Updated for 2026!
Welcome to October! Fall is here and the weather is mild. It’s time for apple orchards, corn mazes, woodland walks, county and state fairs, and plenty of weekend festivals!
Are you looking for things to do this October around metro Atlanta?
Below, you’ll find an overview of October events, plus activities that are free, cheap, or discounted. Sometimes we throw in a splurge alert item that we think is especially notable.
Please remember to verify every event before you head out! That’s why we provide so many links. We try to keep up with weather cancellations, but we don’t catch every one.
You may also be interested in:
- Fall Festival Guide: Things to do from Labor Day weekend thru November
- Corn mazes, pumpkin patches, and hayrides
- Apple festivals and you-pick apple orchards
- Complete list of FREE outdoor concerts in 2026
- FREE outdoor movies: enjoy a night under the stars
- Free & cheap things to do this weekend
- Guide to 2026 fall farmers markets
October in Atlanta: the best things to do this month
Below the spotlighted events, you’ll find a day-by-day calendar listing of October events, in chronological order. This list is updated for 2026.
Enjoy FREE museum days in October
• The Georgia Aquarium offers you FREE admission on your birthday — so all of you October babies are in luck!
Details on the Aquarium offer
Can’t go for free? Check out this Groupon deal!
• The Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA) is hosting FREE Fridays in October. General admission is free for everyone. Advance reservations are recommended but not required. And there are FIVE Fridays in October!
Details here
• The Marietta Cobb Museum of Art hosts a monthly FREE day on the first Sunday of each month, which is October 4, 2026. Details here
• The Carlos Museum is holding its FREE Sunday Funday on October 4, 2026.
Details here
• The High Museum of Art hosts its Second Sundays FREE day on October 11, 2026.
Details on Second Sundays at the High
• The High Museum also hosts its FREE Access For All program on Wednesday, October 21, 2026 — you need to register in advance for this one.
• The Museums On Us program offers FREE admission to Bank of America cardholders at four metro-area museums on October 2rd and 4th. This includes 7 venues — click thru the link below to see them all.
Details on Museums On Us
• The Marietta History Center hosts its FREE monthly Family Fun Day on Saturday, October 17, 2026.
• The Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville hosts its Free Family Thursday each month on the second Thursday, which is October 8, 2026. The free hours are 4 to 8 p.m.
Catch some thrills at the fair!
Who doesn’t love a day at the fair?
You can enjoy everything from thrilling carnival rides, to midway games, animal displays, great entertainment, and your favorite indulgences — whether it’s cotton candy, fried oreos, corn dogs, kettle corn, or whatever.
Click thru not just for the details, but for all the DISCOUNTS & FREE admission days we have dug up for each fair.
- Georgia State Fair at Atlanta Motor Speedway
- Cumming Country Fair & Festival
Visit “Dinoverse” for an epic journey to the Jurassic
Dinoverse: An Epic Journey to the Jurassic is a family exhibition where kids and adults can explore giant skeletons, interactive dino zones, and creative activities. Step through a time portal with a thrilling Virtual Reality experience and snap epic dino photos!
Get tickets
More info
Location:
Exhibition Hub Atlanta Art Center
5660 Buford Hwy NE
Doraville, GA 30340
Attend a Deep South Wrestling match — it’s FREE!
Deep South Wrestling puts on live shows that are completely FREE to attend (other than parking fees and concessions).
According to the website, Deep South Wrestling shows are family-friendly.
As far as sports go, this is probably a more intimate experience than you’re used to. You’re sitting close to the ring, and the wrestlers often interact with the audience.
Typical venues for pop-up shows are breweries, festivals, parks, and mixed-use developments.
Get more info + see the October schedule
Celebrate National Taco Day with a special deal
National Taco Day is celebrated each year on the first Tuesday of October, which is October 6, 2026.It promises to be the best Taco Tuesday event of the year.
As always, we’ve put together of the best deals and freebies around town.
Find a National Taco Day deal near you
Have a blast at a fall festival
The weather is perfect for being outdoors! In October, you can find a festival every weekend.
Browse the list below, or go right to our Complete Guide to Fall Festivals & Fairs. It includes a few that aren’t listed here, plus all the November festivals.
Just click the links below to get full details on each festival.
Don’t miss the Pumpkin Festival “Glow by Night” attraction
All month long
Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays only
Stone Mountain Park
Hours are 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., with the glow attractions lighting up at dusk. Daytime activities include most regular park attractions (some are still closed). But the immersive Glow By Night experience is where it’s at! This year’s glow display is even bigger and brighter, with plenty of nighttime experiences that are perfect for date night as well as for families.
More festival details
You can come to Stone Mountain to play by day, glow by night with a special deal on Groupon. Thanks to Groupon, the pass is just $24.99 per pass (discounted from $34.95).
♦ Take your dog for a dip in a pool
Doggy swim days are held at public swimming pools around metro Atlanta in late summer — just before the pools are drained and closed for the season. These doggy swim days are about the only time your pup will be welcomed into a municipal pool to splash, paddle, and play fetch.
Find a doggy dip day near you
Save the date for Atlanta Streets Alive
Sunday, October 18, 2026
During Streets Alive, for four glorious hours, miles of Atlanta roads are closed to cars — and open for people to stroll, roll, bike, and play!
