Autumn landscape with colorful trees, village, and mountains at sunset.

Things to do this month

October puts fall on full display in Stowe. Brilliant foliage paints the mountains in shades of red, orange, and gold, favorite fall festivals fill the calendar, and crisp days invite you to experience the season from every angle. As the month unfolds, peak color gradually gives way to bare branches and late-fall landscapes, while corn mazes, lantern tours, and Halloween happenings bring a playful finish to the season.

Autumn trees and tombstones in a cemetery under a gray sky.

White church steeple with clock, framed by autumn leaves and blue sky.

Fall Color at Its Peak

October is one of the most anticipated months for fall foliage in Stowe, with peak color typically arriving around the beginning of the month before the leaves gradually begin to fall later in the season. Timing varies from year to year, making each foliage season a little different.

There are plenty of ways to take it all in. Follow a scenic drive through the mountains, explore the Stowe Recreation Path, hike beneath a canopy of color, or see the landscape from a new perspective on the Gondola SkyRide or Auto Toll Road. Both the Gondola SkyRide and Auto Toll Road close for the season this month, so plan ahead if a trip up Vermont’s highest peak is on your fall itinerary. Colors also change at different times throughout Stowe’s varied elevations, so there’s always somewhere new to explore as the season progresses.

FALL FOLIAGE INFORMATION

Autumn landscape with colorful trees and distant mountains under a cloudy sky.

Celebrate the Harvest Season

October’s events calendar celebrates everything there is to love about fall in Vermont. From October 9–11, the Stowe Foliage Arts Festival brings artists and craftspeople from Vermont and beyond together for three days of original artwork, live demonstrations, specialty food and beverages, and live music all surrounded by the colors of foliage season.

Then, on October 17, head to Stowe Mountain Resort for Seasons at Stowe: Harvest Festival. This free community gathering celebrates Vermont’s fall traditions with live music, seasonal food and beverages, and family-friendly activities at the base of Mount Mansfield. It’s also the final weekend to ride the Gondola SkyRide before it closes for the season.

EVENT INFORMATION

Farmers' market stand with people buying fresh produce.

Savor the Stowe Farmers' Market

October brings the final weeks of the Stowe Farmers’ Market, offering one more chance to spend a Sunday browsing the best of the season. Shop fresh produce and locally made products, discover Vermont artisans and prepared foods, and enjoy the lively atmosphere before the market wraps up for the year. It’s an easy way to experience the flavors and community of Stowe while making the most of harvest season.

VISIT THE FARMERS' MARKET

Children run joyfully through a cornfield under an overcast sky.

A Classic Fall Tradition

There’s still time to get lost in the Percy Farm Corn Maze before it closes for the season in late-October. Located just off the Stowe Recreation Path, the maze takes about 30 to 40 minutes to complete and offers views of Mount Mansfield along the way. After finding your way through the corn, stop to visit the farm’s cows and goats or continue your adventure along the Recreation Path.

VISIT THE MAZE

Lanterns glowing on pathway near steps at night.

See Stowe in a Different Light

October is the perfect time to experience Stowe after dark. Stowe, at Night, Lantern Tours invite you to carry a replica 1700s lantern through the village while hearing stories of early settlers, local history, and some of Stowe’s resident ghosts. Tours take place throughout October, with special ghost-story-only Halloween tours offered October 25–31. Tours depart from the Go Stowe Visitor Information Center and typically last one hour.

As Halloween approaches, keep an eye on the events calendar for even more seasonal happenings around town and make the most of those crisp October nights.

Tour Information