⭐ Our Favorite Events This Weekend
It's been one soggy week, and the forecast says the rain isn't done with us yet. ☔ The good news: this weekend still has plenty worth splashing out for. Barnes & Noble keeps things cozy and dry Saturday afternoon with a free LEGO Halloween Build, where kids put together a witch flying her broom. Got rain boots and a sense of adventure? The 67th Annual Cracker Day in Elkton brings pony rides, cowboys and horse races for five bucks a car, and Saturday night the Jacksonville Zoo kicks off Spooktacular with a glowing light tunnel and trick-or-treat stations. Grab the umbrellas, and with no school Monday, keep scrolling for a holiday bonus round 👇
67th Annual Cracker Day & Market
📍 St. Johns County Fairgrounds, 5852 SR-207, Elkton (~30 min 🚗)
🕐 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM | Saturday
🎟️ $5 cash per car
👪 All ages
🔗 More info here
The Cattlemen's Association's yearly celebration of Florida's cowboy history, with pony rides, plenty of horses, barrel and pole racing, craft vendors and lots of food. Leashed pets are welcome too.
LEGO Halloween Build
📍 Barnes & Noble, 1930 U.S. 1 South, St. Augustine (~37 min 🚗)
🕐 2:00 PM | Saturday
🎟️ Free
🧒 Best for ages 10+
🔗 More info here
A free Barnes & Noble exclusive: kids build a LEGO witch flying her broom over a jack-o'-lantern, and Halloween costumes are encouraged. Mini-build kits are limited, so get there early.
Spooktacular
📍 Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (~39 min 🚗)
🕐 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM, timed entry 6:00 or 7:30 | Saturday
🎟️ Members $25 / Non-members $35 in advance ($5 more day-of), 2 & under free
👪 All ages
🔗 More info here
Opening night of the Zoo's after-dark Halloween trail: a 400-foot light tunnel, the all-new Skeleton Disco and trick-or-treat stations for the kids. Costumes are welcome, and buying ahead saves $5 a ticket.
👇 Keep scrolling for every kid & family event happening this weekend 👇
📅 Friday, October 9
Spanish Farm Club
📍 Chicos Y Chicas On the Coast, St. Augustine (~30 min 🚗)
🕐 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
🎟️ Drop-in $80 / $300 per month
🧒 Ages 4–10
🔗 More info here
A Friday morning outside with animals, gardening and nature, all of it in Spanish. Kids soak up the language by using it while they play.
Food Truck Friday
📍 Nocatee Station Field, 400 Nocatee Center Way (Cartable 🛒)
🕐 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
🎟️ Free to attend, food & drinks for purchase
👪 Residents & their guests
🔗 More info here
Food trucks, live music from Flo N' Grit and room for the kids to run around the field. Bring chairs, a blanket and bug spray. Weather permitting.
Game of Tiaras
📍 Limelight Theatre, 11 Old Mission Ave, St. Augustine (~30 min 🚗)
🕐 Fri 7:00 PM / Sun 2:00 PM matinee
🎟️ See event link
👪 Youth production
🔗 More info here
Limelight's youth cast takes on a comic mash-up of King Lear and fairy tales: an aging king splits his kingdom between Cinderella, Belle and the Snow Queen, and the comedy turns deadly silly. Best for older kids who won't mind a stage full of hammed-up deaths.
📅 Saturday, October 10
Family Seining
📍 GTM Research Reserve, Guana Dam, 505 Guana River Rd (~23 min 🚗)
🕐 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
🎟️ $3 per vehicle parking, registration required
👪 Families (kids must be 3 ft tall to hold the net)
🔗 More info here
Haul a seine net through Guana Lake and see what comes up: fish, crabs and more, with a naturalist explaining each one. Gear is provided. Register online before you go.
67th Annual Cracker Day & Market
📍 St. Johns County Fairgrounds, 5852 SR-207, Elkton (~30 min 🚗)
🕐 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
🎟️ $5 cash per car
👪 All ages
🔗 More info here
Pony rides, cowboys, Cracker cattle and an afternoon of horse races, plus craft vendors and plenty of food. Bring cash for the $5 parking.
