On August 11, Allegheny County announced six free fall event series for its nine county parks: Americana Festival, Hay Day, Halloween Movies in the Park, Punkin Chunkin, Campfire Ghost Stories and Trunk or Treat. Hartwood Acres has a date in four of the six. North Park adds a fifth. The Americana Festival at Settlers Cabin Park is the only one that skips this corner of the county.
Two of the Hartwood dates have already happened. Three of the biggest are still ahead, and they fall inside nine days, from Saturday, October 17 through Sunday, October 25. Hampton Township's parade and two Shaler North Hills Library programs land in the same stretch, so the end of October in Allison Park adds up to a full schedule. You just won't find it on any single calendar.
How the County Spread Its Six Series
The press release spreads its events across the park system, and most series rotate between several sites. Here is where each one landed this year, according to the county's announcement.
| County series | 2026 locations | Hartwood or North Park date |
|---|---|---|
| Americana Festival | Settlers Cabin | None |
| Hay Day | Hartwood Acres, South Park | Sept. 19, done |
| Halloween Movies in the Park | Hartwood Acres, White Oak, Round Hill, Deer Lakes | Oct. 9, done |
| Punkin Chunkin | Hartwood Acres only | Sat., Oct. 17 |
| Campfire Ghost Stories | North Park, Harrison Hills, Boyce, Settlers Cabin | Thu., Oct. 22 |
| Trunk or Treat | South Park, Hartwood Acres | Sun., Oct. 25 |
South Park is the only other park that shows up in more than one row, and it has two dates to Hartwood's four. Punkin Chunkin, the series that draws the most attention, runs at one site in the whole county: the Hartwood Acres Amphitheater at 4000 Middle Road. North Park counts here too. Its Boathouse Lawn sits at 10301 Pearce Mill Road, Allison Park, which is why the ghost stories show up in the table.
The two dates that have passed show how wide the Hartwood program runs. Hay Day on September 19 brought inflatables, a petting zoo, pig races and puppetry to the amphitheater. The October 9 movie night moved across the park to the Mansion Lawn at 200 Hartwood Acres for a Monster House and The Sixth Sense double feature. The mansion side of the park has a Pittsburgh 15238 address. Everything still to come at Hartwood is at the amphitheater on Middle Road.
Saturday, October 17: The Trebuchet Day
Punkin Chunkin runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the amphitheater field. A full-size trebuchet launches pumpkins across the field, run by the Allegheny County Parks Department and SHARP Robotics from the Sarah Heinz House. The county's August press release gave a 5 p.m. end time, and the event page now says 4 p.m. Plan around the earlier time.
The event is free, but the county recommends registering so it has enough supplies for everyone. It is also weather-permitting, and day-of updates go out on the Allegheny County Parks Facebook page.
The event page lists a full day around the launches:
- 12:00 to 12:30 p.m. Pittsburgh Musical Theater on stage
- 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. Bark or Treat at the Hartwood Acres dog park next to the amphitheater
- 1:00 to 1:45 p.m. Miss Cassidy Creates, a music and dance party with games
- Activities Storytelling by The Topolino Sisters, face painting by Faces by Christina, crafts by Sarah Heinz House, and cookie decorating
Bark or Treat is the dog event inside the larger one. Dogs come in costume and hunt for tennis balls to win prizes. It is free, and the county recommends registering for it too. Since the dog park sits right beside the amphitheater, one visit covers both.
The county page lists these food vendors: Hop Farm Brewing Company, The Roaming Bean, Millie's Homemade Ice Cream, Yovi's, Aviva Brick Oven, Le Oriental and Our Neighborhood Farmstead. The page also still carries a line dated 2025, so treat the vendor list as the county's posted lineup and expect it could change by Saturday.
If you'd rather eat before the crowd builds, Three Little Birds Cafe & Juice Bar is at 3940 Middle Road, just down the road from the amphitheater. The family-owned café serves coffee, juices, pastries and a locally sourced breakfast and lunch, and it lists Saturday hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Those hours cover the whole Punkin Chunkin window.
Thursday, October 22: Two Evening Options, Half an Hour Apart
The middle of the stretch moves to North Park. Campfire Ghost Stories runs from 7 to 8 p.m. on the Boathouse Lawn. Storytellers Josh and Gab lead family-friendly ghost stories and songs around the campfire. The county asks attendees to bring blankets and chairs, and kids in costume can win a prize. ASL interpretation is available.
North Park's night comes first in the series. Harrison Hills, Boyce Park and Settlers Cabin host the same program on the three nights after it.
For families with older kids, Shaler North Hills Library offers a different choice that same night. Its Spooky Mini Paintings session for tweens and teens starts at 6:30 p.m., and participants make tiny spooky-season artwork. The two overlap, so a household with a teenager and a younger sibling might split up for the evening.
Saturday, October 24: The Township's Turn
This is the one Saturday in the stretch without a county event in Allison Park. The county is at South Park and Boyce that day. Hampton Township fills the gap with its Halloween Event & Parade at the Hampton Community Center, 3200 Lochner Way, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The township's rules are tighter than the county's drop-in events. Registered participants have to check in at the registration tables before noon, and the parade starts promptly at 12:15 p.m. Costume contest numbers are handed out at check-in. Registration runs through the township's activity page.
The parade also changes the library schedule. Hampton Community Library's October calendar shows the branch closed on October 24 for the parade, so plan book returns and holds pickups for another day.
The day has an evening half on the Shaler side. Shaler North Hills Library holds its Haunted Halloween Hootenanny at 6 p.m. with Halloween crafts, games and family activities. It is aimed at preschool and early grade school kids, and everyone is welcome. A family could do the Hampton parade at midday and the Hootenanny after dinner without leaving the area.
Sunday, October 25: Back to the Amphitheater
Trunk or Treat runs from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Hartwood Acres Amphitheater parking lot. Trick-or-treaters don't need to register. The county encourages participants to wear costumes and decorate their cars for Halloween. South Park's version runs the day before, on October 24, so Hartwood's is the last county Trunk or Treat of the season.
Timing matters more on Sunday. Three Little Birds lists Sunday hours of 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., which means it closes an hour into the event. Lunch before 2 p.m. works. Coffee afterward has to come from somewhere else.
After the Park Closes
For a sit-down meal after either Hartwood weekend, two independent spots close to the park work well.
Allusion Brewing Company runs its taproom at 1701 Duncan Avenue and posts a recurring event calendar for October 2026. Its current seasonal is Gently Rapping, a spiced pumpkin ale at 8% ABV and 22 IBU, brewed with caramel malts and Willamette and Hersbrucker hops. That is noticeably stronger than the 6.2% Oktoberfest-Märzen pouring next to it.
Barrel Junction's Allison Park location is at 3108 William Flinn Highway. Its pub-style kitchen is built around house-smoked meats, house-made burgers, hand-tossed pizza and craft beer. After an afternoon outside at the amphitheater, that menu suits a family that has been on its feet since 11 a.m.
Laid end to end, the remaining dates make a tidy loop. Middle Road on the 17th, Pearce Mill Road on the 22nd, Lochner Way on the 24th, and Middle Road again on the 25th. Every county event on that list is free. The county posts schedule changes and cancellations on its special events page.
The calendar we follow most closely at The Honeywill Team is the one that keeps sending the county's crowds to Middle Road every fall. If you're curious how that kind of everyday access shows up in what Allison Park homes are worth this season, Request a Free Market Valuation and we'll walk you through it.
