Late October 2026 Community News: What's New Across NW Metro Atlanta

Late October is when NW Metro Atlanta does fall best. The leaves are turning, the fair season has wound down, and the calendar is packed with the events families plan their weekends around: Taste of Acworth, the 25th annual Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival in Kennesaw, HarvestFest on the Marietta Square, and Halloween celebrations across every downtown. At the same time, some of the year's biggest parks and buildings are opening their doors, and voters across the region are casting early ballots.

We track this news every week because a city's restaurants, parks, schools, and public decisions shape both daily life and home values for years. Here is what is happening across Marietta, Acworth, Kennesaw, Woodstock, Canton, Cartersville, and Dallas as October hits its final stretch.

Marietta: A Quiet Closing on Pat Mell Road and HarvestFest This Saturday

Birria El Gordo Closes After Six Years

The Mexican favorite Birria El Gordo at 350 Pat Mell Road has closed permanently, ending a more than six-year run in Marietta. The owners cited rising operating costs across the restaurant industry, per What Now Atlanta. It is a reminder that even beloved local spots face real pressure in this environment, and that the dining scene in Marietta is always turning over. On the brighter side, the pipeline around the Square keeps moving: Antika continues to prepare for opening at 34 Powder Springs Street, Fin and Feathers is taking shape at 16 Atlanta Street, and Brasserie Genevieve is targeting late 2026 or early 2027 in the former Asher and Rose space.

HarvestFest and a Senior Housing Groundbreaking

HarvestFest returns to Historic Marietta Square Saturday, October 17 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a market, Touch-A-Truck, costume and pie contests, and the Scarecrows in the Square displays. On October 22, the city joins the Marietta Housing Authority and Prestwick Companies for the groundbreaking of Evergreen, a new affordable senior housing development that adds to the city's housing pipeline. And Ward 6 Councilman André L. Sims hosts a town hall Wednesday, October 21 at Lockheed Elementary School for residents who want to hear what is happening in their district. Chalktoberfest on the Square earlier this month drew strong crowds for its 20th anniversary celebration of chalk art and craft beer.

Acworth: The 22nd Annual Taste of Acworth Takes Over Main Street

A Big Food Weekend Downtown

Taste of Acworth returns Saturday, October 17 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Main Street in Historic Downtown Acworth for its 22nd year, with more than 40 restaurant booths serving samples from $1 to $10, two live entertainment stages, a Georgia Grown member village, cooking contests, and family activities. It is the signature event on Acworth's fall calendar and a great way to sample the city's dining scene in one afternoon. It lands the same weekend as Marietta's HarvestFest, making this one of the busiest mid-October Saturdays of the year across the county.

Trails, a Farmers Market, and the Halloween JamBOOree

The Due West/Ragsdale Road Multi-Use Trail project broke ground earlier this month, a new 10-foot-wide path that will connect residential neighborhoods with the downtown core, and the Farmers Market keeps its Friday and Saturday morning hours at Logan Farm Park through the end of October. Mark October 24 on the calendar: the Halloween JamBOOree takes over Logan Farm Park with games, trick-or-treating, and family fun to close out the month. And on November 2, Acworth voters will see a referendum to renew the county's 1% SPLOST that funds roads, sidewalks, stormwater, and park infrastructure.

Kennesaw: Pigs & Peaches Turns 25 and the 2028 SPLOST Takes Shape

The 25th Anniversary Festival Headlines Downtown

Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary Friday, October 16 and Saturday, October 17 downtown at Depot Park and the United Bankshares Amphitheater. Country duo Tigirlily Gold performs Saturday at 6 p.m. and platinum-selling singer-songwriter Chayce Beckham headlines at 8 p.m., with free concerts both nights, a Friday-night talent showcase, barbecue vendors, a kids zone, and more. It is the biggest single weekend on Kennesaw's calendar and a reminder of how much the downtown has matured around its parks and amphitheater.

Downtown Walkability and a New Community Center on the November Ballot

Kennesaw detailed its roughly $46.8 million share of the countywide 2028 SPLOST on October 12, per the Marietta Daily Journal, and the plan is now on the November 3 ballot. The proposed list includes closing a stretch of Cherokee Street in front of the Southern Museum to cars, significant downtown walkability upgrades, and a new community center, alongside roads, parks, and municipal buildings. For anyone weighing a move to Kennesaw, this is a clear signal about where the city is investing next. Advance voting runs October 13 through 30, including at the Ben Robertson Community Center. Halloween closes out the month with the downtown Candy Crawl on October 24 and the Nightmare on Main 5K on October 31.

Woodstock: Scarecrows Line Downtown and the Mill District Keeps Filling

A Month of Downtown Halloween

The Scarecrow Invasion lines downtown Woodstock through November 1, "Come From Away" runs at Woodstock Arts through October 25, and Ghouls Night Out closes the month on October 30. It is the kind of dense, walkable event calendar that makes Woodstock's downtown such a draw for families, and it runs right alongside the city's busiest season for new construction.

