From haunted attractions and hayrides to strolls and harvest festivals, there are plenty of activities to enjoy ahead of Halloween in the area.

• South Lyon Pumpkinfest: Sept. 27-29, (10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 29) downtown South Lyon, games, activities, booths and vendors, food vendors, www.southlyonpumpkinfest.com.

• Annual Scarecrow Festival: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 29, downtown Oxford, 5K walk/run, children’s activities, magic show, live entertainment, trick-or-treating at local businesses, shopping, street performers, www.downtownoxford.info, presented by Oxford Village Downtown Development Authority.

• Farmington Hills Annual Hay Day: 5-8 p.m. Oct. 1, Heritage Park, 24915 Farmington Road, Farmington Hills, family activities, walking the trails, inflatable obstacle course, Farmington Hills Fire Department will host marshmallow drops from the fire truck, to redeem for prizes, 6 p.m. for ages 5 and under, 6:20 p.m. for ages 6-8 and 6:40 p.m. for ages 9+, www.fhgov.com, admission is free. Hayrides and pumpkins for painting will be available for purchase, and s’mores kits, hot dogs, chips and drinks to purchase.

• Skeletons are Alive Outdoor Public Art Display: Oct. 1-31, featuring life-sized themed skeletons, launch party is 6-9 p.m. Oct. 4, downtown Northville, with live music, food trucks and vendors, family-friendly activities and entertainment. Visitors are invited to take selfies with the skeletons and share family-friendly photos on the Downtown Northville Facebook page or Instagram (@downtownnorthville) with the hashtag #skeletonsarealive, downtownnorthville.com.

• Rochester Posed: 7-9 p.m. Oct. 3, live mannequin event featuring over 18 businesses in downtown Rochester transforming their window displays to favorite Broadway shows, downtownrochestermi.com/rochester-posed">www.downtownrochestermi.com/rochester-posed.

• Detroit Zoo Fall Fest: Spooky Spirits is 6-10 p.m. Oct. 4 with beer and wine, ages 21+; Jack O’ Lantern Journey with trails of illuminated pumpkin structures is Oct. 5-6, Oct. 25-27; Zoo Boo is Oct. 11-13 and Oct. 18-20; and Blake’s Market pop-up is Thursday-Sunday, Oct. 3-27; at Detroit Zoo, 8450 W. 10 Mile Road, Royal Oak, https://detroitzoo.org, ticket prices vary.

• Halloween Stroll: Friday-Sunday, Oct. 4-27, Canterbury Village, 2369 Joslyn Ct., Orion Twp., immersive displays, animatronics, and whimsical characters, Scarecrow Row, Spooky Carousel House, ticket prices vary, advance purchase timed tickets at www.canterburyvillage.com, food and drinks to purchase, free parking.

• Woodward Scream Cruise and Hauntiac Car Show: 2-5 p.m. Oct. 5 at the Oakland History Center, 405 Cesar Chevez, Pontiac. Hearses, classics, and dressed up cars welcome, free event with vehicle setup starting at 1 p.m., features spooky vendors, costume contest and raffle, DJ, register cars at hauntiac@gmail.com, www.facebook.com/HauntiacCarShow. Scream Cruise along Woodward Avenue kicks off at 5 p.m.

• “If Stones Could Talk-Living History Cemetery Tour”: 4-8 p.m. Oct. 5, at Oakwood Cemetery, starting at the Northville Art House, 215 W. Cady St. in Northville. Tours leave every 15 minutes, last approximately 30 minutes, $15 per person includes admission to the Art House before or after tour for youth and adult drinks and in the gallery for the exhibition, “Rest in Pieces: The Mysterious and The Macabre,” 248-344-0497, purchase tickets through Oct. 4, www.northvillearthouse.org/oakwood.

• Bowers School Farm Fall Festival: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 5-6, Bowers School Farm, 1219 E Square Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, pumpkin picking to purchase, wagon rides, live music, games, food trucks, axe throwing, cornhole, food for sale, beer and hard cider for sale in beer garden for adults, www.schoolfarm.org/fall-fest-2024 adv. tickets by Sept. 30 are $18, $20 day of, for each day, www.schoolfarm.org/fall-fest-2024.

