In the Field — October 2026

Field Notes · October 2026

In the Field — October 2026

Fall lands hard: Best of Missouri Market fills the Garden, Drop Soda moves to Locust, and the Saturday farmers’ markets keep going while Tuesday evenings are done for the year. Cooler mornings favor early Tower Grove walks. Confirm before you go.

We do not host these events. We write down what the community is already doing — the way we write down what is blooming.

Cats

This month

Stray Rescue Petco adoptions — Sat Oct 3 & 17, noon–2:00 p.m., Petco Gravois Bluffs (Fenton); Sat Oct 10 & 24, noon–2:00 p.m., Petco Arnold. Free to meet; adoption fees apply. Stray Rescue
Stray Rescue × Jason Rekulak (cat / kitten event) — Wed Oct 14, 6:00–7:00 p.m., The Novel Neighbor (7905 Big Bend Blvd, Webster Groves). Book-signing adoption presence; confirm with Stray Rescue before you go. Stray Rescue
Leaves & Local Fall Market — Sun Oct 4, 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Carondelet Park. Stray Rescue listed among adopters; free to walk the market. Stray Rescue · Friends of Carondelet Park

Standing

Tenth Life Adoption Lounge — 3202 Cherokee. Meet-and-greets by appointment. No October Caturday posted yet as of this update; Trivia Night lands Nov 14. Lounge info · Event directory
HSMO walk-in cat adoption — Macklind HQ and Best Buddy (Maryland Heights); hours on site. Free to visit. hsmo.org
STLFCO — TNR / barn-cat resource line, not a dated event. stlfco.org

Garden

This month

Known & Grown Farm Tour #6 — Fresh Pasture Farms — Sat Oct 3, 3:00–4:30 p.m., Millstadt, IL. Ticketed ($15 adult / $5 ages 3–17 / under 2 free). Walking tour; rain or shine. Known & Grown
Best of Missouri Market — Fri–Sun Oct 9–11, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (members-only shopping Sat Oct 10, 8:00–9:00 a.m.), Missouri Botanical Garden. Ticketed; Market admission required for Garden entry that weekend (resident free hours / Saturday walking hours do not apply). MBG
BOOterfly House — daily Oct 1–31, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House (Faust Park / Chesterfield). Soft Halloween programming; included with Butterfly House admission; free for Garden members. Butterfly House events
Wicked Wings and Wine — Fri Oct 16, 5:30–7:30 p.m., Butterfly House. Ages 21+; advance registration. Butterfly House events
Spirits in the Garden — Fri Oct 23, 6:00–8:30 p.m., Missouri Botanical Garden. Ticketed ($35 / $32 members); 21+. Costume contest, tastings, haunted tram. MBG

Standing

Missouri Botanical Garden free resident hours — Wed & Sat early walking / free windows for City & County residents with ID, when not a signature-event weekend. Suspended for Best of Missouri Market weekend (Oct 9–11). MBG

Markets

This month

Sauce Magazine Harvest Festival — Sun Oct 18, 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Tower Grove Park. Food trucks, makers, live music. Confirm ticket / entry details before you go. harvestfeststl.com
Tent-or-Treat / Sundaze at Schlafly — Sun Oct 25, Schlafly Bottleworks parking lot (Maplewood). Free entry. Halloween-leaning Minx Monster market; confirm exact hours closer to the date. Minx Monster
SOL Food Farmers Market — Wednesdays 4:00–6:30 p.m. through October, Maplewood (Living Room lot). Free to walk. Season ends with the last Wednesday in October. renewhatsup.com

Standing

Tower Grove Farmers’ Market (Saturday) — Saturdays 8:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. through Nov 7, Tower Grove Park. Free to walk. Tuesday evenings ended Sept 29. TGFM
Boulevard Farmers’ Market — Sundays 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. through Oct 25, Richmond Heights. Free to walk. TGFM
Soulard Farmers Market — Wed–Fri 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; Sat from ~7:00 a.m., year-round, 730 Carroll. Free to walk; Saturday is fullest. City of St. Louis

