This Week in Dayton: Pumpkin Glow,
the Fairborn Halloween Festival
& Fresh Eats Near Wright State.

Fresh for mid-October 2026 across the greater Dayton area and suburbs: the Fairborn Halloween Festival takes over downtown Fairborn October 16-18, Greene County's Pumpkin Glow lights up Caesar Ford Park October 21-24, Fraze Pavilion closes its movie season with Hocus Pocus, and the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force adds Troops & Treats on Halloween morning. On the dining front, two new spots are now open across from Wright State in Fairborn, Get the Pho Out is on the way in Kettering, and I have the honest status of every restaurant project still on the tracker.

Last week's guide covered PetFest in Kettering, the Lebanon Oktoberfest, and the October farmers markets. This is everything new since, plus the Halloween events you will want saved before the calendar fills up.

Here is everything fresh I have not covered before.

The Fairborn Halloween Festival: October 16-18

A Free Three-Day Festival Downtown

Fairborn's biggest fall event runs Friday, October 16 through Sunday, October 18 in downtown Fairborn at 12 N. Central Ave., and admission is free. The festival fills the street with 80-plus food and craft vendors, carnival rides, a beer garden, and live music. Friday runs 4-11 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-11 p.m., and Sunday noon-6 p.m. The weekend's signature moments are the Spooktacular Parade, a costume contest, and the Zombie Walk, and on Sunday the vendor booths hand out trick-or-treat candy to costumed kids. For families near Wright-Patterson, this is the anchor of the whole weekend, and it is an easy stop for anyone in Beavercreek, Xenia, or the east side of the metro.

Saturday, October 17: The Big Festival Saturday

October 17 is the busiest single day of the month, so plan the route. In Xenia, the Dayton Chocolate Festival lands at the Greene County Expo Center with chocolate treats and vendors, and Harvest on Main runs downtown the same day, so you can make a full Greene County Saturday of it. In Kettering, Fraze Pavilion closes its 2026 outdoor movie season with Hocus Pocus under the pavilion. Southwest of the metro, the free Black Walnut Festival in Camden fills the weekend with 120-plus local vendors, entertainment, a beer garden, food, and crafts. And in Beavercreek, the morning belongs to the Boo Bash Trail at Dominick Lofino Park, covered in my mid-October guide.

Pumpkin Glow: Greene County's Black-Light Wonderland

October 21-24 at Caesar Ford Park

Greene County Parks and Trails runs its signature Pumpkin Glow Wednesday, October 21 through Saturday, October 24, from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at Caesar Ford Park, 520 S. Stringtown Road in Xenia. The park's trails are lined with hundreds of hand-painted pumpkins coated in black-light-reflective paint, glowing under ultraviolet light in themes from cartoons and music to horror shows and animals. It is free, donations are gladly accepted, blacklight flashlights are available to borrow (or bring your own), and food vendors are on site. It is one of the most photographed nights of the year in Greene County, and it is a completely different kind of fall outing than the pumpkin patches. Details are on the official event page at gcparkstrails.com.

Springboro Trunk-or-Treat in the Park: Sunday, October 18

In Springboro, the Trunk-or-Treat in the Park fills North Park on Sunday, October 18 from 3-6 p.m. with decorated trunks and candy for costumed kids. It is a relaxed, daylight-friendly alternative to the big festivals, and it pairs well with the Windmill Farm Market Spooktacular Fall Festival covered in my mid-October guide.

Halloween at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

Troops & Treats on Halloween Day

The museum adds a free family event right on the holiday: Troops & Treats runs Saturday, October 31 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. with trick-or-treat stops throughout the galleries. It is a great way to do Halloween morning before the neighborhood rounds that evening. Two more dates worth circling: the ASBP blood drive is on site October 24, and the special exhibit "Iconic Starfighters: Rivals of the Silver Screen" runs in the Fourth Building through December 31, with costumed Star Wars characters from the Ohio Garrison appearing the first Saturday of most months. And for anyone watching the base's future, the Air Force Museum Foundation announced a proffer of up to $7 million for a new immersive space-oriented exhibit, a sign of the museum's continued expansion.

The Restaurant Tracker: Two New Spots Open Near Wright State

Tandoori Crust Pizza: Now Open in Fairborn

The best fresh dining news is in Fairborn. Tandoori Crust Pizza is now open at 2800 Colonel Glenn Hwy., directly across from Wright State University in the former Rapid Fired Pizza space. It is an Indian-fusion pizza concept, tandoori flavors on classic pies, and it keeps late hours most nights, which makes it a natural stop for students and anyone catching a game or event at the Nutter Center. It opened this spring and has quickly built a following.

Halal Burgers: A Third Regional Location Near the University

A few blocks down the same road, Halal Burgers is open at 2624 Colonel Glenn Hwy., the chain's third regional location, serving fresh halal burgers and shakes to the Wright State crowd. Two solid new options on one road is a real upgrade for the Fairborn dining scene.

Get the Pho Out Coming to Kettering, Dozo Sushi Downtown

In Kettering, Get the Pho Out is announced for 10 W. Stroop Road, though no opening date is confirmed yet, and I will post it the moment one lands. And for a special night out downtown, Dozo Sushi keeps its chef-driven counter going inside the Tender Mercy cocktail bar at 607 E. Third Street, with an omakase-style tasting menu and a la carte sushi Wednesday through Saturday.

The Rest of the Tracker: Honest Status, No Dates Yet

Every project I have been following since the summer is still moving, with no confirmed dates. Kawa Revolving Sushi has its Austin Landing space confirmed, Scramblers keeps building out at The Greene, Black Rock Bar and Grill is still on the way to the Mall at Fairfield Commons, Whoa Dogs has its Oregon District lease finalized, and Hummus and Garlic is preparing the former So Pizza space near the Dayton Mall. I will share each opening date the moment it is confirmed.

Looking Ahead: Beggars' Night and Halloween Weekend

Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, and most area communities keep the traditional 6-8 p.m. window on October 31: Beavercreek, Centerville, Kettering, Xenia, Fairborn, Springboro, Bellbrook, and Vandalia all follow it. The one exception is Tipp City, which holds Beggars' Night on the Thursday before, October 29 from 6-8 p.m. The weekend before Halloween, the 40th Oregon District Hauntfest and the Vandalia Halloween Hangout anchor the 24th, and I have the full rundown, including every suburb's schedule, in my mid-October events guide.

Why I Track All of This

This is the stretch of the year where the suburbs show off. A free three-day festival in downtown Fairborn, a black-light pumpkin trail in a Greene County park, an outdoor screening in Kettering, a trunk-or-treat in a Springboro park, and two new restaurants opening across from Wright State: taken together, that is a region families are choosing on purpose.

For buyers, this is the context that makes a community feel like home before the offer is ever written. For sellers, it means your street sits inside a region with the kind of energy that keeps demand steady even in the fall. And for anyone considering the move from another state, this is the Dayton I know: welcoming, active, and full of reasons to put down roots.

Whether you are buying, selling, or just curious about what your home might be worth, I am here with straight answers and a strategy that fits your situation.