Local Events
What's Happening This Week: Ponte Vedra & Nocatee, Oct 20-26
By Mollie Younger October 20, 2026 4 min read
The verified Oct 20-26 list: both farmers markets, CAKE and Turnpike Troubadours at The Amp, Live Dead & Brothers at the Concert Hall, the Jacksonville Zoo Spooktacular, and the first trunk-or-treats of the season.
Here's the thing: Halloween has officially taken over the calendar, and this is the week it gets good. The verified list for October 20 through 26, 2026 is heavy on the season: the first trunk-or-treats of the year, the Jacksonville Zoo's Spooktacular back for its 39th run, two nights of music at The Amp, and both of the local farmers markets doing their usual weekly thing. Every event below is real, checked against the organizer or an official listing, and within about half an hour of Ponte Vedra Beach.
Palm Valley Farmers Market
Tuesday, October 20, 10 AM to 1 PM at the Palm Valley Community Center, 148 Canal Blvd in Ponte Vedra Beach: the weekly anchor market, with local produce, raw milk, pastured chicken and eggs, and sourdough, all done in under an hour. It runs every Tuesday year-round, so if today slips away, October 27 is already on the calendar. Market details
CAKE at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre
Wednesday, October 21, 8 PM, doors at 6:30, at 1340C A1A South in St. Augustine: An Evening with CAKE, the full band, under the oaks on a school night. Tickets run about $72 to $151. A Wednesday show is a commitment, but this is the one worth making. Tickets and details
Christ Episcopal Church-Ponte Vedra Trunk-or-Treat
Wednesday, October 21, 5:30 to 7 PM at 400 San Juan Drive in Ponte Vedra Beach: the first real Halloween event of the season for Ponte Vedra Beach kids, free and five minutes from most of town. Bring a jar of peanut butter for Blessings in a Backpack and it turns into the neighborhood event it should be. Church event calendar
Jacksonville Zoo Spooktacular
Thursday through Sunday, October 22 through 25, after dark (the zoo closes at 5 PM and reopens around 6 PM with timed entry) at 370 Zoo Parkway in Jacksonville: the 39th annual Halloween trail with a 400-foot light tunnel, the Skeleton Disco, trick-or-treat stations, and an optional scare zone. Tickets run about $25 to $40 and must be bought online in advance. It is about 30 minutes north by highway, and it is the closest thing on this list to a guaranteed good night for a family. Official event page
Ponte Vedra Friday Farmers Market
Friday, October 23, 10 AM to 2 PM at Palm Valley Outdoors, 377 S. Roscoe Blvd in Ponte Vedra Beach: produce, local honey, baked goods, and artisans on the Intracoastal lawn. The Friday market is the one I steer new neighbors to when they need a quick, easy way to feel like a local. Market details
Live Dead & Brothers at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
Friday, October 23, 7:30 PM, doors at 6, at 1050 A1A N in Ponte Vedra Beach: the music of the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers, played by the musicians who keep it alive. Tickets run about $52 to $126. Five minutes from home, no drive, and the crowd is always a good time. Concert Hall event page
Turnpike Troubadours at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre
Saturday, October 24, 6:30 PM, doors at 5:30, at 1340C A1A South in St. Augustine: Red Dirt country with Muscadine Bloodline and Drayton Farley opening, a full Saturday under the oaks. Tickets run about $59 to $138. This is the one to buy tickets for before the week starts. Tickets and details
Charity Witches Ride
Saturday, October 24, check-in from 4 PM, ride departs 5:30 PM at Twenty Mile Post Park, 92 Stone Ridge Drive in Nocatee: the 6th annual ride where women in witch wear decorate their bikes and toss candy to kids along the route through 20 Mile, benefiting V is for Victory. It is $30 to ride (about $33.65 online), free to watch, and open to the public even though the park is normally a resident amenity. Ride details and registration
Mollie says
Let's be honest: Saturday, October 24 is the day this week was built around. You could start at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre Farmers Market under the oaks, wander the Beaches Green Market at Penman Park in Jacksonville Beach, watch the witches ride through Nocatee at 5:30, and finish with Turnpike Troubadours back under the oaks. That is not a packed day, that is northeast Florida doing what it does best. Do not try to do all of it; pick the one that fits your family and let the week feel full without feeling frantic.
Everything on this list was checked against organizer or official listings the week of October 20, 2026, and events can still move or sell out, so confirm before you drive. A few more worth knowing: the St. Augustine Amphitheatre Farmers Market runs Saturday, October 24, 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM on the same A1A South grounds as the concerts, and the Beaches Green Market runs Saturdays at Penman Park in Jacksonville Beach, 10 AM to 2 PM. Looking ahead, the Palm Valley market returns Tuesday, October 27; First Baptist Nocatee hosts its big Trunk of Treats on Wednesday, October 28; and the Zoo's Spooktacular closes out October 29 through 31. Last week's edition, covering October 13 through 19, has passed and stays archived here. Know something I missed? Tell me, and it goes in next week's list.
Written by
Mollie Younger
Ponte Vedra real estate advisor, dual-state broker, mother of a relocated family. 25+ years in real estate, 400+ homes sold. She sees the whole move, not just the house.
About MolliePlanning a move to northeast Florida?
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