Add a Little Bit of Spice: Austin Area Fall Events Roundup
A harvest of fun fall events and activities for you and your family
Sponsored Post October 11, 2023
Fall-elujah! Time to celebrate cooler temps by breaking out those cozy sweaters, grabbing a spiced latte, and taking in all the autumnal sights and sounds. From good old-fashioned pumpkin patches and haunted houses, family-friendly fairs and festivals, wine tasting, outdoor jaunts and more, Austin fall events do not disappoint!
To help you navigate the sheer number of options available to you, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorites taking place this season.
Texas Hemp Harvest Festival
Nov. 3 & 4, $20 – $175 Distribution Hall, 1500 E. 4th St. https://texashempharvestfestival.com/
Local brand Sweet Sensi, the Original Texas Rosin Company presents the 3rd year of bringing the hemp industry and the people of Texas together to celebrate all things cannabis at their highly anticipated Texas Hemp Harvest Festival! This year’s event will be bigger than ever with two days of elevated fun on November 3rd and 4th in downtown East 4th street at Distribution Hall. Connect with the hemp community, taste awesome local flavors, and see some of the best bands reggae has to offer. Performances include 10 Foot Ganja Plant, Passafire, Josh Heinrichs,and more, plus food, drinks and Elevated Experiences provided.
Dripping Springs Pumpkin Festival
Open Weekends: Sept 23-Oct 29, 10am-7pm, $15 419 Founders Park Road, Dripping Springs https://drippingspringspumpkinfestival.com/
It's the third and final year for this family-friendly fest on the beautifully shaded Dr. Pound Historical Farmstead, but fear not, the festival is set to return in 2024 at a new (currently undisclosed) location in Hays County. For now, make haste and enjoy the grounds with tons of activities beyond the pumpkin patch including live music, shopping, games, a hay maze, armadillo races, a petting zoo, yummy fall concessions like grilled street corn and smoked turkey legs, plus so much more!
Austin Celtic Festival
Nov. 4-5, $25 per day for adults / $12 for kids 5-16 yrs old Pioneer Farms, 10621 Pioneer Farms Dr. http://www.austincelticfestival.com
Join the largest gathering of Celts in Central Texas spotlighting the cultural arts of nations like Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. It’s a fest for the whole family to enjoy! There will be Celtic music, dance, & Highland Games. Whether celebrating your own Celtic heritage or joining in the swirl of the pipes and a hearty pint, everyone is welcome! Tickets are available online only.
Dripping Springs Songwriters Festival
Oct. 20-22, Free Downtown Dripping Springs www.drippingspringssongwritersfestival.com
Highlighted by a list of esteemed local and national talent, the Dripping Springs Songwriters Festival features an exciting weekend of phenomenal up-and-coming singer/songwriters and showcases—all free, and open to the public! Held in the heart of the beautiful Texas Hill Country, the 3-day music festival treats music lovers to a wide variety of songs as well as the people and stories behind the finely crafted tunes with 70 shows and over 45 songwriters across nine stages. Experience tomorrow’s headliners as local, national, and international songwriters perform “in-the-round”, Nashville-style across historic downtown Dripping Springs!
Cedar Park Market Days: Halloween Edition
Oct. 21, 9am-4pm, Free 11066 Pecan Park Blvd. www.cedarparkmarketdays.com
The special Halloween edition of the local market hosts over 90 artisans, crafters and gourmet food vendors, plus palm reading and free mulled wine, trick-or-treating for the kids (starts at 1pm), games, and yummy foods to munch on while you shop. Support locals in one of the best markets around!
Puptopia Festival
Oct. 21, 10am-5pm, $35 Pease Park, 1100 Kingsbury St. www.puptopiafestival.com/landing/austin
The first-ever amazement park for dogs and their owners returns this fall on Saturday, Oct. 21 with larger-than-life photo opportunities, never-before-seen activities for dogs and their owners, amazing "pupformances," free treats, SPAW treatments, samples from Hornitos, and more! Enjoy 30% off tickets with code PROMO30.
Celebrate Día de los Muertos with De Nada
Nov. 1, All Day De Nada Cantina, 4715 E Cesar Chavez St. https://denadacantina.com/
Rediscover lost connections and make new ones during our Dia de los Muertos celebration at De Nada on November 1. Our salute to the spirits will include an all-day happy hour featuring the specialty drink of the day, Carajillo, a delicious swirl of cold brew, Licor 43 and orange liqueur; De Nada’s classic margs (guaranteed to raise the dead!) and a mouthwatering menu.
Bat City Scaregrounds
Sept. 29-Oct. 31. Open Thu.-Sun. evenings and Halloween, $25-$30 14101 S. Turnersville Rd, Buda www.batcityscaregrounds.com
This fully immersive, multi-acre entertainment complex is dedicated to all things Halloween and horror fun! For the price of one admission daring attendees are treated to a frightfully good time including three highly detailed haunted houses, live music, Vegas-style performances, seasonal treats and eats, plus a dark vendor market and more!
Bee Caves Art Foundation Buzzfest
Nov. 9-11, 6-10pm, Free Hill Country Galleria, Bee Cave www.beecavebuzzfest.com
From the creators of dadaLab, Soundfounder and Butcher Bear of Exploded Drawing, BuzzFest is an award-winning annual tech-art festival featuring nationally acclaimed electronic music performers and immersive light and sound art installations. Think lights, art, sound, technology, and street performers. Now picture an integration of all those things into an open-air, urban playground of new media art and electronic music, and you have Bee Cave BuzzFest 2023! Enjoy the three-day immersive and family-friendly event exploring music, tech, and art in a whole new light.
