THIS WEEK’S SPONSOR:
Good morning, Bastrop County
The calendar tips into October this week, and Bastrop County is not waiting around to celebrate. This is the first big fall weekend of the year, and it is spread from one end of the county to the other.
Smithville alone could fill your whole Saturday. The 5th Annual Smithville Music Festival brings two days of free live music to Main Street, Friday evening and all day Saturday, and it lands the same morning as Meet Me at the Depot and Fall Market Days just up the street. In Bastrop, the museum opens its Día de los Muertos display Friday night with live music, and the Community Gardens pumpkin patch swings open for the season. Out in Elgin the library throws its Falloween Fall Festival, Rosanky holds a fried-chicken Fall Fling, and on Sunday Ascension Catholic Church runs its all-day Fall Festival Extravaganza. Add first-Thursday Farm Street Opry, a home Friday-night game in Cedar Creek and Scream Hollow after dark, and you have a week with something on every day.
Let's get into it.
👥 Join the conversation
Neighbors are posting events, asking for recommendations and swapping the good stuff over in the Bastrop Current Facebook group. Come say hello, and if you know something we should be covering, drop it in the group. Some of our best finds come to us that way. Join the Bastrop Current community group
🍂 Help us build the Fall Event Guide
We are pulling together a season-long roundup of the festivals, markets, pumpkin patches and fall fun happening all over Bastrop County, Texas. Hosting a fall event you want included? Just hit reply and we see if it fits in our list.
🎸 Smithville Music Festival
In Smithville, the 5th Annual Smithville Music Festival takes over downtown Main Street Friday and Saturday, and it is free. Friday music starts at 6pm; Saturday runs into the night and wraps at 10:30pm. The lineup includes Dysfunkshun Junktion, Desert Highway, Brandi Behlen, 4 ON THE FLOOR, the Johnny Rockit Band and Ben Zuniga. It is family-friendly, parking is free and pets are welcome. Saturday morning, before the music, Meet Me at the Depot brings porch stories, classic cars and trolley rides to the MKT Depot from 9am, and Smithville Fall Market Days sets up on American Legion Road. Smithville is worth a whole day.
In Bastrop, the Bastrop County Museum opens its Día de los Muertos community display Friday night with a free opening ceremony, live music and the unveiling of family ofrendas. The display then stays up daily through November 2, and there is a shared altar anyone may add a photo or memento to. Also opening Saturday: the Community Gardens 8th Annual Pumpkin Patch on Highway 71, open weekends all the way to Halloween.
Out in the smaller towns, the Elgin Public Library hosts its Falloween Fall Festival Saturday, Rosanky holds a Fall Fling fundraiser with fried chicken and a petting zoo, and on Sunday Ascension Catholic Church in Bastrop runs its all-day Fall Festival Extravaganza with a cake walk, bingo, live music, auctions and a whole Kiddie Row.
The full day-by-day is below.
🗓️ Bastrop County Events | September 28 - October 4, 2026
Monday, 🗓️ September 28
🧘 Mommy and Baby Yoga | 10am-noon | 216 W 3rd St, Elgin | An hour of yoga and programming, then an hour to just be around other mothers. Free, from Bastrop County Cares. Bastrop County Cares
⚡ Discovery | Weather Works: Lightning Lab | 4:30-5:30pm | Bastrop Recreation Center, 1008 Water St, Bastrop | Ages 10 to 12, twelve spots, registration closes at noon that day. $5. Bastrop Recreation Center
🏐 McDade Volleyball vs Holland | Home | JV 5pm, varsity 6pm | McDade High School Gym, McDade | Teacher Appreciation Night, and a district game. McDade ISD
🌱 Native Plant Society of Texas | 6pm | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | Growing natives, why they matter, and how to use them in a yard. Free. Bastrop Public Library
🎱 Monday 8-Ball Tournament | 7:30pm | American Legion Post 533, 3003 Loop 150 E, Bastrop | Double elimination, bar rules, money added to the pot. $10 entry. American Legion Post 533
Tuesday, 🗓️ September 29
☕ National Coffee Day | 11am-9pm | Copper Shot Distillery, 809 Main St, Bastrop | An all-day coffee promotion at the distillery. Copper Shot Distillery
