Looking for things to do in Seattle in October 2026? Our guide to Seattle in October has everything from free events and kid-friendly fun to spooky attractions and nightlife. Start the month with free museum admission and art walks and finish it with your pick of this year’s Halloween events in Seattle. Check out our full roundup below more than once, as we’ll add new events regularly.
Many Seattle museums participate in First Thursday’s waived admission. This month, you can visit Seattle museums and other attractions for free on Thursday, October 1. This includes the Seattle Japanese Garden, which will have stunning fall foliage!
Sometimes hours are limited or advance reservations are required so see our guide to free museum admission in Seattle at the link below.
Did you know that Seattle has over a dozen monthly art walks? The country’s longest-running art walk is the Pioneer Square Art Walk, which occurs this month on Thursday, October 1. All of the neighborhood art walks are free and self-guided, and many of them include demos, live music, wine tastings, markets, and more; read more at the link below.
Join the 10-mile Jimothy Jaunt on October 11 — raccoon-themed outfits encouraged! If you’re looking for a fun, low-key way to explore Seattle on foot this October, the Seattle Super Saunter’s Jimothy Jaunt is a free 10-mile neighborhood walk on October 11. It starts around 10:00 a.m. at the Phinney Neighborhood Center and finishes at Urban Family Brewing Co., passing Fremont Market, Ballard Farmers Market, the Ballard Locks and Golden Gardens. Note that this walk is not a search for Jimothy; rather it’s in celebration of him.
Thousands of candles and haunting classics will light up the National Nordic Museum this Halloween. If you’re looking for an atmospheric October night out in Seattle, Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics will transform the National Nordic Museum in Ballard into a candlelit concert on October 30, featuring a live string quartet performing horror themes, sinister classical pieces and Halloween staples. The program includes music from Stranger Things, Psycho, Halloween, The Exorcist and classics like Danse Macabre and Tubular Bells.
Seattle’s fall foliage is expected to peak in early October — plan your leaf-peeping now. If you’re looking for classic October scenery around the city, Seattle’s 2026 fall foliage began showing in early September and is expected to peak in early October; peak color typically lasts about a week to 10 days. Top city spots include Washington Park Arboretum, Kubota Garden, Discovery Park, the University of Washington campus, and Green Lake.
Sip themed cocktails while live performances plunge you into notorious true-crime stories. For a darker, theatrical October night out in Seattle, book this immersive, 90-minute speakeasy experience at Illume, pairing four original craft cocktails with live retellings of the cases of Bundy, Dahmer, Gacy, and Gein. Tickets start at $55, and the next performance begins on October 30, 2026.
Visit the “Inconvenience Store” pop-up — art priced from $1 to $10,000 in a reimagined 7‑Eleven. For a uniquely Seattle stop in October, head to a former 7-Eleven at Third Avenue and Pine that’s been transformed into “Inconvenience Store,” a pop-up art shop featuring work by more than 70 artists and designed to mimic a convenience store. It is free to visit and open on weekends from noon–4 p.m.
Grab a collectible Mini Cooler Cup at Lumen Field — game day cocktail included. If you’re heading to a game this October (there are home games on October 4, 11, and 25), the Mini Cooler Cup is a new collectible item at Lumen Field and comes with a cocktail inside. A new design is set to drop on October 25, 2026.
Don’t miss Wild Waves’ final Fright Fest — 15 nights of haunted houses, scare zones and night rides. One standout October pick is Wild Waves Theme & Water Park’s last-ever Fright Fest, running for 15 nights from October 2 through November 1, 2026 (Fridays through Sundays), as the park prepares to close permanently after the 2026 season.
Step inside investigations with recreated crime scenes, interactive exhibits, and a VR case simulation. For a darker, true-crime-focused thing to do in Seattle this October, this immersive exhibition takes visitors through a roughly 90-minute exploration of criminal psychology, behavioral patterns, and the investigations behind 20 notorious serial killers, featuring recreated crime scenes, interactive elements, and a VR case simulation.
Enjoy progressive bites across Pike Place while supporting Neighborcare Health. For an October night out that mixes great food with giving back, the 43rd annual Feast at the Market is a progressive dining fundraiser at Pike Place Market on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, featuring small bites, drinks and desserts from local restaurants to benefit Neighborcare Health.
Join SIFF’s new bimonthly Book Club for a screening of Carrie and a post-film discussion. For an October outing in Seattle that pairs page and screen, check out SIFF Book Club—a new bimonthly meetup matching a featured book with its film adaptation. It launches with Stephen King’s Carrie and a 50th‑anniversary screening at SIFF Cinema Uptown on Sunday, October 11 at 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $12, and the event includes a partner bookstore pop-up and a post-film discussion at The Traveling Goat.
If you’re looking for a festive fall day trip from Seattle in October, enjoy corn mazes, pumpkin picking, rides and a beer garden at Stocker Farms. Stocker Farms currently has its huge Fall Festival with Cascade Mountain views, a massive corn maze, U-pick pumpkin patch, over 30 family attractions, food vendors and a beer garden on select evenings and weekends.
Circle Wellness just opened its first U.S. flagship near Gas Works Park. For a restorative activity to add to your October itinerary, Vancouver-based Circle Wellness is opening its first U.S. location near Gas Works Park, with reservations now open. The private, self-guided thermal circuits accommodate up to two guests and combine a cedar soaking tub, WellPod sauna, optional cold plunge and heated river stones.
The Harvest Festival runs through October 31 with a brand-new Great Harvest Glow after dark. If you’re looking for classic October fun near Seattle, Swan Trail Farms in Snohomish has its annual Harvest Festival through October 31, 2026, offering apple picking, a pumpkin patch, corn maze, wagon rides, farm animals, live shows, and a new family-friendly nighttime Glow experience.
One of the country’s scariest haunted houses is in Seattle — enter if you dare. For an October thrill in Seattle, head to The Georgetown Morgue, a notorious haunted house reopening for the 2026 season on September 25 and running through November 7. Set inside a 1928 former funeral preparation home and morgue, the haunted house does not offer refunds if you leave before the end—so brace yourself for some serious scares.
Catch a Kraken game at Climate Pledge Arena
A night with the Seattle Kraken is always a good time, and they have five home games at Climate Pledge Arena this October.
Celebrate Diwali at Seattle Asian Art Museum
Celebrate the Festival of Lights at this free, family-friendly museum event. On Saturday, October 17 the Seattle Asian Art Museum is offering art activities, henna, live performances, and more from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This event is free but you should RSVP on the museum website.
Every cup supports a paid barista apprenticeship for young adults. If you’re looking for a feel-good caffeine stop to add to your October lineup, Coffee TAB has opened in the former Starbucks at 23rd Avenue South and South Jackson Street in Seattle’s Central District; the nonprofit café runs a paid barista apprenticeship program and is now open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Seattle has street markets and farmers markets happening every weekend (and some on weekdays as well!), including the monthly Columbia City Night Market on October 17. While you’re looking for things to do in Seattle in October, bring the family to support local farmers and small businesses, get outside, and enjoy a few yummy treats. Check out our Seattle outdoor market guide at the link below.
