Burnet County Tourism's October flyer lists five events, all free. The best night for stars falls on Saturday, October 10, the day the flyer gives for Fort Croghan Days in Burnet. MISSING, outside Marble Falls, is a place to stay for the fort by day and the dark sky that night.
Three of the five appear only on the county tourism flyer. Their organizers have not posted 2026 details yet, so the dates and times for those three are the flyer's. Call before you drive out.
The five events
Main Street Car Show: Saturday, October 3
9 am to 2 pm, with awards at 2 pm
Main Street, downtown Marble Falls
Free to walk and watch. Only people who show a car, truck or bike pay to enter, and those fees go to local kids.
The Kiwanis Club of the Highland Lakes runs it: car show details
Folk Festival: Sunday, October 4 (flyer date)
The flyer lists it from 4 pm at Chickenbach in Bertram, free, with no end time.
Chickenbach has not posted anything for 2026. Call 512-694-2184, or see chickenbach.com.
Fort Croghan Days: Saturday, October 10 (flyer date)
The flyer lists 10 am to 4 pm, free.
Fort Croghan is at 703 Buchanan Drive, Burnet. The Army built the fort in 1849 to guard the frontier.
The fort's own site shows no 2026 date yet. Call 512-756-8281, or check fortcroghan.com.
Boo-tiques & Brews: Thursday, October 22
4:30 pm to 7:30 pm
The historic square, Burnet
Free. Costumes welcome.
Kids trick-or-treat at the shops. Burnet police hand out hot dogs, and the fire department runs family activities. Adults move on to a local brewery after.
Full dark comes at 8:37 pm on October 1 and at 8:07 pm on October 31. If you can pick only one night, pick Saturday the 10th. The Draconids on Thursday the 8th come next.
October 4: Saturn is at its brightest. It is up all night and highest around midnight. A small telescope shows the rings.
October 8 (Thursday): The Draconids peak in the evening, from dusk to midnight, under a thin crescent moon.
October 9 and 10: New moon weekend. On the 9th the moon is down by about 8:30 pm. On the 10th there is no moon, and it stays fully dark from 8:27 pm to 6:12 am, close to ten hours and the longest dark of the month.
October 12: The last good night this year for the Milky Way core.
October 25 (Sunday): The Hunter's Moon, full. It rises at 6:23 pm, before the 6:51 pm sunset.
October 31: No moon until just after midnight.
Yoku at dusk.
Also nearby
Sweet Berry Farm, just outside Marble Falls, has pumpkins, a maze and hayrides. Entry is free and you pay per activity. No pets, except service animals. The farm has not posted its 2026 fall dates, so call 830-798-1462 or check its fall page.
MISSING is in the Texas Hill Country outside Marble Falls, in the south of Burnet County, 45 minutes northwest of downtown Austin. There are 11 villas and domes, and each has its own dip pool or hot tub.
Yoku has a glass roof over the bed, with the trees outside and hills behind its back deck.
The glass roof at Yoku.
Questions people ask
Are the October events free? Yes. The county flyer lists all five as free to attend. At the car show, only people who show a vehicle pay an entry fee.
Which night is best for stars? Saturday, October 10. There is no moon, and it stays fully dark from 8:27 pm to 6:12 am. The Draconids on Thursday, October 8, come second.
Can I bring my dog? Yes. MISSING takes up to two well behaved dogs, for a fee. Sweet Berry Farm allows no pets except service animals.
Can I bring my kids? Yes. MISSING is family friendly. The MISSING FAQ has the details on children.
What are check-in and check-out times? Check-in is at 3 pm. Check-out is at 11 am.
Come for the events by day, and look up after dark.
