What's On in Gainesville
Events, markets, games, library and parks programs in and around Gainesville, with times, prices and the organizer's own link.
Top story
Things to do in Gainesville this weekend, Oct. 16 to 18
This weekend in Gainesville: the Great Pumpkin Bash at Bo Diddley Plaza Saturday, the Kanapaha fall plant sale, a Tom Petty ballet and a Sunday chili cook-off.
Coming up
The full month- Now through Oct. 31 Season of Screams at the Peanut Patch and Corn Maze
- Now through Nov. 1 Little Shop of Horrors
- Fri. Oct. 16 Movie Night at Bo Diddley Plaza: Halloweentown
- Oct. 16 to 17 Haunted hayride at Zip! at Haile Quarry
- Fri. Oct. 16 Contra dance
- Fri. Oct. 16 Third Friday Concert: Shiyi Zhu and Undral Erdenechuulgan
- Fri. Oct. 16 Dance Alive: Rock On America! A Tom Petty Tribute Ballet
- Oct. 16 to Nov. 8 Disenchanted! the musical
- Fri. Oct. 16 Movie Night featuring Halloweentown
- Fri. Oct. 16 Cowboy Mouth
- Sat. Oct. 17 The Great Pumpkin Bash
- Sat. Oct. 17 Cancer Chomp 5K
Plan your weekend
Fourth of July
Gainesville Fourth of July fireworks 2027
Plans for 2027 are not out yet. In 2026, WUFT's free Fanfares & Fireworks ran 6 to 10 p.m. July 3 at UF's Flavet Field, with fireworks about 9:30 p.m.
Halloween
Trick-or-treat hours in Gainesville 2026
Gainesville sets no official trick-or-treat hours; Halloween is Saturday, Oct. 31. Boo at the Zoo is Oct. 28 and Greek Row trick-or-treat Oct. 22.
Spring break
Spring break in Gainesville 2027: school dates, camps, things to do
Alachua County schools take spring break March 15-19, 2027, and UF is off March 13-20. City camps, museums, Paynes Prairie and what is open that week.
Easter
Easter in Gainesville 2027: egg hunts, brunch and what is open
Easter 2027 is Sunday, March 28. Last year's Gainesville egg hunts and Easter brunch, labeled by year, plus closures and the school holiday March 29.
Mother's Day
Mother's Day in Gainesville 2027: brunch, events and gifts
Mother's Day 2027 is Sunday, May 9. Last year's garden tour brunch, farm brunch, gallery porch party and Mamma Mia! screening, labeled by year.
Memorial Day
Memorial Day in Gainesville 2027: ceremony, closures and trash
Memorial Day is Monday, May 31, 2027. The city's commemoration at Evergreen Cemetery, flag placing, City Hall closed and trash delayed a day all week.
Summer camps
Summer in Gainesville 2027: camps, pools and splash pads
Gainesville summer 2027: city day camps, Earth Academy at Morningside, three city pools with Mickle Pool open Memorial Day to Labor Day, and Depot Park's splash pad.
Father's Day
Father's Day in Gainesville 2027: events, car shows, brunch
Father's Day 2027 is Sunday, June 20. Last year's free brewery music fest, a city fatherhood cookout, a Finding Nemo screening and Newberry's Dad Edition fun day.
Labor Day
Labor Day in Gainesville 2027: events, closures, trash
Labor Day 2027 is Monday, Sept. 6. City offices close, trash runs as usual, Mickle Pool's last weekend, and what ran Labor Day weekend 2026.
Christmas
Gainesville Christmas parade and tree lighting 2026
2026 dates are not out yet. In 2025, A Very GNV Holiday Parade ran noon to 1 p.m. Dec. 6 on University Avenue, then lights at the Thomas Center.
Halloween
Halloween events in Gainesville 2026
Halloween 2026 in Gainesville: the free Great Pumpkin Bash Oct. 17, haunted hayrides, Boo at the Zoo Oct. 28, a zombie 5K and Rocky Horror on Oct. 31.
Fall festivals
Fall festivals and pumpkin patches near Gainesville 2026
Fall 2026 near Gainesville: haunted hayrides at Haile Quarry, a corn maze on SW 75th Street, a church pumpkin patch and the Alachua Harvest Festival Nov. 15.
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving in Gainesville 2026: turkey trots, closures, trash
Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26. Two turkey trots, City Hall closed, Thursday trash moves to Friday and Alachua County schools are out all week.
Black Friday
Black Friday and holiday shopping in Gainesville 2026
Black Friday is Nov. 27 and Small Business Saturday Nov. 28. Where Gainesville shops, the Garden Club holiday market Dec. 5 and downtown parking rules.
Christmas
Holiday lights and Christmas events in Gainesville 2026
Christmas 2026 around Gainesville: the Christmas Train in Williston from Nov. 27, the Garden Club market Dec. 5, The Nutcracker Dec. 18-20 and Santa visits.
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve in Gainesville 2026: Downtown Countdown, fireworks
New Year's Eve in Gainesville: the city's free Downtown Countdown at Bo Diddley Plaza, the state fireworks rule for Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, and holiday closures.
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day in Gainesville 2027: events and date ideas
Valentine's Day 2027 is a Sunday. A swing dance at Santa Fe College Feb. 12, August Wilson at the Hippodrome, Kanapaha's gardens and the free Harn museum.
Brunch
Brunch in Gainesville: weekend brunch and brunch events
Where to brunch in Gainesville, from restaurants' own pages: Another Broken Egg daily, Northwest Grille on weekends, and garden and jazz brunches as events.
