With September nearly over, and Sarasota's off-season along with it, the local events calendar will rapidly start ramping up in October.
Multiple Oktoberfest and Halloween celebrations will take place locally, along with festivals celebrating the fall season (well, as close as we get to it in Florida).
Other returning annual festivities will include boat races and the first event of the season for a popular street party series in downtown Sarasota, which is also where a park will hold a month-long celebration of its fourth anniversary.
Here are 10 of the biggest events taking place in October in the Sarasota area, listed in chronological order. Event details are subject to change.
plus info on things to do every Friday
Lights at Spooky Point
The Halloween-themed light show turns Selby Gardens' Historic Spanish Point campus into “Spooky Point” in a walk-through show that is described as all-ages and "equal parts campy, creepy, and cute." Oct. 1-31; Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Historic Spanish Point Campus, 401 N. Tamiami Trail, Osprey; $34 adults, $24 members, $19 ages 5-17, free ages 4 and under; 941-366-5731; selby.org
One Park FOUR All at the Bay
To celebrate four years since it opened in October 2022, downtown Sarasota park the Bay will host the month-long "One Park FOUR All," featuring more than 70 free events. Highlights will include Oct. 11's Oktoberfest-themed Park-toberfest, Oct. 17's Halloween celebration Boo! at the Bay, and Oct. 25's food festival Taste of the Bay, concluding with Nov. 1's Best of the Bay Music Fest. Oct. 1-Nov. 1; The Bay, 1055 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota; free; 941-203-5316; thebaysarasota.org
Fresh Fridays
The popular monthly street party series in downtown Sarasota will hold the first event of its next season — Sunset Soundwaves, "A Yacht Rock Experience" — a new Fresh Fridays theme designed to ease attendees into the fall season with live music, food and drink from downtown vendors and more for "an easy-breezy night downtown." 7-10 p.m. Oct. 2; Main Street, Sarasota; free; facebook.com/freshfridayssrq
Fruitville Grove Pumpkin Festival
The 38th annual festival will feature the walk-through haunted house Hollowgraves Haunted Manor (recommended for ages 8 and up) and Mermaid Encounter (Saturdays), as well as a food truck rally, craft show, live music, kids fun zone, hold-a-skunk, pony, mini-train and hay rides, hug-a-goat, butterfly garden experience and more. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, 24-25 and Oct. 31-Nov. 1; Fruitville Grove, 7410 Fruitville Road, Sarasota; $5, free kids ages 6 and under (admission), $1-$10 certain rides and activities, free parking; 941-377-0896; fruitvillegrovefarm.com
Englewood Beach Waterfest
The self-described "Southwest Florida's premier celebration of everything water" includes a Waterfest Block Party on Oct. 9, and Offshore Championship on Oct. 10-11. Oct. 9-11; various venues; ticket prices vary; englewoodbeachwaterfest.com
Oktoberfest — Two Days of Paddles, Oars & Pours
Nathan Benderson Park will expand this second annual event to a two-day festival this year, featuring rowing, dragon boating, German food, live German bands, beer garden, DJ, kids zone, stein-hoisting and cold brews. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 10-11; Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota; free admission, $20 parking per car; 941-358-7275; nathanbendersonpark.org/event/oktoberfest
Hunsader Farms Pumpkin Festival
![The 28th annual Hunsader Farms Pumpkin Festival continues today, Sunday Oct. 13, 2019. The Fearless Flores, Sarasota's circus legend Bello Nock all three weekends. The in all festival features 14 live shows, a corn maze and many family friendly activities including games, hayride, petting zoo, pony rides, corn maze, children's train ride, BMX stunt show, Walker Brother's Circus, Grizzly Bear Experience, fresh pumpkin pie, farm-roasted sweet corn, and much more including an always impressive array of pumpkins. Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday and Oct. 13, 19-20, 26-27; Hunsader Farms, 5500 C.R. 675, Bradenton; $10 admission (children age 10 and younger free); $5 parking; 941-322-2168; hunsaderfarms.com. Photographed Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019, in east Bradenton. [HERALD-TRIBUNE STAFF PHOTO / THOMAS BENDER]](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2021/10/18/NSHT/ccd2e85a-b18d-47c5-ac44-c93e61eddb22-MHUNSADER13_22.jpg)
The 35th annual festival features a craft show, live music and shows, pumpkins and kid's pumpkin games, tiny town, Pioneer Trades Village, hayrides and pony rides, butterfly garden, scarecrow displays, homemade ice cream, farm roasted sweet corn, pumpkin pie, jumping pillow, petting zoo, barnyard playground, face painting, pedal carts, corn maze, children's and big train rides, juggler and fresh produce. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 10-11, 17-18 and 24-25; Hunsader Farms, 5500 C.R. 675, Bradenton; $15, $5 parking and ages 5-9, free under age 5 (cash only), some activities extra; 941-322-2168; hunsaderfarms.com
Dakin Dairy Farms Harvest Festival
Celebrate fall on a working dairy farm at this third annual festival featuring food trucks, vendors, a corn maze, pumpkin patch, sunflower picking, kid zone/playground, lawnmower race viewing, touch-a-tractor, live music, bounce houses, pedal carts, moo train, calf cuddles, pony rides, kid ATVs, paintball and more. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 10-11, 17-18 and 24-25; Dakin Dairy Farms, 30771 Betts Road, Myakka City; $20, free ages 5 and under, some activities included with admission cost and others additional; 941-322-2802; dakindairyfarms.com
Morton's Firehouse Chili Cookoff
The 26th annual event features more than a dozen local firehouses competing for the title of best chili, with celebrity judges, live music, raffle prizes, cold beer, fun for the kids and more, benefiting the Sarasota Firefighters Benevolent Fund. 1:45-5 p.m. Oct. 11; Morton's Gourmet Market, 1924 S. Osprey Ave., Sarasota; free admission, $15 to sample all chili; 941-955-9856; mortonsmarket.com
Fright Night on St. Armands
The 18th annual Halloween event will feature decorated storefronts and frightening characters as well as trick-or-treating, with numerous retailers and restaurants in the popular Sarasota shopping and dining district offering candy, games and customized promotions. 5:30-8 p.m. Oct. 31; St. Armands Circle, Sarasota; free; 941-388-1554; starmandscircleassoc.com
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Top 10 biggest Sarasota area events taking place this October
