The Haymarket Farmers' Market wraps its 2026 season this Saturday, October 10, after running Saturday mornings since May 2. In past years the Haymarket's Saturdays went quiet after that. This year three separate Halloween-season events fill the gap between October 21 and October 31. Each has its own day of the week, its own hours and its own crowd. The newest one, Haymarket Harvest, falls on the only Saturday in that stretch with no Husker game on the schedule.
If you live in Lincoln, the order matters more than any single event. Here is the stretch, day by day.
- Wednesday, Oct. 21: Halloween in the Haymarket, 5:30 to 8 p.m.
- Friday, Oct. 23: Nebraska women's basketball vs. Wayne State at Pinnacle Bank Arena, start time TBA
- Saturday, Oct. 24: Haymarket Harvest, 2 to 10 p.m., no Husker game listed
- Monday, Oct. 26: Chris Stapleton's rescheduled show at Pinnacle Bank Arena, 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, Oct. 30: Ella Langley at Pinnacle Bank Arena and Lincoln's Symphony Orchestra at the Lied Center
- Saturday, Oct. 31: Downtown Trick-or-Treat, a 21-and-over bar crawl and Nebraska vs. Washington at Memorial Stadium
Why the Harvest Got October 24
The Huskers play at Oregon on Saturday, October 17, and host Washington at home on Saturday, October 31. Nebraska's official 2026 football schedule doesn't list a game on October 24. On a football Saturday, downtown Lincoln fills up with game traffic. October 24 is the one late-October Saturday without it, and that's the date the new festival has.
Strictly Business reported that Haymarket Harvest is a new event, free to enter, and spread across the whole district instead of one venue. The Downtown Lincoln Association listing puts the center of it on 7th Street between P and Q. That's the same few blocks the Saturday market used until October 10, so the festival moves into a familiar spot two weeks after the market leaves it.
The event is local from top to bottom. The festival's About page lists Curated. The Event Cooperative, bin105, The 402 Collective and The Nook as organizers and supporters. Kinkaider Brewing Co. and Bertha's are managing live music and entertainment, which runs into the evening.
The Free Day and the Paid Layer
Haymarket Harvest is really two events running on the same streets. The free one runs all afternoon, and most of it winds down by early evening. Per the Downtown Lincoln Association listing, the Makers Market, mahjong tables and mini pickleball run 2 to 6 p.m. The Kids Zone runs until 8 p.m., and a canned food drive runs the full 2 to 10 p.m. Food trucks don't arrive until 6 p.m., and axe throwing costs extra all day. The family side also includes a pie-eating contest, gourd carving and a pet parade. Costumes for pets are optional but encouraged.
The paid side runs through participating Haymarket restaurants and bars, and it's mostly for adults.
| Pass | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Brews & Bands | $10, 21 and over | Beer garden entry and all festival concerts, 2–10 p.m.; drinks sold separately |
| Harvest Bites Trail | $40 | One featured seasonal bite at each participating restaurant |
| Autumn Sips Trail | $45, 21 and over | One tasting-size fall cocktail at each participating bar and restaurant |
| Bites + Sips | $75, 21 and over | Both tasting trails |
| Full Harvest | $85, 21 and over | Both trails plus beer garden and concert access |
Because of that split, families can come in the afternoon and leave without buying a pass. The paid side takes over as the free activities close around 6 p.m. and the food trucks arrive. As of this week, a few details are still listed as coming soon. Those include the band lineup, the food truck lineup and the list of participating restaurants and bars. The festival site says it will award prizes for the Pet Costume Parade, but it hasn't posted a time or starting point yet. The organizers say the full schedule, pass details and vendor list will come out closer to the date. Check haymarketharvest.com before you head out.
Trick-or-Treating Moved to a Wednesday Night
Three days before the Harvest, the Haymarket's kids' event takes the weeknight slot. Halloween in the Haymarket is Wednesday, October 21, 5:30 to 8 p.m. Downtown Lincoln closes Canopy Street and uses the Railyard and Iron Horse Park for a large trick-or-treat event with free activities. Holding it on a Wednesday keeps it off the Harvest's Saturday and off Halloween itself.