• Harvest Happening: Noon-5 p.m. Oct. 6, at Hess-Hathaway Park, 825 S. Williams Lake Road, Waterford Twp., games, crafts, historic games and chores, straw maze, demonstrations, historic house tours, inflatables, admission $5 at gate, bring socks for inflatables, hayrides are $3, free for 2 years and under, www.waterfordmi.gov/276/Harvest-Happening.

• Neighborhood House “Scare Away Hunger” is 9-11 a.m., Oct. 6, One Mile Run/Walk is at 9 a.m., 5K Run/Walk starts at 9:30 a.m. at Rochester Municipal Park, post-race celebration includes music and snacks. Online registration is at www.ranh.org/events. Registration fee for 5K Run/Walk is $35, One Mile Fun Run/Walk is $15.

• Boo Bash Halloween FUNdraiser: 6-10 p.m. Oct. 6, at Elektricity, 15 S Saginaw St., Pontiac, with a mission to save the historic Roosevelt building, a local landmark, presented by Save Roosevelt! Community Action Group, featuring DJ Skylar of Tingling Productions, costume contest, desserts and candy, silent auction, cash bar, www.elektricitymusic.com, advance tickets are $43/$50 at the door. Family-friendly event, free for children 12 and younger. Reserve a booth at vip@elektricitymusic.com.

• Stone Wall Pumpkin Festival: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 12, at Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm, 1005 Van Hoosen Road, Rochester Hills, pumpkin carving and fall activities, guests are invited to carve a pumpkin and then return for the pumpkin lighting from 7-9 p.m., $5/museum members; $10/non-members, children under 2 are free. Admission price includes 1 pumpkin per person. The museum provides stencils and carving tools, but guests can bring their own carving tools, www.rochesterhills.org/museum.

• Pontiac Harvest Fest: 1-5 p.m. Oct. 12, Pontiac City Hall, 47450 Woodward Ave., Pontiac, pumpkin bowling, apple cider, donuts, rock climbing, bounce houses, DJ, presented by Pontiac Youth Recreation & Enrichment division, www.pontiac.mi.us.

• Friendly Forest Stroll: Noon-3 p.m. Oct. 12, children can dress up in costume and collect treats from fairy-tale characters, Clintonwood Park, 6000 Clarkston Road, www.indtwp.com. Purchase tickets by 5 p.m. Oct. 10, $10/resident; $12/non-residents, free for adults.

• 7th annual Witches Night Out: 3-9 p.m. Oct. 12, downtown Ortonville, shopping, vendors and unique shops, DJ, dancing, entertainment, food trucks, www.facebook.com/ortonvillemi.

• 3rd Annual Thrivin’ Trunk or Treat: 5-6:30 p.m. Oct. 15, Thrive Realty, 880 W Long Lake Suite 175, Troy, trunk or treating, trunk decorating contest, cider, donuts, photo booth, music, register for free ticket at www.eventbrite.com/e/thrivin-trunk-or-treat-tickets-1007009140447

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• Masquerade at the Museum fundraiser: 7-11 p.m. Oct. 19, Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm, 1005 Van Hoosen Road, Rochester Hills, $40/member; $50/non-member, registration required at www.rochesterhills.org/masquerade, admission includes one alcoholic beverage ticket — additional tickets for sale at the door, ages 21+.

• Trick or Treat Downtown and Halloween Fest: Oct. 19, downtown Rochester. Children are encouraged to dress up and Trick or Treat downtown from 3:30-5 p.m., participating businesses will be marked with window signage. Trick-or-Treater traffic will be one way only on each side of Main Street. The east side will run one way north and the west side will run one way south. Halloween Fest is 5-6:30 p.m. in the Farmers Market Lot, 202 E 3rd St., Rochester, with Halloween themed goodies to purchase, downtownrochestermi.com.

• Boo Bash: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 20, at Heritage Park,24915 Farmington Road, Farmington Hills, costumes encouraged, hayride, s’mores, crafts, a creepy crawly creature display, and a trick or treat trail. Registration required, paid adult must accompany children on hayrides, advance register at www.fhgov.com.

Corn mazes/Hay rides

• Blake’s Lyon Township, 61475 Silver Lake Road, South Lyon. Farm Store is open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, U-Pick is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Apples, donuts, cider, Funland with corn maze, children’s activities and animals petting farm, is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m., https://blakefarms.com, prices vary.