Mill District Progress and a Growing Culinary Scene

The Woodstock Mill District, the Publix-anchored gateway to downtown, is roughly 79 percent leased and continues to name tenants: Sydel's Coffee, Super Chix Chicken & Custard, Three Dollar Café, Club Pilates, PetFolk, E's Barber Shop, Dentists at Woodstock Mill, and Allure Nail Bar, with a spring 2027 opening target. Next door, Tin Drum Asian Kitchen & Boba Tea Bar is planned for the adjacent Woodstock Mills development. The city's culinary scene keeps earning attention, and the Mill District is now concrete enough to plan around, not just promise.

Canton: Cherokee County's Largest Park Opens and The Mill Keeps Its Calendar Full

Yellow Creek Road Conservation Area Is Open

Cherokee County celebrated the ribbon cutting for the Yellow Creek Road Conservation Area & Trails on Tuesday, October 13 at 1447 Yellow Creek Road. The 538-acre passive park along the Etowah River is the county's largest, dedicated to hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, canoeing and kayaking, and camping. Phase One includes separate trailheads and parking for mountain bikers and equestrian users, a restroom building, a maintenance building, and a horse paddock, with future phases planned before 2030 and a future connection to Long Swamp Recreation Area. For outdoor-minded families looking at Cherokee County, this is a meaningful addition to the trail network, and it ties into the same recreation culture that makes Canton and Woodstock such strong communities.

Denim Fest, the Jack O' Lantern Jamboree, and Council Decisions

The Mill on Etowah hosts Denim Fest on October 17, followed by the 3rd Annual Jack O' Lantern Jamboree on October 24-25. On the civic side, the City Council sustained Mayor Bill Grant's vetoes of the Keithsburg annexation and rezoning at its October 1 meeting and then waived the usual 12-month reapplication prohibition so a revised plan can be refiled sooner. A large roughly 62-acre Pea Ridge Road annexation and rezoning request was tabled to the October 15 meeting amid traffic and infrastructure questions. And Cherokee County commissioners approved a $531.5 million county budget on October 7, keeping the county's fiscal footing solid as Canton continues to grow.

Cartersville: The Recreation Center Opens and Fall Festival Weekend Arrives

A Ribbon Cutting at the New Recreation Center

Cartersville's new 53,000-square-foot Recreation Center at 640 North Tennessee Street held its ribbon cutting and open house on October 14, featuring basketball and gymnastics programs and an indoor walking trail, partly powered by solar through the city's partnership with Qcells. It is the latest in a strong run of parks investments that also includes the Dellinger Park Softball Complex, two new dog parks, and the reimagined Founders Oak Park with its new oak-themed playground.

A Full Halloween Calendar Downtown

BBQ, Brews & Boos lands at Friendship Plaza on October 17. The 2nd Annual Cartersville Fall Festival follows Saturday, October 24 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Dellinger Park, free and family-friendly with live music and a Trick-or-Treat Trail. That same day, West Fest at the Booth Western Art Museum and a Halloween Pub Crawl October 23-24 keep downtown busy, and the Intercultural Fest with Día de los Muertos celebrations closes out the month on October 25. Families moving to Bartow County will also want to note the E-SPLOST renewal on the November ballot that funds school capital projects as district schools approach capacity.

Dallas: BOO Bash This Weekend and a Christmas Parade on the Horizon

Main Street Keeps the Calendar Full

The BOO Bash takes over downtown Dallas on Saturday, October 17 with games and a costume contest, following Spooky Shopping earlier in the month. Looking ahead, the 34th Annual Invitational Dallas Christmas Parade, hosted by the Paulding County Rotary Club, is set for Saturday, December 5, a strong reason for new residents to plan a downtown visit this holiday season.

Early Voting and a Downtown in Motion

Early voting for the November 3 general election is underway in Paulding County, with October 23 as the last day to request an absentee ballot. Meanwhile, downtown keeps moving: the District at Dallas mixed-use project is advancing, Melt Yard is preparing its second location in a former car dealership on West Memorial Drive, and the McDonald's under construction at Ridge Road and Bakers Bridge Road continues alongside a confirmed Taco Bell for New Georgia. Combined with WellStar Paulding Medical Center's roughly $300 million expansion, the combination of new dining, hospital growth, and new rooftops remains the clearest signal of a community investing in itself.

Why This Matters for Buyers and Sellers

The details of a community's everyday life are what actually decide whether a home feels right. A park opening tells you a county listens to its residents. A SPLOST list tells you where a city is investing next. A festival calendar tells you what your weekends will look like before you sign. Those signals matter for your resale value and for your day-to-day happiness.

That is why we track these stories every week and verify every detail before we publish. Our clients rely on us to know the numbers and the nuance, what is under construction and what is opening next month. If you are thinking about a change, we would love to sit down and share what we are seeing in the community that fits your life.

Have a great day.