✂️ Ribbon Cutting | Wound Care America | 11am-1pm | 3101 Highway 71 E, Suite 208, Bastrop | A new Bastrop wound care clinic marks its opening. Free. Bastrop Regional Chamber
🦁 Smithville Noon Lions Club | noon-1pm | Quinto Patio, 114 NE 2nd St, Smithville | The weekly meeting, visitors welcome. Free to attend, buy your own lunch. Smithville Noon Lions Club
🍂 Craft Hour | Fall Bookmarks | 1-2pm | Bastrop Recreation Center, 1008 Water St, Bastrop | Making fall-themed bookmarks with Leah Johnston. Free. Bastrop Recreation Center
📚 Friends of the Bastrop Public Library | Annual Meeting | 6pm | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | If you have ever wondered who funds the extras at the library, this is them. Free. Bastrop Public Library
🏐 Bastrop Bears Volleyball vs McCallum | Home | freshman and JV 6pm, varsity 7pm | Bastrop High School, 1614 Chambers St, Bastrop | Tickets online only. Bastrop ISD Athletics
Wednesday, 🗓️ September 30
🥕 Eden East Farm Stand | 9am-1pm | Eden East Farm, 1910 Main St, Bastrop | Produce, eggs and pantry goods straight off the farm, and you can walk the rows. Free to visit. Eden East Farm
🌙 Preschool Storytime | Hello Mr. Moon | 10:30am | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | Free. Bastrop Public Library
☕ Coffee and Friends | 3pm | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | Coffee and a guest speaker. Free. Bastrop Public Library
✂️ Ribbon Cutting | Dumbeck Custom Homes | 6-7pm | 116 Gazley St, Smithville | A new Smithville business opens its doors. Free. Smithville Area Chamber
🎱 BINGO with Ben | 7-9pm | Bastrop Beer Company, 1008 Main St, Bastrop | Weekly Wednesday bingo. Bastrop Beer Company
Thursday, 🗓️ October 1
👶 Bilingual Storytime | 11:15am | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | Stories and songs in English and Spanish. Free. Bastrop Public Library
🎛️ Elgin Chamber October Luncheon | 11:30am-1pm | First Baptist Church, 13916 County Line Rd, Elgin | An Economic Development Corporation update on new development in Elgin, plus an introduction to Dr. Christopher Bailey, Elgin ISD's new superintendent. Sponsored by the Bastrop County Emergency Food Pantry. Elgin Chamber of Commerce
🍽️ Lunchtime with Judy | from noon | American Legion Post 533, 3003 Loop 150 E, Bastrop | A community lunch, free, first come first served. American Legion Post 533
🥬 Elgin Farmers' Market | 4-7pm | Veterans' Memorial Park, 109 Depot St, Elgin | Every vendor grows, raises or makes what they sell. Free. Elgin Farmers' Market
🚢 Teen Thursday | 4:45-6:15pm | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | Table-top and board games for ages 13 to 17. Free. Bastrop Public Library
🎶 Farm Street Opry | Stephen Pride | doors 5:30pm, show 7pm | Bastrop Convention & Exhibit Center, 1408 Chestnut St, Bastrop | The monthly first-Thursday country music show, this month featuring Stephen Pride. Kids 10 and under free. Farm Street Opry
❓ Trivia with Ben | 7-9pm | Bastrop Beer Company, 1008 Main St, Bastrop | Weekly Thursday trivia at the downtown taproom. Bastrop Beer Company
Friday, 🗓️ October 2
☕ Coffee Talk with Ashley from Lo-Fi | 9-10am | Elgin Public Library, 404 N Main St, Elgin | A pastry-making talk in the Books and Beans area. Free. Elgin Public Library
💀 Día de los Muertos Community Display | Opening Day | 10am-5pm | Bastrop County Museum & Visitor Center, 904 Main St, Bastrop | The display opens today and stays up daily through November 2. Family ofrendas plus a shared altar anyone may add to. Free. Bastrop County Historical Society
🖌️ Adult Craft with Marlene | 2-4pm | Elgin Public Library, 404 N Main St, Elgin | Decorating candle holders, all materials provided. Free. Elgin Public Library
🎸 Smithville Music Festival | 5th Annual | Day 1 | from 6pm | Downtown Main Street, 116 Main St, Smithville | Free live music downtown to open the festival weekend. Lineup includes Dysfunkshun Junktion, Desert Highway, Brandi Behlen, 4 ON THE FLOOR, the Johnny Rockit Band and Ben Zuniga. Family-friendly, free parking, pets welcome. Smithville Music Festival