Dogs
Dog-friendly Gainesville: dog parks, trails, patios and leash rules
Dog-friendly Gainesville: off-leash parks at Abby Wambach Park, leashed trails, where dogs are banned, the city's doggie dining permits and the leash rules.
Kids
Kids' activities in Gainesville: playgrounds, story times, rainy days
Things to do with kids in Gainesville: Depot Park's splash pad, the Cade Museum, the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo, free library story times and rainy-day museums.
Trails
Gainesville walking and biking trails: greenways, loops, trailheads
Gainesville trails: the paved 16-mile Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail, Paynes Prairie's La Chua and Cone's Dike, Sweetwater's 3.5 miles and the Hogtown Creek Greenway.
Downtown Gainesville
A guide to downtown Gainesville: plaza, theaters, museums, parking
Downtown Gainesville: Bo Diddley Plaza and Free Fridays, the Hippodrome, Depot Park and the Cade, South Main Street's music venues, festivals and where to park.
Live music
Live music and nightlife in Gainesville: venues and breweries
Where to hear live music in Gainesville: Heartwood Soundstage, Vivid Music Hall, Signal and The Wooly downtown, the Phillips Center, Free Fridays and taprooms.
Free things to do
Free things to do in Gainesville
Free in Gainesville: the Harn and Matheson museums, the UF bat houses at sunset, Free Fridays concerts at Bo Diddley Plaza, Depot Park and a 16-mile trail.
Date night
Date night in Gainesville: restaurants, theaters, wine bars
Date night in Gainesville: dinner at Mildred's, Blue Gill or Dragonfly, a wine bar, a show at the Hippodrome or Phillips Center, and the Harn open late Thursdays.
UF Homecoming
UF Homecoming and Gator Growl: 2026 recap, 2027 updates
UF Homecoming 2026 ran Friday, Oct. 9, with the parade to Bo Diddley Plaza and Gator Growl at the O'Connell Center. The 2027 dates are not out yet.
The Fest
The Fest 2026 in Gainesville: Oct. 23-25, passes, venues
The Fest 24 brings more than 300 bands to downtown Gainesville Oct. 23-25, 2026. Online pass sales end Oct. 18; the kickoff show is Oct. 22.
Downtown Festival and Art Show
Gainesville Downtown Festival and Art Show 2026: Nov. 14-15
The 45th Downtown Festival and Art Show is Nov. 14-15, 2026, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in downtown Gainesville, with more than 200 artists, music and food.
Spring Arts Festival
Santa Fe College Spring Arts Festival: dates, parking, what to know
2027 dates are not out yet. The 54th Spring Arts Festival ran April 11-12, 2026, at Santa Fe College's Northwest Campus: free, 150-plus booths.
Restaurants
Where to eat in Gainesville: lists by category
All Gainesville where-to-eat lists in one place: wings, pizza, Mexican, breakfast and coffee, burgers, sushi and Asian, desserts, bakeries, patios.
Wings
Where to get wings in Gainesville: SW 34th Street, Midtown, downtown
Ten places with wings on the menu inside Gainesville city limits, from SW 34th Street and Midtown to downtown and Newberry Road, with hours.
Pizza
Where to get pizza in Gainesville: downtown, campus and NE 23rd
Eight pizza places inside Gainesville city limits, from downtown SW 4th Avenue and University Avenue to NE 23rd Avenue, with hours and phone numbers.
Mexican food
Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in Gainesville
Seven Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants inside Gainesville city limits, downtown, on NW 13th Street, NW 34th Boulevard and SW 2nd Avenue, with hours.
Breakfast
Breakfast and coffee in Gainesville: downtown, Butler Plaza, NW 16th
Eight breakfast spots and coffee shops inside Gainesville city limits, downtown, around Butler Plaza and in the northwest, with hours and phones.
Burgers
Where to get burgers in Gainesville: downtown, SW 13th and Archer
Four burger places inside Gainesville city limits, on SW 4th Avenue downtown, SW 13th Street, Archer Road and Butler Plaza, with hours and phones.
Sushi
Sushi and Asian restaurants in Gainesville: SW 34th and Midtown
Eleven sushi, Korean, Chinese, hot pot and noodle restaurants inside Gainesville city limits, most on SW 34th Street, with hours and phone numbers.
Ice cream
Ice cream and desserts in Gainesville: Butler Plaza and downtown
Nine ice cream, custard, ice pop and cookie shops inside Gainesville city limits, around Butler Plaza, downtown and NW 16th Boulevard, with hours.
Bakeries
Bakeries in Gainesville: Cuban pastries, bagels and cookies
Four bakeries inside Gainesville city limits, on SW 2nd Avenue, SW 4th Avenue downtown, SW 35th Boulevard and NE 23rd Avenue, with hours and phones.
Patios
Patios and outdoor dining in Gainesville: downtown and SW 34th
Nine Gainesville restaurants and cafes whose own sites list a patio or outdoor seating, downtown, on SW 34th Street and in the northwest, with hours.
Event news
Veterans Day
Veterans Day in Gainesville 2026: ceremonies and closures
Veterans Day is Wednesday, Nov. 11. A free World War II home front play at Evergreen Cemetery, flag placing Nov. 7, and city offices and schools closed.
Arts
Arts and exhibitions in Gainesville: October 2026
Gainesville arts to Nov. 25: eight free Harn Museum shows, Little Shop of Horrors at the Hipp, a Tom Petty ballet, the UF Symphony and The Bad Plus at Santa Fe.