The Best Ways to Spend October in Atlanta
Atlanta gets a little weirder in October, and we mean that as a compliment. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite ways to get spooky or just to embrace the fall season - from the Beltline to the North Georgia mountains.
Get Into the Spirits
Mix Potions at Frankenstein’s Mad Scientist Cocktail Lab
Pullman Yards | Through Oct. 31
Frankenstein’s Mad Scientist Cocktail Lab has taken over part of Pullman Yards with bubbling beakers, interactive drinks and plenty of mad-scientist theatrics. The 21+ experience runs about 90 minutes, and your ticket includes a themed cocktail.
Hear Some Seriously Dark Stories Over Cocktails
Serial Killer Speakeasy | The West Venue
October is the perfect time to check out Atlanta's Serial Killer Speakeasy, which combines theatrical storytelling about notorious killers with four cocktails.
Have a Drink With the Scarecrows
Atlanta Botanical Garden | Thursdays in October
Scarecrows in the Garden fills the Atlanta Botanical Garden with handmade creations. Go on a Thursday evening for Fest-of-Ale, when you can see the scarecrows after dark with craft beer and live music.
Get Outdoorsy
Hike the Doll’s Head Trail
You don't need a ticket for one of Atlanta's weirdest Halloween outings. Constitution Lakes' Doll’s Head Trail winds through wetlands and woods filled with eerie folk-art installations made from old doll parts, toys, bricks, and other objects found around the property.
Walk Through Oakland Cemetery After Dark
Capturing the Spirit of Oakland is celebrating its 20th year in 2026. The after-dark tour winds through Oakland Cemetery, where costumed storytellers introduce some of the real Atlantans buried there. Spooky, but with considerably more substance than someone chasing you with a chainsaw.
Get in on the Festivities
Eastside Trail | October 31
Why should humans get all the Halloween fun? Dress up your pup and join us for a parade down the Eastside Trail where your dog can compete for best costume, then go trick-or-treating at businesses in the Krog District. Click here to get your ticket before they're gone!
Moreland Avenue | Oct. 17–18
Halloween makes a lot of sense in a neighborhood with a giant skull as a landmark. The free Little Five Points Halloween Festival takes over the neighborhood for two days, with a famously weird parade. You can find a full breakdown of the schedule on their website.
Atlanta Botanical Garden | Oct. 22
The Garden turns pumpkin carving into a spectator sport for one night, with teams competing while everyone else gets drinks, food, and live entertainment. Note: this is a separate ticket from regular Garden admission.
Get Outside of the City
The Traditional Fall Experience: Pumpkins and Sunflowers
Burt’s Pumpkin Farm is a North Georgia fall classic, with an enormous pumpkin patch, hayride, and the best fried desserts you'll find anywhere. Admission and parking are free.
Pair Burt’s with nearby Fausett Farms, where more than 30 acres of sunflowers make a pretty convincing case for the drive. The sunflower fields are open daily this fall, and dogs are welcome on leash.
The fried desserts at Burt's Pumpkin Farm Sunflowers at Fausett Farms Pumpkin patch at Burt's Pumpkin Farm
Spend a Fall Day in Apple Country
Head into Ellijay, Georgia's apple country, to hit an orchard or two and stock up on their fried pies and cider doughnuts. Finish your day with a hard cider at Reece's Cider Company before heading back to Atlanta.
Get Lost in a Dolly Parton Corn Maze
Jaemor Farms wins points for its 2026 theme: this year’s corn maze is a tribute to Dolly Parton. The farm’s Harvest Celebration also includes a pumpkin patch, hayrides, apple cannons, and plenty of reasons to hang around after you make it out of the maze.
Ride the Rails Through the Fall Foliage
Let someone else do the driving and take in the leaves aboard the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. The 26-mile roundtrip follows the Toccoa River through the North Georgia mountains, with a four-hour option that includes a two-hour stop in McCaysville and Copperhill. Fall foliage rides run through Nov. 3, and tickets tend to sell out during peak leaf season.
However you do October, this is the month to take advantage of Atlanta before we all start complaining that it gets dark at 5:30. Get outside, order the seasonal drink, make the drive north, and enjoy the few glorious weeks when Georgia remembers how to do fall.
Nicole Pitts is a freelance marketer for BiteLines Atlanta Food Tours. An avid traveler, she loves experiencing destinations through their local restaurants and cuisines. She has lived in Atlanta on and off throughout her life and considers the Beltline one of the city's best places to eat, explore, and spend an afternoon with her dog.
