The best October events in Miami

Back for its sixth season, The Horrorland unveils an 18-acre park with multiple scare zones, five all-new haunted houses, creepy carnival games and DJs spinning spine-tingling tunes all night. There are also Cirque-style horror shows and fire performances, the Coffin Bar and Ghostly Beer garden with themed libations, a Cemetery Food Village and much more. Basically, monsters, ghosts, zombies and all kinds of frightening creatures will jump up when you least expect it as you make your way through every themed passage, house and photo op.  The Horrorland runs Thursday through Sunday nights, from September 13th through October 31st, and takes place at The Scream Park located inside Jungle Island. Tickets start at $34.99, with a fast-pass option for $74.99. It’s a family-friendly attraction but the experience is recommended for children 10 and older, and carrying infants or children through is discouraged. 

Move over, Miracle in Miami. Spooky season is upon us, and its growing legion of devotees has a brand new Halloween-themed haunt in Miami this year. The New Orleans-born Black Lagoon pop-up bar is taking over Better Days throughout October. Brainchild of bar pros Kelsey Ramage and Erin Hayes, the month-long experience transforms the late-night Brickell watering hole into a moody, immersive den of cobwebbed décor and boozy potions. Born in 2019 and officially launched in 2021, Black Lagoon has since grown into a North American phenomenon. For 2025, it returns bigger than ever with 39 locations across the U.S. and Canada—including Miami for the first time. Expect theatrical Halloween vibes, eerie attention to detail and a cocktail menu as imaginative as it is sinister. Dress to kill—there will be plenty of spooky photo ops. Admission to the pop-up is free.

Smorgasburg, Miami’s largest open-air food market, launches its innovative No Reservations program this fall. Created alongside Humans of the Kitchen, a global culinary community and storytelling platform, the pop-up series gives Miami’s next wave of talent an opportunity to seize the spotlight. Over 13 Sundays, 13 cooks will bring their bold visions to life in a dedicated Smorgasburg container as part of the new chef-driven incubator. Expect a rotating lineup of line cooks, sous chefs and rising culinary voices, many nominated by some of the city’s top chefs (incuding alumni from Sunny's, Shingo, COTE, El Bagel, Wolf of Tacos and Tâm Tâm). Each guest chef's menu will include a star dish plus four additional offerings. Smorgasburg provides the kitchen and the crowd; the chefs earn the spotlight and keep 100% of their profits.

Bal Harbour Shops honors Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a vibrant, pink-hued floral installation benefitting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. For a second time, the luxury retail destination has commissioned landscape artist Lily Kwong to create an elaborate, interactive living artwork, building off her celebrated "Moongates" installation. Throughout October, the mall's open-air courtyard makes for an idyllic spot to meander through the arches and snap a few photos among the pink orchids in between shopping and dining.

Art, sexuality and cultural taboos converge at the Museum of Sex with the debut of its latest exhibition, Hard Art: Unruly Selections from the Beth Rudin DeWoody Collection. Explore decades of boundary-pushing works spanning the 1930s to today, pulled from the private collection of one of the world’s most dynamic collectors. From playful to profound and, at times, deemed too provocative for public display, the featured works include a wide range of media that challenges convention and invites conversation. Curated with the goal of amplifying underrepresented voices and celebrating uncensored expression, artists on view include Marco Brambilla, Jimmy DeSana, Bunny Yeager, John Kayser and others.

Don't count on the luck of the Irish to protect you at JohnMartin’s this spooky season. From October 16 through November 2, the beloved Coral Gables pub takes on a decisively more sinister persona, complete with haunted decor, eerie tunes and a lineup of creepy cocktails that'll help scare you into the Halloween spirit. The Witches Melon Cauldron and sparkling Skeleton Spritz are a couple of the wicked drink specials on offer at this seasonal pop-up.

This huge haunted experience is one of the largest of its kind in South Florida, and this season is stacking up to be the most epic yet, featuring five brand-new haunted attractions and Florida’s only 3D haunted house. Set inside the abandoned Sears at Miami International Mall, House of Horror 2025 spans more than 100,000 square feet of immersive, Florida-inspired nightmares (so you know it's going to be twisted), from cursed swamps and haunted farmlands to post-apocalyptic wastelands and twisted clown funhouses. Outside, two new scare zones—The Harvest and Midway Mayhem—transform the midway into a spooky realm where scare actors and creepy carnival characters lurk. Tickets include unlimited carnival rides (like the Scarecoaster, South Florida’s only haunted roller coaster) and classic midway games. While you're there, explore over 20 food and beverage options, including Halloween-themed treats and liquid courage in the form of beer from Cervecería La Tropical.

Think of it like Miami Spice, but for drinks. For the first time, the city is throwing its very own cocktail month, and everyone's invited. Mixed up by three legends of Miami nightlife—spirits educator Gabriel Urrutia, seasoned hospitality exec Joshua Wagner and party curators Poplife—¡Salud! aims to bring the community together by bringing folks back into Miami bars. "Our mantra is, ‘Life's Better with Friends,’" says Poplife CEO, LP Steele, "This is our invitation to join us, celebrate the Miami cocktail scene and make new friends.” It kicks off with three back-to-back happy hours at the city's most beloved watering holes: Dead Flamingo (October 1), ViceVersa (October 2) and Brother's Keeper (October 3), featuring free drinks (while supplies last) from 5 to 7pm. Festivities continue throughout the month, with participating bars including Gramps Getaway, Ray's, Mama Tried, The Corner, Magie, Fox's, Dante's Hi-FI, Kaori, Las Rosas, Sunny's and dozens more. Join the ¡Salud! community to stay up-to-date to events and gain access to the free and discounted drinks all through October.

Open year-round for fruit picking, field trips and produce shopping, this picturesque farm in the Redlands hosts its sixth annual harvest festival this season. Tumble through the pumpkin patch, get lost in the massive, five-acre corn maze, wander through the sunflower fields and take a breezy hayride, all while snapping those quintessential "fall vibes" pics. Other activities include an obstacle course, three shaded bounce floors, a shaded lumber playground and live music on the weekends. While you're there, peep the adorable Scottish Highland cows and fuel up with smoked BBQ. Throughout weekends in October, shop from the local vendor market. On Octber 25th, dress up for the farm's first-ever haunted hoedown, Wicked Country, an all-ages Halloween line dancing party.

The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) returns from October 29th to November 2nd, marking another edition of the world’s largest in-water boat show. Spanning seven locations and nearly 90 acres, the five-day event beckons more than 100,000 attendees and 1,000 global exhibitors, all there to flex on the water and gawk at the 1,300 boats on display—from superyachts and sportfishers to tenders, water toys and even luxury cars. Highlights include the Superyacht Village at Pier Sixty-Six, boasting some of the grandest vessels at the show, plus activations from top yacht builders and a collection of exotic vehicles. General admission grants access to all seven show locations (connected by water shuttles and buses), with food and drink available throughout, from satellite bars to floating barges. Expect everything from vegan and gluten-free bites to a Dark ’n’ Stormy at the Goslings Island Bar or a cold one at the Stella Artois Barge. The show's highest rollers will be found at the Windward VIP Club at Hall of Fame Marina, complete with premium open bars, gourmet dining, luxury activations and private lounge space.