Things to Do in Murfreesboro in October 2026: 30+ Festivals, Haunts and Games

October 2026 in Murfreesboro brings the Hop Springs Fall Festival, Harvest Days at Cannonsburgh, Old Scream Road, Sam Davis Home ghost tours, Restaurant Week, two MTSU home football games and trick-or-treating on the Square.

October is the busiest month of the year on the Murfreesboro calendar. Here is OnlyInMurfreesboro's pick of what to do in Murfreesboro, Smyrna, La Vergne and Eagleville in October 2026, week by week, with links to each event's page for times, prices and directions. The full list is always on the events calendar, and the this weekend guide updates every week.

Fall Festivals

• Martin's Home & Garden Fall Festival, Saturday, Oct. 3, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free.
• Dolly Tribute Festival at Hop Springs, Saturday, Oct. 3, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Free; benefits Dolly's Imagination Library.
• Black Barn Fall Market at Events at East 96 in Lascassas, Saturday, Oct. 10, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Fairly Odd Finds Festival: Goblins n Ghouls Edition at Hop Springs, Saturday, Oct. 10.
• 'Boro International Festival at the MTSU Student Union courtyard, Saturday, Oct. 17, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Rutherford Parent Fall Kids Fest at The Avenue, Saturday, Oct. 17, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free.
• Harvest Days at Cannonsburgh Village, Saturday, Oct. 24, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. This is the 50th year; read the full story.
• Fall Festival at Hop Springs, Saturday, Oct. 24. Free, with 18 bands and 70 food and craft vendors.

More options are in the fall festivals guide.

Pumpkins and Corn Mazes

Lucky Ladd Farms' Fall Harvest Festival in Eagleville runs Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., through Oct. 31 (closing at 2 p.m. on Halloween). a-MAZE-ing Glow Nights light up the corn maze after dark on Oct. 23. Prices and more farms are in the pumpkin patch guide.

Haunted and Halloween Events

• History After Dark at the Sam Davis Home in Smyrna: adults-only haunted history tours Oct. 2-3, 23-24 and 30-31.
• Ghost Tours at the Sam Davis Home: family-friendly tours with a hayride Oct. 9-10 and 16-17, 6-10 p.m. See the Sam Davis Home guide.
• SOAC Fright Nights at the Smyrna Outdoor Adventure Center, Oct. 9-10, 6-10 p.m.
• Clue Party (Oct. 10) and Flashlight Night (Oct. 16) at Oaklands Mansion.
• Cannonsburgh Village After Dark, Oct. 16-17, 6-9 p.m. $5; ages 5 and under free.
• Barfield Bash Halloween Carnival, Oct. 23-24, at Barfield Crescent Park, with Old Scream Road, billed as Murfreesboro's scariest hayride, and the family-friendly Not So Haunted Hayride. Hayrides are $5.
• Goblins and Goodies in La Vergne, Saturday, Oct. 24, noon-2 p.m. Free.
• Halloween in the Park at Sharp Springs Park in Smyrna, Saturday, Oct. 24, 3-9 p.m. Free.
• Trick or Treat on the Square, Friday, Oct. 30, from 3 p.m. Free.
• Halloween Speakeasy & Masquerade Ball at Oaklands Mansion, Friday, Oct. 30, 5-9 p.m.

The complete list, including church trunk-or-treats, is in the Halloween 2026 guide and on the Halloween in Murfreesboro page.

Food and Drink

• Tennessee Main Street Restaurant Week in downtown Murfreesboro, Oct. 5-11, with special menu items at participating restaurants. Start with the downtown Murfreesboro restaurants guide and the best restaurants in Murfreesboro.
• Oktoberfest at Cedar Glade Brews, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2-5 p.m.
• Seasonal menus: Dairy Queen's Spellbound Series, Paris Baguette's Halloween lineup and fall drinks around town.

Music, Art and Theater

• Boro Art Crawl, Friday, Oct. 2, from 5 p.m.
• Bonnie & Clyde at the Center for the Arts, opening Oct. 9.
• Friday Night Live with Matthias Lamparter on the Square, Oct. 16, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Free.
• Lantern Parade at the Discovery Center, Thursday, Oct. 22, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Free.
• Contest of Champions marching band competition at Floyd Stadium, Saturday, Oct. 24.
• Hop Springs concerts include CKY (Oct. 14), Goodbye June (Oct. 17) and FLAW (Oct. 27).

MTSU Football and Races

• MTSU vs. Delaware, Tuesday, Oct. 13, at Floyd Stadium: the Conference USA home opener.
• MTSU vs. Kennesaw State, Wednesday, Oct. 28: a Halloween-themed game where kids can trick-or-treat on the concourse. More in the MTSU football guide.
• Pumpkin Fun Run at Gateway Island, Saturday, Oct. 10; bring a pumpkin and a canned good.
• Walk to End Alzheimer's, Saturday, Oct. 17. Read more.
• Hops Half Marathon & 1 Mile Family Fun Run, the first-ever edition, Saturday, Oct. 24, at 7 a.m.

For Kids and Families

• The Great Pumpkin Festival: Monsters in the Museum at the Discovery Center, Thursday, Oct. 1. Free.
• Nature Day at the Wilderness Station, Saturday, Oct. 10, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Free.
• Murfreesboro Airport STEAM Festival, Saturday, Oct. 17. Free.
• Fall break is Oct. 5-9 for Rutherford County and Murfreesboro City Schools; see fall break ideas and the kids activities guide.

Good to Know

• Household hazardous waste drop-off: Saturday, Oct. 10. Free.
• Nonprofit grants: Murfreesboro's Community Investment Trust takes applications Oct. 1-31; details here.
• Road work: check I-24 weekend ramp closures before you drive.
• Clocks: daylight saving time ends Sunday, Nov. 1; what to know.

Looking for free options? See free things to do in Murfreesboro.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is there to do in Murfreesboro in October 2026?

Highlights include the Hop Springs Fall Festival and Harvest Days at Cannonsburgh Village on Oct. 24, Old Scream Road and the Barfield Bash on Oct. 23-24, Sam Davis Home ghost tours, Main Street Restaurant Week Oct. 5-11, MTSU home football games Oct. 13 and Oct. 28, and Trick or Treat on the Square on Oct. 30.

What free events are in Murfreesboro in October 2026?

Free events include Harvest Days at Cannonsburgh Village, the Hop Springs Fall Festival, Martin's Home & Garden Fall Festival, Nature Day, the Lantern Parade, Friday Night Live on the Square, Trick or Treat on the Square, Halloween in the Park in Smyrna and Goblins and Goodies in La Vergne.

When is trick-or-treating on the Square in Murfreesboro?

Trick or Treat around the Historic Rutherford County Square is Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, starting at 3 p.m.

What is the scariest haunted hayride in Murfreesboro?

Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation bills Old Scream Road at Barfield Crescent Park as the city's scariest hayride. It runs Oct. 23-24, 2026, and costs $5.

When is Harvest Days at Cannonsburgh Village in 2026?

Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is free and marks the festival's 50th year.

*Event details come from each organizer and can change; check the event page before you go. Illustration: AI-generated fall festival scene.*