The best October events in Miami

We may not experience fall weather in Miami, but that doesn’t mean you can’t play pretend. Throw on a flannel shirt and head south to Homestead for the seventh annual Harvest Festival at The Berry Farm. Open seven days a week through November 15, the sprawling estate welcomes families and teens to explore a five-acre corn maze, sunflower fields, hayrides, and a giant pumpkin patch that makes for a great photo backdrop. For the grown-ups, an on-site bar offers themed cocktails like the Tipsy Apple Mule and Harvest Sangria. Tickets run $17 for adults and $14 for children ages 12 and under. Free for ages 2 and under.

On Saturday, October 10, the Frost Science museum debuts The Science Behind Pixar, a multimedia exhibition that pulls back the curtain on Pixar’s movie-making magic through sophisticated math, engineering, state-of-the-art technology, and good old-fashioned human imagination. More than 50 interactive experiences offer rare insight to the studio’s filmmaking techniques behind such classics as Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, WALL-E, Monsters, Inc. and more. Admission is included with all museum tickets, priced at $24.95 for children (ages 4-11) and $29.95 for adults. Free for ages 3 and under.

Actors’ Playhouse is leaning into the spooky season with Jekyll & Hyde, a Broadway musical inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s Gothic novella, The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde. Running October 7 through November 1 at Coral Gables’ Miracle Theatre, the psychological thriller follows a London lawyer as he investigates the experiments of Dr. Henry Jekyll and ties to a mysterious criminal, Mr. Hyde. Tickets from $65. Ages 13 and up.

‘Tis the season for jump scares and gut-wrenching screams. In other words, House of Horror is back. The annual South Florida scare-fest returns for its 25th year, September 24 through November 1, at an all-new location: Tropical Park. Included with general admission, five haunted houses and unlimited carnival rides await, if you dare. Outdoor scare zones, live entertainment, and food and drink vendors keep things light between the action. Or, brave souls can test their nerves on Howie’s Blind Terror, a pitch-dark rollercoaster run by psychopathic clowns. Fun! Keep an eye out for weekday deals and special theme nights (October 13 is Country Night). 

You scream, I scream, we all scream at The Horrorland. With six new haunted houses, hundreds of trained actors, four immersive “scare zones,” and an ominous Circus of Terror live show, the annual Halloween experience returns to Jungle Island from September 10 through November 1. Tickets start at $39.99, with a fast-pass option for $69.99. It’s a family-friendly attraction, but the experience is recommended for children 10 and older, and carrying infants or children through is discouraged.

There’s a new omakase in town, but this time, Mexican flavors are the star of the show. Starting October 20, RosaNegra will present a weekly “taco omakase” by Mexican chef Rodrigo Rivera Rio of Monterrey’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Koli. The 12-course experience journeys through inventive taco creations prepared with Mexican and Japanese ingredients like hamachi, black mole, A5 Wagyu, plantains, short rib, and lamb barbacoa. Take for example the Blue Corn Golden Taco with black bean purée, toro tuna tartar, Chihuahua chile dressing, and ikura. RosaNegra’s taco omakase menu is available every Tuesday, 6:30-9pm, through the end of December. Priced at $105 per person, with an optional $55 agave pairing add-on.

Gilded and crimson-draped Faena Theater is the ideal venue to experience OBSESSION, a new original production presented by Faena Live in collaboration with the Quixotic performance art collective. Nestled in Mid-Beach, the cabaret-style show blends live vocals, choreography and cinematic storytelling to take guests on a seductive 1.5-hour journey complete with lasers, projected visuals and plenty of theatrical haze. Helmed by emcee Sophia Bollman—whose credits include a stint on NBC's The Voice as part of Team Miley Cyrus and backup singing in Beyoncé's iconic Coachella performances—Faena Theater's 2026 headlining production also features the energetic stylings of Principal Violin and Musical Lead Kostia Lucky. Tickets start at $100 per person and include show admission only (food and beverages sold separately). Guests must be 18 or older, with a valid ID required upon arrival.

Catch a free outdoor movie every Wednesday night at SoundScape Park in Miami Beach. Running October through May, the annual SoundScape Cinema Series welcomes all ages for weekly screenings spanning Blockbuster hits, vintage classics, and holiday films. The series kicks off with Selena (Oct. 7), followed by The Goonies (Oct. 14), Casper (Oct. 21), and The Addams Family (Oct. 28). Screenings take place rain or shine, starting at 8pm. Bring your own setups to watch comfortably; think lawn chairs, picnic baskets, and fresh-made subs from La Sandwicherie. The venue accommodates 200 to 300 on the lawn, but prime spots get scooped up quickly, so plan accordingly. Free to attend, no reservations required.  

The Surfside farmers market is back in season, popping up every Saturday and Sunday from 9:30am to 3:30 pm, steps from the shoreline at 96th Street. Each week brings new local makers and a range of purveyors to the beach, slinging everything from acai bowls to Kosher smoked barbeque. Arrive early for stress-free parking and a free beach yoga class on the sand, 9:30 to 10:30am.

On September 17, The Bass debuts two contemporary art exhibitions for the 2026-2027 season. In her first solo exhibition at a US museum, Tokyo-based artist Yuko Mohri explores the concepts of decomposition, environmental pressure, and improvisation with Unviolated Imperfection, transforming everyday objects into kinetic sculptures and multidisciplinary works. Amalia Pica’s Lecturas Posibles draws on the museum’s early history as the Miami Beach Public Library to present a site-specific installation in which the walls, furniture, and bookshelves are coated in chalkboard paint, inviting museum-goers to leave their mark in an ever-evolving record of collective expression.