Keeneland's fall meet closes Saturday, Dracula plays the Opera House and the Halloween and Thriller Parade fills Main Street at 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Most are free.

Quick answer: Keeneland’s fall meet closes Saturday, Kentucky Ballet Theatre dances Dracula at the Opera House, and the free Halloween and Thriller Parade fills Main Street at 6:30 p.m. Sunday.

Last checked Oct. 19, 2026. Every entry links its organizer; times and prices are as the organizer published them. Breeders’ Cup week starts Sunday: see our Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland page.

Friday, Oct. 23

  • Keeneland Fall Meet, first post 1 p.m., gates 11 a.m., Keeneland, 4201 Versailles Road. General admission is $10, bought in advance. Thoroughbred racing on the meet’s next-to-last day. Keeneland fall meet; our Keeneland race meets page has parking.
  • Boo Bash, 11 a.m. to noon, Eastside Branch library, 3000 Blake James Drive. Free. A Halloween party with songs, games and crafts for children 5 and under with a caregiver. Lexington Public Library
  • Dunbar Fall Festival, 6 to 8 p.m., Dunbar Community Center, 545 N. Upper St. Free. Candy, games, music and face painting. City of Lexington
  • UK Opera Theatre: Art Songs of Ricky Ian Gordon, 7:30 p.m., Singletary Center Recital Hall, 405 Rose St. $23, students $12. University of Kentucky singers perform the American composer’s songs. UK College of Fine Arts

Saturday, Oct. 24

  • Keeneland Fall Meet closing day, first post 1 p.m., gates 11 a.m., Keeneland. $10 general admission in advance. The last day of racing before the Breeders’ Cup. Keeneland fall meet
  • Carve’n Chip’n, 1 to 5 p.m., McConnell Springs Park, 416 Rebmann Lane. Free; bring a pumpkin. Carve it with the park’s tools and leave it to light the Jack-O-Lantern Trail next week. City of Lexington
  • Pumpkin carving at Raven Run, 1 to 2:30 p.m., Raven Run Nature Sanctuary, 3885 Raven Run Way. $8, register online. City of Lexington
  • Kentucky Ballet Theatre: Dracula, 7 p.m., Lexington Opera House, 401 W. Short St. The company opens its 29th season. Tickets through Ticketmaster. Central Bank Center
  • Lexington Philharmonic: Heroes and Villains, 7:30 p.m., Singletary Center for the Arts, 405 Rose St. $30 to $80 plus a $5 fee; students and ages 11 to 17 $10 to $20. Film music from Star Wars, Black Panther, Batman and more. Sunday’s 3 p.m. repeat is canceled, LexPhil says. LexPhil

Sunday, Oct. 25

  • Kentucky Ballet Theatre: Dracula, 2 p.m., Lexington Opera House. Central Bank Center
  • Purple in the Park, 2 to 5 p.m., Gatton Park, 795 Manchester St. Free. A family afternoon with a horse theme that opens Breeders’ Cup Festival week. Breeders’ Cup Festival
  • Halloween Variety Show and Festival, 4:30 to 6 p.m., Robert F. Stephens Courthouse Plaza, North Limestone. Free. A DJ and Halloween performances by Lexington arts groups. Food, drink and craft vendors are open 4 to 8:30 p.m. City of Lexington
  • Halloween and Thriller Parade, 6:30 p.m., Main Street downtown. Free. The parade is followed by several hundred zombies dancing the Thriller reenactment down Main Street. Watch anywhere along the route. City of Lexington; more on our Halloween events page

All weekend

  • Storied Quilts, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday to Sunday, Headley-Whitney Museum, 4435 Old Frankfort Pike. $10; free for 17 and under and students with ID. Through Dec. 6. Breeders’ Cup Festival
  • UK Art Museum, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday (closed Sunday), Singletary Center for the Arts. Free. Six exhibitions, including Leon Golub and Ben Shahn and Legacies of Surrealism in Photography. UK Art Museum
  • Devine’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch, 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, 623 Talmage-Mayo Road, Harrodsburg. Walk-ins welcome. Open through Nov. 1. Devine’s

More arts listings are in arts and exhibitions this month.

Regular weekend fixtures

  • Lexington Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Fifth Third Pavilion in Henry A. Tandy Centennial Park downtown, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at 398 Southland Drive. Lexington Farmers Market

Send us your event

Email hello@lexingtonnow.com with the date, time, venue, price and a photo, and we will add it to next weekend’s list.

More: things to do this month and trick-or-treat hours.

Frequently asked questions

What is there to do in Lexington this weekend?

Keeneland’s fall meet ends Saturday, Oct. 24, with first post at 1 p.m. Kentucky Ballet Theatre’s Dracula is at the Lexington Opera House Saturday and Sunday, and the Halloween and Thriller Parade steps off on Main Street at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25.

What is free in Lexington this weekend?

The Dunbar Fall Festival on Friday, Carve’n Chip’n at McConnell Springs on Saturday, Purple in the Park at Gatton Park on Sunday and the Halloween Variety Show and Thriller Parade on Sunday are all free, their organizers say. The UK Art Museum is free on Saturday.

Where do I watch the Thriller Parade?

Anywhere along Main Street downtown between Quality and Mill streets. The parade steps off at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, followed by the Thriller reenactment. Food and craft vendors are open 4 to 8:30 p.m.