Vintage

This month

Drop Soda Vintage Market Vol. 28 — Fri Oct 16, 5:00–10:00 p.m. (first hour $5 cash; free after), new venue: 2811 Locust St (remaining 2026 markets have left The Garage STL). Official applications page names Friday only; Saturday Oct 17 is expected on the usual 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. pattern — confirm day-two before you go. dropsodamarket.com
Trick or Treat on Cherokee — Sat Oct 31, Cherokee Street businesses + hot cider / bonfire at Love Bank Park. Free to walk; candy at participating shops. Confirm map/hours closer to the day. cherokeestreet.com/events

Free socials

This month

Twilight Thursdays: Tribute to The O’Jays — Thu Oct 1, 6:00–8:00 p.m., Missouri History Museum plaza (make-up from Sept 3 heat cancel). Free. Season closer. Forest Park Forever
Art Hill Film Series — Men in Black — Fri Oct 2, 5:00–9:00 p.m. (film ~7:00 p.m.), Art Hill / Saint Louis Art Museum. Free; no tickets. SLAM
Brewed Arts Festival — Sat Oct 3, 1:00–5:00 p.m., Cherokee Street. Ticketed tastings + Screwed Arts Collective art/music. cherokeestreet.com/brewedarts
Art Hill Film Series — Young Frankenstein — Fri Oct 9, 5:00–9:00 p.m. (film ~7:00 p.m.), Art Hill / SLAM. Free; no tickets. Soft Halloween pick. SLAM
Boo at the Zoo — select nights Oct 9–30, 5:00–8:30 p.m. (last entry 8:00 p.m.), Saint Louis Zoo. Ticketed; non-scary, kid-friendly. Sensory-Friendly Night Oct 12. stlzoo.org
St. Louis VegFest — Sun Oct 11, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., World’s Fair Pavilion, Forest Park. Free. stlouisvegfest.org
SLAM Underground — ENCHANT — Fri Oct 30, 7:00–10:00 p.m., Saint Louis Art Museum. Free; ages 18+. Soft Halloween gallery night. Forest Park Forever

Standing

Saint Louis Zoo · Saint Louis Art Museum · Missouri History Museum — Forest Park. Free general admission (special exhibits / ticketed evenings may cost).

Next month to watch

Garden Glow at Missouri Botanical Garden — Member Preview Fri Nov 13; public select nights Nov 14–Jan 2, 2027. Garden Glow
Tenth Life Trivia Night — Sat Nov 14, 7:00 p.m., IBEW Hall. Tenth Life
Drop Soda — next volume often mid-November (third-party listings show Nov 13–14); confirm venue (2811 Locust) and dates on dropsodamarket.com.
Cherokee Street Jazz Crawl — Sat Nov 7. cherokeestreet.com/events
TGFM Saturday runs through Nov 7; Boulevard and SOL Food wrap in late October.

Sources we checked

https://www.strayrescue.org/adoption-events/
https://tenthlifecats.org/event-directory/
https://tenthlifecats.org/adoption-lounge/
https://hsmo.org/locations-and-hours/
https://knownandgrownstl.org/events/farm-tour-6-at-fresh-pasture-farms/
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/best-of-missouri-market-1570
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/spirits-in-the-garden-1571
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/plan-your-visit/family-of-attractions/butterfly-house/things-to-do-at-the-butterfly-house/events
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/events-classes/signature-events/garden-glow
https://tgfarmersmarket.com/visit-the-markets/
https://harvestfeststl.com/
https://renewhatsup.com/sol-food-farmers-market/
https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/parks/soulard/index.cfm
https://www.carondeletpark.org/
https://minxmonstermarkets.com/minx-monster-events/tent-or-treat-market-2/
https://www.dropsodamarket.com/all-applications
https://cherokeestreet.com/events
https://cherokeestreet.com/brewedarts
https://www.forestparkforever.org/calendar/2026/mo-history-twilight-thursdays-concert-series-october-1
https://slam.org/event/2026-art-hill-film-series-men-in-black/
https://slam.org/event/2026-art-hill-film-series-young-frankenstein/
https://stlzoo.org/events/boo-at-the-zoo
https://www.stlouisvegfest.org/
https://www.forestparkforever.org/calendar/2026/slam-underground-enchant

Last updated: Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Confirm before you go. Listings move.

Keanu does not attend. He patrols the hyssop. The rest of us can show up.