Atlanta to Dec. 1: Oakland's last Halloween tours, Boo at the Zoo, the city's Boo Bash Oct. 29, the Veterans Day Parade Nov. 7 and the tree lighting Nov. 22.

Last checked Oct. 20, 2026. Every date, time and price comes from the organizer’s own page, linked below. This page is rebuilt on the first of each month and covers the next six weeks; for this weekend’s picks, see things to do this weekend, and for museums, theater and concerts, arts and exhibitions this month.

The rest of October in Atlanta is the run-up to Halloween on Saturday, Oct. 31: Oakland Cemetery’s last weekend of evening tours, a Saturday of trick-or-treats on Oct. 24 and the city’s free Boo Bash on Oct. 29. November brings the Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 7, Garden Lights from Nov. 14 and the Piedmont Park tree lighting on Nov. 22.

Before you go

All month

  • Scarecrows in the Garden, through Nov. 1 at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, 1345 Piedmont Ave. NE: scarecrows made by schools, families, artists and businesses, with supersized ones on the Great Lawn. Included with garden admission.
  • Saturday farmers markets across the city; see our farmers markets guide.

Oct. 20 to 25

  • Great Pumpkin-Carving Festival, 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, with carved pumpkins, live music and the scarecrow contest winners. General admission is $35 for adults and $15 for children.
  • Capturing the Spirit of Oakland, Thursday to Sunday, Oct. 22-25: the last weekend of the 20th year of Historic Oakland Cemetery’s after-dark Halloween tours, 374 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE. General admission is $45, or $30 for ages 3 to 12, from the Historic Oakland Foundation.
  • Fernbank Museum, 767 Clifton Road: a Teen Night for ages 13 to 17 on Friday, Oct. 23, and Dinosaur Trick-or-Treat from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, included with admission, according to the museum.
  • Boo at the Zoo, Zoo Atlanta, 800 Cherokee Ave. SE: trick-or-treating, carnival games and crafts, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 24, 25 and 31, included with admission, the zoo says.
  • Monster Mash at the Center for Puppetry Arts, 1404 Spring St. NW, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, a Halloween dance party with trick-or-treating, from $20.
  • Trick-or-Treat at the Museum, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Children’s Museum of Atlanta, 275 Centennial Olympic Park Drive NW. Tickets are $25, or $10 for members.

Oct. 26 to 31

  • “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26, at Atlanta Symphony Hall, 1280 Peachtree St. NE. Free, but tickets are required, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra says.
  • DPW’s Pre-Halloween Boo Bash, 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, at Rodney Cook Sr. Park, 650 Joseph E. Boone Blvd. NW: free games, music, face painting and candy from the city’s Department of Public Works, with superhero capes for the first 200 children.
  • Fright Night, 7 to 11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, Fernbank’s adults-only costume party for ages 21 and up (event page).
  • Halloween, Saturday, Oct. 31. The city sets no trick-or-treat hours; see trick-or-treat hours in Atlanta.

November: Nov. 1 to Dec. 1

  • Día de Muertos, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, at Oakland Cemetery, free (event page).
  • Veterans Day Parade, Saturday, Nov. 7. The 45th Georgia Veterans Day Parade steps off at 11 a.m. on Peachtree Street from 15th Street to 5th Street in Midtown, after a free 9:30 a.m. Observance Ceremony at the Woodruff Arts Center, the Georgia Veterans Day Association says. Free. Our Veterans Day page has parking and MARTA details.
  • Chomp & Stomp, Saturday, Nov. 7, Cabbagetown Park: a chili cookoff, the Romp 5K and a free music festival from 11 a.m. Entry is free; tasting needs an official spoon, sold at presale spots and at the festival. Parking is scarce, and the organizers recommend MARTA, bikes or rideshare.
  • Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11. City trash pickup runs on the regular schedule; post offices are closed. See trash and recycling.
  • Garden Lights, Holiday Nights opens Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Atlanta Botanical Garden and runs nightly through Jan. 10, until midnight with last entry at 11 p.m. Night Light tickets after 9:30 p.m. start at $19.95.
  • A Christmas Carol, Nov. 14 to Dec. 27, at the Alliance Theatre’s Coca-Cola Stage, 1280 Peachtree St. NE.
  • IllumiNights at the Zoo, select nights from Saturday, Nov. 21, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Zoo Atlanta, with timed tickets sold online.
  • Lantern Parade and Lighting Celebration, Sunday, Nov. 22, Piedmont Park: lantern-making at Greystone from 3:30 p.m., a lantern parade around Lake Clara Meer at 5 p.m., then the lighting of the Great Tree, menorah and kinara in the Meadow. Free, the Piedmont Park Conservancy says. Details: our Christmas parade and tree lighting page.
  • Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon and 5K, Thursday, Nov. 26, from Center Parc Stadium: half marathon at 7:45 a.m., 5K at 8:15 a.m., from Atlanta Track Club. Trash pickup runs a day late that week; see our Thanksgiving page.
  • Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, Nov. 27-28; see Black Friday and holiday shopping.

Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker opens Dec. 5; show times are on our Nutcracker page.

Every Halloween event we have checked is in our Halloween events guide.

What this means for you

  • Saturday, Oct. 24, is the big trick-or-treat day: the zoo, Fernbank, the puppetry center and the Children’s Museum all hold events.
  • Oakland’s tours and the Children’s Museum event are ticketed; buy ahead.
  • Saturday, Nov. 7, is busy: the Veterans Day Parade closes Peachtree Street in Midtown in the morning and Chomp & Stomp fills Cabbagetown.

Related: free things to do, kids’ activities and fall festivals and pumpkin patches.

Frequently asked questions

What is happening in Atlanta for the rest of October 2026?

Oakland Cemetery’s last weekend of Halloween tours Oct. 22-25, the Botanical Garden’s pumpkin-carving festival Oct. 22, museum and zoo trick-or-treats on Oct. 24, the city’s free Boo Bash Oct. 29 and Boo at the Zoo on Halloween.

When is the Piedmont Park tree lighting in 2026?

Sunday, Nov. 22. Lantern-making starts at 3:30 p.m., the lantern parade at 5 p.m., and the Great Tree, menorah and kinara are lit in the Meadow after the parade, the Piedmont Park Conservancy says. It is free.

When is the Atlanta Veterans Day Parade in 2026?

At 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, on Peachtree Street from 15th Street to 5th Street in Midtown, after a 9:30 a.m. ceremony at the Woodruff Arts Center. Both are free.

When do Atlanta’s holiday light shows open?

Garden Lights, Holiday Nights at the Atlanta Botanical Garden opens Nov. 14, and IllumiNights at Zoo Atlanta starts Nov. 21. Both sell timed tickets.