North Carolina events › By month › October 2026
North Carolina events in October 2026, week by week: festivals, holiday lights, concerts, sports and arts, with the town, region and price as each organizer lists them. The list updates itself from our checked events dataset.
36 events on our North Carolina calendar run during October 2026.
This list is rebuilt from our North Carolina events dataset (calendar last re-checked Oct 21, 2026). Every date and price was read on the organizer’s own page; “See event page” means the organizer does not publish one. Plans change, so check the organizer’s page before you drive.
Don’t Miss in October
| Event | When | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 4th Friday: District Fall Festival (Downtown Fayetteville) | Fri, Oct 23 (6:00 PM-10:00 PM) | Fayetteville · Sandhills | See event page |
| Western Carolina Catamounts Football Homecoming vs Chattanooga | Sat, Oct 24 (2:30 PM) | Cullowhee · Smoky Mountains | See event page |
| Bootanical: Stowe at Sea (Daniel Stowe Conservancy) | Sat, Oct 24 (10:00 AM - 2:00 PM) | Belmont · Charlotte Region | See event page |
| BOO at the NC Zoo | Oct 24-25 | Asheboro · Triad | See event page |
| Howl at the View (Halloween family night) | Sat, Oct 24 (5:00-7:00 PM) | Durham · Triangle | See event page |
| Animals of Jones Lake (Jones Lake State Park) | Sat, Oct 24 (2:00-3:00 PM) | Elizabethtown · Eastern Plain & Inner Banks | See event page |
Week of Oct 1-4, 2026
| Event | When | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Renaissance Festival | Oct 3-Nov 22 (Saturdays and Sundays 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM, rain or shine) | Huntersville · Charlotte Region | See event page |
Week of Oct 5-11, 2026
Nothing new starts this week on our calendar; the events running all month are above.
Week of Oct 12-18, 2026
Nothing new starts this week on our calendar; the events running all month are above.
Week of Oct 19-25, 2026
| Event | When | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 4th Friday: District Fall Festival (Downtown Fayetteville) | Fri, Oct 23 (6:00 PM-10:00 PM) | Fayetteville · Sandhills | See event page |
| Animals of Jones Lake (Jones Lake State Park) | Sat, Oct 24 (2:00-3:00 PM) | Elizabethtown · Eastern Plain & Inner Banks | See event page |
| BOO at the NC Zoo | Oct 24-25 | Asheboro · Triad | See event page |
| Battleship 101 (Battleship NORTH CAROLINA) | Sat, Oct 24 (not published) | Wilmington · Coast | See event page |
| Beach Scavenger Hunt (Fort Macon State Park) | Oct 24-Feb 15, 2027: 10:00 AM (state parks list); detail page shows 10-11 AM | Atlantic Beach · Coast | See event page |
| Bootanical: Stowe at Sea (Daniel Stowe Conservancy) | Sat, Oct 24 (10:00 AM - 2:00 PM) | Belmont · Charlotte Region | See event page |
| Carolina Kite Festival (Fort Macon State Park) | Oct 24-25 (Flying expected best 10 AM-4 PM both days) | Atlantic Beach · Coast | Free |
| Charlotte Whiskey, Wine & Fire Festival | Sat, Oct 24 (VIP 4-9 PM; general admission 5-9 PM) | Charlotte · Charlotte Region | See event page |
| Dismal Day (Dismal Swamp State Park) | Sat, Oct 24 (10 AM-2 PM; free 5K fun run 9 AM) | South Mills · Eastern Plain & Inner Banks | Free |
| Fort Macon free daily guided tour | Oct 24-Apr 14, 2027 (Daily 1:00 PM, about 45 minutes, mid-Oct to mid-April) | Atlantic Beach · Coast | Free |
| Halloween at the BOOtanical Garden (Cape Fear Botanical Garden) | Oct 24-25: 4:30 PM - 9:00 PM nightly (event runs Oct 22-25) | Fayetteville · Sandhills | Advance tickets: non-members ages 11+ $14, members 11+ $12, ages 3-10 $9, under 3 free; more prices on the event page |
| Howl at the View (Halloween family night) | Sat, Oct 24 (5:00-7:00 PM) | Durham · Triangle | See event page |
| Museum of the Cherokee People | Oct 24-Mar 31, 2027: 9:00 AM-5:00 PM daily (last ticket 4:00 PM) | Cherokee · Smoky Mountains | Adults $15; children 6-12 $8; children 5 and under free |
| NASCAR Hall of Fame Fall STEM Family Days | Oct 24-25 (not published) | Charlotte · Charlotte Region | See event page |
| NASCAR Hall of Fame Kids Go Free weekend | Oct 24-25 (not published) | Charlotte · Charlotte Region | See event page |
| NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores | Oct 24-Mar 31, 2027 (Daily 9 AM-5 PM) | Pine Knoll Shores · Coast | See event page |
| NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island | Oct 24-Mar 31, 2027 | Manteo · Coast | See event page |
| NC Museum of Natural Sciences (downtown Raleigh) | Oct 24-Mar 31, 2027 | Raleigh · Triangle | Free general admission |
