October opens with one of the best food weekends of the year in the Antelope Valley.

The fair is in its final four days, the Thursday market on The BLVD is down to its last month, and the Saturday farmers market keeps the produce coming.

Here is how to eat your way through all three, from funnel cake to fall squash.

Last call for fair food

The 2026 Antelope Valley Fair wraps up its second and final weekend at the AV Fair & Event Center, 2551 W. Avenue H in Lancaster.

This year's theme is Ruffling Feathers, and the run ends Sunday, Oct. 4.

Gates open at 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday and at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

The fair stays open until midnight every night except Sunday, when it closes at 11 p.m.

Presale general admission is $11, with juniors 6 to 11 and seniors 65 and up at $7; prices run higher at the gate.

Kids 5 and under get in free with a paid adult, and active military are free with ID.

If the corn dogs, turkey legs and funnel cakes are why you go, plan your food stops early in the evening, before the headline concerts start.

Come hungry, but pace yourself: the midway, concerts, motocross and monster trucks are all competing for the same evening.

Thursday nights on The BLVD

The BLVD Market runs every Thursday from 4 to 9 p.m. along Lancaster Boulevard between Fern and Ehrlich avenues.

The city runs it with Raw Inspiration, a nonprofit that operates California Certified Farmers Markets, and it typically draws 15 to 20 vendors.

The season ends Oct. 29, which leaves just five Thursdays, tonight included.

It is an easy pairing with dinner on The BLVD: shop the stalls, then grab a table at one of the downtown restaurants a few steps away.

Bring a tote bag and some small bills, since payment options vary by vendor.

Saturday mornings at the winery

For an early start, the Certified Farmers Market at Antelope Valley Winery & Brewery sets up Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon at 42041 20th St. W. in Lancaster.

Organizers describe a spread of seasonal fruit and vegetables, including produce from Ventura County growers, along with baked goods, honey, eggs and plants.

Succulents show up on the second Saturday of the month, which this month falls on Oct. 10.

It is a good place to talk directly with growers about what is ripe right now, and to stock up for the week ahead.

How to plan the weekend

Thursday works best as a double header: an early stroll at The BLVD Market, then over to the fairgrounds for a late fair-food dessert.

Friday is your last evening fair shot, and Saturday rewards an early start at the winery market before the fair opens at 2 p.m.

Sunday is the finale, with the gates closing an hour earlier at 11 p.m.

Good to know

Fair parking is sold separately, and it can be bought online alongside your tickets.

The fair has posted a chaperone policy for younger guests this year, so check the rules on its website before dropping off teens.

Desert afternoons can still run warm in early October, so bring water and sunscreen for the daytime markets and a layer for the fair after dark.

Hours and vendor lineups can change, so check the fair, The BLVD Market and the Antelope Valley farmers market guide before you head out.

Which stop is first on your list this weekend?