🕯️ Día de los Muertos | Opening Ceremony (FAME Friday) | 6-8pm | Bastrop County Museum & Visitor Center, 904 Main St, Bastrop | The opening reception with live music, speakers and the unveiling of the community ofrendas. Free. Bastrop County Historical Society
🎨 F.A.M.E. Days | The Creative Collection | 6-9pm | 711 Spring St, Bastrop | The Friday art market and entertainment night from the Bastrop Cultural Arts Committee, the same evening as the museum opening just up the street. Free. Bastrop Cultural Arts Committee
🏈 Cedar Creek Eagles Football vs McCallum | Home | 7pm | Cedar Creek High School, 901 Union Chapel Rd, Cedar Creek | A district home game and the only Bastrop County home game this Friday. Bastrop ISD Athletics
👻 Scream Hollow Wicked Halloween Thrills | 7pm-midnight | Scream Hollow, 149 Split Rail Lane, Smithville | Five haunted attractions across twenty wooded acres, plus a hayride and bonfires. Recommended ages 12 and up. Tickets from $27. Scream Hollow
🎸 Nite Shift | Live Music | 7:30-10:30pm | Gracie's (The Grace Miller), 706 Pine St, Bastrop | A full three-hour set to open the weekend at Gracie's downtown. The Grace Miller
🌟 Saturday, 🗓️ October 3 | The Big Day
🎃 Smithville Fall Market Days | 8am-4pm | American Legion Road, Smithville | A full day of fall market vendors, the same weekend as the music festival. Smithville Fall Market Days
🏷️ Smithville Community Wide Garage Sale | Fall 2026 | 8am-3pm | All over Smithville, plus spaces at Railroad Park | More than fifty sales across town with an official map, so you can plan a route. Free to shop. Sellers can still get on the map, registration closes Wednesday September 30 at 4pm. Smithville Area Chamber
🚂 Meet Me at the Depot | 9am-noon | Smithville MKT Depot, 102 NE 1st St, Smithville | Porch stories, classic cars, live music and trolley rides at the depot, the October installment of the first-Saturday series. Free. City of Smithville
🥕 Bastrop 1832 Farmers Market | 10am-2pm | 1302 Chestnut St, Bastrop | The weekly Saturday producers market between the convention center and the art center. SNAP and Lone Star welcome. Free. Bastrop 1832 Farmers Market
🎃 Community Gardens 8th Annual Pumpkin Patch | Opening Weekend | 10am-5pm | Community Gardens, 1067 Hwy 71 W, Bastrop | The pumpkin patch opens for the season and runs weekends through October 31. Community Gardens Bastrop
💀 Día de los Muertos Community Display | 10am-5pm | Bastrop County Museum & Visitor Center, 904 Main St, Bastrop | Family ofrendas and a shared community altar, up daily through November 2. Free. Bastrop County Historical Society
🍁 Falloween Fall Festival | 10am-1pm | Elgin Public Library, 404 N Main St, Elgin | The library kicks off fall with Joe McDermott, face painting, twist balloons, crafts and vendors. Elgin Public Library
🍗 Rosanky Fall Fling Fundraiser | 11am-4pm | Rosanky Community Center, 135 Main St, Rosanky | Fried chicken, a petting zoo, arts and crafts and a bounce house, out in Rosanky. Rosanky Community Center
🎸 Smithville Music Festival | 5th Annual | Day 2 | afternoon into the evening, ends 10:30pm | Downtown Main Street, 116 Main St, Smithville | The second and biggest day of free live music downtown. Same lineup as above. Family-friendly, free parking, pets welcome. Smithville Music Festival
🪦 Historic Fairview Cemetery Tour | tours at 3pm and 4:30pm | Fairview Cemetery, 1307 State Hwy 95, Bastrop | A guided walk through Bastrop's historic cemetery, told through the people buried there. Fifteen people per group, so reserve ahead. Tickets $25. Bastrop County Historical Society
🎤 Elgin Sings! | 3-4:30pm | Elgin Public Library, 404 N Main St, Elgin | Come sing with Sara. All are welcome to sing together and learn new music. Free. Elgin Public Library
🏆 Elgin Chamber Annual Awards Banquet | 5:45-10pm | Elgin SPJST, 702 Highway 95 S, Elgin | The chamber's yearly night of honoring excellence in the community. Registration through the chamber. Elgin Chamber of Commerce
🎸 Soul Shaker | Live Music | 7-10pm | Copper Shot Distillery, 809 Main St, Bastrop | An Austin-based act on the downtown distillery patio. Free. Copper Shot Distillery
👻 Scream Hollow Wicked Halloween Thrills | 7pm-midnight | 149 Split Rail Lane, Smithville | Second night of the weekend. Tickets from $27. Scream Hollow
