As the leaves crunch beneath your feet and the air turns crisp, Williamsburg, Virginia, offers a delightful mix of fall activities. From refreshing fun in the great outdoors to chilling ghost tours to bountiful market days, Williamsburg makes autumn a season to remember. Here’s your guide to discovering this picturesque season in Virginia’s Historic Triangle.
Refreshing Outdoor Adventures
Cooler temps and autumn colors invite you to get outside. It’s easy to find your ideal outdoor activities, from hiking and biking to paddling and fishing.
At local parks and green spaces, miles of scenic trails take you into the changing leaves of Williamsburg’s lush woodlands. Along the way, you’ll discover historical landmarks, scenic waterways, and abundant opportunities for wildlife viewing. The marshes and regenerating forests of Jamestown’s Island Drive are a popular spot to explore history and nature side by side. Paved 3-mile and 5-mile loops are accessible to cars, bikes, and pedestrians – be on the lookout for migratory birds and other wildlife as you explore.
For an on-the-water adventure, rent kayaks from Yorktown’s Patriot Tours and Provisions and paddle the York River. Or, take to the treetops at 🔺Go Ape Zipline and Adventure Park, which offers a kid-friendly ropes course with a variety of fun obstacles. It’s an exhilarating way to experience the natural beauty of Williamsburg from above.
Ghost Tours & Haunted History
Ghost tours are a beloved pastime in Williamsburg, and spooky season is their time to shine. The Haunted Williamsburg candlelit walking tour in Colonial Williamsburg is a standout with authentic 18th-century ghost stories, tales of creepy modern-day encounters, and explorations of haunted sites. This is the only tour that goes inside historic buildings. Note: This tour is recommended for kids eight and up. Some interior spaces are not ADA-accessible.
That said, there are many great ghost tours around town – tours where the guides are knowledgeable and the history is real. Williamsburg Ghost Tour and Original Ghost Tour in Williamsburg are good options. At Yorktown Ghost Walks, the tours are conducted by paranormal investigators from Virginia Paranormal Investigations. If your crew is 21 and up, check out the Colonial Ghosts Haunted Pub Crawl to pair creepy tales with local craft brews.
For thrills and chills on the water, dare to board the Extreme Ghost Boat of Williamsburg by Jamestown Discovery Boat Tours. As you glide across the dark waters of the James River at night, you’ll hear true tales of the starving time, bloody rebellions, and other horrors of Jamestown’s past.
Farmers Markets: Locally Grown Fun
Fall and farmers markets go hand in hand. The Williamsburg Farmers Market in Colonial Williamsburg features 40 vendors focused on produce, prepared food, and farm-related products grown or made in Virginia. Since the market does not allow reselling, the vendor you speak with at the market will be the people who grew or made your products. Markets take place on Saturdays from 8 am to noon, rain or shine, on Duke of Gloucester Street and the P4 parking lot.
In Yorktown, Yorktown Market Days are another Saturday morning option, with markets taking place at Riverwalk Landing. Along with produce, baked goods, art, jewelry, and more, visitors are treated to themed market days, including the Fall Festival (October 10-11), Paws on the River (October 24), the Maritime Festival (November 14), and the Harvest Festival (November 21). The markets run from 9 am to 3 pm.
Prime Time for Famous Attractions
Fall colors and comfortable temps make Williamsburg’s iconic attractions even more scenic and enjoyable. Stroll the storied streets of Colonial Williamsburg in autumn to see the stately Governor’s Palace, Colonial homes, taverns, trade shops, and other sites dotted with trees transforming into vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows.
Then journey back to America’s earliest chapters in Historic Jamestowne, the original site of the first permanent English settlement in America, and Jamestown Settlement, where the 17th century comes to life with interactive exhibits, a re-created Powhatan Village, and life-size replicas of the ships that brought settlers to Jamestown. Nearby in historic Yorktown, discover riverfront shops and restaurants, a charming historic area, and the sacred ground of Yorktown Battlefield, where America’s independence was won.
For exhilarating thrills, ride the record-breaking roller coasters of Busch Gardens® Williamsburg. Family-friendly rides, shows, and seasonal events promise spirited fall fun.
Fall Food & Drink Festivals
Williamsburg’s fall calendar is filled with food and drink events that celebrate the region’s culinary scene. Savor local flavors at the Yorktown Wine & Oyster Festival, typically held in October. Indulge in some of life’s most delicious pleasures, listen to live music, and soak up scenic York River views as you enjoy delicacies from the sea and local vineyards. Be sure to purchase tickets for this special event.
Also in October, Yorktoberfest invites you to sample more than 40 beers and ciders from Coastal Virginia. This family-friendly event at Yorktown’s Riverwalk Landing features unlimited tastings plus live music, food, beer classes, and local vendors. It’s the perfect toast to the fall season.
In November, the Williamsburg Beer Festival comes to New Town with beer tastings from local breweries, food samplings, music, a raffle, silent auction, and more. After sampling a delicious selection of craft beers, vote for your favorite and help name this year’s Best in Brew!
Halloween Happenings
Get in the Halloween spirit at 🔻Busch Gardens® Howl-O-Scream®, running from early September to early November. This favorite fall event features haunted houses, scare zones, and spine-tingling live shows. Other fall festivities at the famous theme park include the not-too-scary Busch Gardens® Halloween Spooktacular for kids and the Busch Gardens® Fiends Frenzy 5k Run. And of course, the park’s rides and roller coasters provide exhilarating thrills any time of year.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg Howl-O-Scream
For Halloween fun rooted in dark history, head to Colonial Williamsburg to experience a witch trial. Step into the courtroom during Cry Witch, an interactive evening program where you'll question witnesses, weigh evidence, and cast your own verdict in the dramatic true story of Virginia's most famous accused witch. While it’s too intense for young children, mature older children, teens, and adults can take part in this suspenseful time traveling adventure.
All ages can enjoy Family Frights at Jamestown Settlement, a spooky museum night where the attraction’s outdoor areas transform into a frightfully delightful setting. Expect Halloween-themed décor, festive music, creepy crafts and games, face painting, and trick-or-treating.
For more kid-approved fun, gather the whole crew and show off your best costumes at Howl-oween at the Great Wolf Lodge throughout the month of October. Enjoy tasty treats, ghoulish games, and festive crafts.
Thanksgiving-Themed Events
In late November, Jamestown Settlement hosts Foods & Feasts of Colonial Virginia. Discover centuries-old cooking techniques and learn what the settlers gathered, preserved, and prepared on land and sea – long before electric stoves and refrigerators. See how early Virginians preserved food by smoking and salt curing and how they cooked meals in clay pots and iron kettles. While the cooking demos are for demonstration purposes only, the event is a feast for the mind and senses. It’s included with general admission to Jamestown Settlement.
More Fall Fun
For more ideas to fill your autumn getaway, see the top 10 things to do in fall, savor all things pumpkin, and see the full lineup of fall festivals and happenings.