| Pumpkin Patch Express (Museum of Life and Science) | Oct 24-31: Weekends in October (hours not published) | Durham · Triangle | See event page |
| Trick or Treat on Elm Street | Sat, Oct 24 (1:00 PM - 4:00 PM) | Greensboro · Triad | See event page |
| Umstead's 92nd Birthday Bash (William B. Umstead State Park) | Sat, Oct 24 (Sat 4:00-7:00 PM at Sycamore Mess Hall, 8801 Glenwood Ave) | Raleigh · Triangle | $25; kids 12 and under free |
| WNC Nature Center | Oct 24-Mar 31, 2027 (not published) | Asheville · Asheville & Foothills | Adults $16.95 plus tax ($11.95 City of Asheville residents); seniors 65+ $15.95 ($10.95); more prices on the event page |
| Western Carolina Catamounts Football Homecoming vs Chattanooga | Sat, Oct 24 (2:30 PM) | Cullowhee · Smoky Mountains | See event page |
| Carolina Panthers home games (Bank of America Stadium) | Oct 25-Jan 3, 2027 | Charlotte · Charlotte Region | See event page |
| Super-NATURAL Creature Feature (Jockey's Ridge State Park) | Sun, Oct 25 (2:00-3:00 PM) | Nags Head · Coast | See event page |
| Trunk or Treat (Hammocks Beach State Park) | Sun, Oct 25: 2:00-5:00 PM (per event text) | Swansboro · Coast | See event page |
Week of Oct 26-31, 2026
| Event | When | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Escape at the Millpond (Merchants Millpond State Park) | Oct 26-Dec 14 | Gatesville · Eastern Plain & Inner Banks | See event page |
| Fayetteville Marksmen (SPHL) home games at Crown Coliseum | Oct 29-Mar 27, 2027 | Fayetteville · Sandhills | See event page |
| Indigo Girls with Linda Perry (Wilson Center) | Thu, Oct 29: 7:00 PM (doors 6:00 PM) | Wilmington · Coast | See event page |
| Greensboro Science Center Fright Light laser show | Fri, Oct 30 (Shows at 6:00, 7:00 and 8:00 PM) | Greensboro · Triad | $7 per ticket |
| Mrs. Doubtfire (WRAL Greatest Hits of Broadway, DPAC) | Oct 30-Nov 1 (not published) | Durham · Triangle | Tickets start at $50 (+ tax) |
| Boo! (Museum of Life and Science) | Sat, Oct 31 (10 AM-3 PM) | Durham · Triangle | See event page |
| Carolina Raptor Center: Raptor Tales story time | Sat, Oct 31: Raptor Trail open 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM (event time not published) | Huntersville · Charlotte Region | See event page |
| ECU Pirates football vs Temple | Sat, Oct 31 (Time TBA) | Greenville · Eastern Plain & Inner Banks | See event page |
| Halloween in the District: Trick or Treat and Costume Contest (Downtown Fayetteville) | Sat, Oct 31 | Fayetteville · Sandhills | See event page |
October by Region
- Smoky Mountains events 2 in October
- Asheville & Foothills events 1 in October
- Charlotte Region events 7 in October
- Triad events 3 in October
- Triangle events 6 in October
- Sandhills events 4 in October
- Eastern Plain & Inner Banks events 4 in October
- Coast events 9 in October
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the biggest North Carolina events in October 2026?
The “Don’t Miss” list at the top picks one-off events from the regions, starting with those that have our own full guide. The week-by-week lists below show every checked event.
Are the dates and prices confirmed?
Every row was read on the organizer’s own page on the checked date shown in our events dataset. Where an organizer publishes no price we say “See event page”. Plans change, so confirm before you go.
Why do some events run all October?
Light shows, exhibits and markets run for weeks or months. They are listed once under “Running All October” with a note to check the night you want, because some open only on certain days.
Is my town missing?
Small-town calendars are often posted only on social media, which we do not use as a source. Send us the organizer’s page and we will check it.
Keep Planning
- All North Carolina events by region
- North Carolina events this weekend
- North Carolina events by month
- Regions: Smoky Mountains, Asheville and Foothills, High Country, Charlotte Region, Triad, Triangle, Sandhills, Eastern Plain and Inner Banks, Coast
- Drive times to North Carolina attractions and the State Parks Passport
Sources
- Each event links to the organizer’s own page, where its date, hours and price were read.
- North Carolina events open dataset (CSV and JSON, with a checked date on every row).
How we check: editorial standards, verification log, corrections.
Cite this page: It's North Carolina, “North Carolina Events in October 2026”, itsnorthcarolina.com/north-carolina-events-in-october/ (updated ). By the It's North Carolina editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.