• Diehl’s Orchard & Cider Mill is open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, through Oct. 31, at 1479 Ranch Road, Holly, 248-634-8981, www.diehlsorchard.com. Later in season, open noon-5 p.m. weekends, Nov. 2-24. Pre-picked apples, cider mill, doughnuts, pumpkin patch and corn maze. Ciderfest is 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Sept 28-29, prices vary.

• Friday Night Hayrides: Fridays through Nov. 1 at Heritage Park, 24915 Farmington Road, Farmington Hills, hayrides are $5; free for children younger than 2, cider and s’mores kit for $1. Hayrides start at 5:30-7 p.m., hayrides leave every half hour from the Farmington Hills Nature Center parking lot, advance registration recommended at bit.ly/3Sb4OBp, 248-473-1870, hayrides are $5, s’mores and cider kit are $1, rain or shine.

• Bonadeo Farms: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Sept. 28-Oct. 27, Bonadeo Farms 1215 White Lake Road, Highland Twp., featuring pasteurized cider, doughnuts, pies, hayrides, pumpkin patch. Corn Maze is offered 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, adults-$10, children (ages 5-8) -$5, facebook.com/BonadeoFarm. Haunted House and Corn Field with hay ride are offered after dark to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday nights through Oct. 26, $25 per person, 248-787-4553.

• Maybury Farm Great Fall Festival: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Oct. 5-6, at Maybury Farm, 50165 Eight Mile Road, Northville, $14 for Festival and Farm, $20 for Festival Farm plus corn maze with wagon ride. Chili cookoff, pumpkin carving and baking contest. Maybury Farm Corn Maze and Wagon Rides are Fridays-Sundays, through Nov. 3, $15 each, and free for children younger than 2, 248-374-0200, mayburyfarm.org.

• Upland Hills Farm Harvest Festival: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through October, at 481 Lake George Road, Oxford, hayrides, pumpkin patch, farm shows, magic shows and milking a cow. Admission is $12, free for ages 2 and younger. Food truck, cider and doughnuts, and pony rides are extra fees. Harvest Moon Hayrides are 7-10 p.m. Saturdays in October, $9 each, free for ages 2 and younger, 248-628-1611, uplandhillsfarm.com.

• Drop-in Hayrides: Noon-1 p.m. Sundays, through Nov. 21, (no hayrides Oct. 6 or Oct. 13) at Hess-Hathaway Park, 825 S. Williams Lake Road, Waterford Twp., not offered if raining, $5 per person, free for 2 years and younger, www.waterfordmi.gov/1329/Parks-Recreation.

Haunted attractions

• Immersive & Illuminated Forest Experience: Open Thursday to Sunday evenings, through Nov. 3, at Glenlore Trails, 3860 Newtown Road, Commerce Twp., “Enchanted” themed outdoor event, all-ages, tickets at GlenloreTrails.com, ticket prices vary.

• Azra Chamber of Horrors: Open Sept. 27-Nov. 2, at 31410 John R, Bldg. 2, Madison Heights, Boo Bash, family-friendly afternoon with face painting and free candy is noon-4 p.m. Oct. 27, 734-718-0088, https://azrahaunt.com, ticket prices vary.

• Erebus Haunted Attraction: Open select dates through Nov. 2, at 18 South Perry St., Pontiac, www.hauntedpontiac.com, 248-332-7884, ticket prices vary.

• Rotten Manor Haunted Attraction: Opens at 7 p.m Thursdays through Sundays in October, and Nov. 1-2, at 13245 Dixie Hwy., Groveland Twp.,www.facebook.com/RottenManor, tickets sold on site, cash only, (ATM on site). Manor, forest, hayride attraction ticket prices vary.

• Haunted Attractions— Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, through Oct. 31 at Blake’s Big Apple, 71485 North Ave, Armada, Zombie Paintball, a Haunted Barn, Spookyland, 3D Maze and a Haunted Hayride, www.blakefarms.com, ticket prices vary.

• Hush Haunted Attraction: Open Sept. 28 through Nov. 2, at 37550 Cherry Hill Road, Westland. Monster Meet & Greet is 2-5 p.m. Oct. 27, a family-friendly afternoon, walk through haunted houses with the lights on, meet the monsters, and collect candy, https://hushhauntedattractions.com, ticket prices vary.