Things to Do in Ocala This Weekend: October 9-11, 2026

Correction (Oct. 12, 2026): The Gray Family Halloween Festival listed below for Friday, Oct. 9, is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, 6-10 p.m. at the Ocala Downtown Market, according to the organizer's event page. See the updated event listing.

The second weekend of October is the first full-on fall weekend in Ocala. Horses take over the Downtown Square on Saturday morning for the free All-Breed Horse Capital Parade. The Ocala Downtown Market hosts three events in three days, including a free Halloween festival Friday night. Jeeptoberfest runs all weekend at the Florida Horse Park, and the Reilly, the Marion Theatre and the Ocala Civic Theatre all have shows, one of them a free Hocus Pocus screening.

At a Glance: Ocala Events, October 9-11, 2026

Friday, October 9

The Gray Family Halloween Festival is the big free family event of the night. From 6 to 10 p.m. at the Ocala Downtown Market, 403 SE Osceola Ave., more than 60 vendors hand out candy from their booths, with live entertainment, food trucks and on-stage costume contests at 8 p.m. Admission and parking are free.

Nearby, the City of Ocala opens the new season of its free outdoor Sunset Songs Series with reggae band SensaMotion at Citizens' Circle, 151 SE Osceola Ave., from 7 to 9 p.m. Food trucks are on site and concertgoers can bring chairs. Comedy fans can head to the Marion Theatre for the Reilly Arts Center's Sit Down for Stand Up at 7:30 p.m.

On the southwest side, artist Mamasquatch Makes Art kicks off a bi-weekly Live Anime Painting Residency at Samurai Hibachi & Ramen, 2606 SW 19th Avenue Rd., from 6 to 9 p.m. Diners watch the final linework and shading on a canvas of Saitama from One Punch Man, which will then hang in the restaurant's dining room. It is free to watch with dinner.

Jeeptoberfest, the Ocala Jeep Club of Florida's 29th annual event, opens Friday at the Florida Horse Park West Entrance, 11851 SW 16th Ave. It runs 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to noon Sunday, with obstacle courses, a Show and Shine competition, vendors and live music. Spectators pay $10 per carload, cash only.

Saturday, October 10

The day starts early for runners, with the FCA 5K at the Baseline Trailhead and the Wear Your Wings 5K at the College of Central Florida, both at 8 a.m. See our Ocala running guide for more races.

At 9 a.m., the free All-Breed Horse Capital Parade brings horses of many breeds to the Historic Downtown Square, 1 SE Broadway St. The parade showcases the breeds that call Marion County home, and it is free for all ages. The Saturday Ocala Downtown Market runs 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. nearby, so it's easy to do both.

Out in Silver Springs Shores, the community center at 590 Silver Road hosts its second annual fall festival, Boo-tiques, Bites & Beautiful Rides, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It has vendors, food trucks, entertainment and a car show where attendees vote for their favorite ride. Admission is free. Fellowship Baptist Church hosts a Family Fun Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; the church lists the location only as West Ocala, so call (352) 629-5379 to confirm the site. Silver Springs State Park also runs its free Pioneer Village Tour on Saturday morning; state park admission applies.

In the afternoon, the Reilly Arts Center and TJM Promos host a free screening of Hocus Pocus at 2 p.m. at the Marion Theatre, 50 S Magnolia Ave. At 1 p.m., the Ocala Civic Theatre presents The Stories We Tell: Indigenous History, Theatre & Silver Springs at the Silver River Museum, 1445 NE 58th Ave., with playwright and director Vickie Ramirez and museum director Scott Mitchell. It is free, but space is limited and the Civic asks for an RSVP by Friday, October 9. Burnyzz Speed Shop, 1 Aspen Road, holds its free Car Show & Trunk or Treat from 4 to 7 p.m.

Saturday night has plenty of options:

- Ghouls Night Out (6-9 p.m., free): a Halloween-themed evening market at the Ocala Downtown Market with nearly 100 women-owned businesses, food trucks, cocktails and mocktails, and a DJ.
- HOPS Walking Ghost Tour (6 and 8 p.m.): the Historic Ocala Preservation Society's guided tour starts at the Bryant House, 712 E Fort King St. Capacity is limited, so buy tickets ahead.
- Queen: A Royal Tribute (7:30 p.m., $51-$70): singer Yvan Pedneault, who played Galileo in the Canadian production of We Will Rock You, leads the Queen tribute concert on the Reilly Arts Center's main stage, 500 NE 9th St.
- The Dinner Detective (6-9 p.m.): an interactive murder mystery dinner show at Ocala Golf Club, 3130 E Silver Springs Blvd., with actors hidden among the audience and a buffet dinner included. The show is geared toward adults.
- Baker Boys at Charlie Horse (7-11 p.m.): the band plays live at the east Ocala bar and grill at 2426 E Silver Springs Blvd., according to the Charlie Horse events calendar.
- Amore Latino: Halloween Edition (8 p.m.-1 a.m., $20): Amore Ballroom Dance, 2748 NE 14th St., opens with a bachata workshop at 8 p.m., then a Latin social with DJ Rosh from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

For grown-ups, Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses holds its Black & White Gala and Concert at 6 p.m. at the Circle Square Cultural Center, 8395 SW 80th St. Tickets are $200. Over at the World Equestrian Center, the 3 p.m. Emma's Patisserie Experience is sold out.

Sunday, October 11

Runners and aviation fans can start at the Marion County Airport, 14968 SW 110th St., for the 22Mohawks Airborne Shuffle 5K at 8 a.m.

From noon to 4 p.m., the Ocala Downtown Market hosts the Autumn Harvest Craft and Makers Market, where more than 65 local vendors sell handmade home decor, artisan goods, seasonal gifts and specialty foods under the pavilion. Admission and parking are free, and it runs rain or shine.

The Ocala Civic Theatre, 4337 E Silver Springs Blvd., closes the weekend with Phantasmagoria XVII: Frankenstein... The Birth of Horror, the touring Victorian horror troupe's 17th annual Halloween show, at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $30.

Museum-goers have two exhibitions to see all weekend: the Appleton Museum of Art's new retrospective Jeffrey Kronsnoble: Master of Allusion, A Life of Art, with more than 80 works, at 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd., and the Marion Cultural Alliance's free Best of the Best juried exhibition, The Power of the ARTS at the Brick City Center for the Arts, 23 SW Broadway St., through October 31.

Looking Ahead

Next weekend, the McIntosh 1890s Festival returns on Saturday, October 17 after volunteers saved it from cancellation, and the IBERICON Horse Spectacular plays the World Equestrian Center on October 16 and 17. The 59th Ocala Arts Festival follows downtown on October 24 and 25. For the full season, see our guides to Halloween in Ocala, fall festivals, pumpkin patches, free events in Ocala and the complete Ocala events calendar.

*Event details were confirmed with organizers' and venues' published listings as of September 29, 2026, and updated October 6, 2026. Times and prices can change, so check the linked event page before heading out.*