October in Horizon West: Pet Fest at Hamlin Oct. 17, trunk-or-treats and a golf cart parade Oct. 23-24, Truck or Treat Oct. 28 and Flavor Fest Nov. 14.

Last checked Oct. 16, 2026. Rebuilt on the first of every month and refreshed through it. Events come from Hamlin’s events page, the Horizon West Happenings calendar, the City of Winter Garden calendar and each organizer’s own page. Questions about Winter Garden’s city events: 407-656-4111.

Horizon West’s Halloween falls mostly the week before Oct. 31. After Pet Fest at Hamlin on Saturday, Oct. 17, the big evenings are Friday, Oct. 23, and Saturday, Oct. 24, with trunk-or-treats and a golf cart Halloween parade, then Truck or Treat at Windermere High School on Wednesday, Oct. 28. November brings Flavor Fest at Hamlin on Nov. 14 and the Great Turkey Trot 5K on Nov. 22. Times are as the organizers publish them; check the organizer’s link before you go. For this weekend only, see things to do this weekend; for shows and galleries, see arts and exhibitions this month.

What this means for you

In Horizon West

Friday, Oct. 16: Trick-or-Treat Market Crawl. 7 to 10 p.m. at Home State Brewing Co., 16016 New Independence Parkway, with more than 25 local vendors handing out candy, a DJ and a dog costume contest, according to the event listing.

Saturday, Oct. 17: Horizon West Pet Fest. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the green space next to the Hamlin parking garage, 14111 Shoreside Way. Free, with pet vendors, adoptions, Best Pets awards, a Kids Zone and a Pet Parade at 12:15 p.m., according to the organizer, Horizon West Happenings. The schedule and contest list are in our Pet Fest guide.

Sundays, Oct. 18, Nov. 1 and Nov. 15: Homegrown Market at Hamlin. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., next to Home State Brewing Co. and Filigree Coffee at 16016 New Independence Parkway. Food vendors, live music and a yoga class; the first-Sunday market adds Cars and Coffee. Park on the first floor of the Cinépolis garage or on the street, Hamlin says.

Friday, Oct. 23, and Saturday, Oct. 24: trunk-or-treats. Goddard School Horizon West, 4974 Lake Hamlin Trail, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday; The Learning Experience Windermere, 6290 Lake Smith Circle, 6 to 8 p.m. Friday; and The Learning Experience of Horizon West, 9275 Miley Drive, 5 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Details are on our Halloween events page.

Saturday, Oct. 24: Horizon West Golf Cart Halloween Parade. 7 p.m. through Summerlake, Summerlake Groves, Watermark and Overlook. Free to enter, with prizes for the best-decorated carts; the organizers say the route will be posted in the Horizon West Golf Cart Club’s Facebook group, according to the event listing. Home State Brewing’s adult Halloween party follows, 8 to 11 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 28: Truck or Treat. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Windermere High School, 5523 Winter Garden-Vineland Road, Windermere. Food trucks, trick-or-treating, games and music; admission is free, the listing says.

Saturday, Nov. 7: Harvest to Holly Festival. 4 to 7 p.m. at Crossline Park, 17922 Old YMCA Road. Crossline Church’s free festival has hayrides, inflatables, vendors, Santa and falling snow, the listing says.

Saturday, Nov. 14: Flavor Fest Horizon West. 5 to 9 p.m. on the green at Hamlin. Tasting portions from about 20 restaurants, with music by The 789s and Francesca Tarantino. Tickets are on the organizer’s Flavor Fest page; prices and the lineup are in our Flavor Fest guide.

Thursday, Nov. 26, to Sunday, Dec. 13: Venardos Circus at Hamlin. The circus’s new show, Alice, opens with an 11 a.m. show on Thanksgiving Day in a big top on the open space north of Walmart, 4830 Hamlin Groves Trail, according to Hamlin. Tickets are sold only at VenardosCircus.com; every showtime is on our Venardos Circus page.

Every week at Hamlin. Hamlin lists half-price movies on Tuesdays at the Cinépolis Luxury Theatre, 14111 Shoreside Way, trivia from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays and free Jukebox Bingo from 7 to 8 p.m. Thursdays at Home State Brewing Co.

A short drive north: downtown Winter Garden

From the City of Winter Garden calendar, about seven miles north.

  • Fridays on the Plaza: 7 to 9 p.m. every Friday at the Centennial Plaza gazebo on Plant Street; free.
  • Winter Garden Farmers Market: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday at the downtown fountain and pavilion, 104 S. Lakeview Ave. On Saturday, Oct. 31, the market holds a Halloween celebration with a free kids’ craft from 9 a.m. to noon. More on our farmers markets page.
  • Halloween Light Show: 7 to 9 p.m. at City Hall, 300 W. Plant St., on Friday, Oct. 16, Saturday, Oct. 17, Friday, Oct. 23, Saturday, Oct. 24, Friday, Oct. 30, and Saturday, Oct. 31; free.
  • Halloween Flix at the Garden: $5 horror classics at 7 p.m. at the Garden Theatre on Plant, 160 W. Plant St.: “The Shining” on Tuesday, Oct. 20, and “Poltergeist” on Tuesday, Oct. 27. Tickets online only.
  • Haunted Illusions starring David Caserta: Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Garden Theatre. Tickets through the theater.
  • Tucker Ranch grand opening: 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 23, the ribbon cutting for the 25.6-acre Tucker Ranch Holistic Health and Wellness Park and Botanical Garden, 100 Avalon Road.
  • Craft Affair: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Jessie Brock Community Center, 310 N. Dillard St. Handmade gifts by makers aged 50 and older; free admission.

Farther afield

  • Fall Festival at Southern Hill Farms, 16651 Schofield Road, Clermont, Thursdays to Sundays through Nov. 22. Tickets online in advance only. Southern Hill Farms.
  • The Great Turkey Trot 5K, Sunday, Nov. 22, at Southern Hill Farms: the 5K starts at 8 a.m. and the kids races at 9:15 a.m., organizer Florida Running Company says. More in our Thanksgiving guide.

Useful dates

  • Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Registration and early voting are on our voting guide.
  • Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1.
  • Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26. Closures and trash changes are in our Thanksgiving guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is happening in Horizon West in October 2026?

Horizon West Pet Fest at Hamlin on Saturday, Oct. 17, trunk-or-treats on Oct. 23 and 24, the Horizon West Golf Cart Halloween Parade at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, and Truck or Treat at Windermere High School on Wednesday, Oct. 28. Downtown Winter Garden runs its Halloween Light Show on six October nights.

When is Horizon West Pet Fest 2026?

Saturday, Oct. 17, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the green space next to the Hamlin parking garage, 14111 Shoreside Way. Admission is free.

When is the Homegrown Market at Hamlin?

On the first and third Sundays of the month, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., next to Home State Brewing Co. at 16016 New Independence Parkway. The next dates are Oct. 18, Nov. 1 and Nov. 15.

When is the Winter Garden Halloween Light Show?

From 7 to 9 p.m. at Winter Garden City Hall, 300 W. Plant St., on Oct. 16, 17, 23, 24, 30 and 31. It is free, the city says.

When is Flavor Fest Horizon West?

5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, on the green at Hamlin. Tickets are sold through the organizer’s Ticketleap page, and wristbands cost a little more on the day.