Columbus in late October: free Rock the Lawn Oct. 17, the Marine Band Oct. 23, Boo Bash Oct. 24, a free Halloween movie night Oct. 31 and November's shows.

Last checked Oct. 16, 2026. This page is rebuilt at the start of each month. Dates and times come from each organizer’s own page, linked below; confirm with the organizer before you go.

Updated Oct. 16: the household hazardous waste day canceled by weather on Oct. 10 is now Saturday, Oct. 24; the Civic Center added a free Halloween Scream on the Green on Oct. 31; November shows and races added.

The rest of October in Columbus is Halloween season. The headline nights: the free Rock the Lawn concert on Saturday, Oct. 17, “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band on Friday, Oct. 23, the Uptown Halloween night on Saturday, Oct. 24, and a free Halloween Scream on the Green at the Civic Center on Saturday, Oct. 31. For this weekend’s full list, see things to do this weekend. For galleries, theater and concerts, see arts and exhibitions.

Before you go

  • Household hazardous waste day, Saturday, Oct. 24: moved from Oct. 10. See “City dates” below.
  • Daylight saving time ends Sunday, Nov. 1. Clocks go back one hour.
  • Box office: RiverCenter, 900 Broadway; Civic Center, 400 4th St.; Springer, 103 10th St.
  • Halloween: our Halloween events guide and trick-or-treat hours.

Music and shows

  • “Covenant,” a Southern Gothic thriller at the Springer Opera House, 103 10th St., Oct. 16-24. Springer page.
  • Denim and Diamonds: Walker Hayes and Mark Wills, presented by Columbus Hospice, 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, Columbus Civic Center. Civic Center listing.
  • Rock the Lawn, free: four bands playing rock from the ’80s to today, among them Psycho Wizard, Karavan and Proxi, plus food trucks and a Tattoo Alley of local shops. 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, Columbus Civic Center Amphitheater. Bring lawn chairs. Civic Center listing.
  • “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” with a live shadow cast, 8 p.m. Saturdays, Oct. 17 and Oct. 24, Springer Opera House. Springer page.
  • “The Music Man,” 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, 900 Broadway. RiverCenter listing.
  • The United States Marine Band, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, RiverCenter. RiverCenter listing.
  • “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” with The WAVE, the silent film with live music, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, RiverCenter. RiverCenter listing.
  • “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock Live!”, 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, RiverCenter. RiverCenter listing.
  • Pretty Ricky and Plies, 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, Columbus Civic Center. Civic Center listing.
  • Actors From the London Stage: “Much Ado About Nothing,” 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, Studio Theatre, RiverCenter. RiverCenter listing.

Halloween and fall

  • Spooktacular, 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, Lake Bottom Park: candy, a glow party and a family movie night from Columbus Parks and Recreation. Parks and Recreation listing.
  • Fall Festival: Movie Night Edition at the Columbus Museum, 1251 Wynnton Road, 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24: art-making, games, a scavenger hunt and a movie. Museum listing.
  • Broadway’s Boo Bash, free trick-or-treating on a closed Broadway in Uptown, 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24. Uptown Columbus.
  • Scream on the Green, a free outdoor showing of Casper on the Chattahoochee Promenade, 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24. Uptown Columbus.
  • Columbus Witches Ride, 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, from Clubview Elementary, 2836 Edgewood Road; riders on bikes and golf carts throw candy along a 2-mile route. Witches Ride site.
  • Paranormal tours after hours at the National Civil War Naval Museum, 1002 Victory Drive, 7 p.m. Oct. 23, 24 and 30; the Oct. 31 tour is sold out. Tickets in advance only. Port Columbus.
  • Big Dog Howl 5K, a costume race, 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, from Big Dog Fleet Feet, 12 W. 11th St. Registration.
  • Treats at the Museum, 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, National Civil War Naval Museum; free after 4 p.m. Port Columbus.
  • Halloween Scream on the Green, free with an RSVP, Saturday, Oct. 31, at the Columbus Civic Center: costume contests, pumpkin carving, hayrides and a candy giveaway from 4 p.m., then a 7 p.m. double feature of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and Insidious. Anyone 17 or younger must be with an adult 21 or older. Civic Center listing.

History, art and outdoors

  • The Grand Heist: A Roaring ’20s Whodunit Party, 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, at the Columbus Museum. Museum listing.
  • Free drop-in tours of the Columbus Museum collection, 2 p.m. Saturdays, Oct. 17, 24 and 31. Museum calendar.
  • Exhibitions: the Columbus Museum and Columbus State University galleries have shows running all month; see arts and exhibitions.

