Goliad's October Runs on a Relay, With a Different Host Every Saturday

Goliad's October calendar comes from four different hosts. The state historic sites have the first Saturday. The Goliad County Chamber of Commerce has the second and third. Main Street Goliad closes the month on the courthouse square. Each one takes its turn, and almost nothing overlaps. If you live here, that means one plan for every weekend from Oct. 3 through Oct. 24, and none of them makes you choose between two good things.

Here is the month at a glance before we walk through it.

Oct. 3 belongs to the historic sites

The relay starts with the state. At Presidio La Bahía, the Texas Historical Commission has a "Meet a Texas Revolution Reenactor" program running from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3. The program only runs on the first Saturday of even-numbered months, so October is one of six chances a year, and the next one comes in December. The interpretive staff also lead a guided tour of the museum and chapel that day from 11 a.m. to noon.

Goliad State Park is busy the same morning. "Story of Saint Francis" runs from 9 to 9:30 a.m. on the Mission Espíritu Santo porch. After that, Mission History Tours of Espíritu Santo start at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and each lasts about 45 minutes.

Put the two schedules side by side and the day mostly plans itself. Start with Saint Francis at 9, take the 10 a.m. mission tour, then head to the Presidio for the 11 a.m. chapel tour. The reenactor is there all afternoon. If you'd rather sleep in, the 2 p.m. mission tour gives you a second shot at Espíritu Santo. The Presidio is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and last admission is 4:30.

Oct. 10 hands the day to the courthouse lawn

A week later, the Chamber takes over and the action moves downtown. Goliad Market Days runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, around the courthouse square. It happens every second Saturday, and the Chamber says it has run the market for more than 30 years. Main Street Goliad lists the goods as handmade items, boutique products, home décor, gifts, and local finds. The vendor count changes with the season. A December 2024 listing advertised more than 100 vendors. The Victoria Advocate once counted as many as 256 in the spring and fall months of 2016.

Oct. 10 is also the one Saturday this month where the hosts overlap a little. The GLH Ranch Rodeo Revival is that day at the Goliad County Fairground. The Presidio's Saturday guided tour runs again from 11 a.m. to noon. Even so, the three events sit in three different parts of town, so it plays out as a full day you can split up, not a scheduling conflict. Shop the square in the morning and save the fairground for later.

Oct. 17 puts the whole county on the route

The Chamber hosts again on the third Saturday, this time on the roads instead of the square. The Missions Tour de Goliad bicycle ride turns 35 this year. Riders pick a 10-, 30-, 50-, or 65-mile route, line up at 7:45 a.m., and roll out at 8 a.m. The start line is 231 S. Market St., the Chamber's address.

The deadlines are the part most likely to catch you off guard:

1. Online registration on BikeReg closes Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 5 p.m. Central.
2. On-site registration opens at 231 S. Market St. on Friday evening, Oct. 16, and again Saturday morning, Oct. 17.
3. Signing up on site costs an extra $10.

The ride organizers haven't posted a 2026 route sheet that names every site along the way. In past years, the shortest route went through town and passed Presidio La Bahía. The 2025 rider leaflet said the Sheriff's Department handled traffic control and riders had to obey traffic laws and use road shoulders where there were any. If you're driving that Saturday morning, plan on cyclists sharing the county roads.

Oct. 24 closes the month on the square

Main Street Goliad runs the last leg. Scare on the Square, now in its 36th year, starts at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24. The evening includes trick-or-treating around the Courthouse Square, food and drinks, and spooky entertainment. Visit Goliad lists the address as 121 S. Courthouse Square and the hours as 6 to 9 p.m. Some event copy online still says Oct. 31, but Main Street's current page confirms Oct. 24, a full week before Halloween.

Look at the ages of the month's anchors. Market Days has run for more than 30 years, the Tour de Goliad is on its 35th ride, and Scare on the Square is on its 36th. The relay isn't new. These three traditions have each kept their own Saturday for over three decades.

The weekdays that fill the gaps

The quieter days between the Saturdays use the same downtown blocks:

• Friday, Oct. 2: First Friday Sidewalk Sales, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Every Friday morning: the Goliad Farmers Market at 231 S. Market St., the same address where the Tour de Goliad starts two weeks later.
• Wednesday, Oct. 7: an autumn pumpkin floral-design workshop at The Blooming Cocoon, 110 N. Courthouse Square.

Where to eat between legs

Two downtown spots fit around the Saturday schedule. RK BBQ & Catering at 511 W. Pearl St. serves breakfast and lunch, which works for a Market Days morning or a post-ride meal. The restaurant turns two this October.

Eat Up First Market sits right on the square at 123 S. Courthouse Square. The Victoria Advocate reported in August 2025 that the storefront had opened that June with products from more than 40 Texas vendors. Hours may have changed since that story ran, so check before you go. It's still listed in the Visit Goliad directory.

How the relay carries into November

The handoffs keep going after Halloween. First Friday Sidewalk Sales returns Nov. 6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The next morning, Nov. 7, the state sites take their turn again with a Fort Lipantitlán lecture in the Presidio La Bahía chapel at 11 a.m. A week later, on Nov. 14, Market Days is back on the courthouse lawn from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Goliad County Fair & Rodeo doesn't come around until the third weekend of March.

We love watching the courthouse square fill up on Market Days and again on Scare on the Square night. That's the Goliad we get to show buyers every month. If seeing this year's calendar has you curious what your own home near the square or out on the county roads would sell for, The Orr Group can put that number together for you. Get Your Free Home Valuation.