St. Augustine Welcomes October with Haunted Experiences, Fall Festivals and Seasonal Events

Halloween is just weeks away - plan a fall escape filled with ghostly encounters, festivals, and dining in the Nation’s Oldest City.

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL, UNITED STATES, October 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- October is here, Halloween is just weeks away, and there’s still plenty of time to plan a spooky-season getaway to Florida’s Historic Coast.

Spend Halloween where ghostly encounters are more than just creative yarns. St. Augustine’s more than 460 years of history have left behind centuries of eerie legends, unexplained happenings and ghost stories — making October an especially fun time to visit. And there’s much more happening beyond the hauntings, with fall festivals, farm experiences, dining, live music and seasonal events filling the calendar throughout the month.

“This fall, treat yourself to a getaway that’s less stress and more fun,” says Susan Phillips, President and CEO of St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors & Convention Bureau. “Visitors from Florida and Southern Georgia can hop in the car and be here in just a few hours, without the hassle of heavy luggage and connecting flights. There’s so much to do on Florida’s Historic Coast this fall that you’ll want to stay just one more day.”

With centuries-old brick streets, historic cemeteries, an imposing Spanish fort and a famously haunted lighthouse, St. Augustine is teeming with ghostly experiences. Visitors can choose from a wide selection of ghost tour operators, with tours ranging from family-friendly early-evening excursions to late-night paranormal investigations that deliver a fair share of fright. The Ximenez-Fatio House Museum Mortality & Mourning Candlelight Tours take place every weekend through Oct 31. Get in the spirit with a Beetlejuice Pub Crawl with The Tasting Tours, go on an intimate ghost-hunting excursion with After Dark Investigations, complete with paranormal detection equipment, or learn the story behind the Pittee sisters who haunt the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum during its Dark of the Moon Ghost Tours.

Fall has arrived on Florida’s Historic Coast, and spooky season is just part of the story. Elkton’s agricultural roots come to life at Sykes Family Farms’ popular harvest festival, featuring a nine-acre corn maze, hayrides, a pumpkin patch, U-pick sunflowers, farm animals and kids’ activities. Enjoy culture and cuisine at the St. Augustine Greek Festival, a weekend of traditional food, dancing and live music. With live entertainment, fresh autumn flavors and fall-themed events, St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches offers a month packed with reasons to make a quick getaway.

And with October already underway, a fall escape doesn’t require months of planning. Getting here is easy, with convenient access via major corridors such as I-95, I-10 and I-75, or by enjoying an oceanfront drive along scenic Florida Highway A1A. With so much to see during the day and even more after dark, October on Florida’s Historic Coast is best enjoyed as a multi-day trip. Pair a ghost tour or family trick-or-treating with a day at the beach, a stroll through Historic Downtown St. Augustine, or a world-class meal and creative cocktails at one of the area’s MICHELIN-recognized restaurants.

There’s still time to turn Halloween — or any October weekend — into a Florida getaway. Staying an extra day is even easier with lodging partners and attractions offering special Fall Travel Deals. Explore more to see and do in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches at www.FloridasHistoricCoast.com.
Located midway between Jacksonville and Daytona Beach, Florida’s Historic Coast encompasses historic St. Augustine, the golf and seaside communities of Ponte Vedra, the rural communities of Hastings, Elkton and St. Johns, and 42 miles of Atlantic coastline.

Florida’s Historic Coast is also a celebrated culinary destination, home to a growing collection of MICHELIN-recognized restaurants showcasing the region’s diverse and evolving food scene.

The St. Johns County Visitors and Convention Bureau is the official tourism marketing and management organization for St. Johns County and Florida’s Historic Coast. The destination’s official website, FloridasHistoricCoast.com, provides visitors, travel professionals and media with information, inspiration and resources for experiencing St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and The Beaches.

Visitor Information Centers are located at 10 Castillo Drive in St. Augustine and at the St. Johns County Ocean and Fishing Pier, 350 A1A Beach Blvd., in St. Augustine Beach.

For travel information, visit FloridasHistoricCoast.com or call 1-800-653-2489. Follow Florida’s Historic Coast on Instagram and Threads at @FloridasHistoricCoast and on Facebook at Facebook.com/OfficialStAugustine.

Barbara Golden
+1 904-669-8142
bgolden@floridashistoriccoast.com
St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches VCB
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