Been There 2
Sat. Nov 11, 12pm, $95 The Esperanza Community, 780 US Highway 183 S https://secure.everyaction.com/-pbqBSqk3UmFeVk_Ku0UCw2
Join The Other Ones Foundation as they celebrate their unwavering dedication to providing shelter, opportunities, and support to those experiencing homelessness. Experience the vibrant "Been There 2" music event at The Esperanza Community, featuring performances by The Pharcyde and Brownout.
Fall Ranch Adventures at Lone Star Ranch
Open 7 days a week, prices vary Lone Star Ranch, 8601 Bluff Springs Rd., (512) 697-9769 https://www.lonestarranchtexas.com/
Experience Austin this Fall... The Texas Way. Lone Star Ranch offers horseback, pony, and hayrides, archery lessons, shotgun shooting, fishing, and ranch camps over the holidays. Lone Star Ranch has the perfect outdoor ranch excursion for your family and friends to welcome the cooler weather. Join them 7 days a week at their convenient downtown Austin location!
Alpha Church Hallelujah Night
Oct. 29, 4-6pm, Free Alpha Church, 3016 E. 51st St. www.hallelujahnight2023.eventbrite.com
Join in for a family-friendly night of fun, food, raffles, games, and prizes! All ages are welcome.
Austin Film Society presents: The Omen
Oct. 26-29, $13.50 evening / $11 matinee AFS Cinema, 6259 Middle Fiskville Rd. https://www.austinfilm.org/screening/the-omen/
This Halloween season, Austin Film Society presents the 1976 classic horror film, The Omen. Watch it on the big screen at AFS Cinema for an old-fashioned, great scary time at the movies - don't miss it!
City of Elgin Hogeye Festival
Oct. 26-28, Free Elgin, TX https://www.elgintexas.gov/191/Hogeye-Festival
The Hogeye Festival is an exciting free street festival held annually on the 4th Saturday of Oct. in Elgin, Texas. Hogeye Festival is a family-friendly community event featuring live music, contests, food, handmade arts & crafts, BBQ cook-off, car show, cornhole toss, kids costume and pet parade, Pearls Before Swine Art Show and cow patty bingo! Best Little Pig Gig in TX!
High Desert Dîner en Blanc, in support of Zilker Botanical Garden Conservancy
Sat. Nov. 4, 6pm, $125 per adult/$225 per couple* Zilker Botanical Gaden Conservancy, 2220 Barton Springs Rd. https://zilkergarden.org/high-desert-diner-en-blanc/
Experience a night like no other at the Zilker Botanical Garden Conservancy's High Desert Dîner en Blanc. Be one of the first to witness the unveiling of the new succulent collection! Dress in all white and join them for a beautifully crafted outdoor dinner, open bar, games, and tours of the collection. Purchase tickets and learn more online.
*After October 13th tickets will increase to $150/person and $275/couple.
Canine Costume Contest with Sawyer & Co.
Oct. 25, 6pm, Free Sawyer & Co., 4827 E Cesar Chavez St., Austin, TX https://www.sawyerand.co/
Deck out your furry friends’ Halloween costumes and join Sawyer for a chance to compete in their Canine Costume Contest! Shop from a variety of local pet vendors as Eastside Pop Up joins us and meet our surprise judge while the pups are competing. Most importantly, don’t miss out on their Yappy Hour prices till close!
Fredericksburg Food & Wine Fest
Oct. 26-28 Market Square Fredericksburg http://www.fbgfoodandwinefest.com/tix.html
Fredericksburg's signature culinary event is the Fredericksburg Food & Wine Fest! The Fest transforms MarktPlatz into a foodie paradise with a celebration of all things Texas. Twenty-two Texas wineries, specialty booths, cooking demos, tunes, craft beer, prize pull & auction, grape toss… this Fest is a must-do. Plus three special events:
• Thursday, October 26: Go Texan! Dinner and Wine at Messina Hof Hill Country • Friday, October 27: Celebration of Texas Wine & Food at Becker Vineyards • Saturday, October 28: Patron Brunch on MarktPlatz
999 EYES Freakshow presents 'Time Trap'
Sat. Oct. 28, 8pm-1am, $33 Sagebrush, 5500 S. Congress Ave. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/999-eyes-freakshow-surreal-sideshow-tickets-721255483567
999 Eyes Freakshow & Surreal Sideshow presents Time Trap! An interactive circus sideshow performance, traversing time to bring you the most unique talents from future, past, and present - all accompanied by live music from THAT Damned Band. See, hear, feel, and be amazed by the immersive Hallowen circus, complete with the Midway of Madness.
Roots & Wings Festival Celebration
Sat. Oct. 28, 10am-2pm Zilker Botanical Garden, 2220 Barton Springs Rd. https://zilkergarden.org/roots-wings-zbg/
Zilker Botanical Garden will host a variety of family-friendly activities as part of the City of Austin’s 6th Annual Roots & Wings Festival. Celebrate bees, pollinators & trees at the Garden 10am-2pm with crafts, presentations, and workshops. More information can be found online.
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