Events Calendar — Chiang Mai
Things to Do in Chiang Mai
in October 2026
Your complete local guide to festivals, events, night markets & walking streets in Chiang Mai in October 2026. Written by the Thaan Aoan team, Old City Chiang Mai.
7
Special Events
2
Public Holidays
3
Markets & Walking Streets
Last updated: 26 September 2026 · We add new events as soon as they are announced.
Chiang Mai October 2026
10+ Things to Do in Chiang Mai in October 2026
Looking for things to do in Chiang Mai in October 2026? October is a lovely time to visit. The rainy season is winding down, the hills and rice fields are still green, and the city heads into the cool season with a full cultural calendar: Ok Phansa (the end of Buddhist Lent) on 26 October, Akha songs and a hill-tribe textile exhibition near Tha Phae Gate, a live flute concert, the CNX 100K Ultra Marathon and The Ritual fire festival at Dhara Dhevi, plus the weekly walking streets and the Jing Jai morning market.
Below you will find a day-by-day October 2026 event calendar, a detailed guide to every event with times, venues and how to get there, the weekly night market schedule and practical local tips. This guide is researched and written by the team at Thaan Aoan, who have welcomed guests in Chiang Mai’s Old City for over 18 years.
Monthly Overview
Chiang Mai October 2026 — Event Calendar
🗓 October 2026 | Chiang Mai Events Calendar
• Thaan Aoan •
Best Breakfast & Thai Food in Chiang Mai Old City This October
Planning your October trip? Save a spot for a really good breakfast. Great food makes every day of sightseeing better, especially before a morning at the temples or an afternoon at the markets.
Thaan Aoan is a family-run Thai restaurant and breakfast café in Chiang Mai Old City, just 80 m from Wat Chedi Luang. For 18 years we have cooked Northern Thai favourites like Khao Soi alongside fresh fruit pancakes, waffles and smoothie bowls, all made to order with friendly, attentive service.
The best way to enjoy Chiang Mai is to start your day with a delicious, satisfying meal and a happy heart, and our team is always happy to share tips on what is on in the city this month.
One of Chiang Mai’s truly local gems—delicious food, great value, and trusted for 18 years.
Breakfast, brunch, or late lunch — we’re open 7:00 AM–9:00 PM.
Signature picks: Khao Soi, Fresh Fruit Pancake, Waffle Fruit & Cream and Mango Smoothie bowl
Prime spot: Right in Chiang Mai Old City, only a 1-minute walk (80 m) from Wat Chedi Luang.
Must-try dishes
Khao Soi
Authentic Chiang Mai food
Waffle Fruit & Cream
Refreshing start
Mango Smoothie Bowl
Healthy & Light
A happy day starts with breakfast that’s
“Fresh, Delicious & Convenient”
A happy day starts with breakfast that’s freshly made, served warm, and full of flavor.
You’ll taste it from the very first bite—made to order with real care, perfectly bold without being heavy. Not the kind of food that’s just “fine” to fill you up.
And what makes it even more special is the genuinely thoughtful service: warm smiles, great recommendations, remembering what you like, and being happy to adjust the flavors exactly the way you prefer.
All of this comes in a relaxing natural setting—gentle breeze, soft light—turning an ordinary breakfast into a moment you’ll want to linger in just a little longer.
Detailed Event Guide
All Events
🗓 Saturday 3 October 2026 | Race Day | 🆕 Added
🏃 CNX 100K Ultra Marathon 2026 — Edition #4
📍 Maejo Golf Resort & Spa, San Sai, Chiang Mai
The fourth edition of the CNX 100K Ultra Marathon runs from Maejo Golf Resort & Spa in San Sai district, north of the city. Organised under the motto “Beat the Impossible”, it is one of the most anticipated ultra-distance races on the Chiang Mai calendar, and a fun morning out if you want to cheer runners over the finish line.
💡 Tips
Race distances, start times and spectator information are posted on the organiser’s CNX100K Facebook page. Check it before heading out, and bring water and sun protection if you plan to watch from the course.
🚗 Getting There
The resort is around 20 km from Tha Phae Gate, roughly 30 minutes by car. Grab is the easiest option, as there is no convenient public transport to the venue.
