We’re here to help you tackle your fall bucket list — from upcoming festivals and parades to spontaneous one-day events around the city. Channel your inner social butterfly and make this season one for the books with these October events.
Pro tip: We update this page monthly with fresh events, so feel free to bookmark it so you can check back throughout the year.
Halloween happenings
Poe’s Halloween UnHappy Hour | Thursday, Oct. 23 | 6-9 p.m. | The Poe Museum | $10, $5 for members | Wrap up Edgar Allen Poe’s unhappiest of hours + keep things creepy with a music set by The Embalmers.
Howl-O-Ween + RVA Black Farmers Market | Saturday, Oct. 25 | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | Stony Point Fashion Park | Free | Dress your dog up in something silly, then hit this event together for farmers market picks, Halloween treats (for pups and people), and free caricature drawings.
20th Annual Richmond Zombie Walk | Saturday, Oct. 25 | Walk begins at 2:30 p.m. | Carytown | Free | Staggering into its 20th year, this tradition summons a parade of the undead to Carytown’s commercial strip. Participants can join the pre-walk meet-up at Boat Lake in Byrd Park, starting at 1 p.m.
Halloween Pinball Party | Saturday, Oct. 25 | Pinball sign-ups start at 6 p.m. | Wax Moon Records | Free | Don your costume for an evening of seasonal movies, music, and competitive pinball.
“The Witches” Outdoor Movie Screening | Saturday, Oct. 25 | 6-8:30 p.m. | Fat Rabbit Bakery | $15 | Catch a cozy screening on the outdoor patio behind this neighborhood bakery, where each ticket includes a complementary dark chocolate + olive oil cookie.
“Rocky Horror Picture Show” (with Shadow Cast) | Saturday, Oct. 25 | 8 p.m. | Ashland Theatre | $13 | Actors from RockyHorrorRVA will command the stage for a participatory rendition of this cult classic musical, plus you can buy audience prop bags at entry for $5 each.
Monroe Grand Market + Halloween Block Party | Sunday, Oct. 26 | 11 a.m.-5 p.m. | Monroe Park | Free | Come dressed in costume and ready to party; Leave with new vintage threads.
Hill-O-Ween | Sunday, Oct. 26-Friday, Oct. 31 | Times vary | Church Hill | $21 | There’s a lot on the docket for this neighborhood bash, including Trunk or Treat, two ghost tours, a house decoration contest, and a Halloween costume parade.
Mug Mayhem | Sunday, Oct. 26 | 3-6 p.m. | The Smoky Mug | Free | Creep over to Northside for costume prizes, boozy drinks, treats, dancing, and the ever-so-cryptic “spooky stalls.”
20th Annual All the Saints Richmond Halloween Parade | Friday, Oct. 31 | 6:15-9:15 p.m. | Monroe Park | Free | Another beloved Halloween tradition turns 20 this year, and a parade of magnificent, towering puppets wants you to come celebrate.
“The Rocky Horror Show” with Richmond Triangle Players | Friday, Oct. 31 | 7 p.m. | Carpenter Theatre at Dominion Energy Center | $14+ | The Richmond Symphony backs up one of Richmond’s local theater companies for a stage production of this October classic.
Haunted Hotel Halloween (21+) | Friday, Oct. 31 | 9 p.m. | The Lobby Bar at Quirk Hotel | $15 | Quirk Hotel is weaving an eerie tale through its halls, which you can experience with DJ beats and happy hour food + drinks on hand.
🎃 Find more Halloween happenings in our fall activity guide.
Festivals
The 55th Richmond Oktoberfest | Friday, Oct. 17 + Saturday, Oct. 18 | Times vary | Richmond Raceway | This RVA tradition goes way back, and it always draws out an impressive crowd.
Festival of the Arts | Saturday, Oct. 18 + Sunday, Oct. 26 | 8 p.m. | Dogwood Dell, Byrd Park | Free | It’s the last month to catch the amphitheater’s annual series, closing out with An Evening of Prince + Silent Music Revival.
Shalom Farms Harvest Festival | Wednesday, Oct. 29 | 5-8 p.m. | Northside Farm | Donation-based | What better way to celebrate harvest season than at your fave Northside farm?
That’s certainly not all — scout out more parties with our festivals guide.
Spontaneous fun
Garden Glow | Wednesday, Oct. 15-Sunday, Nov. 9 | 6-10 p.m. | The Robins Nature Center | $25, Value Night + member discounts | You’ll have plenty of time to plan ahead for this light show, which runs all month long.
Richmond Tattoo + Arts Convention | Friday, Oct. 17-Sunday, Oct. 19 | Times vary | DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Richmond: Midlothian | $35+ | As you could guess, this one’s about all things ink.
RVA Square Dance | Saturday, Oct. 25 | 7 p.m. | Studio Two Three | $10 | Here’s the schedule: Doors open at 7 p.m., a group lesson starts at 7:30 p.m., and the big dance squares off at 8 p.m.
Sports
Chattanooga Red Wolves SC vs. Richmond Kickers | Sunday, Oct. 19 | 6 p.m. | City Stadium | $23+ | Get your tickets for Fan Appreciation Night as the Roos round out the 2025 season.
Theater
17th Annual Richmond Theatre Community Circle Awards (“Artsies”) | Sunday, Oct. 19 | 7 p.m. | Sara Belle and Neil November Theatre | $25+ | Celebrate theatrical talent in the Richmond community at this annual awards ceremony.
Concerts + shows
Dead Billionares, Rikki Rakki, and Flora + Fauna | Friday, Oct. 17 | 9:30 p.m. | The Camel | $12 | A few Richmond faves take the stage at this intimate venue, always on the pulse of the local music scene.
Dylan Gossett: The Westward Tour | Saturday, Oct. 18 | 6 p.m. | Brown’s Island | $35+ | Drayton Farley + Buffalo Traffic Jam open for this country songwriter, as part of the LiVE LOUD music series.
Groovin’ in the Garden: Jeff Tweedy | Saturday, Oct. 25 | 7-10 p.m. | Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden | $52+ | Head to Lewis Ginter to hear this singer-songwriter serenade the gardens.
“‘Stardew Valley:' Symphony of Seasons” | Wednesday, Oct. 29 | 8 p.m. | Altria Theater | $40+ | If you’ve ever played this cozy farming video game, take this chance to hear the melodic background music in person, backed by a live symphony.
Share your event
Have an event of your own you’d like to share with us? Follow these easy steps to add your events to our calendar:
- Go to our Events page.
- Click “Add Event” in the top right-hand corner, below our featured events.
- Be sure to include a link and fill out all the essential details, such as your event’s date, time, location, and price.
- Click “Submit,” and — ta-da — you’ve just added an event to our website calendar.