This fall, the route will stretch from Atlanta’s West End to Grant Park — connecting seven southwest neighborhoods via Ralph David Abernathy Blvd. and Georgia Ave.
Can’t make it? No worries!
Streets Alive will repeat in November with a West Side route.
More info on Streets Alive
Head to these FREE outdoor concerts & movies
The summer concert series and outdoor movie series are winding down, but there are still a few happening — including some Halloween-inspired movies on the lawn.
Browse our special calendars for:
◊ FREE outdoor concerts
◊ FREE outdoor movies on the lawn
These events cover the extended metro area, including the suburbs.
♦ Immerse yourself in Bubble Planet
This is an immersive experience in which you’ll surround yourself with bubbles like never before! Step into a planet beyond your imagination with VR technology, themed rooms, and fantastical landscapes. Jump from one immersive space to the next and explore them all with your five senses!
Get 1-day tickets
Get a 6-month pass
Location:
Exhibition Hub Atlanta Art Center
5660 Buford Hwy NE
Doraville, GA 30340
Have some frightful Halloween fun
As usual, we’re compiling a list of Halloween events for grownups, as well as safe events for kids — including trick-or-treat, trunk-or-treat, festivals, parties, spooky movies under the stars, and more.
Note that the list might seem sparse if you check it early in October — but we’ll be busy adding events all month long, so please check back as Halloween draws closer.
You could also subscribe to our newsletter to be notified when new activities are added.
View the day-by-day list of spooky fun
View the list of trick-or-treat events
Visit a scarecrow display for great photo opps
You’ll find scarecrows galore, all month long! Many communities around the region set up these fall displays, often as a competition for prizes.
Want to get great fall-themed family photos?
These displays offer the perfect backdrop.
Check out list of the best scarecrow displays, from McDonough to Alpharetta to Woodstock.
Wander through a pumpkin patch
It’s time to start thinking about Halloween decor, because the pumpkins are ready in the fields and calling to you, Come take us home!
Find a pumpkin patch to visit
Experience the magic of a Candlelight Concert
Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations around metro Atlanta.
These are live performances in intimate venues, lit by flickering candles. The concerts range from iconic classical music to tributes to pop artists like Adele and Queen.
And this October, there are special themed concerts!
More info and tickets
Visit a haunted attraction
We have a list of top ten haunted attractions around metro Atlanta — just click through the link to find one near you.
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month — with food!
Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from September 15th to October 15th. What better way to celebrate it than through Latin food? And what better place than Buford Highway?
The BuHi corridor is considered to be Atlanta’s international food mecca. There is said to be over 150 international restaurants in a 10-mile section of road that stretches through Brookhaven, Chamblee, and Doraville — including many that feature Latin cuisine.
Get lost in a corn maze
The Buford Corn Maze was named one of the top 25 corn mazes in America by Country Living — so it’s highly recommended. The Scream Zone, a haunted attraction, opens there in October.
But that’s not all!
We have a huge list of corn mazes all over metro Atlanta, so you can find one in your neck of the woods. Some of them also feature farm markets, hayrides, haunted attractions, and more.
Find a corn maze or farm fun attraction
Go apple picking in north Georgia
Weekends and some weekdays in October
Many of the North Georgia orchards open for apple-picking and fun farm days in October, or until the apples are gone.
Take a look at our handy guide to apple festivals and u-pick orchards.
Celebrate Oktoberfest at a local brewery
Head to a local brewery for a local Oktoberfest experience!
There are roughly 50 breweries in the extended metro Atlanta area — and many of them mark the season with new beer releases, German food on site, special merchandise, activities, festivals, or other themed events.
View our list of Oktoberfest celebrations
See a planetarium show for just $6
Did you know the Fernbank Science Center is one of a handful of ALWAYS FREE museums around metro Atlanta? You can check out the exhibits at no charge any time it’s open. (Don’t confuse the Fernbank Science Center with the flashier Fernbank Museum of Natural History!)
More info
And if you want to spend a few bucks, get advance tickets for a planetarium show for just $6, thanks to a special deal.
Get the Groupon deal
Get outside for some woodland walks and easy hikes
Enjoy the cooler, less humid days on one of these easy trails — you’re likely to see some fall wildflowers like asters and wild ageratum, as well as some colorful foliage.
• Just a Walk in the Park is a program in Tucker. It features guided walks at different parks each week, every Wednesday in October.
• Wednesday morning group walks at Mason Mill Park are lead by a guide, starting at 10 a.m. each third Wednesday of the month.
• Here’s a short list of some of our favorite fall walks to do on your own:
Take a scenic drive
Get away from the bustle of the city without going far from home. The South Fulton Scenic Byway has been called the loneliest road in metro Atlanta — and it is so gorgeous, you won’t believe you’re still in Fulton County. You can view some colorful fall foliage without going to the mountains!
Get the route details
Buy local at fall farmers markets
There is a farmers market happening somewhere on nearly every day of the week in October Check out our full schedule of markets, organized by day of the week and location. We also let you know which markets double EBT dollars.
Find a farmers market near you
Day-by-day guide to October events:
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