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Fall events happening in Austin

Autumn in Austin is packed with seasonal celebrations, holiday happenings, and festivals for foodies and live music fanatics.

A nighttime scene featuring a pathway lined with glowing jack-o'-lanterns hanging from trees. The lanterns illuminate the dark forest, casting an eerie yet enchanting atmosphere. A group of silhouetted people, including adults and children, walk toward the glowing lights, with mist rising in the background, enhancing the haunting, Halloween-like setting.

Pumpkin Nights at Pioneer Farms is happening now and runs through Halloween.

Photo by ATXtoday

Although sweater weather hasn’t arrived quite yet, autumn is here. For Austinites, that means there’s a lot to look forward to, including fall festivities, holiday happenings, live performances, and sports games.

Without further ado, it’s time to pull out your calendar and plan your favorite fall yet.

Festivals

A group of people looking at books at the Texas Book Festival.

Get your book shopping done in between panels at the Texas Book Festival.

Photo courtesy Texas Book Festival

Oktoberfest 2024 | Now-Sunday, Oct. 6 | Times vary | Multiple locations | Prices vary | Let our guide to Oktoberfest in Austin lead you to seasonal brews, stein hoisting, and German fare.

Austin Coffee Festival | Saturday, Sept. 28-Sunday, Sept. 29 | Times vary | Palmer Events Center | $24-$58 | Sip brews from some of Austin’s best roasters at this event, which also features tea and food.

ACL Music Festival | Friday, Oct. 4-Sunday, Oct. 13 | Times vary | Zilker Park | $320+ | Austin’s signature music festival returns. Here’s everything you need to know before you go.

Austin Film Festival | Thursday, Oct. 24-Thursday, Oct. 31 | Times vary | Multiple locations | $50+ | Film buffs won’t want to miss this event for all things cinema, TV, screenwriting, and podcasting.

Levitation | Thursday, Oct. 31-Sunday, Nov. 3 | Times vary | Multiple locations | $20+ | This music festival for electronic and dreamy tunes has been running for more than a decade in Austin.

Austin Food & Wine Festival | Friday, Nov. 1-Sunday, Nov. 3 | Times vary | Auditorium Shores | $195+ | Try foods, wines, cocktails, and brews from some of the top culinary experts in Texas and beyond.

Fossil Fest | Saturday, Nov. 2-Sunday, Nov. 3 | 9 a.m.-5 p.m. | Old Settler’s Heritage Association, Round Rock | $3 | Learn about prehistoric life, identify fossils, and engage in kid-friendly activities.

Texas Craft Brewers Festival | Saturday, Nov. 16 | 2-6:30 p.m. | Fiesta Gardens | $50+ | Sample beer from across the Lone Star State at this annual celebration of small and independent craft breweries in Texas.

Texas Book Festival | Saturday, Nov. 16-Sunday, Nov. 17 | Times vary | Multiple locations | Free | Book lovers will rejoice at this downtown festival featuring live panels with authors, book signings, shopping, kids activities, and demos.

Holiday celebrations

A crowd of people wait in line to get into the House of Torment

The House of Torment offers three terrifying attractions.

Photo via House of Torment

Halloween

Pumpkin Nights | Now-Thursday, Oct. 31 | 7-11 p.m. | Pioneer Farms | $16+ | Walk through a Halloween wonderland with art made with over 7,500 hand-carved pumpkins.

Boo at the Zoo | Friday + Saturday nights in October | 5:45-9 p.m. | Austin Zoo | $22+ | Wear your costume to see animal shows, explore a haunted mansion, and ride a haunted train.

House of Torment | Now-Saturday, Nov. 9 | Times vary | 2632 Ridgepoint Drive, Austin | $20+ | This year’s scary experiences include “Torment ’99,” “The Arrival,” and “The Abandoned.”

Austin Ghost Tours | Multiple dates | Times vary | Multiple locations | $27+ | Learn about Austin’s history through ghost stories on guided tours, including a new addition called “Real Ghosts: A Halloween Adventure.”