November, through Thanksgiving week

  • Curious George and the Golden Meatball, for young audiences, 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, RiverCenter. RiverCenter listing.
  • Kristin Chenoweth, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, RiverCenter. RiverCenter listing.
  • Fountain City Classic, Saturday, Nov. 7: the parade at 9 a.m., then Fort Valley State vs. Albany State at 2 p.m. at A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium. See our Fountain City Classic page.
  • Fall Market on Broadway, 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 7, 1100 and 1200 blocks of Broadway. Uptown Columbus.
  • “Ready, Set, Rocket,” theater for ages 8 and under, 11 a.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, Nov. 7-15, Springer Opera House. Springer page.
  • Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11: the National Civil War Naval Museum admits veterans and service members free with ID, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Port Columbus); Columbus State’s Moore Institute holds its launch program at 7 p.m. at the Columbus PowerHouse (see our story).
  • Fantasy In Lights opens Friday, Nov. 13, at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, about 25 miles north, and runs to Jan. 3: a seven-mile drive past 18 light scenes, with timed tickets. See our Fantasy In Lights page.
  • “Whose Live Anyway?,” improv comedy, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, RiverCenter. RiverCenter listing.
  • Veterans Day Parade, 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, Dillingham Street to 9th Street. See our Veterans Day Parade page.
  • Saturday, Nov. 14, evening: “Mystic Pizza” at 7:30 p.m. at the RiverCenter (listing); Anthony Hamilton and Leela James at 8 p.m. at the Civic Center (listing); and a free outdoor showing of A Goofy Movie on the Springer’s patio at 8 p.m. (Springer page).
  • Broadway Holiday Parade and tree lighting, Friday, Nov. 20: the parade at 6:30 p.m., the mayor lights the city tree at 7 p.m. See our Christmas parade page.
  • Beat the Bird 5K and 10K, 8 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, Hardaway High School; registration closes Nov. 19. See Thanksgiving in Columbus.
  • Columbus Symphony Orchestra: Wagner and Strauss, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, RiverCenter. RiverCenter listing.
  • The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight, 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 23, RiverCenter. RiverCenter listing.

Shopping

  • Christmas Made in the South, the 35th annual holiday crafts show, Friday, Oct. 30, through Sunday, Nov. 1, Columbus Convention and Trade Center, 801 Front Ave. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Adults pay $10 at the door, good for all three days; children 12 and under get in free. Organizer’s page.
  • More in our Black Friday and holiday shopping guide.

City dates

  • Saturday, Oct. 24: household hazardous waste and electronics collection day, 8 a.m. to noon, a drive-thru at the Columbus Recycling and Sustainability Center, 8001 Pine Grove Way. The city moved it from Oct. 10, which weather canceled. Bring cleaning, lawn and pool chemicals, paint and thinners, automotive fluids, oil filters, car batteries and electronics; televisions are not accepted. Keep Columbus Beautiful Commission: 706-225-4008 (city release).
  • Wednesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day, a city holiday.
  • Thursday and Friday, Nov. 26-27: Thanksgiving; city offices closed.

What this means for you

  • The free Rock the Lawn concert on Oct. 17 is the month’s best no-cost night out.
  • Oct. 24 is crowded: Boo Bash, two outdoor movies, the museum festival and the hazardous waste day all fall on that Saturday.
  • Want a free Halloween night? RSVP now for the Civic Center’s Oct. 31 event.

More: fall festivals and pumpkin patches, parks and trails and farmers markets. In spring: the Columbus Cup on the Chattahoochee.

Frequently asked questions

What is going on in Columbus, Georgia, in late October 2026?

Rock the Lawn is a free concert at the Civic Center Amphitheater Oct. 17, the U.S. Marine Band plays the RiverCenter Oct. 23, Broadway’s Boo Bash fills Uptown Oct. 24, the Witches Ride rolls Oct. 25 and the Civic Center holds a free Halloween Scream on the Green Oct. 31.

What free things are there to do in Columbus this month?

Rock the Lawn on Saturday, Oct. 17; Broadway’s Boo Bash and Scream on the Green in Uptown on Saturday, Oct. 24; and the Civic Center’s Halloween Scream on the Green on Saturday, Oct. 31, which needs an RSVP.

When is the household hazardous waste day in Columbus?

The city moved it to Saturday, Oct. 24, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Columbus Recycling and Sustainability Center, 8001 Pine Grove Way, after weather canceled the Oct. 10 date. Televisions are not accepted.

When is Christmas Made in the South in Columbus?

Friday, Oct. 30, through Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, at the Columbus Convention and Trade Center, 801 Front Ave.: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Adults pay $10 at the door; children 12 and under get in free.