🗓 Saturday 3 October 2026 | 16:00–17:00 | Opening Reception
🎶 Tales My Ancestors Taught Me — Traditional Akha Songs & Stories
📍 Chiang Mai City Craft Space, 280 Tha Phae Road (near Tha Phae Gate)
Cultural Crossroads Asia opens its new exhibition with an afternoon of age-old stories, songs and martial arts performed by master Akha musicians Athu Pochear, Miju Manpo and Mawleu Jupoh. It is a rare chance to experience hill-tribe oral traditions performed live, right in the heart of the city.
💡 Tips
The programme runs for one hour, so arrive a few minutes before 16:00. Stay on afterwards to explore the Melodies and Motifs in the Mountains exhibition, which opens the same day. Enquiries: CulturalCrossroadsAsia@gmail.com.
🚗 Getting There
City Craft Space is on Tha Phae Road just outside Tha Phae Gate, an easy walk from anywhere in the Old City (roughly 15 minutes on foot from Thaan Aoan near Wat Chedi Luang). From Nimman, a Grab takes about 10–15 minutes.
🗓 3 October 2026 – 10 January 2027 | 10:00–18:00 | Closed Mondays
🧵 Melodies and Motifs in the Mountains — A Multimedia Exhibition
📍 Chiang Mai City Craft Space, 280 Tha Phae Road (near Tha Phae Gate)
This experiential exhibition by Cultural Crossroads Asia explores the oral and visual culture of Northern Thailand’s diverse ethnic groups. Traditional musical instruments and textiles from the Golden Triangle come alive through vivid photographs, moveable mounts and recorded music, making it an absorbing stop for anyone curious about hill-tribe heritage.
💡 Tips
Open 10:00–18:00 and closed on Mondays. It makes a great rainy-afternoon option in the Old City, and pairs well with an evening at the Sunday Walking Street, which starts just outside Tha Phae Gate.
🚗 Getting There
City Craft Space is on Tha Phae Road just outside Tha Phae Gate, an easy walk from anywhere in the Old City (roughly 15 minutes on foot from Thaan Aoan near Wat Chedi Luang). From Nimman, a Grab takes about 10–15 minutes.
🗓 Until 30 November 2026 | 10:00–18:00 | Closed Tuesdays
🖼 October 6th: a Reconfigured Archive — MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum
📍 MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum, 122 Moo 7 Ton Pao, San Kamphaeng
Marking the 50th anniversary of the 6 October 1976 massacre at Thammasat University, this group exhibition curated by Kittima Chareeprasit brings together artworks, books and archival material by artists who lived through the event and by contemporary artists who revisit it. It is a serious and thought-provoking show, well suited to visitors interested in modern Thai history and contemporary art.
💡 Tips
MAIIAM is open every day except Tuesday, 10:00–18:00. Admission is 200 THB for adults and 100 THB for students. Note that 6 October 2026 falls on a Tuesday, when the museum is closed.
🚗 Getting There
MAIIAM is in San Kamphaeng district, east of the city and about 20 minutes by car from the centre. Grab is the easiest way to get there, and the Bo Sang umbrella-making village is close by if you want to combine the two.
🗓 Friday 9 – Sunday 11 October 2026 | Schedule via Organiser | 3-Day Competition
🤺 Chiangmai Fencing Open 2026
📍 Chiang Mai Hall, Central Chiangmai Airport
Organised by Chiangmai Fencing Academy (CFA), this three-day competition covers all three weapons — foil, épée and sabre — with individual categories from under-8s all the way to seniors and veterans, plus a senior team event. It is an easy and unusual thing to drop in on if you are already at the mall.
💡 Tips
For competition schedules, contact the organisers on +66 95-326-6699 (Mr. Arm) or cfafencing1@gmail.com.
🚗 Getting There
Take any red songthaew toward the airport from the Old City (Tha Phae Gate area) and ask for “Central Airport” (ทางเซ็นทรัล), approx. ฿40–60 per person. By Grab, search “Central Chiangmai Airport”, typically ฿60–100 from the Old City.