Día de Muertos

Viva la Vida Festival + Parade | Saturday, Oct. 26 | 4th Street and Congress Avenue | 12-6 p.m. | Cost of purchase | At Austin’s longest-running Day of the Dead event, festivalgoers can enjoy the parade, try a variety of foods, shop goods from local artists, and listen to live music.

Día de los Muertos | Friday, Nov. 1 | Moody Amphitheater | 6-10 p.m. | Cost of purchase | Celebrate with live performances, face painting, community altars, themed cocktails, and local Latinx artisan vendors.

Veterans Day

Austin Veterans Day Parade + Memorial Ceremony | Monday, Nov. 11 | 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Texas State Capitol | Free | Watch the parade go down Congress Avenue before seeing a commemoration program honoring our fallen soldiers.

Thanksgiving

H-E-B Feast of Sharing | Tuesday, Nov. 26 | 4-8 p.m. | Palmer Events Center | TBD | Help prevent hunger during the holidays by volunteering to serve meals.

ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot | Thursday, Nov. 28 | 9:30 a.m. | The Long Center | $22+ | Join ~20,000 trotters on the largest 5-mile run in Texas.

Sports

A vibrant daytime scene at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. The large, star-spangled design of the track reflects the American flag's colors—red, white, and blue. In the background, the iconic observation tower rises above the grandstands, filled with spectators watching the event. The sky is mostly clear, with just a few clouds, adding to the electric atmosphere of a race day.

Ready your engines for a weekend full of speed and live music at the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix.

Photo by Tylar Dean

Austin FC | Now-Saturday, Oct. 19 | Times vary | Multiple locations | Prices vary | Grab tickets to a game at Q2 Stadium, or wear your verde and black to watch at a local brewery.

Texas Longhorn football | Now-Saturday, Nov. 30 | Times vary | Multiple locations | Prices vary | Don’t miss your chance to cheer on the Longhorns this season — or our guide on where to score the best deals in town when Texas takes the field.

Formula 1 Pirelli US Grand Prix | Thursday, Oct. 17-Sunday, Oct. 20 | Times vary | Circuit of the Americas | $1,299+ | Don’t miss the action-packed weekend, complete with racing and live music.

Concerts

The crowd at a concert at the Moody Amphitheater

Whether you’re at the Moody Amphitheater, Moody Center, or Moody Theater, you’re in for a show.

Photo by @teamscreamy

Two Door Cinema Club | Thursday, Sept. 26 | Moody Amphitheater | Known for: “What You Know”

Weezer | Friday, Sept. 27 | Moody Center | Known for: “Island In The Sun”

Kygo | Saturday, Sept. 28 | Germania Insurance Amphitheater | Known for: “Whatever”

USHER | Monday, Oct. 7 + Tuesday, Oct. 8 | Moody Center | Known for: “Yeah! (feat. Lil Jon + Ludacris)”

Maggie Rogers | Wednesday, Oct. 9 | Moody Center | Known for: “Alaska”

Heart | Thursday, Oct. 10 | Moody Center | Known for: “Barracuda”

Vampire Weekend | Thursday, Oct. 17 | Moody Center | Known for: “A-Punk”

Suki Waterhouse | Friday, Oct. 18 | ACL Live | Known for: “Good Looking”

Judas Priest | Thursday, Oct. 24 | Germania Insurance Amphitheater | Known for: “Breaking the Law”

Thee Sacred Souls | Friday, Oct. 25 | Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater | Known for: “Can I Call You Rose?”

Sabrina Carpenter | Monday, Oct. 28 | Moody Center | Known for: “Espresso”

G-Eazy | Wednesday, Oct. 30 | Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater | Known for: “Me, Myself & I”

Tori Kelly | Wednesday, Oct. 30 | Emo’s Austin | Known for: “I Was Made For Loving You”

P!nk | Sunday, Nov. 3 | Moody Center | Known for: “Just Give Me a Reason”

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard | Friday, Nov. 15 | Germania Insurance Amphitheater | Known for: “Work This Time”

Interpol | Thursday, Nov. 21 | Moody Amphitheater | Known for: “Evil”

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