There are ten weeks between now and mid-December, and downtown Woodstock does not spread its events evenly across them. Most of the season lands on three dates. Five events fall between October 29 and October 31. Two festivals share November 6 through 8. A holiday musical opens two days before the Parade of Lights. In the quieter weeks, the Saturday farmers market and the October scarecrows carry things along.
So the real planning question is which weekends to keep open, and which ones are calm enough for a slow Saturday downtown.
The steady weeks: market mornings and scarecrows
The steadiest event on the calendar is the Woodstock Farm. Fresh. Market. Its 2026 season runs Saturdays through December 19, 8:30 a.m. to noon, on Market Street and in Reformation Brewery's backyard. The market keeps running through each of the busy weekends below, so on most fall Saturdays a morning downtown can include a market stop.
The Scarecrow Invasion runs all of October. Visit Woodstock says hundreds of scarecrows go up around the downtown district, made by businesses, individuals and nonprofits, and the public votes on favorites. Registration for 2026 is already full, so this year is for walking and voting. The page links to a 2026 map of scarecrow locations and a 2026 scavenger hunt clue sheet, which makes the walk a game for kids.
Mid-October has two more anchors:
- "Come From Away" at Woodstock Arts Theatre, 8534 Main St., runs October 9 through 25. Woodstock Arts calls it a show for ages 10 and up, about 100 minutes with no intermission.
- The Pop-Up Pumpkin Patch at The Outlet Shoppes at Atlanta, 915 Ridgewalk Parkway, runs Saturdays October 10, 17 and 24. The outlet's event page says Sixes Church brings its yearly pumpkin patch to the center, with mini-pumpkin painting, games, photo ops and music. The outlet and Visit Woodstock list different hours for October 10, so check the outlet's event page before you go.
Crunch one: three days of Halloween, October 29 to 31
This is the most crowded stretch of the fall. Four groups run five events across three days, and two of them share Friday, October 30.
| Date | Event | Where | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu., Oct. 29 | Rocky Horror Picture Show with Shadow Cast | Woodstock Arts | 9 p.m. show listed |
| Fri., Oct. 30 | Ghouls Night Out, downtown trick-or-treating | Downtown shops and restaurants | 4 to 7 p.m. |
| Fri., Oct. 30 | Double Feature Movie Night: Scream + Beetlejuice | Reeves House | Doors 6 p.m., first film 7 p.m. |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | Halloween Skelebration | Northside Hospital-Cherokee Amphitheater, Park at City Center | 4 to 8 p.m. |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | Farm. Fresh. Market | Market Street | 8:30 a.m. to noon |
Friday works as a relay. Ghouls Night Out is the 4th annual downtown trick-or-treat, open to all ages, and it ends at 7 p.m. That is the same time the first movie starts at the Reeves House double feature. The movie night also has a seasonal mini-market of local art, crafts, food and drink vendors, so the doors-open hour has something going on. As of early October, Ghouls Night Out still showed 2025's participating shops, with the 2026 list "coming soon."
The Rocky Horror shadow cast is billed for October 29 and 30, but the performance list shows only a 9 p.m. show on the 29th. The page names both the Reeves House Backyard and the Woodstock Arts Event Green as the location. The page promises a costume contest, pre-show, prop bags and a bar, so confirm the night and spot when you buy tickets.
Saturday is the city's turn. The Halloween Skelebration is free with free parking. The city lists trick-or-treating throughout the park, carnival games, mini golf, crafts, pumpkin inflatables, live music, food vendors and giant bubble making. The Park at City Center is at 101 Arnold Mill Road.
Crunch two: November 6 to 8
The second cluster wasn't supposed to be a cluster. The Woodstock International Food Festival, hosted every year by Saint Elizabeth Orthodox Church, was first listed for October 9. Its organizer now says it is postponed to November 6 through 8. Some event calendars still show the October date. The festival's own site has the current schedule:
- Where: 2265 E. Cherokee Drive
- Hours: Friday 4 to 8 p.m., Saturday noon to 8 p.m., Sunday 1 to 4 p.m.