🎸 X Factory | Live Music | 7:30-10:30pm | Gracie's (The Grace Miller), 706 Pine St, Bastrop | Saturday night music on Pine Street. The Grace Miller
Sunday, 🗓️ October 4
🥬 Smithville Sunday Market | 10am-2pm | James H. Long Railroad Park, Main & 1st, Smithville | The weekly market with live music, now on fall hours. Free. Smithville Market
🎃 Community Gardens Pumpkin Patch | 10am-5pm | Community Gardens, 1067 Hwy 71 W, Bastrop | Day two of opening weekend at the patch. Community Gardens Bastrop
💀 Día de los Muertos Community Display | 10am-5pm | Bastrop County Museum & Visitor Center, 904 Main St, Bastrop | Free. Bastrop County Historical Society
🎃 Ascension Fall Festival Extravaganza | 10:30am-5:30pm | Ascension Catholic Church, 804 Pine St, Bastrop | A cake walk, a DJ and live music, live and silent auctions, bingo, games for every age, a country store and a whole Kiddie Row. Ascension Catholic Church
🎶 Erik Flores | Live Music | noon-2pm | Gracie's (The Grace Miller), 706 Pine St, Bastrop | An early afternoon set, good timing if you are out for Sunday lunch downtown. The Grace Miller
🎶 Bastrop Blues Jam | 2-5pm | Copper Shot Distillery, 809 Main St, Bastrop | The Sunday Fun Day blues jam on the patio. Copper Shot Distillery
👻 Scream Hollow Wicked Halloween Thrills | 7-10pm | 149 Split Rail Lane, Smithville | Shorter Sunday hours. Tickets from $27. Scream Hollow
🔮 Planning Ahead
🥚 In your inbox Thursday | Our next issue lands Thursday morning with a fresh Featured Business of the Week and the events from Thursday into the following week. Catch every issue here.
🍺 Sat Oct 10 | Oktoberfest with King V | 11am-9pm | Rising Sun Vineyard, 233 Edmonson Ranch Rd, McDade | Bavarian food, beer and live music all day. Rising Sun Vineyard
🎃 Sun Oct 11 | The Great Pumpkin Bash | 5-7pm | Elgin Recreation Center front lawn, 361 N Hwy 95, Elgin | Elgin Parks and Rec throws the pumpkin party. Free. City of Elgin
🌿 Sat Oct 17 | Sustainable Home and Garden Show | 10am-3pm | Main Street, Smithville | Pines & Prairies Land Trust
🎄 Sat-Sun Oct 17-18 | Hometown Holiday Market | A Pastel Christmas | Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm | Bastrop Convention & Exhibit Center, 1408 Chestnut St, Bastrop | Third annual holiday market, hourly door prizes and Santa pictures Saturday. Texas Market Guide
🐷 Thu-Sat Oct 22-24 | 39th Annual Elgin Hogeye Festival | Downtown Elgin | The best little pig gig in Texas. BBQ pork cook-off, Cow Patty Bingo, live music, the Pearls Before Swine art show, and a car and bike show. Free. City of Elgin
🐾 Sat Oct 24 | Tricks, Treats and Trails | 6th Annual | 10am-3pm | McKinney Roughs Nature Park, 1884 State Hwy 71 W, Cedar Creek | LCRA Parks
👻 Sat Oct 31 | Bastrop Boo Bash | 2-6pm | Downtown Bastrop | The downtown Halloween route, with the museum as one of the stops. Downtown Bastrop
🎨 Sat Nov 7 | Bastrop Art Fest | Lost Pines Art Center, 1204 Chestnut St, Bastrop | Free admission. Vendor applications close October 26. Lost Pines Art Center
🚗 Sat Nov 14 | Heroes & Hotrods Veterans Weekend Car Show | from 7:30am | Main St, Bastrop | Around four hundred cars downtown for Veterans Weekend. Pre-registration only. Bastrop Area Cruisers
🎁 September Referral Prize | $50 to Numero 28 | Your link is right below
This is the last call. The September drawing closes Wednesday, September 30, and the prize is a $50 gift card to Numero 28, the wood-fired Italian pizzeria and vineria on Main Street in Bastrop.
Scroll down and you will find your own referral link. Every neighbor who subscribes through it is another entry with your name on it, and there is no cap. Text it to one person today, drop it in a group chat, post it in a school parent page or a neighborhood thread.
Who is your one person? Send it to them before you close this email.
Before you go
If you've got a flyer, an event, or a Bastrop County business worth featuring, hit reply. We read every email.
Want your business in front of Bastrop County the way our sponsors and Featured Businesses are? Hit reply and ask about sponsoring an issue or being our Business of the Week.
See you Thursday.
Marilyn - The Bastrop Current