Upcoming events in and around Worcester!

Oktoberfest
Worcester’s Oktoberfest offers a multicultural event full of food, music, beer, festivities and a great race right down Shrewsbury Street. The parade begins at 12:30 p.m. on the corner of Aitchison and Shrewsbury streets. The Greendale Physical Therapy Oktoberfest 5K will follow the parade, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Next, celebrate Oktoberfest with some well-deserved German beer and food while listening to live music at your favorite Shrewsbury Street watering hole. Oct. 11, beginning at 12:30 p.m.; shrewsburystreetoktoberfest.com.

Columbus Day Swap
Head to Wachusett Mountain with your used ski and snowboard equipment to sell for cash or Wachusett Credit, and then buy new equipment with the cash or credit you just earned! This is the perfect chance to upgrade your gear for the coming winter. No equipment to sell? That’s OK; local retailers will be there as well. Check out the Skyride and barbecue while you’re there!  Wachusett Mountain Ski Area, 499 Mountain Road, Princeton; noon-8 p.m. Oct. 8-9; wachusett.com.

Light The Night
Light The Night Walk is a fundraising campaign of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) that brings together families and communities to honor blood cancer survivors, as well as to honor those lost to the diseases, and shine a light on the importance of finding cures and providing access to treatments for blood cancer patients. Friends, families and co-workers form fundraising teams, and millions of consumers help by donating at retail outlets. These efforts culminate in evening walks in nearly 200 communities across North America each fall. Participants carry illuminated lanterns – white for survivors, red for supporters and gold in memory of loved ones lost to a blood cancer. Cristoforo Columbo Park, Shrewsbury Street; 5-9 p.m. Oct. 17; lightthenight.org/ma.

Haunted Happenings
October wouldn’t be complete without a trip to a haunted house. Check out Factory of Terror (201 Grafton St., Worcester), which has five attractions, including Zombie Alley, Clown College 4D and 3D Nightmare. Or head over to Witch’s Woods at the Nashoba Valley Ski Area (79 Powers Road, Westford) for a spooky trek through the woods and a haunted hayride. Most local haunted houses are open Thursdays-Sundays, but check individual websites for times, prices and hours. If you’re interested in being scared for a cause, there’s the Haunt for Hunger in Blackstone and Millbury’s Spooky Acres Haunted Hayride, hosted by the Millbury Youth Camp. Check out mahauntedhouses.com for a full listing of haunted houses in the area.

The Great Pumpkin Fest
The Ecotarium will open its 40-acre grounds to more than a thousand carved pumpkins, which will be lit up and on display. Plus, enjoy trick-or-treating, entertainment and more! 22 Harrington Way, Worcester; 2-9 p.m. Oct. 24; $15 general admission, $12 for members, free for children younger than 2; ecotarium.org.