Fall is when Midland’s calendar finally fills back up, and the weather cooperates enough to spend a Saturday outside. Here are a few of the things we have circled between now and the end of November, with dates and addresses so you can plan around them.
This is not a complete list of everything happening in town. It is the set of dated, confirmed events we could verify on the organizer’s own site, which means a lot of good stuff is still out there. Dates and times change, so check with the venue before you drive out.
Early October
Midland Community Theatre closes She Kills Monsters: Young Adventurers Edition in the Davis Theatre I at 2000 W Wadley Ave, with final performances Friday and Saturday, October 9 and 10, at 7:30 p.m.
At the Midland County Horseshoe, 2514 Arena Trail, Pink The Basin is on Tuesday, October 6, and the Diwali Cultural Celebration fills the evening of Saturday, October 10 from 5 to 9 p.m.
The Special Olympics Texas Fall Classic, presented by ExxonMobil, runs October 8 through 10 across Midland and Odessa. Midland host sites include COM Aquatics, The Courses at Hogan Park and the Downtown YMCA. The public-facing piece of the weekend, a barbecue sampling event called High Steaks in the Basin, is on Saturday, October 10 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and it is held at the Ector County Coliseum in Odessa rather than in Midland.
On Saturday, October 10 at 7 p.m., Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center, 1310 N FM 1788, hosts Crowder Live! as part of the TPR Presents series.
Earlier that Saturday, October 10, the Bush Family Home State Historic Site holds Archeology Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., a hands-on morning built for kids and anyone curious about digging.
The Weekend of October 16 and 17
This is the busiest weekend of the season, and the two biggest daytime events land on the same Saturday.
Chalk the Block returns for its third year on Saturday, October 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Centennial Park in downtown Midland. It is free to attend, organized by the City of Midland, and includes professional and high school chalk divisions plus food trucks.
The same day, the Arts Council of Midland holds its Dia de los Muertos Festival at 806 S Main St. The festival is free and includes a community altar, food trucks and a car show. A companion exhibit runs at the Arts Council from October 1 through November 15.
Friday night, October 16, Out West Presents Hudson Westbrook at the Horseshoe, with tickets through Tixr. The same evening at 8:30 p.m., Wagner Noel hosts Franco Escamilla on his “El Juicio” tour.
Saturday, October 17 also brings the 307 Farmer’s Market to the Horseshoe, and Wagner Noel screens Hocus Pocus at 7 p.m. as part of its Cinema Under the Stars series. The screening is indoors and costumes are encouraged.
Midland Community Theatre opens Meteor Shower in the Mabee Theatre II on October 16, with performances through November 1.
The Midland Palette Club opens its art center for the Arts of the Heart Fall Art Sale, starting with a reception Friday, October 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. and continuing Saturday. Admission is free and the work is by local member artists.
Halloween Week
Two free city events anchor the Halloween weekend, and they are on different days, so you can do both.
Halloweenfest is Friday, October 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Hogan Park, 1201 E Wadley Ave. It is free and includes a trunk-or-treat, games and bounce houses. One note worth knowing: the city’s standalone Halloweenfest landing page was still showing last year’s date when we checked, while the city events calendar shows October 23. Go by the calendar.
The Midland Fire Department Truck or Treat follows on Saturday, October 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Central Fire Station, 1500 W Wall St.
Two more free trunk-or-treats round out the week: Greenwood High School fills its west parking lot on Sunday, October 25 from 5 to 7 p.m., and VFW Post 4149 hosts one on Halloween afternoon, Saturday, October 31, from 2 to 4 p.m.
For a grown-up version of the same week, the West Texas Symphony performs Haunting Halloween Harmonies at Wagner Noel on Saturday, October 24 at 7:30 p.m. Wagner Noel also has That Arena Rock Show on Thursday, October 22 at 7:30 p.m. and the UTPB Symphonic Winds on Tuesday, October 27 at 7 p.m.
The Horseshoe hosts The Life Center’s Fall Fundraiser on Tuesday, October 27.
