From fun fall festivals to spooky Halloween happenings to Pride celebrations, and everything in-between October might just be Atlanta’s favorite month! And this October, we’re bringing even more jam-packed fun to the A… and you don’t wanna miss it!
So mark your calendars, Atlanta: because this October is gonna be one for the books!
Celebrate Cryptids, Creatures & Community Legends at Little 5 Points this October! If you’re looking to fully lean into spooky season, the Little 5 Points Halloween Festival & Parade returns October 17-18, 2026 with a Cryptids, Creatures & Community Legends theme.
The 2-day festival features an artist market, live music, ghost tours, a pet costume contest, food trucks, and the parade on October 18 at 1:00 PM.
Join thousands of readers at the Decatur Book Festival in Decatur Square this October! If you’re looking for a lively (and family-friendly) way to lean into fall in Atlanta, head to Decatur, Georgia for the annual Decatur Book Festival. It brings author panels, book signings, kids’ activities, live music, food, and a huge Saturday Street Fair on Decatur Square.
Mark your calendars for October 2–3, with a keynote on Friday and the full festival day on Saturday.
See over 200 works by Banksy in an immersive Atlanta exhibition. If you’re looking to add some thought-provoking art to your September plans, don’t miss this immersive exhibition in Atlanta showcasing more than 200 works by Banksy, including originals, prints, sculptures and large-scale installations.
There’s nothing quite as quintessentially fall than getting a pumpkin from a local farm pumpkin patch! Whether you’re looking for the perfect pumpkin to carve into a jack-o-lantern or you just want some yummy, farm fresh treats, there’s something for everyone to enjoy at a pumpkin patch!
We recommend:
- Jaemor Farms
- Uncle Shuck’s
- Southern Belle Farm
Don’t miss Atlanta Pride — two days of music, markets, marches and the country’s largest outdoor drag show. If you’re looking for a can’t-miss October event, the Atlanta Pride Committee hosts an annual two-day Pride Festival in Piedmont Park each October, featuring main-stage headliners, community performances, a large outdoor marketplace, multiple marches, and the city’s Pride Parade.
Festival hours include a marketplace open 10:00am – 7:00pm both days, several Saturday marches with specific start times, and the Atlanta Pride Parade stepping off at noon on Sunday.
Step into European-style streets for a day at Buckhead Village — admission is free!
For a fall outing that feels like a quick trip abroad, check out this one-day European-style open-air market in Buckhead Village featuring regional and local European vendors, live music, crafts, food, family activities, and cultural programming presented with Alliance Française of Atlanta. Entry is free to the public.
Don’t miss Porches and Pies on October 3 for pies, music, and community fun! For a feel-good fall outing that’s perfect for early October, head to Porches and Pies, Atlanta’s annual neighborhood pie festival at Monday Night Brewing Garage.
Expect live entertainment, family activities, local vendors, and a pie bake-off, with proceeds benefiting Adair Park Today. The festival is free and this year takes place on Saturday, October 3, from 12:00 to 5:00pm.
Bring your weirdest puppet, a tiny gift, and join Atlanta’s upside-down parade! If you’re looking for something a little offbeat this October, check out this upside-down parade in Atlanta, where stationary puppets and costumed “weird things” entertain strolling visitors with live music, picnics, and tiny gifting.
The free event takes place at the O4W Park Amphitheater on October 24, 2026.
Experience Arab culture, food, music, and crafts — admission and parking are free! If you’re looking to mix in something beyond the usual Halloween happenings, the Atlanta Arab Festival is an annual celebration of Arab cultures, food, art, performances, and a souq hosted by Alif Institute in Atlanta. The festival has been POSTPONED to October 10th & 11th from 11am – 6pm, with free admission and parking.
Don’t miss Ellijay’s biggest autumn celebration — apple pies, artisan goods, and family fun across two weekends! If you’re up for a classic October day trip from Atlanta, the Georgia Apple Festival in Ellijay, GA is a two-weekend fall festival featuring 250+ artisan vendors, live music, family activities, and plenty of apple treats. It takes place at the Ellijay Lions Club Fairgrounds with food, demonstrations, and kid-friendly attractions.
When: October 10th – 11th & October 17th – 18th, 2026
Saturday: 9am-6pm and Sunday: 9am-5pm
Cost: $10 admission fee (children under 12 are free!)
Dress in costume and enjoy Halloween classics with the Atlanta Symphony under the stars. For a family-friendly spooky-season night out, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performs a Halloween concert at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre on October 11, 2026, featuring spooky classics, film score favorites, pre-show activities, and costume-friendly fun.
Lawn tickets start at $10, with premium reserved table seating also available.
If you’re looking for a nice way to enjoy art, nature, and a very spooky premise, look no further! The Doll’s Head trail in Atlanta is a great way to see the beautiful fall leaves changing, look out on a magical man-made lake… and see a rotting doll’s head at your feet! This art project-turned spooky hike is perfect for your October plans!
Celebrate Halloween at Amore e Amore with spooky decor, themed dishes and a devilishly good adults-only party on Oct 31. For a spooky-season dinner (or two) to add to your October lineup, check out Amore e Amore’s A Nightmare on Highland—its Halloween pop-up running through the end of October with themed Italian dishes, seasonal cocktails and special events for families and adults.
Highlights include family-friendly celebrations Oct 24–25 and an adults-only Halloween party featuring a $125 four-course prix fixe on Oct 31.
A family-friendly two-day pumpkin patch and fall festival in the heart of Atlanta!
