October in Atlanta: Scarecrows in the Garden, Oakland's Halloween tours, the L5P parade Oct. 18, Boo at the Zoo, Chomp & Stomp Nov. 7 and Garden Lights.

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Every date, time and price comes from the organizer’s own page, linked below. This page is rebuilt on the first of each month and covers the next six weeks; for this weekend’s picks, see things to do this weekend, and for museums, theater and concerts, arts and exhibitions this month.

The rest of October in Atlanta is scarecrows and pumpkins at the Atlanta Botanical Garden and the run-up to Halloween, from Oakland Cemetery’s evening tours to the Little Five Points parade. Atlanta Public Schools students are off this week, and the holiday season opens with Garden Lights on Nov. 14 and the Piedmont Park tree lighting on Nov. 22.

Before you go

  • Getting there: many of these events sit near MARTA rail stations; see getting around Atlanta.
  • Road closures: check 511ga.org or dial 511 before you drive.
  • Events change: confirm times on the organizer’s page the day you go.

All month

  • Scarecrows in the Garden, through Nov. 1 at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, 1345 Piedmont Ave. NE: scarecrows made by schools, families, artists and businesses, with supersized ones on the Great Lawn. Included with garden admission.
  • Saturday farmers markets across the city; see our farmers markets guide.

Week of Oct. 12

  • School’s out. APS students have no classes Monday, Oct. 12, through Friday, Oct. 16: Indigenous Peoples’ Day and teacher planning days, then fall break. See the schools guide.
  • Early voting begins Tuesday, Oct. 13, for the Nov. 3 election. Sites and hours are in our voting guide.
  • Grand Tasting Midtown, 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, is sold out, and no tickets are sold at the door, the organizer says. Taste of Atlanta brings more than 25 Midtown restaurants to the Epicurean Atlanta Hotel, 1117 W. Peachtree St. NW.
  • Capturing the Spirit of Oakland, Oct. 15 to 18 and Oct. 22 to 25: the 20th year of Historic Oakland Cemetery’s after-dark Halloween tours, with costumed storytellers playing figures from Atlanta history, 374 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE. Tickets through the Historic Oakland Foundation.

Weekend of Oct. 17 and 18

  • Little 5 Points Halloween Festival, noon to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, free, with an artist market, live music and skate ramps; the parade is at 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, on Moreland Avenue, according to the organizers.
  • Boo at the Zoo, Zoo Atlanta, 800 Cherokee Ave. SE: trick-or-treating, carnival games and crafts on Oct. 17, 18, 24, 25 and 31, included with admission, the zoo says.
  • Atlanta Recycles Day, Saturday, Oct. 17, at Greenbriar Mall: free shredding and drop-off for tires, small electronics and recycling from the city’s Department of Public Works.
  • Atlanta Ballet: Cinderella, Friday and Saturday, Oct. 16-17, at the Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta Ballet says. More shows are on our arts and exhibitions page.
  • Monster Mash at the Center for Puppetry Arts, 1404 Spring St. NW, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, a Halloween dance party with trick-or-treating. It repeats Oct. 24.

The last full week: Oct. 22 to 31

  • Great Pumpkin-Carving Festival, 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, with carved pumpkins, live music and the scarecrow contest winners.
  • Fernbank Museum, 767 Clifton Road: a Teen Night for ages 13 to 17 on Friday, Oct. 23, Dinosaur Trick-or-Treat from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, and an adults-only Fright Night from 7 to 11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, according to the museum.
  • Trick-or-Treat at the Museum, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Children’s Museum of Atlanta, 275 Centennial Olympic Park Drive NW; separate ticket required.
  • “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26, at Atlanta Symphony Hall, 1280 Peachtree St. NE. Free, but tickets are required, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra says.

November: Nov. 1 to 23

  • Veterans Day Parade, Saturday, Nov. 7. The 45th Georgia Veterans Day Parade steps off at 11 a.m. on Peachtree Street from 15th Street to 5th Street in Midtown, after a free 9:30 a.m. Observance Ceremony at the Woodruff Arts Center, the Georgia Veterans Day Association says. Free. Our Veterans Day page has parking and MARTA details.
  • Chomp & Stomp, Saturday, Nov. 7, Cabbagetown Park: a chili cookoff, the Romp 5K and a free music festival from 11 a.m. Entry is free; tasting needs an official spoon, sold at presale spots and at the festival, the organizers say.
  • Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11. City trash pickup runs on the regular schedule; post offices are closed. See trash and recycling.
  • Garden Lights, Holiday Nights opens Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Atlanta Botanical Garden and runs nightly through Jan. 10, with timed tickets. More in holiday lights and Christmas events.
  • Lantern Parade and Lighting Celebration, Sunday, Nov. 22, Piedmont Park: lantern-making at Greystone from 3:30 p.m., a lantern parade around Lake Clara Meer at 5 p.m., then the lighting of the Great Tree, menorah and kinara in the Meadow. Free, the Piedmont Park Conservancy says. Details: our Christmas parade and tree lighting page.

Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker opens Dec. 5; show times are on our Nutcracker page.

Every Halloween event we have checked is in our Halloween events guide, and trick-or-treat guidance is on trick-or-treat hours in Atlanta.

What this means for you

  • Families: fall break is Oct. 12-16, and most Halloween events run the weekends of Oct. 17 and Oct. 24.
  • Oakland’s tours are ticketed and the Midtown tasting is sold out; check availability before you go.
  • Saturday, Nov. 7, is busy: the Veterans Day Parade closes Peachtree Street in Midtown in the morning and Chomp & Stomp fills Cabbagetown.

Related: free things to do, kids’ activities and fall festivals and pumpkin patches.

Frequently asked questions

What is happening in Atlanta in October 2026?

Scarecrows in the Garden runs through Nov. 1 at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, and Halloween events include the Little Five Points parade Oct. 18, Oakland Cemetery’s evening tours and Boo at the Zoo.

When is the Piedmont Park tree lighting in 2026?

Sunday, Nov. 22. Lantern-making starts at 3:30 p.m., the lantern parade at 5 p.m., and the Great Tree, menorah and kinara are lit in the Meadow after the parade, the Piedmont Park Conservancy says. It is free.

When is fall break for Atlanta Public Schools?

Students are off this week, Monday, Oct. 12, through Friday, Oct. 16, 2026.

When does early voting start in Atlanta?

Early voting for the Nov. 3 election begins Tuesday, Oct. 13, in Fulton County. See our voting guide for sites and hours.