October in Gainesville: the Great Pumpkin Bash Oct. 17, The Fest downtown Oct. 23-25, Boo at the Zoo Oct. 28 and the Downtown Festival and Art Show Nov. 14-15.

Last checked Oct. 14, 2026. Rebuilt on the first of each month and refreshed each week. Dates and times come from each organizer’s own page, linked below, or from the organizer’s listing on the Visit Gainesville calendar, run by Alachua County’s visitors bureau. Confirm before you go.

The rest of October in Gainesville is Halloween and The Fest: a free pumpkin bash downtown on Saturday, Oct. 17, three days of punk and indie bands across downtown Oct. 23-25, and Boo at the Zoo on Oct. 28. November brings two Gators home games, Veterans Day and the Downtown Festival and Art Show. For this weekend’s picks, see things to do this weekend; for galleries, theater and concerts, see arts and exhibitions this month.

Before you go

  • Event questions: contact the organizer through the link in each listing
  • Road closures on festival and game days: FL511 or dial 511
  • Full calendar: Visit Gainesville events

This week

  • “Little Shop of Horrors,” the Hippodrome Theatre, 25 SE Second Place, through Nov. 1. Hippodrome.
  • Movie Night featuring Halloweentown, Friday, Oct. 16, Bo Diddley Plaza, 111 E. University Ave. Free. City of Gainesville.
  • Dance Alive’s “Rock On America! A Tom Petty Tribute Ballet,” 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 3201 Hull Road. Event page.
  • The Great Pumpkin Bash, Saturday, Oct. 17, Bo Diddley Plaza. Free; the city’s second annual Halloween bash. City of Gainesville.
  • Fall Plant Sale, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, 4700 SW 58th Drive. Suggested $5 donation. Plant sale page.
  • Howl-O-Ween 5K and Fall Festival, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, Humane Society of North Central Florida, 4205 NW Sixth St. Event page.
  • International Motorcycle and Car Show, 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 17, Butler Center, 3217 SW 35th Blvd. Free for spectators. Event page.
  • K9 Splash Bash dog swim and costume contest, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, H. Spurgeon Cherry “Westside” Pool, 1001 NW 31st Drive. $5. Event page.
  • For the Animals Chili Cook-Off, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, Heartwood Soundstage, 619 S. Main St. $25; children under 12 free with an adult. Event page.
  • Florida Forever Festival, 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, First Magnitude Brewing Company, 1220 SE Veitch St., with the Florida Native Plant Society.

Next week

  • Ghouls, Goblins and Greeks trick-or-treat, 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, on UF’s Sorority Row. Free. Details on our trick-or-treat hours page.
  • RUBBERBAND, “Vic’s Mix,” 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, Phillips Center. Hip-hop, ballet and contemporary dance. Event page.
  • The Fest 24, kickoff show Thursday, Oct. 22, at Bo Diddley Plaza, then more than 300 bands across downtown Friday, Oct. 23, to Sunday, Oct. 25. Online pass sales stop Oct. 18. The Fest. Passes, registration and venue ages: our guide to The Fest.
  • Zombie Run at Waldo MX, 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, 17000 NE U.S. Highway 301, Waldo. $60; ages 8 and up. Event page.
  • Florida Bat Festival, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, Lubee Bat Conservancy, 1309 NW 192nd Ave. $10 adults, $5 ages 5 to 12, free for 4 and under; free parking. Festival page.
  • Robin Wall Kimmerer on “The Serviceberry,” 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, Phillips Center. Event page.

Later in October

  • Boo at the Zoo, the 30th year, 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo, 3000 NW 83rd St. Admission is one canned good or nonperishable food item per person. Event page.
  • Artwalk Gainesville, 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, galleries and businesses around town. Free. Artwalk Gainesville.
  • UF Symphony Orchestra, “Symphonie Fantastique,” 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, Phillips Center. Event page.
  • Halloween Safari Drive-Thru, Carson Springs Wildlife Conservation Foundation, 8528 E. County Road 225, from 5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30. Tour page.
  • John Carpenter Fest at the Hippodrome Cinema: “The Thing” at 8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, and “Halloween” at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31. Hippodrome.
  • Halloween, Saturday, Oct. 31: haunted hayrides, parties and trick-or-treating are on our Halloween events and trick-or-treat hours pages.

November

  • Florida Gators vs. Oklahoma, Saturday, Nov. 7, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Kickoff time not yet set. Gators schedule.
  • Veterans Day flag placement, 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, Historic Evergreen Cemetery, 401 SE 21st Ave. Volunteers of all ages welcome. Listing.
  • Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11: the city’s free “War on the Home Front” event, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Evergreen Cemetery. Ceremonies and closures: our Veterans Day page.
  • Tom Petty Weekend, Nov. 13-15, Heartwood Soundstage, 619 S. Main St., a weekend of performances in Petty’s hometown. Tom Petty Weekend.
  • 45th Downtown Festival and Art Show, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 14-15, downtown Gainesville. More than 200 artists, music on four stages and food. Festival site. Parking and tips: our Downtown Festival and Art Show page.
  • Alachua Main Street Festival, Sunday, Nov. 15, Main Street, Alachua, about 10 miles northwest. Festival page.
  • Movie Night featuring Ratatouille, Saturday, Nov. 21, Bo Diddley Plaza. Free. City of Gainesville.
  • Florida Gators vs. Vanderbilt, Saturday, Nov. 21, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, with an early kickoff window of noon to 1 p.m. Gators schedule.
  • Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 26: turkey trots, closures and trash changes are on our Thanksgiving page.

Regular events

  • Haile Farmers Market, 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturdays, Haile Village Center, 9116 SW 51st Road. Haile Farmers Market.
  • Artwalk Gainesville, 7 to 10 p.m. the last Friday of each month.
  • More markets are on our farmers markets page.

What this means for you

  • The Fest weekend, Oct. 22-25, and the art festival weekend, Nov. 14-15, bring the biggest crowds downtown; leave extra time to park.
  • Gators home games on Nov. 7 and 21 fill the roads around campus.
  • The Great Pumpkin Bash and the movie nights at Bo Diddley Plaza are free.

Send us your event

Running something in Gainesville? Email hello@gainesvillejournal.com with the date, time, venue, price and a photo. Listings are free, and they go on this page and in our events diary.

Frequently asked questions

When is The Fest in Gainesville in 2026?

The Fest 24 runs Friday, Oct. 23, to Sunday, Oct. 25, at venues across downtown Gainesville, with a kickoff show Thursday, Oct. 22, at Bo Diddley Plaza. Online pass sales stop Oct. 18.

When is Boo at the Zoo 2026 at Santa Fe College?

From 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, at the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo. Admission is one canned good or nonperishable food item per person.

When is the Downtown Festival and Art Show in 2026?

The 45th Downtown Festival and Art Show is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 14-15, in downtown Gainesville.

When do the Gators play at home in November?

Florida hosts Oklahoma on Saturday, Nov. 7, and Vanderbilt on Saturday, Nov. 21, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Kickoff times had not been set when we checked on Oct. 14.

Where can I find more events in Gainesville?

Visit Gainesville, Alachua County’s visitors bureau, keeps the full calendar at visitgainesville.com. Our weekend page picks the best each week, and our arts page lists exhibitions, theater and concerts.