What's Happening in Whitehall: Early October

Rows of pumpkins in the foreground of a Lehigh Valley farm with a golden corn maze and red barn under warm late-September light

October is officially here, and Whitehall's calendar turns from festivals to the spooky season this week. The haunted hayrides return to the Whitehall Parkway this Friday, the Zephyrs hit the road for two weeks before a Thursday-night home game, Oktoberfest and the Easton Garlic Fest fill the first two weekends of the month, and the township's Halloween parade lands October 22. This roundup, researched Monday, September 28, covers things to do in Whitehall, what is on at the Whitehall-Coplay School District, good places to eat in and around town, and a dated list of current events to plan around.

Things to Do in Whitehall Right Now

The big one for families starts Friday: the haunted hayrides return to the Whitehall Parkway (4689 South Church Street) on Fridays and Saturdays, October 2 through October 31, from 7:00 to 11:00 PM. Tickets are sold on site: $15 for ages 13 and up, $7 for ages 5 to 12, and free for children under 5, with proceeds benefiting the Whitehall Fire Department. It is a long-running township tradition and the anchor of the local fright season.

Two more township dates are worth circling now. The Whitehall Township Annual Halloween Parade steps off Thursday, October 22 at 6:00 PM, with no rain date, per the parks and recreation events calendar. And Whitehall Recreation has a family event on the calendar for Friday, October 30 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, with a rain date of October 31, listed under the fall and Halloween lineup on the recreation programs page. One note for anyone who had plans: the township's Fall Festival, originally set for September 27, was canceled this year, so October centers on the hayrides, the parade, and the family event.

White vendor tents and strings of warm bulbs lining a brick street at an autumn festival in historic downtown Bethlehem

Around the Lehigh Valley This Month

The first two weekends of October are the busiest of the season. Oktoberfest at SteelStacks runs October 2 to 4 and October 9 to 11 at the ArtsQuest Center (101 Founders Way, Bethlehem), with free admission to the gated outdoor festival, German-style food and brews, multiple biergartens, live music, local artisans, and the fan-favorite wiener dog races, plus the Pennsylvania State Stein Holding Championship. And the Easton Garlic Festival fills Centre Square in downtown Easton on Saturday and Sunday, October 3 and 4, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with free admission, 120-plus vendors, garlic-themed food and drink, live music, and cooking contests.

The weekend after, Harvest Fest 2026 fills Historic Downtown Bethlehem on Saturday, October 10 from 12:00 to 5:00 PM, a free fall street festival with live music, local shopping, family activities, and a tasting passport for the grown-ups. For fright-season fans, Halloween Haunt at Dorney Park in Allentown runs select nights through October 31, including the October 3 to 4 and October 9 to 11 weekend blocks, while the park's daytime, family-friendly Great Pumpkin Fest runs on weekends separately.

Two stops are right in town. The Lehigh Valley Mall hosts CANstruction from October 10 to 24, where teams of architects, engineers, designers, and students build large sculptures out of canned food, a charity drive with the cans donated afterward. And the free Tamagotchi USA Road Trip pop-up, part of the 30th-anniversary tour, stays at the mall through October 4, with games, photo ops, and hands-on activities for the first days of the month.

For a classic fall day trip, Seiple Farms in Bath (5761 Nor-Bath Boulevard) runs Fall Fun from September 26 through November 1, open Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM plus Friday afternoons in October, with a free hayride to the 40-acre pumpkin patch, a 22-acre corn maze at $10 per person, pony rides, and farm animals, and a flashlight corn maze on Friday nights. Grim's Orchard and Family Farms in Breinigsville (9875 Schantz Road) keeps its Fall Festival going through November 1, with pick-your-own apples, pumpkins, and flowers, hayrides, and a corn maze, open Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM and Friday afternoons in October.

Whitehall-Coplay School District: What's On

The Zephyrs varsity football team plays three of its five October games on the road, with two home dates at Zephyr Stadium. On the October schedule, all kickoffs at 7:00 PM:

  • Friday, October 2: varsity football on the road at Louis E. Dieruff in Allentown.
  • Friday, October 9: varsity football at Emmaus.
  • Thursday, October 15: varsity football hosts William Allen at Zephyr Stadium, a home league game under the lights.
  • Friday, October 23: varsity football at Parkland.
  • Friday, October 30: varsity football hosts Allentown Central Catholic at Zephyr Stadium, the last home game of the regular season.

For the district itself, the school board operates under a revised meeting schedule effective October 12: committee meetings now fall on the fourth Monday of the month, followed by the regular board meeting. The next meeting under the new rhythm is Monday, October 26, with committee meetings at 5:00 PM and the regular board meeting at 7:00 PM in the Board Room at the Education Center, 2932 Zephyr Boulevard. Fall soccer, field hockey, cross country, golf, tennis, and volleyball teams are all in season across the district. The board-approved 2026-2027 calendar at whitehallcoplay.org is the authoritative source for early dismissals, marking-period dates, conferences, and holidays, so confirm there before making plans.

