Tampa Fall Festivals 2026: An October and November Guide, Weekend by Weekend

On Saturday, October 17, you'll have to pick one. Thomas Rhett headlines the Tampa Pig Jig at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, and across the bay Larkin Poe plays the Clearwater Jazz Holiday. That's how Tampa fall festivals go around here: summer is dead, then everything lands on the same few weekends. Here's what's confirmed for 2026, in calendar order.

Pumpkin patches, haunts and trick-or-treating are in our Halloween events in Tampa guide.

Early October: Oktoberfest Season

German-American Society Oktoberfest (Pinellas Park)

• When: Oct 2–3 and Oct 9–10. Fridays 5–10pm, Saturdays noon–10pm.
• Where: 8098 66th St N, Pinellas Park
• Cost: $12, online or at the gate. Free for kids 12 and under and active military with ID.

An actual German-American club runs this one, and it bills itself as Tampa Bay's home for German-American culture since 1951. You get brats, schnitzel, sauerkraut and potato pancakes, all made fresh on site. Local tip: The free on-site lot "fills up fast," in the club's words. Arrive early, use one of its listed overflow lots (it warns nearby businesses will tow), or take PSTA Route 66, which stops right out front.

Piertoberfest (St. Pete Pier)

• When: Saturday, Oct 3
• Where: Family Park at the St. Pete Pier, 600 2nd Ave NE
• Cost: Promoted as free admission

Year four brings German dancers, the Apple Strudel Oktoberfest Band and stein hoisting with the bay behind you. Local tip: The pier's page lists 11am–10pm, but another local guide says noon. Want to be there at the open? Check stpetepier.org that morning.

Oktoberfest Tampa (Downtown)

• When: Fri Oct 9, 4–11pm; Sat Oct 10, 11am–11pm; Sun Oct 11, 11am–6pm
• Where: Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, 600 N Ashley Dr., downtown Tampa
• Cost: General admission from $10. The festival FAQ lists $10 for one day and $25 for a weekend pass, and the City of Tampa's 2026 listing also shows tickets from $10 (VIP tiers run higher). Kids 12 and under free.

The big downtown one, now in its 17th year, sits on the Riverwalk looking across the Hillsborough River at UT's minarets. They tap the keg Friday night. After that it's stein hoisting, a mustache competition and free-to-play Bavarian games like the brat toss and tug-of-war. Per the FAQ, general admission is free for active or retired military and first responders (police, fire, EMS) with ID. Fellow vets: if you separated without retiring, ask at the box office before you count on it.

Local tip: Dogs are welcome, outside chairs aren't. The FAQ points to the Poe, Rivergate Tower and Fort Brooke garages, and says street meters north of Kennedy Blvd are free on weekends. Our downtown Tampa parking guide covers the rest.

Weekend collision: Oct 9–10 is also the final Pinellas Park weekend. Do Pinellas Park Friday night and downtown Saturday or Sunday, and leave time for the Howard Frankland or Gandy if you're crossing the bay.

Mid-October: Music and Barbecue

Clearwater Jazz Holiday

• When: Thu Oct 15 – Sun Oct 18
• Where: Coachman Park / The BayCare Sound, 300 Cleveland St, Clearwater
• Cost: CL Tampa reports GA tickets starting at $39. The official info page doesn't list a price, so confirm when you buy. Kids under 12 free with an adult holding a GA ticket.

Each night of the 47th Jazz Holiday has a theme:

• Thursday, "Cool Jazz": Chris Botti
• Friday, "Feel the Rhythm": Sheila E. and Arturo Sandoval
• Saturday, "Blues & Brass": Larkin Poe and Big Sam's Funky Nation
• Sunday, "Roots & Funk": The Wood Brothers, plus Dumpstaphunk doing a Sly & the Family Stone tribute

Local tip: The Lower Plaza, the Promenade stage and Sunset Bluff are free and open to the public all festival. Chairs and blankets (6'x8' max) only go in designated GA areas, not the standing-room Plaza or Promenade. Most downtown Clearwater city lots are free on weekends. Or skip the car and take the Clearwater Ferry, the Jolley Trolley or PSTA.

Tampa Pig Jig

• When: Saturday, Oct 17, 1–10pm
• Where: Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, 1001 N Boulevard, across the river from downtown
• Cost: $140 GA, all-in (taxes and fees included). Kids 10 and under free, no ticket needed.

Thomas Rhett headlines year 15, with Midland, Kameron Marlowe, Sister Hazel and Cassidy Daniels, plus an amateur BBQ competition you can walk through. The money goes to families facing serious medical challenges. Honest take: At $140, this is a day you plan around. Lukewarm on the lineup? The cheaper barbecue below is the better call.

