Mid-October is when Marietta feels most like itself. The Square fills with fall color and foot traffic, the galleries settle into their autumn shows, and the neighborhoods just off the historic center open their streets to artists and musicians. For October 12 to 20, 2026, the calendar leans toward Saturday, with two outdoor festivals on the same day, framed by a Friday night of blues rock at The Strand and a museum exhibition that rewards an unhurried weekday visit. Here are four ways to spend the week in and around Marietta Square.
Legendary Georgia Musicians: Jackie Dorsey at the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art
What to Expect
The Marietta Cobb Museum of Art, at 30 Atlanta Street SE, is showing Legendary Georgia Musicians, a body of work by Jackie Dorsey, an award-winning watercolor artist based in Athens. The museum describes the project as a multi-year endeavor created to pay homage to the musicians who have called Georgia home. The exhibition runs September 26 through December 13, 2026, in the Terri Strickland Cole Galleries upstairs, while the main galleries downstairs hold a separate show of recent acquisitions from the permanent collection. Inside this window, the museum is open Tuesday, October 13 through Sunday, October 18, and again on Tuesday, October 20. It is closed on Mondays.
Timing and Planning
Published hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and the museum notes that evening hours are subject to change, so check before planning a late visit. Adult admission is $10, and members enter free. For parking, the museum points visitors to the City of Marietta downtown parking information. A visit here is a relaxed hour, not a full outing, which makes it easy to pair with lunch or dinner on the Square.
Neighborhood Angle
The museum sits on Atlanta Street just off Glover Park, a short walk from the restaurants and shops that ring the Square. A weekday afternoon visit, followed by an early dinner a block or two away, is one of the easiest ways for newcomers to get a feel for how walkable the historic center really is.
Marty Manous in Concert at the Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre
Why It Stands Out
On Friday, October 16, Kennesaw musician Marty Manous brings his blues rock and southern rock show to the Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre, 117 North Park Square. Visit Marietta describes his sound as soul-shredding guitar riffs and raw, heartfelt vocals, with clear lines back to Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Johnson, Joe Bonamassa and The Allman Brothers. Hearing a local guitarist in the historic theatre on the Square is a very Marietta kind of Friday night, and the program is built as two full sets with an intermission.
Timing and Planning
The published schedule is precise. A VIP experience runs from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., the lobby opens for general admission at 7 p.m., seating begins at 7:30 p.m., the show starts at 8 p.m., and it is expected to wrap around 10 p.m. The VIP pass includes early access seating, a pre-show mini-concert, a meet and greet with the band, two drink tickets and a signed poster. Ticket prices are not listed on the event page, so buy through the Strand Theatre ticketing site or call the box office at 770-293-0080 in advance. Plan on dinner on the Square beforehand and treat this as a full evening.
Best For
Couples looking for a date night with real energy, friend groups who grew up on southern rock, and anyone who prefers a theatre seat to a standing-room club. Guitar fans will want to take the VIP route for the closer look.
HarvestFest and Scarecrows in the Square
Why It Stands Out
HarvestFest is the City of Marietta's own fall festival, held on the third Saturday of October. This year it lands on Saturday, October 17, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Glover Park at Historic Marietta Square, 50 North Park Square NE. It is the moment the whole Square turns seasonal, with Scarecrows in the Square displayed throughout the park and a market of handmade arts and crafts from vendors, many of them local.
What to Expect
The day is layered with scheduled moments. Touch-A-Truck, featuring City of Marietta vehicles, runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A pie eating contest follows from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with free registration. The costume contest runs from 2 to 3 p.m., and a pet costume contest follows at 3 p.m. A Halloween Happenings kids' festival adds carnival games, inflatables and candy, and a college football watch party called the Cornerback's Coop gives sports fans a reason to linger.
Timing and Planning
Arrive in the morning for the best look at the scarecrows and the market before the midday crowd builds. The City links a downtown parking map from its HarvestFest page, and leaving a little extra time to park is wise on a festival Saturday. Parks and Recreation can be reached at 770-794-5601 with questions. The City notes it may cancel events at any time, so check the HarvestFest page the morning of.
Best For
Families with young children, who can fill most of a day between the truck display, the games and the costume parade. Couples and friend groups can treat it as a casual browse through the market followed by lunch at one of the restaurants facing the park.
Cherokee Heights Arts Festival
What to Expect
Also on Saturday, October 17, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Cherokee Heights Arts Festival takes over a single block of Freyer Drive NE, about a mile north of Marietta Square. More than forty local artists and makers sell paintings, woodwork, pottery, jewelry, textiles, photography and baked goods. Two stages host free live local music, the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art runs a kids' craft activity, and food and beer are sold on site.
Neighborhood Angle
This is one of the more charming stories on the local calendar. The festival began in 2009 as an invitation-only neighborhood show before moving outdoors, and it is still produced entirely by dozens of volunteer neighbors. Set on a single residential street, it has a front-porch scale that larger festivals cannot match.
Insider Tip
There is no admission charge and all street parking is free, but spaces on the surrounding blocks go early, so arrive near the 9 a.m. start. Bring a tote for purchases, and if you plan to buy larger pieces, ask the artist about picking them up at the end of the day.
Event Q&A
Can I see both Saturday festivals on October 17?
Yes. HarvestFest runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Glover Park, and the Cherokee Heights Arts Festival runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. about a mile north of the Square. Start at Cherokee Heights in the morning while street parking is easier, then head to the Square for lunch, the afternoon costume contests and a last look at the scarecrows.
What time should I arrive for Marty Manous at The Strand?
General admission ticket holders can enter the lobby at 7 p.m., with seating at 7:30 p.m. and the show at 8 p.m. VIP pass holders start earlier, with the VIP experience running from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Which of these events have no admission charge?
The Cherokee Heights Arts Festival states there is no admission charge. The City lists free registration for the HarvestFest pie eating contest, though it does not publish an admission fee for the festival itself. The museum charges $10 for adults, and Strand tickets are sold through the theatre.
Will Jackie Dorsey appear at the museum?
Not during this window. The museum has scheduled a free exhibiting artist talk with Jackie Dorsey on Sunday, November 8, from 2 to 4 p.m., with museum admission also free that afternoon. Seeing the exhibition in October and returning for the talk makes for a good pair of visits.
