Things to Do with Kids in Ocala

The Marion Cultural Alliance presents The Power of the ARTS, its 8th annual Best of the Best juried exhibition, at the Brick City Center for the Arts, 23 SW Broadway Street in downtown Ocala, from October 2 through October 31, 2026. The opening reception is Friday, October 2, from 5 to 7 p.m., with awards presented at 5:30 p.m., the same night as the season-opening First Friday Art Walk. MCA member artists created works inspired by the arts themselves, from music, dance and theater to literature, film and Marion County's creative community. The show also marks MCA's 25th anniversary. Admission is free.

Ocala Breeders' Sales holds its 2026 October Yearling Sale on Tuesday and Wednesday, October 6-7, at the OBS sales pavilion, 1701 SW 60th Avenue in Ocala. Sessions begin at noon ET both days, with 378 yearlings cataloged plus 60 supplemental entries added Sept. 29, for 438 in all: Hips 1-189 plus supplements 190-224 on October 6 and Hips 251-439 plus supplements 440-464 on October 7. The catalog includes yearlings by established sires such as Authentic, Blame, Charlatan, Hard Spun and Munnings, and first-crop yearlings by Jack Christopher, Jackie's Warrior, Mage, Mandaloun and Speaker's Corner. It is the last yearling auction of the year at horse country's thoroughbred sales company. The sale streams live on obssales.com, and online bidding is available.

The Marion County Maker Collective (MC²) hosts Comedy at The Collective, an all-ages stand-up comedy night, on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at its makerspace at 3650 NE 25th Street in Ocala. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. The lineup features touring comedian Dan Alten, a Kentucky stand-up who performs about 200 shows a year and has opened for Kyle Kinane, Bobcat, Rory Scovel and Sarah Sherman, alongside Brian Zeolla and possibly more comics. Admission is a $10 suggested donation at the door. MC² is Marion County's first makerspace, a program of the Ocala nonprofit Artify Ocala Inc.

Barons Creek Vineyards hosts a comedy night at its downtown Ocala tasting room, 16 SW Broadway Street, on Wednesday, October 7, 2026. The live showcase features a host and three clean, family-friendly comedians on the tasting room's outdoor patio, presented with Pat DeGeest Comedy and Carlos the Comic. Seating begins at 6:00 p.m. and the show starts at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person plus tax, with a $5 discount for wine club members, and capacity is limited to 35 guests. Food and wine are available for purchase, and the event moves to an indoor backup space if weather does not allow an outdoor show.

The City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department presents SensaMotion as part of the Sunset Songs Series on Friday, October 9, 2026, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Citizens' Circle, 151 SE Osceola Ave. in downtown Ocala. SensaMotion, a reggae band with Atlantic City roots, opens the 2026–2027 season of the series. The Sunset Songs Series, now in its third season, is a free outdoor concert series featuring touring and emerging regional artists at Citizens' Circle from October through March. Food trucks are on site and alcoholic beverages are available for purchase, and concertgoers are encouraged to bring chairs.

The Gray Family Halloween Festival returns to the Ocala Downtown Market, 403 SE Osceola Ave. in downtown Ocala, on Friday, October 9, 2026, from 6 to 10 p.m. More than 60 vendors hand out candy from their booths for trick-or-treaters, and the evening also features live entertainment, food trucks and on-stage costume contests at 8 p.m. Admission and parking are free. The festival is hosted by Matt Gray at the Ocala Downtown Market.

The Ocala Jeep Club of Florida holds its 29th Annual Jeeptoberfest from Friday, October 9 through Sunday, October 11, 2026, at the West Entrance of [Florida Horse Park](/businesses/florida-horse-park), 11851 SW 16th Ave in Ocala. The Jeep-only event features obstacle courses in three difficulty levels, a Show and Shine competition, vendors, food, raffles, live music and spectator viewing areas, plus a guided Sunday morning trail ride through the Ocala National Forest at 9:00 AM. Hours are 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Saturday and 8:00 AM to noon Sunday. Spectator admission is $10 per carload, cash only, and proceeds from the club's annual fundraiser benefit local charities including Kimberly's Krusade, Bryan's Army, Veterans Healing Ventures and Wanda's Legacy.

Mamasquatch Makes Art launches a bi-weekly Live Anime Painting Residency at Samurai Hibachi & Ramen, 2606 SW 19th Avenue Road in Ocala, on Friday, October 9, 2026, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. During the kickoff, the artist finishes a canvas of Saitama from One Punch Man in his "Serious Punch" stance in the restaurant's dining room. Because each detailed anime canvas takes more than 10 hours, background work is done in the studio beforehand, and diners watch the linework, shading and final details live. After a protective varnish, the finished piece returns to hang permanently on Samurai's dining room wall. Attendance is free with dinner from the restaurant's hibachi, ramen and sushi menu.