November
November is the month Wagner Noel’s touring calendar gets dense. Hub City Championship Wrestling is at the Horseshoe on Saturday, November 7. At Wagner Noel: Beetlejuice comes through as part of Broadway in the Basin on Tuesday, November 10 at 7:30 p.m.; Liverpool Legends performs Saturday, November 14 at 7 p.m.; Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet is Monday, November 16 at 7 p.m.; A Charlie Brown Christmas Live on Stage is Tuesday, November 17 at 7:30 p.m.; Jim Gaffigan brings his “Everything is Wonderful!” tour Wednesday, November 18 at 7 p.m.; John Crist performs Saturday, November 21 at 7 p.m.; and Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis plays Sunday, November 22 at 4 p.m.
The Midland Gem and Mineral Show takes over the Bush Convention Center, 105 N Main St, on Saturday and Sunday, November 7 and 8, with rocks, minerals, fossils and handmade jewelry. Admission is $7 for adults and $3 for kids.
Back downtown, the Arts Council holds its Makers’ Market on Saturday, November 14 at 806 S Main St, with more than 45 booths, live music and food trucks.
Midland Community Theatre’s holiday production this year is Disney’s Frozen, opening November 19 in the Davis Theatre I and running through December 20. Tickets go on sale November 6.
Worth the Drive: Odessa and Stanton
A few of the best fall events are a short drive away. On Saturday and Sunday, October 10 and 11, Old Sorehead Trade Days fills historic downtown Stanton, about 20 miles east on I-20, with more than 600 vendor booths. It runs 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, and admission and parking are free. The same Saturday, the Redneck Round Up Car and Truck Show runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Martin County Community Complex in Stanton, with every dollar going to Gifts of Hope and West Texas cancer patients.
The Fall Classic barbecue day, High Steaks in the Basin, is at the Ector County Coliseum on October 10, with gates at 10 a.m. and sampling from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Coliseum also hosts the Monster Card Show on October 17 and 18.
Keep Odessa Beautiful puts on its Recycle Fashion Show at the Odessa Marriott on Friday, October 16 at 7 p.m. On Saturday, October 24, West Texas Gifts of Hope holds Paint the Park at Memorial Gardens Park that morning, and downtown Odessa closes the day with its Dia de los Muertos Festival and Parade along Texas Avenue from 4 to 10 p.m.
Planning Around It
Most of the free daytime events cluster downtown around Centennial Park and the Arts Council on S Main, which are close enough to walk between. The ticketed shows are split between Wagner Noel on the far west side at FM 1788 and the Horseshoe on Arena Trail, and those two are a good 20 minutes apart, so check which one you are headed to before you leave the house.
If you are putting together a weekend for visitors, our guide to where to take out-of-towners in Midland pairs well with any of these. For the year-round version of the music side, see live music venues in Midland. Parents working around a budget can also check free things to do in Midland with kids and our guide to parks in Midland.
Frequently Asked Questions
What free fall events are happening in Midland?
Chalk the Block on October 17 at Centennial Park, the Arts Council’s Dia de los Muertos Festival on October 17 at 806 S Main St, Halloweenfest on October 23 at Hogan Park, and the Midland Fire Department Truck or Treat on October 24 at the Central Fire Station are all free to attend.
When is Chalk the Block in Midland in 2026?
Saturday, October 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Centennial Park in downtown Midland. Note that some older city pages and search results still show October 18, which was the 2025 date.
Where are the trunk-or-treats in Midland?
The two confirmed city events are Halloweenfest at Hogan Park on Friday, October 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. and the Midland Fire Department Truck or Treat at 1500 W Wall St on Saturday, October 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Greenwood High School adds one on Sunday, October 25 from 5 to 7 p.m., and VFW Post 4149 hosts one on Halloween afternoon. Churches and schools add more each year, and we put them on the events calendar as they are announced.
How do I find out if a show has been canceled?
Check the venue’s own site before you go. Schedules move more than people expect, and a few fall shows on the Wagner Noel calendar have already been canceled or postponed since tickets went on sale.
Hosting something this fall that belongs on this list? Add your event and we will take a look.
