Lucky you. You just found TBAYtoday’s Plan Ahead, a list of some of the biggest events to plan for that are taking place throughout Tampa Bay each month.
Take out your calendar, grab your day planner, or text all your friends — these are the top events we recommend heading to this month. Psst: Don’t forget to bookmark this page and come back. We update our guide monthly.
(Don’t see anything you like? Check out our full events calendar.)
Theater
“Ghost Brothers of Darkland County” | Wednesday, Oct. 15-Sunday, Nov. 9 | Times vary | Shimberg Playhouse | $48 | This Southern Gothic musical features a “blues-inflected country score by legend John Mellencamp and a claustrophobic, refractured parable from the master of thriller Stephen King.”
Sports
San Francisco 49ers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Sunday, Oct. 12 | 1-4 p.m. | Raymond James Stadium | $120 | Can Baker and crew best the West Coast crew?
Shows
Tampa City Ballet Presents: La Séptima Society: A Gatsby Affair in Ybor | Friday, Oct. 3-Saturday, Oct. 4 | 7:30-8:45 p.m. | New Tampa Performing Arts Center | $45+ | Sit back as ballerinas take you on a breathtaking journey through Ybor City’s history.
“The Life Of A Showgirl” Album Release Party | Friday, Oct. 3 | 8 p.m. | Orpheum Theatre | $29 | Don’t miss the chance to dance to Ms. Swift’s latest album with hundreds of fellow Swifties.
6th Annual Tom Petty Birthday Tribute Show | Saturday, Oct. 4 | 6-11 p.m. | Skipper’s Smokehouse | $20+ | Celebrate Florida’s late rocker son as he’d love with 40+ songs from his 26 albums.
Marco Antonio Solís | Saturday, Oct. 4 | 8 p.m. | Benchmark International Arena | $55 | The Mexican singer, songwriter, composer, producer, and actor brings his “Mas Cerca De Ti World Tour” to the Tampa stage.
Steve Martin & Martin Short:"The Dukes of Funnytown!” | Sunday, Oct. 5, Sunday, Oct. 5 | Times vary | Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater | $129+ | “Two of the funniest, most influential and acclaimed talents of the past century” bring their jokes and friendship to the intimate venue.
14th Annual Tampa Pig Jig | Saturday, Oct. 18, Saturday, Oct. 18 | Times vary | Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park | $125+ | It’s a Tampa Bay tradition like no other with barbecue, drinks, and performances from massive country stars like Megan Moroney. Jamestown Revival, and Matt Nathanson.
Learn
Save the pollinators! | Thursday, Oct. 9 | 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Boyd Hill Nature Preserve | Free | A Pinellas County Master Gardener discusses the challenges of pollination and what plants our pollinators need. Hint: It’s not just milkweed.
Tall Tales of Old Florida | Saturday, Oct. 18 | 6:45-9 p.m. | Cracker Country at the Florida State Fairgrounds | $16 | Meet storytellers spinning wild yarns about a few of Florida’s unexplained oddities while exploring Tampa’s 19th century living history museum by night.
Seasonal
Howl-O-Scream | Friday, Sept. 26-Saturday, Nov. 1 | 7 p.m.-12 a.m. | Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | $50+ | Ready your nerves for five haunted houses featuring immersive horror environments, five scare zones, and four hordes that you’ll never know when or where the terror will strike next.
Movie Night on the Patio | Saturday, Oct. 4, Saturday, Oct. 11, Saturday, Oct. 18 | 8-10 p.m. | Keel Farms | Free | Kick off the month with a cozy outdoor showing of “Halloweentown” on the farm.
The Great Glass & Clay Pumpkin Patch | Saturday, Oct. 11 | 9 a.m.-5 p.m. | Morean Center for Clay | Free entry | Roam a patch filled with 100+ blown-glass pumpkins, take advantage of photo ops, and check out local art. These gourds won’t decompose at the end of the season.
Hocus Pocus Fall Social | Thursday, Oct. 23 | 8:30 p.m. | Hyde House Heights | $17+ | Take a night for yourself at this “Hocus Pocus"-themed event featuring a pop-up bloom bar, braid bar, fairy hair workshop, and other delights.
Arts
We Built This City: Women Artists of SHINE | Saturday, Oct. 11-Wednesday, Oct. 22 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Morean Arts Center | Free entry | Step in to this exhibit digging to the work of our local female muralists and the color and vibrancy they have brought to our city.
Festivals
Family Fall Festival | Friday, Oct. 3 | 5:30 p.m. | Countryside Recreation Center | Free | Bust out last — or this — year’s Halloween costume for a night of carnival games, inflatables, prizes, and music.
Tampa Cigar Bash 2025 | Saturday, Oct. 4 | 5 p.m. | Seminole Hard Rock | $210 | See exactly why we’re called the Cigar City at this event featuring major cigar brands, fine spirits, crafted cocktails, and live entertainment — every ticket includes a curated cigar gift bag.
Island Fest | Saturday, Oct. 11 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Honeymoon Island State Park | Free | Head to one of TBAY’s famed state parks for guided beach walks, an arts & crafts market, and lots of local food trucks.
Active
Native Plant Walk | Saturday, Oct. 4 | 9-11 a.m. | Lettuce Lake Conservation Park | Free | Trek out on a tour of the garden, boardwalk and paved trails while spotting native plants strewn about the park.
Pickleball-O-Ween Doubles Tournament | Saturday, Oct. 18 | 1-5 p.m. | Pickle & Pint Indoor Courts, Largo | $65 | Bring the tricks for these mixed doubles pickleball matches, plus enjoy a costume contest, BBQ lunch, and drinks.
Eat
Sur La Table Coffee Like A Pro Class | Friday, Sept. 5-Sunday, Oct. 5 | Times vary | Hyde Park Village | $49 | You don’t need a Breville Bambino to make Kahwa or Buddy Brew-level java. Learn how to brew cafe-level coffee using a French press and pour over in this guided class.
Buenos Días Brunch | Saturday, Oct. 18 | 12:30-3 p.m. | Steelbach | $80 | Pop in to one of TBAY’s favorite restaurants for a chef curated brunch dishes paired with Diplomático Rum-infused cocktails that “celebrate the spirit of the islands and beyond.”
Meow Mix & Mingle Ybor Bar Crawl | Saturday, Oct. 18 | 9 p.m. | Reservoir Bar | $25 | Slither along to local bars with fellow cat lovers, sipping on cat-themed cocktails paired with feline-focused napkins at this crawl supporting the Mercy Full Project Animal Rescue.
Shop
Fresh Market | Sunday, Oct. 5 | Times vary | Hyde Park Village | Free entry | Farmers’ market season is back — for us Florida folks. Browse 80 local vendors selling produce, handcrafted goods, and plants set to live tunes by Gasparilla Music in Village Circle.
The Market: Featuring 60+ vendors and activities | Sunday, Oct. 19 | Times vary | Water Street Tampa | Free | What’s better than a Sunday morning spent sifting through 60 booths offering everything from fresh local produce and eats to handcrafted goods.
Have an event of your own you want to share with us? Follow these easy steps to add your events to our calendar:
- Go to our Events page.
- Click “Add Event” in the top right-hand corner.
- Make sure to include a link and fill out important information like the date, time, location, and price of your event.
- Click “Submit,” and you’ve just added an event to our website calendar.
City Guides are presented by Water Street Tampa.