Free Children's Art Club
📍 The Art Studio, 370A A1A Beach Blvd, St. Augustine Beach (~40 min 🚗)
🕐 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
🎟️ Free, all supplies included. Pre-register at (904) 295-4428
🧒 Kids
🔗 More info here
The studio's free art club meets the second Saturday of every month with all the supplies laid out. Spaces are filling up, so call ahead to save a spot.
Friendship Tour Girl Scout Party
📍 Girl Scouts Leadership Center, 10550 Deerwood Park Blvd, Suite 309, Jacksonville (~22 min 🚗)
🕐 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
🎟️ Free, reserve a spot
🧒 2nd & 3rd grade girls & caregivers
🔗 More info here
Girls make and trade friendship crafts and play games, while grown-ups hear how a Brownie troop works. A fun, no-pressure first look at Girl Scouts.
Nature Detectives: Bats
📍 Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library, 101 Library Blvd (~19 min 🚗)
🕐 1:00 PM & 2:30 PM
🎟️ Free
🧒 Ages 0–17
🔗 More info here
Just in time for Halloween, the St. Augustine Garden Club shows kids why bats are the good guys: champion pollinators with a big appetite for mosquitoes.
LEGO Halloween Build
📍 Barnes & Noble, 1930 U.S. 1 South, St. Augustine (~37 min 🚗)
🕐 2:00 PM
🎟️ Free
🧒 Best for ages 10+
🔗 More info here
Kids build a free LEGO witch on her broomstick, a Barnes & Noble exclusive, and costumes are encouraged. Mini-build kits are limited, so arriving early is the move.
Yappy Hour
📍 Nocatee Station Field, 400 Nocatee Center Way (Cartable 🛒)
🕐 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
🎟️ Free
👪 Everyone welcome, dog or no dog
🔗 More info here
Bring the family dog (on a leash) for treats and live music from Chillakaya on the field. Kids who just want to meet the dogs are welcome too. Weather permitting.
Spooktacular
📍 Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (~39 min 🚗)
🕐 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM, timed entry 6:00 or 7:30
🎟️ Members $25 / Non-members $35 in advance ($5 more day-of), 2 & under free
👪 All ages
🔗 More info here
Opening night of the Zoo's one-way Halloween trail: festive lights, a 400-foot light tunnel, the new Skeleton Disco and trick-or-treat stations for the kids. Full-face masks are only allowed for ages 10 and under.
📅 Sunday, October 11
Spooktacular Sensory-Friendly Night
📍 Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (~39 min 🚗)
🕐 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM, entry at 6:00 or 7:30
🎟️ $15 adults & kids, under 3 free (buy online)
👪 All ages
🔗 More info here
All the magic of Spooktacular in a calmer setting: treat stations, fall activities and character encounters, with no scares, loud music or flashing lights. A great fit for kids who find the regular nights too much.
📅 Monday, October 12 (No School!)
YouTube Digital Directors Camp
📍 Code Ninjas Ponte Vedra Beach, 258 Solana Rd (~20 min 🚗)
🕐 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
🎟️ $109
🧒 Ages 5–14
🔗 More info here
A full holiday-Monday camp where kids record and edit their own game commentary, a 30-second commercial and a green-screen news report, learning real editing tools along the way.
Snowtastic 3D Print STEM Camp
📍 Code Ninjas St. Johns, 2758 Race Track Rd (~22 min 🚗)
🕐 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
🎟️ $109
🧒 Ages 5–14
🔗 More info here
Kids design and 3D print snowflakes that won't melt, then build circuit projects that light up and buzz. Seats are limited.
Pumpkin Party!
📍 Bartram Trail Branch Library, 60 Davis Pond Blvd (~27 min 🚗)
🕐 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
🎟️ Free library program, registration required
🧒 Ages 7–17
🔗 More info here
The library's Teen Advisory Board hosts an afternoon of pumpkin decorating with every supply provided. Only a handful of spots were left at last check.
Paws and Read with Belle
📍 Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library, 101 Library Blvd (~19 min 🚗)
🕐 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM
🎟️ Free library program
🧒 Ages 0–5
🔗 More info here
Little readers practice their reading out loud to Belle, a gentle golden retriever therapy dog, in a calm, no-pressure setting.
That's it for this week.
Please let us know if you have any feedback or how we can improve. We want to make 2026 the best year yet!
The Carts & Rec Team
P.S.
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