Downtown Micanopy has two busy Saturdays in a row. This Saturday, Oct. 24, the town holds its Trunk or Treat on Cholokka Boulevard from 6 to 8 p.m. One week later, the 51st Micanopy Fall Festival opens on Saturday, Oct. 31, and runs through Sunday, Nov. 1. So the festival's Saturday is Halloween this year, and the town's costume night on Cholokka comes the weekend before.
Last year's festival ran later on the calendar. The Independent Florida Alligator's coverage of the 50th festival dated its Sunday photos Nov. 2, 2025. This year the dates shift back a day, and Saturday lands on Oct. 31. For anyone living within walking distance of Cholokka, that means two separate plans: one for a Saturday evening of costumes and one for a full day of crowds.
The Two Saturdays, Side by Side
Trunk or Treat | 51st Micanopy Fall Festival | |
|---|---|---|
Date | Saturday, Oct. 24 | Saturday, Oct. 31, and Sunday, Nov. 1 |
Hours | 6 to 8 p.m. | Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
Where | Cholokka Boulevard, downtown | Cholokka Boulevard, downtown |
Hosted by | Town of Micanopy | Micanopy Fall Festival Committee |
What's there | Costumes, games, decorations and treats | Over 200 vendor booths, a live stage and a charity auction |
The town calls Trunk or Treat an annual event, with "costumes, games, decorations and treats for the whole family." It's an evening event on the same street that, a week later, will be lined with tents from morning until late afternoon. Families who want the costumes, candy and a Cholokka without crowds should come on Oct. 24.
On Oct. 31, the festival closes at 5 p.m. on Saturday. The town's calendar entry for Halloween itself gives no schedule. It just says "Have fun, be safe!!" If your household has plans for that evening, keep in mind that the festival will have filled the town with visitors all day before it closes.
A Festival Run by the Town's Own Groups
The Oct. 31 weekend is organized from inside town. The Micanopy Fall Festival Committee is made up of local nonprofit groups and their volunteers, and the festival's organizers page names each one:
- Micanopy United Methodist Church
- Mount Bethel Baptist Church
- Micanopy Historical Society
- Micanopy Area Cooperative School
- Paradise Community Church
- Church of the Mediator
- Friendship 4H of Micanopy
- Micanopy Masonic Lodge #29
- Micanopy Academy
- Micanopy Athletics Association
- Friends of the Micanopy Library
That's 11 organizations from a very small town, and the list explains a lot about how the weekend works. The festival describes itself as run by these groups and their volunteers. Mainstreet Daily News included the 51st annual festival in its fall 2026 festival roundup, noting its live music and local and regional artists and crafters.
Parking Is Where Residents Come In
Parking leans on residents. According to the festival's visitor information, festival parking comes from "town residents who charge to park in their yards," and several local churches and schools offer parking for donations.
Here are the options the organizers list:
- Division Street and Early Avenue. The organizers call this the closest parking to the festival. It's first come, first served.
- Residents' yards. Homeowners around town charge for parking on their property.
- Church and school lots. Several local churches and schools take donations for parking.
- The Ball Park. It's free, and the organizers say to follow the signs.
The organizers are also blunt about one spot: "Please DO NOT PARK on the shoulder of US HWY 441," adding that "ample parking is available within the town." In practice, Micanopy's own lots and lawns absorb the festival's traffic.
The households that rent out yard space are part of how the festival works. If you're driving in from the edge of town on Oct. 31, plan for festival parking like any other visitor. Cholokka Boulevard is open only to foot traffic during festival hours.
The Stage and the Auction
The 2026 program is posted on the festival's entertainment page. Music runs in the morning and late afternoon, with the auction in between on both days.
Saturday, Oct. 31
- 9:10 to 9:55 a.m.: Kevin Lenz
- 10:15 to 11 a.m.: Harmony Fare
- 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.: The Brije
- 1 to 2:30 p.m.: Auction
- 2:40 to 3:15 p.m.: The Mustang Cloggers
- 3:35 to 4:35 p.m.: Greater Love and Faith Ministries Male Chorus
Sunday, Nov. 1
- 9:15 to 10 a.m.: Professor Jive and Friends
- 10:30 to 11:15 a.m.: Peter Enwall
- 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.: Spindrift
- 1 to 2:30 p.m.: Auction
- 2:35 to 3:15 p.m.: The Shade Tree Band
- 3:20 to 4 p.m.: William Drose
The stage is across from the Information Booth. The live auction sells items donated by festival vendors, with proceeds going to local programs. That puts the money raised on both afternoons back into the same community that hosts the weekend. If you have only an hour, the 1 p.m. slot is the most local part of the schedule on either day.
The Information Booth also sells the festival t-shirt. The design changes every year and features a local artist's work, and the featured artist gets a booth nearby.
Practical Notes for Festival Weekend
The organizers list more than 200 booths of handmade crafts, original artwork, plants, gourmet foods and festival food. A few of their visitor notes are worth reading before you leave the house:
- Bring cash. Organizers encourage it, though they note a number of vendors now take credit cards.
- Leave the dog at home. Pets aren't banned, but organizers ask that "four-legged friends remain at home for their safety and that of our valued patrons."
- Know the hours. Saturday's festival runs an hour longer than Sunday's, closing at 5 p.m. instead of 4 p.m.
The permanent shops on Cholokka have changed a little since last fall, too. WUFT reported in June 2026 that Charlie Bond moved Bond's Vintage Vault into its own storefront after selling from a booth at Antique City Mall. The business lists its headquarters at 118 NE Cholokka Blvd. For residents walking the festival, it's one of the newer permanent storefronts behind the tents.
One More Item on the Town Calendar
A smaller town project is also moving forward on the same schedule. On Oct. 6, the Town of Micanopy published a request for proposals for lighting at Carson Roberts Sports Complex, 702 NW 3rd Street. A pre-proposal site visit is set for Oct. 20 at 1 p.m., and proposals are due Nov. 3 at 5 p.m. The deadline falls two days after the festival ends. The notice only starts the bidding, so no new lights are in place yet.
If you live near the festival and find yourself wondering what your home is worth on the weekend when 200-plus booths fill the street outside, Anson Properties is glad to help. Stephanie Anson and the team know Micanopy's historic core and the acreage around it, and they can prepare a free home valuation based on local sales.
