What's happening

Austin, October 2026

Festival season — two ACL weekends, a Formula 1 weekend at COTA, and a city leaning into Halloween — a small guide to what this city feels like in October, wherever in it you end up.

Daniela De Zamacona · JBGoodwin REALTORS® West Austin · Bee Cave · Lakeway · Spicewood
DOWNTOWN UT CAMPUS EAST AUSTIN / MUELLER SOUTH LAMAR · ZILKER HILL COUNTRY BEE CAVE CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS THE DOMAIN Austin OCTOBER 2026 N 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
A hand-drawn-style guide, not to scale — pins mark the district, not the exact address. Tap a pin to jump to its listing.

16 things worth the drive

Showing all 16 events

1
Fri–Sun, Oct 2–4

ACL Festival — Weekend One

Zilker Park
Music & entertainment
2
Fri–Sun, Oct 9–11

ACL Festival — Weekend Two

Zilker Park
Music & entertainment
3
Wed, Oct 7

Kacey Musgraves

Moody Center
Music & entertainment
4
Sat, Oct 17

Austin FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Q2 Stadium, The Domain
Sports & outdoors
5
Sat, Oct 17

Cobweb Cabaret

Paramount & Stateside Theatres
Arts & culture
6
Fri–Sun, Oct 23–25

Formula 1 United States Grand Prix

Circuit of The Americas
Sports & outdoors
7
Sat, Oct 24

Viva la Vida Festival & Parade

Congress Avenue, Downtown
Arts & culture
8
Sun, Oct 25

The Smashing Pumpkins

Moody Center
Music & entertainment
9
Sat, Oct 31

Tails from the Crypt

Ani's Day & Night
Family & community
10
Sat, Oct 31

Freakshow on Fruth

29th Street Ballroom
Arts & culture
11
Fridays & Saturdays, Oct

Boo at the Zoo

Austin Zoo
Family & community
12
Through October

Pumpkin Patch at Tarrytown UMC

Tarrytown United Methodist Church
Family & community
13
Thu, Oct 8

Halloween Movie Nights: Twilight / Buffy

Meanwhile Brewing
Arts & culture
14
Tue, Oct 20

IndieWeen

Cheer Up Charlies
Music & entertainment
15
Sun, Oct 4

Longhorns Volleyball vs. Alabama

Gregory Gym, UT campus
Sports & outdoors
16
Sat, Oct 24

Bonerween: A Tribute to John Carpenter

Come and Take It Live
Music & entertainment