Between October 15 and October 29, Westerville puts four of its biggest fall events into fifteen days. Every evening event on that list wraps up by 10 p.m. Most are free. The city, Westerville Public Library and Uptown Westerville Inc. run nearly all of them. And the one storefront on South State Street that changed hands this year has reopened as a takeout-first empanada counter. The bar sharing its building is still listed as coming soon. This October, Uptown's calendar is set by kids in costumes and families on a jack-o'-lantern trail, and its newest kitchen is built for exactly that kind of evening.
The Fifteen Days on One Calendar
Here is the stretch with dates, places and hours as the organizers list them.
| Date | Event | Where | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu., Oct. 15 to Sun., Oct. 18 | The Great Westerville Pumpkin Glow | Heritage Park, 60 N. Cleveland Ave. | 6:30 to 10 p.m. |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | Halloween Scream-along with Eric Nassau | Westerville Public Library, 126 S. State St. | Check the listing |
| Fri., Oct. 23 | Fourth Friday "Midnight Madness" with the Wizards & Wands Festival | Uptown Westerville | 4:30 to 9 p.m. |
| Thu., Oct. 29 | Beggar's Night | Set by the City of Westerville | 6 to 8 p.m. |
One note on the Scream-along. Uptown Westerville Inc.'s event page shows a 10 a.m. to 10:45 p.m. window, but the description invites families to "dance the morning away." That points to a morning session. Confirm the time with the library before you plan around it.
Of the evening events with firm hours, the latest belongs to the Pumpkin Glow, and that closes at 10. Even the event called Midnight Madness ends at 9.
The Pumpkin Glow Takes Over All of Heritage Park
The Pumpkin Glow opens the stretch and has changed the most since last year. For 2026 the city says the event will use all of Heritage Park. The trail now starts in new spots and spreads out across more ground.
Along that longer route, the city promises improved jack-o'-lantern and pumpkin displays, food trucks, glow-in-the-dark mini golf, inflatables, and "more artist-carved monster pumpkins than ever before." It also lists bumper cars among the added rides.
Tickets went on sale Sunday, September 13, through the city's online registration system. That makes the Glow the only event on this calendar you need to plan ahead for. It runs four nights in a row, Thursday through Sunday, 6:30 to 10 p.m.
The Glow sets the pattern for everything after it: an evening event in the city's own space, built for families, with food trucks for dinner.
October 23 Belongs to the Library
Uptown Westerville Inc. lists Fourth Fridays on State Street from 6 to 9 p.m., May through October. The 2026 themes ran from Art Hop in May through America's 250th Birthday, Summer Fun, School Spirit and Autumn Festival. October 23 is the season finale, labeled "Midnight Madness."
This year the finale starts early because the library is hosting part of it. The Wizards & Wands Festival is pitched as a chance to "experience the magic of your library." It is free, open to all ages, and costumes are encouraged. It starts at 4:30 p.m., ninety minutes before the usual Fourth Friday start time.
The posted schedule shows how the evening is built:
- 4:30 p.m. Enchanting Sing-Along with The Caravan. The Nguyen Family's Back to the Future DeLorean opens for viewing and stays until 8:30. BUGMAN's Creepy Critters and Events by Maddy's Magic-in-a-Minute Tattoos run until 8:45.
- 5:30 p.m. The Giant Bubble Show by Circus Pop!
- 6, 7 and 8 p.m. Bewitching Laughs with Matt Jergens.
- 6:15, 7:15 and 8:15 p.m. Magical Illusions with The Alans.
- 6:30 p.m. Mystical Science from COSI Science LIVE, plus a cappella from Ottertuned, who perform again at 7:30.
- 7 to 8:30 p.m. Giant Bubble Photo Op with Circus Pop!
- 7:30 p.m. Astounding Animals from the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium.
Costumed characters, including Librellda the Witch, are scheduled for photos from 4:30 to 8:45.
Nearly every act repeats or overlaps the next, and the last one wraps at 8:45. That schedule is set for families who arrive after school and leave before a young child's bedtime. A quick, portable dinner suits it better than a long sit-down meal.
Where the Pizza Oven Went
That brings the calendar back to 20 S. State St. DiCarlo's Pizza closed there on June 21, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
The Westerville News reported on October 1 that Fat Arnie's Provecho would open in the space that Thursday afternoon. The Beardman family owns it. They also run Fat Arnie's Sandwich Shop inside Rafters Beer Pub on Indianola Avenue in Clintonville, and Westerville is their first standalone restaurant.
The menu was designed in part around equipment already in the former DiCarlo's kitchen, including the pizza oven. It is Latin-inspired, not a copy of the Clintonville sandwich shop. Handmade empanadas are a centerpiece. They are hand-rolled daily in varieties that include mojo pork and beef and cheese, with a few Fat Arnie's sandwiches alongside. The restaurant focuses mainly on takeout and delivery and has limited seating.
Christopher Beardman runs the kitchen after time at Lindey's and Chapman's Eat Market. His brother Andrew handles marketing, social media and food prep. Their father, Chris, is developing the business with them. The name comes from a Latin American expression wishing someone an enjoyable meal.
Provecho's Westerville hours weren't published as of early October. The Fat Arnie's website lists hours only for the Clintonville shop, so check the restaurant's own channels before you count on it for a Fourth Friday dinner.
Uptown's Evening Options Are Still Being Added
The rest of the 20 S. State St. building is planned as The Blind Pour, a neighborhood bar from Chris Beardman and Columbus radio personality Dino Tripodis. In July, 614NOW reported the owners were aiming to open by the end of that month. As of The Westerville News' October 1 report, it was still "soon-to-open," with no date. The plan is for customers at The Blind Pour to order from the Provecho menu eventually.
A few doors north, Uptown Deli and Brew won approval to expand into the former Edward Jones offices at 37–39 N. State St., next to its current home at 41 N. State St. The plan adds a rooftop bar and patio above the office space. 614NOW called it Uptown's first rooftop, and no construction or opening timeline had been set as of its September 10 report.
So both of Uptown's announced additions for later evenings are on the way but not open. For the dates on this calendar, the newest food on State Street is a takeout counter, and the busiest nights are the ones the city and the library schedule.
If you want something seated nearby during the same week, Bombay House Restaurant & Bar was set to open Friday, October 2, at 496 Polaris Pkwy., in part of the former Winking Lizard space. The Westerville News describes a 4,800-square-foot room built for dine-in service, with a full bar and Mumbai-style specialties such as vada pav and pav bhaji, plus carryout, delivery and catering. It is near Polaris, not in Uptown.
The Last Night on the List
Beggar's Night closes the stretch on Thursday, October 29, from 6 to 8 p.m. At two hours, it is the shortest window of the fifteen days. For the parks, paths and year-round events between these dates, our weekend guide to Westerville covers the rest of the calendar, and the Westerville neighborhood page collects local resources in one place.
If you live near State Street or Heritage Park and want to know how this year's changes in Uptown, from 20 S. State St. to the planned rooftop at 37–39 N. State St., might affect what your home is worth, Connie J Sadowski is happy to walk you through it with no pressure. Start with a free home valuation, and Connie will follow up personally with the local details behind the numbers.
