Astoria Events in October 2026: Your Oct. 9–11 Weekend Guide
October 8, 2026
October 8, 2026
On Sunday, October 11, the Oregon Department of Transportation will close the Astoria-Megler Bridge to everything except emergency vehicles from 8:30 to 11 a.m. That closure is for the Great Columbia Crossing 10K. The Astoria Sunday Market also runs for the last time this season that morning, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on 12th Street.
The two Sunday events overlap for about one hour. The weekend's tighter squeeze comes earlier. Friday and Saturday nights in downtown Astoria run late, and Sunday traffic around the bridge starts building around 6 a.m. Planning the weekend mostly means getting from a late Saturday to an early Sunday.
Travel Astoria's calendar bills October 9 through 11 as "The Magic of Astoria," a themed weekend with the tagline "Where Witches Gather." Most of the weekend's events start after dark.
On Friday, the Astoria Downtown Historic District Association holds its Ghastly Gala at 7 p.m. in Fort George Brewery's Lovell Showroom, 1483 Duane St. The fundraiser is a costumed dance party with an "Undead" DJ, scavenger-hunt bingo, and a witches' dance at 9 p.m. Tickets are $15. That same night, Haunted Like Human plays KALA Performance Space at 7:30 p.m. for $20 admission. Hurricane Diane opens its weekend at Ten Fifteen Theater, 1015 Commercial Street, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 to $25, and $5 Arts for All tickets are available by contacting the box office.
Saturday moves to 12th Street. The free Practically Magical Market runs from 3 to 7 p.m. in the Liberty Theatre's McTavish Room, with its entrance at 324 12th Street. It brings together witchy makers, readings, and curiosities, and divination wraps up at 6:30 p.m. The market's own listing says it leads into the evening film. The Liberty screens Practical Magic, the 1998 film, at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7, and general admission is $13. Hurricane Diane also plays its second 7:30 p.m. show on Saturday.
Saturday can start early too. The Columbia River Maritime Museum runs a relief-stamp-printing class from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. that day at the Sam Johnson Woodworking Shop in the Barbey Maritime Center. It costs $90 for members and $110 for nonmembers. Between the class and the film, Fort George serves weekend brunch in the Lovell Taproom from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
If you stay for the full Saturday on 12th Street, you'll get out of the film late. The next morning's bridge schedule starts before sunrise.
According to the Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce, all 3,500 in-person entries for this year's Great Columbia Crossing sold out on June 7. There is no race-day registration. Every one of those participants has to take a shuttle to the start line in Washington, so race traffic is moving through Astoria well before the bridge actually closes.
Here is Sunday morning in order, using the Chamber's published schedule and traffic advisory:
The Chamber's advice to local drivers is to cross the river before or after the event, or on another day. Executive Director David Reid spoke to that directly in the advisory:
"The bridge closure is a significant undertaking, and we acknowledge that it impacts people beyond our registered participants."
Race parking is spread across town. The Astoria shuttle lots are at Astoria High School, CMH Field, and East Mooring Basin. Basin Street is a walk-in shuttle stop only, with no event parking. If you're running errands around those three lots before 7 a.m., expect race traffic.
The course comes off the bridge, follows the Astoria Riverwalk and city streets, and finishes at the foot of Basin Street. Spectators can't gather at Dismal Nitch or on the bridge. They can use the bleachers on the Riverwalk near Bay Street, and there is no event parking at the finish. Finishers get water and light snacks and receive finisher medals at the finish line. The Chamber's schedule still listed the awards ceremony time as TBD.
That is why the overlap is short. The race finishes at Basin and Bay Streets. The Sunday Market is on 12th Street and doesn't open until 10, more than an hour after the 8:45 start. If you watch runners from the Riverwalk bleachers and then walk to the market, you can do both in one morning. If you need to cross into Washington, wait until shortly after 11.
The Chamber also notes that a few volunteer shifts were still open as of its October 1 advisory, with sign-ups on the event website.
The Astoria Sunday Market first opened in 2000 with a handful of vendors. It now has more than 200. This spring, The Astorian reported that the market stretches along 12th Street from Marine Drive to Exchange Street and runs rain or shine until mid-October. Market manager Tamara Cameron said more than 220 vendors would rotate through this season, including about 50 first-timers.
The October 11 closing date comes from The Astorian's May season preview. The market's own homepage just says it runs every Sunday through summer, so it's worth checking with the market directly if you're counting on a specific vendor that day.
The market shares 12th Street with Saturday's events. The Practically Magical Market's entrance is at 324 12th Street, and the Sunday Market runs on 12th Street the next morning. Later this month, ADHDA's Smashing Pumpkinheads fundraiser is also on 12th Street.
Once the bridge reopens and the market winds down, a few more options are open. The Astoria Riverfront Trolley runs Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. through November 1. It doesn't run in rain. The Columbia River Maritime Museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the Lightship Columbia is posted as open daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It's best to confirm the lightship on the day. Hurricane Diane closes its weekend with a 3:30 p.m. matinee at Ten Fifteen Theater. In the evening, Fort George's Sunday Night Music series plays at 6 p.m. in the Lovell Taproom. It's all ages with no cover, and the current listing names The Gold Souls.
The market ends on October 11, but the Liberty Theatre and ADHDA have more events on the calendar. These dates come from current listings and September's HIPFiSH, and schedules can change:
The trolley's regular season ends November 1, about three weeks after the market's last Sunday.
If this weekend has you thinking about which part of Astoria fits your own routine, whether that's close to 12th Street, close to the Riverwalk, or an easy drive to the bridge, Jenny Frank knows these streets and is happy to talk them through with you. Let's Connect.
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