Happy October! This month is one of the best in Austin – we’ve got tons of live music, fun festivals, and a spooky season to enjoy. Let’s get into it:
✈️ The Airport Will Be a Bigger Pain Than Usual
With the return of big events like the 2025 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix (Oct. 17-19) at Circuit of the Americas and Austin City Limits Music Festival (Oct. 3-5, and Oct. 10-12), the airport will be busier than usual. Hopefully you’re already in the habit of arriving to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport early because of long TSA lines and construction, because passenger counts tend to go up in October with the influx of visitors.
A total of 1,915,146 passengers traveled through the airport last October. Even more (2,040,383), traveled through the airport in October 2023. Airport officials recommend arriving two and a half hours before your domestic flight and three hours before an international flight. Good luck out there, y’all!
❌ Avoid Zilker Park
Zilker Park becomes a dusty whirlpool of ACL Fest madness seemingly by the time the clock strikes midnight on Oct. 1. The festival runs the first two weekends of the month, and if you had plans to check out restaurants or bars near the park, we recommend going anywhere else instead. The park will be closed for the festival through Oct. 20.
🎃 It’s Pumpkin Season!
It’s finally pumpkin season, and in more ways than one. Fall produce is here, pumpkin patches are back, and Halloween is imminent. We’re eyeing this list of spooky bar pop-ups and this list of pumpkin patches as we make our plans for the month!
⛺ Fortlandia Is Back
Fortlandia runs Oct. 4-Feb. 1 at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and is one of the city’s most fun events. Eight different forts are placed throughout the wildflower center for adults and kids to play on. Fortlandia is included with your general admission ticket, which starts at $9 for kids and $15 for adults.
🎥 ACL Isn’t the Only Festival This Month
Austin Film Festival runs Oct. 23-Oct. 30 in venues all over the city, such as Paramount Theatre and the Long Center, among others. The festival includes movie screenings, panel discussions, and parties. Film badges start at $85.
