“Pumpkins, pier sunsets, and stone crab claws—fall in Tampa Bay is a whole vibe.” 🍂🦀

Fun Fall in Tampa Bay:

Your Cozy- Fall Season Playbook

Fall here isn’t about leaf peeping—it’s about cooler nights on the Riverwalk, epic festivals, pumpkin-patch photo ops, and game-day energy. Whether you’re relocating or already local, here’s your skimmable guide to making the most of Tampa Bay’s coziest season (and yes—my team’s ready to answer any questions you have about neighborhoods near the fun, just ask).

The Good Stuff

🎃 Spooky Nights & Family Frights

• Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens: haunted houses, scare zones, late-night coasters—select nights Sept 5–Nov 1.

• Creatures of the Night at ZooTampa: kid-friendly spooks on select dates from Sept 26–Oct 26.

🍺 Oktober Vibes on the River

• Oktoberfest Tampa takes over Curtis Hixon Park, Oct 10–12—stein-hoisting, oompah bands, and plenty of pretzels.

🎷 Fall Music & Big Community Fests

• Clearwater Jazz Holiday returns to Coachman Park, Oct 16–19 (Tower of Power, Cory Wong, The War and Treaty & more).

• St. Pete Pier Fall Festival brings pumpkin patches and photo ops to the waterfront Oct 18.

👻 Halloween Weekend Headliners

• Pied Piper’s Haunted Carnival at Armature Works, Oct 24–26—carnival meets music fest.

• Riverwalk Trick-or-Treat (FREE), Oct 25, 4–7 pm, starting at Cotanchobee Park. 🎃 Patches & Mazes (Prime for photos)

• Hyde Park Village Pumpkin Patch, Oct 1–31—all proceeds benefit the Humane Society of Tampa Bay.

• Fox Squirrel Corn Maze (Plant City), weekends Sep 27–Oct 26.

• Sweetfields Farm (Masaryktown), corn maze + fall festival dates running late Sept–Nov.

🥕 Markets & Mellow Weekends

• St. Pete Saturday Morning Market moves back to Al Lang for main season starting Oct 4—food stalls, live music, makers.

🏈🏒 Game-Day Energy

• Bucs host fall home games at Raymond James Stadium (official 2025 schedule & tickets).

• Lightning open the 2025–26 season at AMALIE Arena in October (schedule release).

• USF Bulls Football: home schedule + theme nights at RayJay.

🦀 Stone Crab Season = Fall Foodie Heaven

• Florida stone crab season opens Oct 15—be first to crack those claws at bay-area seafood spots.

From haunted coasters and riverside steins to waterfront jazz and pumpkin-patch pics, fall in Tampa Bay packs your calendar with only-here experiences. If you’re house-hunting, we’ll map homes close to your favorite vibes (walk to Curtis Hixon? short hop to Coachman Park? easy Riverwalk access?). Tell us your wish list—we’ll line up showings around your weekend plans.

Handy Checklist (tap to save/share)

• Howl-O-Scream (nights, Sep–Nov) ✅

• ZooTampa Creatures of the Night ✅

• Oktoberfest Tampa (Oct 10–12) ✅

• Clearwater Jazz Holiday (Oct 16–19) ✅

• St. Pete Pier Fall Festival (Oct 18) ✅

• Riverwalk Trick-or-Treat (Oct 25) ✅

• Saturday Morning Market (returns Oct 4) ✅

• Hyde Park Pumpkin Patch (Oct 1–31) ✅

• Fox Squirrel Corn Maze (weekends) ✅

• Taste stone crab (from Oct 15) ✅

Prefer it printable? Download the Fall Bucket List (PDF)

New to the area, moving to the the area, or long time resident and want to know more about any of this? Shoot us a quick note and we’ll send a custom list of what you can do here this fall. If you're looking for a new haunted mansion we can help with that as well and find you one near the festivals, parks, schools, and restaurants you love...our team’s ready when you are. 💬