- Admission: suggested donation of $5 per adult
- What's there: international food, craft vendors, cultural performances, church tours and family activities
The move puts it on the same weekend as the free Día de los Muertos Festival, November 7 and 8 on the Woodstock Arts Event Green at 113 Elm St. Listed activities include mariachi, salsa dancing, lotería, vendors and an ofrenda. That makes Saturday the 7th and Sunday the 8th the two days when both festivals are running at once.
The rest of November spreads out:
- Veterans Day Celebration, Wednesday, November 11 at 6 p.m. The city lists coffee, hot chocolate and cookies, with remarks from local veterans' organizations and city officials.
- "Finding Nemo Jr.", a Woodstock Arts Youth Spotlight show, November 12 through 15 at 8534 Main St. It's for all ages and runs about 60 minutes.
- 'Tis the Season to be Green Recycle & Paper Shredding Event, Saturday, November 14, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It's a drive-through with free collection for most items. TVs cost $25, projection TVs $40, CRT monitors $10 and LCD monitors $5. Those fees are cash only.
- Santa's Mailbox opens November 26 and stays up through December 13.
If you have a closet of old electronics, November 14 is a good day to clear it out before holiday guests arrive. Bring cash for the screens.
Crunch three: December 4 to 6
A Christmas Carol the Musical opens Friday, December 4 at Woodstock Arts Theatre and runs through Christmas Eve. It's for all ages and runs about 90 minutes, plus a 15-minute intermission. Two days later comes the biggest night on the city calendar.
The 29th Annual Christmas Jubilee & Parade of Lights is on Sunday, December 6, at 5:30 p.m. The city prints "Sunday" in capital letters on its 2026 schedule, likely because so many big events here fall on Saturdays. According to the city's special events page, the night goes like this:
- The parade starts at Woodstock Elementary School on Rope Mill Road.
- It travels down Main Street.
- It ends at Sam's Club at Highway 92.
- Afterward, the festival moves to The Park at City Center. There, the Mayor and Santa light the 30-foot Christmas tree and the six Best Parade Float winners are announced.
The park festival includes visits with Santa, music by Ronnie the DJ, free cupcake decorating, crafts, hot cocoa and apple cider, winter-themed carnival games, a snow machine, inflatables and holiday vendors.
The market's final Saturday is December 19. After the holidays, the city's Christmas Tree Chip & Dip runs December 26 through January 17.
Two downtown stops that opened in 2026
This is the first fall season for two downtown businesses, and both fit a walk between events.
Pop Chicks Bakery at 117 Mill Street, Suite 100, held its IN WDSTK ribbon-cutting on March 20, 2026. The Cherokee Tribune-Ledger covered the opening as the baker's first brick-and-mortar shop, focused on cake pops.
Catalina Cucina Italian Kitchen & Bar at 8320 Main Street held its grand-opening ribbon-cutting on June 18, 2026. It shares Main Street with the Woodstock Arts Theatre at 8534 Main St., so it's an easy pick for dinner before "Come From Away" in October or "A Christmas Carol" in December.
What's still under construction
The trail projects people have been waiting for are still on their way. A March 2026 travel-industry article said the 1.5-mile Noonday Creek Trail extension will connect Woodstock's trail to Noonday Park in Cobb County, with the Woodstock section expected to finish in fall 2026. The city's own August 2024 update projected an opening about a year from then, so fall 2026 is a target, not a confirmed opening.
The city lists Little River Park as under construction, with completion estimated for spring 2027. Its progress log shows trail connection, grading and dog-park work through July and August 2026. As of May 2026, the Rubes Creek Trail extension was in preconstruction, with construction hoped for in spring 2027.
The city notes that its dates, times and locations can change, so check the event pages before you head out.
Hosting family for the parade or Thanksgiving week and wondering how your home feels when it's full of guests? That's one of my favorite things to talk about. I love helping Woodstock neighbors get their homes guest-ready, and when you're ready to look further ahead, Jodi Godfrey is here to help. Schedule your free home valuation & staging consult.