If you’re looking to kick off your October with classic fall vibes, Oakland Cemetery’s two-day Fall Festival and Pumpkin Patch takes place October 3–4, 2026, featuring pumpkins for sale, an artist market, food and coffee vendors, pumpkin decorating, mini scarecrows, kids’ activities, caramel apples, and more!
Whether you’re searching for the perfect romantic date, a fun trip out with your pals, or a fun family outing, there’s a stunning Candlelight Concert with your name on it.
Here are some of the October Candlelight concerts we recommend:
- Candlelight: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons
- Candlelight: Tribute to Taylor Swift
- Candlelight: Hip-Hop on Strings
- Candlelight: A Tribute to Whitney Houston
Along with so many more!
Enjoy all the pumpkin spice lattes you can get your hands on!
October is the perfect time to enjoy a pumpkin spice latte while you do all of your fall activities! Going pumpkin patch-ing? PSL in hand. Going to a corn maze? PSL in hand. Headed to the Botanical Gardens to see the Scarecrows… Pumpkin. Spice. Latte. In. Hand.
Check out our full round up ofthe best pumpkin spice lattes in town, or head to one of the recommendations below!
- Dancing Goats Coffee, Buckhead, Midtown, Decatur, and more!
- The Reading Room, Decatur
- FiNCA to FiLTER, West End, Old Fourth Ward
Get ready to experience the best bars that Atlanta has to offer—all in one night! Go back to the good old days of trick or treating with an adult twist. The treat is a bev! You’ll be able to enjoy drink specials all night for an incredible time without breaking the bank. You’ll receive a wristband that’ll grant you entry into all the participating bars and clubs around Atlanta, so you don’t have to worry about paying for entrance.
Make sure to wear your Halloween costume!
See The Rocky Horror Picture Show like you’ve never seen it before!
One of the best cult classics of all time is The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Atlanta has an awesome tradition of performing and playing it at the historic Plaza Theatre!
A performance group called LDOD, was “founded to perform screen accurate productions of The Rocky Horror Picture Show every Friday night as an alternative entertainment source for the metro Atlanta area,” according to the Plaza Theatre’s website.
Dress up and get in on all the fun at this insanely entertaining, audience interactive (and I mean, lots of audience interaction) performance of The Rocky Horror Picture Show!
Speaking of the changing leaves, the fall just might be the BEST time to take a hike in Atlanta! As it finally cools off, you’ll be able to enjoy a wonderful hike through our beautiful nature. Whether you’re looking for a short, easy hike with a great view or a longer, more difficult climb, there’s a little something for everyone!
It’s that time of year! Whether you’re chomping at the bit to go apple picking or you’re doing it to please your significant other, there are plenty of fun places to go apple picking in the ATL—making it an easy weekend plan in Atlanta.
Enjoy the deliciously crisp fruit right from the tree or a deliciously farm-fresh homemade apple treat, right here in Atlanta! See the full list of amazing apple farms here!
Jackson, GA transforms into Hawkins for a spooky Stranger Things weekend! If you want to take your October thrills beyond Atlanta for a day (or the whole weekend), head to Jackson, GA for a Halloween-themed fandom weekend that combines the Halloween in a Small Town convention and Hawkins Weekend.
Expect Stranger Things tours, panels, celebrity appearances, immersive experiences, a 5K, a live ’80s tribute concert, shopping, and more—plus the events run together so visitors can enjoy a full weekend of Stranger Things–themed activities.
Experience life-size mammoths and elephants, interactive science stations, and cultural artifacts at Fernbank this fall. If you’re looking for an October outing that’s more awe-inspiring than spooky, Fernbank Museum’s exhibition ‘The Secret World of Elephants’ explores elephant evolution, anatomy, behavior, cultural influence, and conservation through life-size models, hands-on interactives, and cultural artifacts.
The exhibit runs from October 10, 2026 to January 3, 2027 at Fernbank in Atlanta.
Get lost in these enchanting corn mazes near Atlanta
One of Atlanta’s favorite fall pastimes is hitting up one of the local corn mazes in and around the city. From epic designs to terrifying haunts at night, get in on the corn maze craze, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
And this year, don’t forget to check out Jaemor Farms’ iconic Dolly Parton corn maze tribute, carved into the shape of the star herself!
If you’re searching for the perfect spot to stop and peep the fall foliage, don’t worry! We’ve got you covered with a list of the best spots to enjoy the beautiful reds, browns, yellows, and oranges of fall, right on the trees!
Check out ‘Scarecrows in the Garden’ at the Atlanta Botanical Garden
Scarecrows will completely transform the Atlanta Botanical Garden into a love-letter to the spooky farming practice. Local artists, companies, and more have created the pieces that will be on display throughout the enchanting grounds.
Don’t miss Scarecrows in the Garden at The Atlanta Botanical Garden this October!
The year is 1888, and a thick fog rolls through the narrow streets of Whitechapel as fear spreads across London’s East End. Tonight, you’ll journey through four immersive chapters set within the infamous locations forever linked to the story of Jack the Ripper.
Serial Killer Speakeasy: Jack the Ripper invites you to step into Victorian London and immerse yourself in the world of history’s most infamous killer with immersive theatrical performances, each paired with a handcrafted cocktail inspired by Victorian London.
Celebrate 30 years of frights at NETHERWORLD in Stone Mountain!
One of Atlanta’s most iconic haunted attractions is marking a major milestone: NETHERWORLD in Stone Mountain is celebrating its 30th anniversary and will be open nightly for the main season from Oct. 14 through Nov. 1.
And the best part? They’ve got a super cool & creepy new theme for the year!
Don’t miss out on all the fun happening all month light, right here in the ATL!