On Saturday, October 10, four separate events will be running in downtown Boerne. Rod Run Market Days fills Main Plaza. Free Roam Brewing Co. opens its Oktoberfest weekend at 325 S. Main St. The full Boerne Jazz Band plays Cibolo Creek Brewing Co. at 448 S. Main St. The Native Texans are on the bill at The Dodging Duck Brewhaus on River Road.
That's the shape of October here. Nearly everything on the calendar sits within a few blocks of South Main Street and Main Plaza, and most of it falls on the same two Saturdays. Each brewery and organizer published its own listing, so you only see the overlap once you put them on one calendar. Here they are, weekend by weekend.
The month at a glance
| Date | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sat., Oct. 3 | Boerne Book Festival, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. | Patrick Heath Public Library, 451 N. Main St. |
| Sat., Oct. 3 | Oktoberfest menu and Märzen lager | Tusculum Brewing Co., 236 S. Main St. |
| Sat., Oct. 3 | First Boerne Ghost Tour, 8:30 p.m. | DeVino Cellars, 112 E. San Antonio Ave. |
| Sat.–Sun., Oct. 10–11 | Rod Run Market Days | Main Plaza |
| Sat.–Sun., Oct. 10–11 | Free Roam Oktoberfest | 325 S. Main St. |
| Sat., Oct. 10 | Boerne Jazz Band | Cibolo Creek Brewing Co., 448 S. Main St. |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | Barktoberfest, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. | Main Plaza |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | Oktoberfest dinner, reservations required | Joshua Creek Ranch, 132 Cravey Road |
| Tue., Oct. 20 | BOO-nco, 7–9 p.m. | Wonderland Factory |
| Sun., Oct. 25 | Boo! Breakfast | Tapatio Springs |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | Cemetery tour, Trick-or-Treat Trail, ghost stories | Downtown |
The Dodging Duck's Ducktoberfest and Richter's German selections run all month, so they aren't on the table. They're covered below.
October 3: the quiet opener
Of the October Saturdays, the first one has the most room. The Boerne Book Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Patrick Heath Public Library, 451 N. Main St. That's the north end of Main Street, so it's an easy morning before you head south.
Later that day, Tusculum Brewing Co. at 236 S. Main St. starts its Oktoberfest menu of bratwurst and pretzels, served with its Märzen-style Oktoberfest lager. It's a single-day menu, not a festival. So October 3 is a good choice if you want the Oktoberfest food and beer without contests or a crowd of vendors.
October 3 is also the first night of Boerne Ghost Tours, hosted by DeVino Cellars and presented by The Boerne Life. The Boerne Star reports an 8:30 p.m. start from DeVino's, with tickets from $28 for students to $45 for adults. The Eventbrite listing currently shows a starting price of $28.52. The walk takes about 90 minutes and begins and ends at DeVino Cellars, 112 E. San Antonio Ave. It covers local legends tied to historic downtown buildings. Tours run every Saturday evening through November 14. If you miss this one, there are six more Saturdays. The later ones fall after the Oktoberfest rush.
October 10 and 11: everything at once
This is the weekend to plan around. Rod Run Market Days takes over Main Plaza on the usual second-weekend schedule. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Market Days runs on the second weekend of every month from February through December. This year, that puts the October market on the same weekend as the biggest brewery Oktoberfest in town.
Free Roam Brewing Co. calls its event a full weekend, and Visit Boerne's Oktoberfest roundup lists the highlights:
- Live music, vendors and food trucks
- An official stein-holding contest
- A watermelon-eating contest
- Games and family-friendly activities
- Dogs welcome
Free Roam's own event page lists only Saturday, October 10, at noon, with no ticket price. If you're planning around Sunday, check with the brewery for that day's start time.
A few blocks down at 448 S. Main St., Cibolo Creek Brewing Co. pairs German-inspired food specials with a set from the full Boerne Jazz Band on Saturday. The Native Texans also play The Dodging Duck Brewhaus at 402 River Road on October 10.
Because Market Days and both breweries are so close together, you can do all of it on foot in one day. Shop the plaza in the morning, see Free Roam's contests after noon, and catch the jazz on South Main. The tradeoff is crowds. Expect more people downtown that Saturday than on any other October weekend.
