Marietta settles into its best season in early October, when the evenings cool, the Square fills with foot traffic and the city's stages and museums open their fall seasons. From Monday, October 5 through Tuesday, October 13, 2026, the calendar around the Square offers a rare mix: a weekend of large-scale street art, a Tony Award-winning musical on an intimate stage, a museum exhibition that tells the story of one of the city's oldest landmarks, and a free film night under string lights. Here is how to plan each one.
Chalktoberfest on the Marietta Square
Why It Stands Out
Presented by the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art, Chalktoberfest turns the streets and sidewalks around Historic Marietta Square into an open-air gallery. More than 80 internationally and nationally recognized chalk artists work on their pieces throughout the weekend, so the art changes by the hour. The festival itself is free and open to the public, with free concerts in the Square on both days, food trucks and an arts and crafts market running all weekend.
What to Expect
The festival runs Saturday, October 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 11 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., centered on E Park Square, Marietta, GA 30060. The ticketed Craft Beer Festival takes place on Saturday only, from noon to 5 p.m. on West Park Square, with unlimited samples of more than 120 craft beers, seltzers and ciders plus more than 25 wines, served in a souvenir tasting cup. Sunday brings the Community Chalk Competition, open to artists of all ages.
Timing and Planning
Beer festival tickets are sold online through the Chalktoberfest site, and the day-of price is higher, so buy ahead if the tasting is part of your plan. The ticketing page notes that tickets are nonrefundable regardless of weather and that service ends firmly at 5 p.m. Saturday packs in the most, with the tasting and concerts; Sunday afternoon is a good time to walk the Square and see the pieces near completion. Plan on a full afternoon rather than a quick stop, and arrive early to find parking near the Square.
Best For
Families will appreciate the free admission and the chance to watch artists work up close, while friend groups and couples can build a Saturday around the tasting and live music. Newcomers get an easy introduction to how the Square functions as Marietta's shared front porch. Proceeds support the museum's community art mission.
Ragtime: The Musical at Marietta's Theatre in the Square
Why It Stands Out
Marietta's New Theatre in the Square presents Ragtime, the Tony Award-winning musical that follows three families whose lives collide at the dawn of a new century. The production describes itself as a celebration of perseverance, justice and the promise of America, carried by soaring music and unforgettable characters. Staged in what the company calls Marietta's most intimate stage, it is a rare chance to see a show of this scale up close.
What to Expect
The theatre sits at 11 Whitlock Avenue, Marietta, GA, steps from the Square. Performances published for this window are Wednesday, October 7 at noon, Friday, October 9 and Saturday, October 10 at 8 p.m., and Sunday, October 11 at 3 p.m. Ticket prices are not listed on the Visit Marietta event page, so confirm seats and pricing with the theatre's box office before you go.
Timing and Planning
Because the house is small, booking ahead is the wiser move, particularly for the Saturday performance during Chalktoberfest weekend, when the Square will be at its busiest. Plan a full evening: dinner on the Square before an 8 p.m. curtain, then a nightcap within walking distance afterward. Couples will find the evening shows an easy anchor for dinner and a show, friend groups who love classic musical theater will appreciate the score, and the Wednesday matinee suits newcomers with a flexible midweek schedule.
Marietta History Center at 30
Why It Stands Out
The Marietta History Center is marking three decades with its landmark 30th-anniversary exhibition, "Marietta History Center at 30." The retrospective traces the museum from its 1996 founding to its current role as the home for Marietta and Cobb County history, told in four chronological chapters. It also offers a look at how a museum works behind the scenes, from the role of volunteers to how artifacts are acquired.
Neighborhood Angle
The exhibition gives special focus to the building itself. The museum is housed in the historic Kennesaw House at 1 Depot Street, Marietta, GA 30060, built in the 1840s as a cotton warehouse, later transformed into the Fletcher House hotel, and a survivor of the Civil War and the burning of Marietta. For anyone new to the area, it is one of the most efficient ways to understand how the Square and the rail depot shaped the city.
Timing and Planning
The History Center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., so in-window visits fall on October 6 through 10 and Tuesday, October 13. Adult admission is $10, with reduced rates for some visitors and free entry for members and children under 5. A weekday visit offers the most unhurried pace; on Saturday, October 10, expect the Square to be busy with Chalktoberfest, which makes a museum stop an easy add-on to the festival.
Movies Under the Stars: E.T.
What to Expect
On Saturday, October 10, from 8 to 9:30 p.m., Church Street Park, 36 Mill Street, Marietta, GA 30060, hosts a free screening of E.T. as part of its monthly Movies Under the Stars series. Guests are invited to bring chairs, blankets and good company, and popcorn is free. The park is a small, string-lit green space tucked behind the newer restaurants on Church Street, which gives the evening a relaxed, neighborly feel.
Best For
This is a natural fit for families with a classic film everyone can share, and for couples looking for a low-key date night after a day on the Square. Friend groups can make it the final stop of a full Chalktoberfest Saturday.
Timing and Planning
With the beer festival ending at 5 p.m., there is a comfortable window for an early dinner nearby before the 8 p.m. start. Arrive a bit early to claim a spot on the lawn, since seating is whatever you bring. This is a casual stop rather than a full evening, and nothing needs to be booked in advance.
Event Q&A
Is Chalktoberfest free to attend?
Yes. The chalk festival, concerts and market on the Marietta Square are free and open to the public on October 10 and 11. Only the Saturday Craft Beer Festival, from noon to 5 p.m., requires a ticket, and buying in advance costs less than buying at the gate.
Which day works best for the Marietta History Center?
Any day from Tuesday, October 6 through Saturday, October 10, or Tuesday, October 13, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. A midweek visit pairs neatly with the Wednesday, October 7 matinee of Ragtime, since the museum and the theatre are a short walk apart.
Do I need tickets for Ragtime?
Yes. Ragtime is a ticketed production, and pricing is not published on the event listing, so contact the theatre's box office in advance. In-window performances are October 7 at noon, October 9 and 10 at 8 p.m., and October 11 at 3 p.m.
Can I fit several of these into one day?
Saturday, October 10 is the day to try it. Start at Chalktoberfest in the morning, step into the Marietta History Center before 4 p.m., have dinner near the Square, then choose an 8 p.m. finale: E.T. under the lights at Church Street Park or Ragtime at Theatre in the Square. Every stop sits close to the Square, which keeps the day compact.
