Things to do in Aroostook County, October 2026
Week-by-week events, peak color, hunting seasons and the last farmers markets.
Read the October guide →Things to do in Aroostook County, October 2026.
Peak color, a fall festival on Big Rock, Caribou's craft fair and the start of hunting season. Here's October in northern Maine, week by week, with the drive from Eagle Lake for each.
October 2026 at a glance
- Fall color: northern Maine usually peaks in the last week of September and first week of October. The state's September 30 report had Zone 7 at peak color with low leaf drop.
- Biggest weekends: October 3 (County Fall Festival at Big Rock, Mars Hill) and October 17–18 (Caribou Fall Arts & Crafts Festival).
- Long weekend: Monday, October 12 is Indigenous Peoples' Day in Maine and Thanksgiving in Canada.
- Hunting: archery deer October 3–30, moose week October 12–17, youth deer hunt October 23–24, residents-only day October 31.
- Where to stay: Eagles Landing has no seven-night minimum after August, so a fall weekend works.
Week by week
What's on in Aroostook County this October.
Each event links to its full listing, with the source, cost and a calendar link.
October 1–4Thursday to Sunday
- Thu Oct 1 · Paul Doiron at the UMFK Visiting Author Series — Fort Kent (16 mi · about 25 min). The bestselling crime novelist talks at UMFK as part of the university's visiting author series.
- Oct 1–4 · UMPI Homecoming 2026 — Presque Isle (53 mi · about 1 hr 20 min). Four days of college sports, student activities and family events on the UMPI campus.
- Thu Oct 1 · Dave Fenley Trio — Edmundston, N.B. (37 mi · about 1 hr). Country and folk from singer-songwriter Dave Fenley, in trio format. Listed by the arts centre as an English-language show.
- Sat Oct 3 · The County's Fall Festival to End Hunger — Mars Hill (71 mi · about 1 hr 55 min). A one-day fall festival headlined by the Mallett Brothers Band, with food trucks, a beer garden, a bonfire and chairlift rides over the foliage. An ATV/UTV charity ride comes in from around the county.
- Oct 3–30 · Regular archery deer season — statewide. Maine's regular archery season for deer runs October 3–30, 2026.
- Peak color window: drive Route 11 along the Fish River, part of the St. John Valley/Fish River National Scenic Byway, right past Eagle Lake.
October 5–11Long weekend ahead
- Fri Oct 9 · The Grand Tour: Classic Country Hits — Edmundston, N.B. (37 mi · about 1 hr). A touring show of country hits from the '50s through the '80s.
- Sat Oct 10 · Gateway Film Festival — Van Buren (64 mi · about 1 hr 35 min). Van Buren's first film festival, aimed at independent filmmakers and film fans from New England and Atlantic Canada.
- Canada's Thanksgiving is Monday the 12th; expect some closures across the border.
October 12–18Moose week and the craft fair
- Oct 12–17 · Moose season (permit holders) — statewide. The October bull-only moose week covers the districts around Eagle Lake. An antlerless-only week follows October 26–31 in districts 1–6 and 8.
- Oct 17–18 · Caribou Fall Arts & Crafts Festival — Caribou (57 mi · about 1 hr 25 min). Caribou's long-running fall craft fair: around 140 regional makers selling woodwork, pottery, paintings, textiles and jewelry.
- Hike Quaggy Jo Mountain at Aroostook State Park in Presque Isle, Maine's first state park.
October 19–25Youth deer hunt
- Oct 23–24 · Youth deer hunt — statewide. Two days set aside for young hunters, ahead of the regular firearms season.
- Last weeks for the farmers markets: Fort Kent (Riverside Park, Fridays and Saturdays), Presque Isle (Riverside Pavilion, Saturdays) and Caribou (Bennett Drive, Wednesdays). Confirm late-season dates before you go.
October 26–31Residents-only day
- Sat Oct 31 · Maine residents-only deer day — statewide. The Saturday before the firearms season opens is reserved for Maine residents.
