The 14 Essential Ann Arbor Area Events to Attend October 2019
Now that October has arrived, we’ve completely embraced the fall festivities—and so have our Ann Arbor area communities. This month’s lineup includes craft shows where you can shop fall treats and find the perfect holiday gifts, live concerts, fall festivals, and some of our most highly anticipated annual events.
Join the fun this October and attend an event in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Dexter and more!
For more fall fun, check out 19 Pumpkin Patches, Apple Orchards and Cider Mills You Can Visit Near Ann Arbor.
Jump ahead:
Arts + Culture | Community Celebrations | Sports | Food + Drink
Arts + Culture
Westside Art Hop | Ann Arbor
October 6, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Old West Side
Westside Art Hop is presented as Michigan’s quirkiest Art Walk. The twice-yearly event showcases high-quality arts and crafts for sale to the public in a festive atmosphere. While exploring the Old West Side neighborhood, you can peruse artworks, meet the artists, find decor for your home, and shop holiday gifts!
Ypsilanti Symphony Orchestra | Ypsilanti
October 6, 3:30 p.m. | Towsley Auditorium
The Ypsilanti Symphony Orchestra was started by a small group of friends and musicians who gathered at Abe’s Coney Island and was incorporated as a nonprofit in 1999. Today, they host several concert events throughout the year at Towsley Auditorium on the Washtenaw Community College campus. You can catch the season premiere on October 6th! For more details, follow the team on Facebook here.
Fiber Expo | Ann Arbor
October 12 – 13 | Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds
Once during the spring and again during the fall, the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds are filled with fiber products of all kinds. Come by to shop, learn and meet the makers of wool, linen and cotton crafts, see real alpacas and more! Children 12 years and under are admitted for free, while adults pay just $4 cash for one day or $6 for two.
Edgefest | Ann Arbor
October 16 – 19 | Kerrytown Concert House
Edgefest began in 1997 as a single-day event and has grown into a four-day festival that includes collaborations and educational outreach, the Edgefest Parade and so much more. Hosted annually by Kerrytown Concert House, the event is focused on avant-garde jazz and creative new music performed by artists from the United States and around the globe. For ticket information, click here.
Ann Arbor Annual Arts & Crafts Show | Ann Arbor
October 19, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. | New Grace Apostolic Temple
Photo Courtesy of the Ann Arbor Annual Arts & Crafts Show
This juried arts and crafts show costs just $2 for guests over 12 years old and includes shopping from more than 60 artists and crafters, kid-friendly attractions, access to food concessions and baked goods, door prizes and more. The show is celebrating its 11th anniversary in 2019 so don’t miss out on the fun!
Ann Arbor Antiques Market | Ann Arbor
October 19 – 20, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. (Saturday) + 10 a.m.–4 p.m. (Sunday) | Washtenaw Farm Council
Established in 1968, this historic antique market has been fueling our love of home decor and vintage finds for more than 50 years. Admission is $6 with free parking and kids are admitted for free! Come by in October to shop antiques, jewelry, paintings, mid-century and industrial design, folk art, repurposed furniture and more. It’s the perfect place to get some holiday shopping done!
Celebrations
Community Celebrations
Apple Daze Festival | Dexter
October 5, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Monument Park
Hosted by the Dexter Lions Club in Downtown Dexter, Apple Daze invites the community to enjoy local apples and apple products, participate in apple pie-eating contests, take the family on festive hayrides, and shop craft booths from local vendors and artists. For event updates, check out the Facebook event here.
Monster Mash | Ypsilanti
October 12, 12 – 3 p.m. | Rolling Hills County Park
One of four festive events this month, the Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission is hosting Monster Mash on October 12th in Rolling Hills Park. Wear your costumes, feel free to bring your friendly, leashed dogs, and get ready for kid-friendly activities for all ages, including a candy hunt, a costume contest, face painting, hayrides, a pumpkin patch and more.
For more Halloween fun, check out Halloween Hootenanny on October 6th, Halloween Bash on October 26th and Pumpkin Smash on the Saturday after Halloween.
ypsiGLOW | Ypsilanti
October 25, 7 p.m. | Downtown Ypsilanti
From the same team that brings us FestiFools and FoolMoon every April, ypsiGLOW is a light-filled celebration through Downtown Ypsi. In the weeks leading up to the event, local artists, businesses and organizations host GLOWorkshops so you can create your own luminary and costume. Then, you can join the community on October 25th for a celebration of Ypsilanti and art! Follow the team on Facebook here to get updates on workshops.
Sports
Sports
University of Michigan Homecoming | Ann Arbor
October 5, 12 p.m. | Michigan Stadium
The University of Michigan faces off against the University of Iowa on October 5th for this year’s homecoming game. The Wolverines also play Notre Dame at home on October 26th! You can see the full football schedule here.
Glow Disc Golf Tournament | Whitmore Lake
October 25, 6 – 11 p.m. | Independence Lake County Park
For the fourth year, this after-hours disc golf tournament is returning to Independence Lake County Park! The 18 holes will be lit by glow sticks and $30 registration includes park entry and a player pack. For all the details, click here.
Food + Drink
Food + Drink
Art & Brew | Ann Arbor
October 10, 5:30 – 9 p.m. | Downtown Ann Arbor
Photo courtesy of the Ann Arbor Art Center
Hosted by Ann Arbor Art Center and various downtown businesses, Art & Brew is a celebration of local food and drink and a competition for the best food and beer pairing. When you buy your $60 ticket, you’ll be invited to join the bar crawl traveling to each participating restaurant to taste their beer and snack pairings, to create your own art at each one, and then to vote for your favorite pairing. See the participating venues, buy tickets, and get more information here.
West Cross Hard Cider Festival | Ypsilanti
October 12, 1 – 5 p.m. | College Place
This 21+ event brings together 15 Michigan hard cider makers and eight West Cross businesses for a fall tradition of epic proportions. You can see the participating businesses here and purchase tickets online here.
Chefs in the Garden | Ypsilanti
October 13, 5 – 8 p.m. | Growing Hope Urban Farm
Hosted by and benefitting Growing Hope, the Chefs in the Garden series brings together local charity, local food and urban farm education. The three-part dinner series features well-known, local culinary talent at each event occurring on September 15th, September 29th and October 13th. The last event of the series is scheduled for October 13th with Chef Brandon Johns of Grange Kitchen & Bar with dessert from Sweet Heather Anne. For details and tickets, click here.