Local tip: Tickets are online only through Tixr, with no gate sales. There's no designated event parking; the festival points people to downtown garages. I'd use the rideshare drop-off lane on North Boulevard in front of the park instead.

Late October: John's Pass Seafood Festival

• When: Fri Oct 23, noon–9pm; Sat Oct 24, 10am–9pm; Sun Oct 25, 10am–6pm
• Where: John's Pass Village & Boardwalk, Madeira Beach
• Cost: Free entry

Year 45, and still the best free festival of the fall: fried seafood, the boardwalk and boats running the pass. Friday night has trick-or-treating for kids. Saturday night (6–9pm) brings a costume contest and block party with cash prizes.

Local tip: The John's Pass Village lot is closed during the festival and held for shuttle drop-off. Free shuttles run all three days from Madeira Beach City Hall (300 Municipal Dr), and Saturday and Sunday from Madeira Beach Fundamental School (591 Tom Stuart Causeway). Paid parking elsewhere uses ParkMobile. Just take the shuttle.

November: The Fair, Seafood and More Barbecue

Hillsborough County Fair (Dover)

• When: Nov 5–15
• Where: 215 Sydney Washer Rd, Dover, between Brandon and Plant City off SR 60
• Cost: Parking is free. The fair says 2026 admission details "will be available soon."

From Valrico, the fairgrounds are about 15 minutes away, so this is the big fall event for Brandon, Valrico and Plant City. It's an old-school county fair in strawberry country: youth livestock shows, rides, fair food, grandstand events and the Harvest Queen Scholarship Pageant. Gates open between noon and 5pm depending on the day. The fair closes at 10 or 11pm, and gates close an hour before that.

Local tip: Search for fair prices and you'll probably hit "overflow parking at New Boston Central School." That's the Hillsborough County Fair in New Hampshire. Use hillsboroughcountyfair.com or call (813) 737-FAIR. Ticketing and card fees apply, no checks, and only documented service dogs are allowed.

Dunedin Art Harvest (Check Before You Go)

The Junior League of Clearwater-Dunedin's juried fine art show brings 200+ artists to Highlander Park, 903 Michigan Blvd. Event listings, including one on the Junior League's own site, point to Sat–Sun Nov 7–8, 10am–4pm. We couldn't load the organizer's page to confirm, so check before you go.

Ruskin Seafood Festival

• When: Sat Nov 14, 10am–5pm; Sun Nov 15, 11am–5pm
• Where: E.G. Simmons Conservation Park, 2401 19th Ave NW, Ruskin
• Cost: Free admission and free parking, per the festival

Year 36 brings 20+ food and drink vendors, arts and crafts, the Oceanville Family Stage for kids, sensory-friendly zones, a leashed-dog zone and the Roamin' Oldies car show. Expect a family-heavy South Shore crowd; it's an easy drive south from Riverview. Local tip: It lands on the fair's second weekend, so do Ruskin in the morning and Dover at night.

Plant City Pig Jam

• When: Fri Nov 20, 5–10pm; Sat Nov 21, 10am–8pm
• Where: 1401 Gordon Food Service Dr, Plant City
• Cost: $5. Kids 6 and under free.

In its 23rd year, this KCBS-sanctioned competition has teams going at ribs, pork, brisket and chicken, plus live music, a climbing wall and moonwalks. Local tip: Buy food from the competition teams. It supports them and scholarships for local high school seniors. At $5 to Pig Jig's $140, this is the budget barbecue pick of the season.

Thanksgiving Week

The Tampa YMCA Turkey Gobble 5K and 1-mile run happen Thanksgiving morning, Thu Nov 26, at Benchmark International Arena, 401 Channelside Dr., in Channelside. The registration page lists a 7am start for the 5K and 8:15am for the 1-mile fun run.

Winter Village at Curtis Hixon opened the Friday before Thanksgiving last year (Nov 21, 2025). The 2026 date isn't out yet, so watch wintervillagetampa.com.

Two days after Thanksgiving is Small Business Saturday. Our Small Business Saturday guide has ideas for shopping local.

Picking Your Weekends

• Free: John's Pass, Ruskin, Piertoberfest and the Jazz Holiday's free stages
• Cheap: Pig Jam ($5), Oktoberfest Tampa (from $10), German-American Society Oktoberfest ($12)
• Splurge: Pig Jig ($140)
• Military perks: Oktoberfest Tampa (active or retired military and first responders, per its FAQ) and German-American Society Oktoberfest (active military)

October afternoons still run hot, so Friday night at Oktoberfest or an evening at the Jazz Holiday is the comfortable play. Hurricane season also runs through November, so check the organizer's social pages the morning of any outdoor event.

Before or after, browse the full directory for restaurants, breweries and shops near each venue. Own one? Add your listing for free so festival crowds can find you.

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