- Antlerless moose week runs October 26–31 in districts 1–6 and 8. Deer firearms season opens for everyone Monday, November 2.
Fall color
Where to see the foliage.
Northern Maine turns first. The Maine Forest Service says the north usually peaks between the last week of September and the first week of October; its September 30, 2026 report had Zone 7 at peak color with low leaf drop.
Route 11 along the Fish River
North from Portage past Eagle Lake to Fort Kent, part of the St. John Valley/Fish River National Scenic Byway, which runs more than 134 miles through the valley.
Quaggy Jo Mountain
At Aroostook State Park in Presque Isle, Maine's first state park, with trails over the twin peaks and Echo Lake below.
From a chairlift
Big Rock Mountain in Mars Hill runs chairlift rides at the County Fall Festival on October 3.
From the water
Take a kayak or the pontoon out from our dock; the shoreline color doubles in the lake on a calm morning.
Weekly conditions: Maine foliage report.
Hunting seasons
2026 season dates for the North Woods.
From Maine Inland Fisheries & Wildlife. Eagles Landing is in Wildlife Management District 3, next to District 2. Hunting isn't allowed on Sundays in Maine.
| Season | 2026 dates |
|---|---|
| Expanded archery (deer) | September 12 – December 12 |
| Regular archery (deer) | October 3 – 30 |
| Moose, bull-only (permit) | September 28 – October 3 and October 12 – 17 |
| Moose, antlerless (permit) | October 26 – 31, districts 1–6 and 8 |
| Youth deer hunt | October 23 – 24 |
| Maine residents-only deer day | October 31 |
| Deer, firearms (everyone) | November 2 – 28 |
| Deer, muzzleloader | November 30 – December 5 |
| Bear, general season | August 31 – November 28 |
| Wild turkey, fall | September 14 – November 7 |
| Ruffed grouse | September 26 – December 31 |
Licenses, permits and district rules: 2026-27 Maine hunting seasons (PDF). More in our Eagle Lake hunting guide.
Across the border
October shows in Edmundston.
About an hour from the cabins, one hour ahead on Atlantic Time. Bring a passport or other border-approved ID.
- Oct 1Dave Fenley Trio · 8:00 p.m. Atlantic Time (7:00 p.m. in Maine) · $56 CAD
- Oct 9The Grand Tour: Classic Country Hits · 7:00 p.m. Atlantic Time (6:00 p.m. in Maine) · $52 CAD
Weather
The week ahead at Eagle Lake.
Eagle Lake weather and snow
NWS forecast issued Oct 13, 4:02 PM0.2″of snow forecast over the next 7 days at Eagle Lake
Tue38° 34°Rain And Snow Likely · 100%0.2″ snow
Wed48° 35°Light Rain then Scattered Rain Showers · 93%No snow
Thu47° 29°Mostly Sunny · 1%No snow
Fri39° 31°Rain And Snow · 98%No snow
Sat38° 25°Chance Light Snow · 37%No snow
Sun39° 26°Mostly Sunny · 2%No snow
Mon49° 36°Partly Sunny · 5%No snow
Where to stay
A fall weekend on Eagle Lake.
Eagles Landing Lakeside Cottages is five lakefront cabins on the eastern shore of Eagle Lake, 25 minutes from Fort Kent. Each has three bedrooms, two full baths and a kitchen, and sleeps ten. After August there's no seven-night minimum, so a long weekend works, and hunters have room for trucks, trailers and gear.
Keep planning
November 2026
Coming November 1: deer season, Houlton's Festival of Trees and the first holiday events.
Snowmobiling in northern Maine
ITS 85 from Eagle Lake, trail maps, the Thursday trail report, rules and the live snow forecast.
Snowmobiling guide →ATV riding in northern Maine
1,300+ miles of Aroostook trails, the clubs near Eagle Lake, maps, trail status and registration.
ATV guide →Eagle Lake, Maine guide
Fishing for salmon and togue, hunting districts, day trips and drive times.
Eagle Lake guide →This month
Pick a weekend and we'll hold it.
Tell us roughly when and how many; we reply the same day.