October 17: a weekend for dogs, and a table in the country
The third Saturday puts the focus back on Main Plaza. Hill Country Animal League holds its annual Barktoberfest there from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. After Free Roam's dog-friendly weekend, this is the second October event where your dog can come along.
The same day, Joshua Creek Ranch at 132 Cravey Road hosts its Oktoberfest. Chef Robert Kennon and his team will prepare a full German menu with German-inspired bar specials. Guests get a complimentary Joshua Creek Ranch beer stein with a bar purchase, while supplies last. Reservations are required. It's the only Oktoberfest event on this list that needs one, so book this one well ahead.
The Sonic Waves play The Dodging Duck on October 17.
All month: the Duck and Richter
If you'd rather skip the weekend crowds, two places keep the German theme going all October. The Dodging Duck celebrates Ducktoberfest with the 25th annual release of its Ducktoberfest Lager, sausage plate specials, live music and two jazz bands every Sunday. Richter Tavern and Richter Cork & Keg aren't holding a formal Oktoberfest event, but they plan German selections all month alongside their regular beer lists. Either one works well on a Tuesday night.
Halloween week, and a Saturday Halloween
The second half of the month shifts from steins to costumes. On Tuesday, October 20, Wonderland Factory hosts "A Little BOO-nco. A Lot of Laughs." from 7 to 9 p.m. The night includes festive drinks, a popcorn bar, prizes and optional rounds of bunco. Hosts explain the rules, so you don't need a group or any experience to join.
Boo! Breakfast returns to Tapatio Springs on Sunday, October 25, with costumes, treats and seasonal decorations. Admission is listed at $21 per adult and $12 per child.
Boerne Boo! is less certain. The City's September 21 Halloween roundup still lists the free festival for October 24 at Patrick Heath Public Library, hosted with Boerne Parks and Recreation. The City calendar entry it links to now shows as removed, and its web address includes the word "canceled." Before you promise the kids bounce houses that afternoon, check with the library.
Halloween itself falls on a Saturday this year. That makes it a fourth packed Saturday, and like the others, it all happens downtown. You could plan the day like this:
- 10:15, 10:45 or 11:15 a.m. "Gone But Not Forgotten: A Boerne Cemetery Tour" is free. The Genealogical Society of Kendall County and Boerne Parks and Recreation present it, with 10 community members playing Boerne pioneers.
- During business hours. Boerne's Trick-or-Treat Trail runs along the Hill Country Mile, with participating shops handing out candy to kids and adults in costume.
- Noon, 1, 2, 3 or 4 p.m. Boerne Ghost Stories takes place inside the 1885 Kuhlmann-King House. Seats are limited, reservations open October 1, and proceeds benefit the Boerne Area Historical Preservation Society. The City says the program isn't recommended for very young children.
- Evening. The Saturday ghost tour from DeVino Cellars runs that night too, as part of its October 3 through November 14 schedule.
The ghost stories open for reservations tomorrow and seats are limited, so this is the one Halloween item to book now.
What's changed around town since summer
Some of the October plans above depend on places that opened or reopened since summer. Carmella's Pizza Parlor is now open at 110 Market Ave., Suite 103. It comes from the owner of 28 Songs Brewhouse + Kitchen next door, which started Boerne's Oktoberfest season on September 26. Chicken Salad Chick opened June 3 at 34702 Interstate 10 West, the first tenant to open in Boerne Town Center on Norris Lane.
Boerne City Lake Park reopened August 1. Its trails, playground, fishing pier and boat dock are open again, which gives you a quiet morning option on a busy festival weekend. Adler Road reopened to two-way traffic on August 28, though the City said smaller tasks would continue for several weeks after.
One project won't be ready this October. Boerne Heritage Volkspark, the former Northside Community Park, was nearly 50% built as of an August update, with a spring 2027 opening expected. The first phase includes a splashpad, an all-abilities playground, pickleball courts, a dog park and a food-truck area.
Hosting family from out of town this month, or wondering which Saturday is best for a downtown visit? I'm happy to share what I know about Boerne's October weekends, from the Main Plaza markets to the quieter spots on the edge of town. Anthony Boelens lives in the Hill Country and gets these questions every fall. Let's Start a Conversation.
