 8 and up; the Saturday 1 p.m. performance includes ASL and audio description.

October 22: More than 90 businesses deck out their cars for Meridian Trunk or Treat at Meridian City Hall Plaza, 6 to 9 p.m., with music, a dance floor, and food trucks. Free, with a suggested $1 per child benefiting the Meridian Food Bank Backpack Program.

October 23: Hockey returns downtown as the Idaho Steelheads open their home schedule against the Allen Americans at Idaho Central Arena, puck drop 7:10 p.m.

October 23–25: Ballet Idaho opens its season with Westward at the Boise State Special Events Center, four ballets inspired by the American West including Balanchine's Square Dance, Appalachian Spring, and The Man in Black set to Johnny Cash. Friday 7:30 p.m., Saturday 2 and 7:30 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m.

October 24: The YMCA Halloween Run fills Ann Morrison Park with costumed runners. A new half marathon starts at 9 a.m., the Freaky 5K at 10 a.m., and the Monster Mile at 10:15 a.m., followed by a trunk or treat.

October 24–25: Boo at the Zoo returns to Zoo Boise both days from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with trick-or-treat candy stations, costume contests for every age group, face painting, vendors, and Halloween-themed treats for the animals. Included with regular admission and free for Zoo Boise members. Last admission is 4 p.m.

October 24: JUMP-or-Treat brings a free Halloween night to JUMP in downtown Boise from 5 to 8 p.m., with an inflatable forest and local nonprofits handing out treats.

October 24: The Kuna Trunk or Treat & Fall Festival runs 3 to 7 p.m., pairing the Chamber's trunk-or-treat with the City of Kuna Fall Festival for an afternoon of candy and fall fun.

October 29: The 39th annual Downtown Nampa Trick-or-Treat sends kids shop to shop through downtown from 4 to 7 p.m. Free.

October 30–31: Fright Nights at the Old Idaho Penitentiary opens the haunted cell blocks after dark, 7 to 11 p.m. Friday is all ages and Saturday is 18 and up.

October 30 – November 1: The 75th annual Ski Swap takes over Expo Idaho, the valley's big used winter gear sale benefiting the Bogus Basin youth ski foundation. Admission is $5, kids 12 and under free, and Sunday is free with two canned food items.

October 31: Close out the month with Star's community Trunk-or-Treat at Riverhouse Pasture from 3 to 5 p.m., the Halloween Disc Golf Tournament at Kleiner Park at 10 a.m. ($10 residents, $20 non-residents), or the Egyptian Theatre's annual interactive screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at 9 p.m. (18+, prop bags available).

Pumpkin Patches & Corn Mazes — Open Through October 31

Lowe Family Farmstead in Kuna celebrates 30 years of Idaho's original corn maze, with a u-pick pumpkin patch, tractor hayrides, a flower field, and farm food. Open Monday through Thursday 4 to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Ten Mile Farms in Meridian has an even bigger corn maze this year, plus hayrides, barrel trains, straw slides, and a corn pit. Open weekdays 4 to 9 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Pumpkin Palooza on Chinden in Meridian is $5 to get in, covering inflatables, the Big Blue Slide, a mechanical bull, a hay maze, a corn pit, and a petting zoo, with food trucks on weekends.

Shindig Farms in Nampa is home to what's billed as Idaho's largest straw maze, with a wagon ride out to the pumpkin patch, ziplines, and giant slides. Closed Sundays. Their Haunted Straw Maze runs Fridays and Saturdays in October from 8 to 10:30 p.m., with fog and live actors. Tickets $25, recommended for ages 12 and up.

Cherry Hill Farms in Caldwell offers an 8-acre corn maze, a hay bale maze for little ones, a jumping pillow, barrel cart rides, and a pumpkin patch, Wednesdays through Saturdays.

For the Brave

The Haunted World in Caldwell covers 40 acres of indoor and outdoor scares and adds La Llorona for its 27th season. Open nightly except Sundays through October 31, with ticket booths opening at 7 p.m.

Requiem Haunted House fills three floors and roughly 13,000 square feet of a century-old building in downtown Caldwell. Open Thursdays 7:30 to 10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Timed tickets are $25, and it's not recommended for young kids.

Throughout October

Farmers market season is winding down, so catch them while you can. The Meridian Monday Night Market closes out with a Harvest Edition on October 5 at Storey Park. On Saturdays, the Boise Farmers Market runs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1500 Shoreline Drive through the end of the month, the Meridian Main Street Market runs 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at City Hall Plaza through October 17, and the Nampa Farmers Market continues at Lloyd Square Park into November. The Capital City Public Market keeps going on the Grove Plaza Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. well past the holidays.

And if you'd rather look up than down: Fall Flights at the World Center for Birds of Prey runs Fridays through Sundays at 11 a.m. through October 31, a 45-minute narrated show with falcons, hawks, owls, and vultures flying over an outdoor amphitheater. Tickets are online only.

📆 Fall fun in the Treasure Valley? 👇

Whether you want to be absolutely terrified, navigate your way through a corn maze, or pick a pumpkin, fall activities begin this weekend and others later this month. Below, we have a list of fun and festive attractions.

🎃 10 Mile Farms: 10 Mile Farms in Meridian opened Friday September 11 for the season. The farm features activities like a corn maze, pumpkin picking, hayrides, a barrel train for kids, straw bale slides, a petting zoo, a corn pit, and more.

🎃 Lowe Farmstead: Lowe Family Farmstead in Kuna opens today Saturday, September 12. There’s something for everyone here, including a giant corn maze, pumpkin patch, hay rides, potato sack slide, apple blasters (guns that shoot apples), gemstone mining, and much more.

🎃 Shindig Farms: Shindig Farms in Nampa opens on Saturday, September 12. There are a lot of activities here as well, including a haunted straw maze, pumpkin patch, giant slide, mechanical bull, swing ride, and more.

🎃 Jordan’s: Jordan’s Pumpkin Patch on Cole Rd. in Boise opens Monday, September 14. Along with picking pumpkins, Jordan’s has a hay maze, petting zoo, corn pit, and more.

🎃 The Farm in Emmett: The Farm in Emmett opens for the season on Saturday, September 19. Activities include a corn maze, pumpkin patch, petting zoo featuring Highland cows, games, and more.

🎃 Cherry Hill Farms: Cherry Hill Farms kicks off its annual 8-acre corn maze in Caldwell on Friday, September 25. Activities include pumpkin picking, the corn maze, a jumping pillow, barrel cart rides for kids, tube slides, farm animals, corn hole, a large straw bale maze with activities, a cherry pit sandbox, and tractor tire playgrounds.

👻 Requiem: Requiem Haunted House in Caldwell doesn’t open until Friday, October 2, but when it does, prepare to be paralyzed with fear. Requiem is the largest indoor haunted attraction in the Treasure Valley, spanning 13,000 square feet.

👻 Haunted World: Haunted World opened yesterday, Friday, September 11. It’s in Nampa and is a large, terrifying indoor/outdoor attraction that takes between an hour and a half and two hours to experience. Haunted World is open on Fridays and Saturdays through September and Monday through Saturday in October.