The days may be getting shorter but there’s no shortage of fun and interesting things to do in the K-W area this October.

First, the elephant in the festhallen. Oktoberfest, billed as Canada’s Greatest Bavarian Festival, runs from October 6-14. There are 17 festhallen venues serving up beer and sausage and all the polka you can handle as well as over 40 family and cultural events.

The Bavarian Village at Kitchener City Hall features daily entertainment, displays, activities, food and beverages, souvenirs and information. Family friendly Willkommen Platz is open daily throughout the festival.

Take in the annual Oktoberfest Thanksgiving Parade on October 9. Local German dance troupes engage in a little friendly competition in So You Think You Can Tanz on October 10.  Learn to Cook Like Oma at the Kitchener Farmers’ Market or check out SausageFest and the Great Oktoberfest Barrel Race in uptown Waterloo on October 14. There is something for everyone and lots of related events and activities happening throughout the festival. Ein Prosit.

Local museums and cultural sites get into the fall, Thanksgiving, Oktoberfest spirit this month. The Waterloo Region Museum hosts Thanksgiving Day Fall Harvest after the Oktoberfest Thanksgiving Day Parade. The event features horse-drawn wagon rides, live music and seasonal family fun activities. Schneider Haus in Kitchener celebrates Flax and Flails October 6-8 and Brews and Beverages on the 14th and 15th. Woodside National Historic Site in Kitchener presents a Victorian Thanksgiving.

Add a bit of elegance with the Blooming Affair Fashion show in Kitchener Oct. 4, Watercolours and Jazz at Knox Waterloo on Oct. 7, ballroom dancing at the Walper Hotel on Oct. 20 or ongoing performances at the Dunfield Theatre in Cambridge or the St. Jacobs Schoolhouse or County Playhouse theatres. Check out the artists of Woolwich Oct. 22-23 with the Kissing Bridge Trail Studio Tour or explore becoming your own master craftsperson Oct. 22 at the Kitchener Public Library’s annual DIY Festival.

Things get creepy at at various venues in the area as we build up to trick or treat time at the end of the month. Screampark at Bingemans is a popular fright fest, this year featuring the Carnival of Souls, Gore Gallery and a Zombie outbreak. The park is open weekend evenings. Westfield Heritage Village in Rockton is hosting haunted Halloween events and if you’re looking to zombify yourself there are zombie walks Oct. 1 and Oct. 14 in downtown Kitchener.

Fall is a wonderful time of year to get out into the countryside and enjoy the stunning colours. You may want to pick your own pumpkin, drop by the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market to take advantage of the harvest bounties, get lost in a corn maze at Strom’s Farm or experience the family friendly activities at Snyder’s Farm.