The event page thanks a long list of participating businesses, including Mellow Mushroom, Bison Witches Bar & Deli, Stories Coffee Company, Trade A Tape Comic Center, Lincoln City Libraries and Pinnacle Bank Arena. Businesses and volunteers who want to take part can email the Downtown Lincoln Association at the address on that page.
The Arena Week Between the Two Saturdays
In most years, the days after a Haymarket festival Saturday would be quiet. This year, a country headliner's show moved into that window. Chris Stapleton's Pinnacle Bank Arena show was supposed to be October 7. 10/11 NOW reported that it was postponed and moved to October 26. The arena lists the new show for 7:30 p.m. with doors at 6 p.m., and tickets for the original date will be honored. That puts a sold-ticket arena crowd in the Haymarket on a Monday, two days after the Harvest.
The arena week ends on Friday the 30th. Pinnacle Bank Arena has Ella Langley that night with Kameron Marlowe and Gabriella Rose, starting at 7 p.m. with doors at 6. If you'd rather skip the arena crowd, Lincoln's Symphony Orchestra performs "Violin Fantasy" on the Lied Center Main Stage at 7:30 p.m. that same night. A few smaller events fall in the same week. "An Afternoon of French Romantic Chamber Music" is at Kimball Hall on Sunday, October 25, at 4 p.m. The Lied Center's free lecture "Revolutionary Ambition: America at 250" is Tuesday, October 27, at 7:30 p.m.
Halloween Saturday Has Three Crowds at Once
All of this leads up to October 31, the only day in the stretch where events overlap. Halloween falls on a Saturday in 2026, and it's also a Husker home game day.
Heart Lincoln reported that the Downtown Lincoln Association's annual Downtown Trick-or-Treat runs 3 to 5 p.m. that Saturday. It starts at Beermann Plaza, 640 5th Street, then heads out to participating businesses across downtown. Admission is free. The Cake Walk is back, and costume prizes include Best Family Costume, Cutest Costume, Most Unique, Scariest, Funniest and Best Overall. Downtown businesses can set up a table at Beermann Plaza with no participation fee, but they're asked to bring candy.
A 21-and-over Halloween Bar Crawl is listed for the same day, 4 to 11:30 p.m. Check-in is required between 4 and 7 p.m. at Zoo Bar, 136 N. 14th Street, and the organizers say more venues will be announced, according to the Eventbrite listing. That check-in starts an hour before trick-or-treating ends.
Then there's the game. Nebraska hosts Washington at Memorial Stadium on October 31, and kickoff is still listed as TBA. Until a time is set, nobody knows how much game traffic will overlap the 3 to 5 p.m. trick-or-treat window or the evening costume crowd. With an early kickoff, game traffic leaves downtown around the time trick-or-treating starts. With an afternoon kickoff, the game runs at the same time. With a night kickoff, fans arrive while the bar crawl is going.
| Halloween Saturday | Time | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Trick-or-Treat | 3–5 p.m. | Starts at Beermann Plaza, 640 5th Street |
| Halloween Bar Crawl, 21 and over | 4–11:30 p.m.; check-in 4–7 p.m. | Check-in at Zoo Bar, 136 N. 14th Street |
| Nebraska vs. Washington | Kickoff TBA | Memorial Stadium |
If you're taking kids out on Halloween, check the kickoff time first. Families who want to avoid the overlap altogether can do the Haymarket's Wednesday night event on October 21 instead.
Lisa and her team pay close attention to the event calendars that shape daily life across Lancaster County, from Haymarket weekends to Husker Saturdays. If you have questions about Lincoln, or you're helping a friend get to know the area, Lisa Pringle (FKA Lisa Pringle) is happy to talk. Let's Connect.