Stadium light towers glowing over the turf and empty bleachers at a suburban Pennsylvania high school field on an October dusk

Good Places to Eat in and Around Whitehall

Hayride nights and game nights call for easy dinners, and the area around Whitehall is well stocked. A current lineup of local favorites:

  • Angel's Pizza & Italian Restaurant, 5511 MacArthur Rd, Whitehall: a long-running slice-and-Italian spot right on the corridor.
  • Whitehall Diner, 3026 MacArthur Rd, Whitehall: the all-hours standby on the corridor, easy before or after a game.
  • Maraschino Diner, 1162 MacArthur Rd, Whitehall: the family-run newcomer that opened in 2024 in the former Lehigh Valley Diner building, worth trying if you have not yet.
  • Samuel Owens Restaurant & Bar, 128 Chestnut St, Coplay: a proper sit-down dinner in the neighboring borough for a relaxed evening out.
  • Assante Ristorante Italiano, 2050 Main St, Northampton: Italian dining with a comfortable room right up Main Street.
  • Santa Fe Taco Co, 2022 Main St, Northampton: tacos and street-style Mexican food, quick and reliably good.
  • Main Street Family Restaurant, 2023 Main St, Northampton: solid family-style fare, a dependable stop on the way to a festival.
  • Northampton Diner and Family Restaurant, 1205 Main St, Northampton: dependable family-style breakfast and lunch a few minutes up the road.

The Quick List: Current Things to Do

  • Haunted hayrides at Whitehall Parkway: Fridays and Saturdays, October 2 through 31, 7 to 11 PM; $15 ages 13 and up, $7 ages 5 to 12, under 5 free; tickets on site; proceeds benefit the Whitehall Fire Department.
  • Zephyrs football in October: away at Dieruff October 2 and Emmaus October 9, home vs William Allen Thursday October 15, away at Parkland October 23, home vs Allentown Central Catholic October 30, all 7 PM.
  • Oktoberfest at SteelStacks: October 2 to 4 and October 9 to 11, Bethlehem, free admission, biergartens, wiener dog races, and the Pennsylvania State Stein Holding Championship.
  • Easton Garlic Festival: Saturday and Sunday, October 3 and 4, 10 AM to 6 PM at Centre Square, Easton, free admission, 120-plus vendors and cooking contests.
  • Tamagotchi USA Road Trip at Lehigh Valley Mall: free interactive pop-up in Whitehall through October 4.
  • Harvest Fest Bethlehem: Saturday, October 10, 12 to 5 PM in Historic Downtown Bethlehem, live music, shopping, and tasting trails, free.
  • CANstruction at Lehigh Valley Mall: October 10 to 24, sculptures built from canned food, a charity drive with the cans donated after.
  • Whitehall Township Halloween Parade: Thursday, October 22 at 6:00 PM, no rain date, per the parks and recreation events calendar.
  • School board meeting: Monday, October 26, committee meetings at 5 PM and the regular board meeting at 7 PM in the Education Center Board Room, under the schedule revised effective October 12.
  • Whitehall Recreation family event: Friday, October 30, 6 to 8 PM at the township recreation lineup, rain date October 31.
  • Seiple Farms Fall Fun: weekends through November 1, Bath; free hayride to the pumpkin patch, corn maze $10 per person, flashlight corn maze Friday nights.
  • Grim's Orchard Fall Festival: through November 1, Breinigsville; pick-your-own apples and pumpkins, hayrides, and a corn maze.
  • Halloween Haunt at Dorney Park: select nights through October 31, Allentown, including the October 3 to 4 and October 9 to 11 weekends; park admission required, mazes need a separate pass.

"From the haunted hayrides at the Parkway starting Friday to two weekends of Oktoberfest, the garlic fest in Easton, a Thursday-night home game against William Allen, and the township's Halloween parade, October gives Whitehall families a full calendar: hayrides, farm trips, game nights, and the parks at their prettiest. It is a wonderful month to be out and about in the Lehigh Valley."

Tim Tepes, Associate Broker

If you are house hunting in the Lehigh Valley, October is an ideal month to visit Whitehall: hayrides nearly every weekend, the schools in their fall rhythm, the mall and the farms busy with seasonal events, and the parks at their most colorful. 4365 Spruce St sits a few minutes from the township parks, Zephyr Stadium, the schools, and the MacArthur Road dining corridor. Come see the neighborhood while the calendar is full, and let's talk about whether it is the right fit for you. Event dates, times, and prices can shift, so confirm details on the township, district, and venue pages linked above before you make plans.

Tim Tepes
Tim Tepes
Associate Broker · PA AB062628L

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