🗓 Saturday 10 October 2026 | 18:30 | Tickets 500 / 300 THB
🎶 TRIO PLUS — Flute Trio Concert
📍 Harris Institute Building, The Prince Royal’s College, Kaew Nawarat Road (enter via PRC Gate 1)
An evening of flute music spanning several centuries: the Baroque elegance of Telemann, Romantic and French repertoire by Fauré, Kuhlau and Fürstenau, and a contemporary work by Beeftink. Two guest musicians join the trio — a flautist for the flute quartet pieces and a pianist who accompanies and also plays a solo.
💡 Tips
Tickets are 500 THB for adults and 300 THB for students. Reserve by email (pglinhom@gmail.com) or phone (081 992 3360).
🚗 Getting There
The Prince Royal’s College is on Kaew Nawarat Road, a short Grab ride from the Old City. Ask your driver for PRC Gate 1, the entrance listed by the organisers.
🗓 13 October & 23 October 2026 | Public Holidays | Banks Closed
🇹🇭 King Bhumibol Memorial Day & Chulalongkorn Day
📍 Nationwide · Government offices and banks closed
Two royal memorial days fall in October. Tuesday 13 October is H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great Memorial Day, and Friday 23 October is H.M. King Chulalongkorn the Great Memorial Day. Both are official public holidays and are listed as financial-institution holidays by the Bank of Thailand.
💡 What it means for visitors
Banks and government offices close, so plan currency exchange and visa errands around these dates. Most shops, restaurants, markets and attractions stay open as usual. These are days of remembrance, so a respectful manner is appreciated around official ceremonies.
📅 Long weekend: Friday 23 October creates a three-day weekend (23–25 October), followed by Ok Phansa on Monday 26 October. Expect more Thai domestic travellers in Chiang Mai, so book hotels, tours and popular restaurants early.
🗓 Saturday 24 October 2026 | 09:30–01:00 | Ticketed · Limited Capacity
🔥 The Ritual Festival 2026: Fire & Shadows
📍 Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai (Sense Dhara Dhevi Wellness Club)
Presented by Amber Circle, The Ritual is an intimate boutique festival that blends contemporary fire theatre, burlesque and dance, live folk music in Thai and English, sound healing, storytelling and DJ sets with an artisan market, art and mindfulness workshops, tarot readings and fire-themed dining. Guests can also use the wellness club’s salt and mineral pools, steam room and sauna.
💡 Tips
The festival was moved from its original date of 12 September, and tickets bought for that date remain valid. Passes range from a ฿200 Festival Pass up to Fire Dining and Chef’s Table packages, with 50% off applicable tiers for children under 12. Tickets are sold in release rounds, with a final release from 13 to 23 October and door sales on the day. Organisers ask guests to keep phones away, with photography allowed only in designated areas.
🚗 Getting There
Dhara Dhevi is east of the city on the Chiang Mai–San Kamphaeng Road. Grab is the simplest option from the Old City, and it is worth booking your ride home in advance for a late finish.
🗓 Monday 26 October 2026 | Buddhist Holy Day | No Alcohol Sales
🙏 Ok Phansa — End of Buddhist Lent
📍 Wat Chedi Luang · Wat Phra Singh · Temples citywide
Ok Phansa falls on the full moon of the 11th lunar month and marks the end of the three-month Buddhist Rains Retreat, when monks remain in their temples. Families visit temples to make merit, bring offerings and listen to sermons, and the Old City temples are especially atmospheric on the day.
⚠️ Important: Ok Phansa is a Buddhist holy day, and alcohol sales are prohibited nationwide for the day. Plan your evening accordingly.
💡 Tips
Dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered) and remove your shoes before entering temple buildings. On the following morning (Tuesday 27 October), many temples hold Tak Bat Devo, a large alms-giving ceremony that is well worth getting up early for. We will add confirmed Chiang Mai venues and times as soon as they are announced.
🚗 Getting to Wat Chedi Luang
Wat Chedi Luang is right in the centre of the Old City on Phra Pokklao Road, easily walkable from most Old City hotels. From Nimman, a Grab ride costs approx. ฿60–80 (10 min).
Weekly Schedule
Night Markets & Walking Streets in Chiang Mai
🗓 Every Sunday | 16:00–22:00
🛍 Sunday Walking Street — Tha Phae Gate (ถนนคนเดินท่าแพ)
📍 Tha Phae Gate → Ratchadamnoen Road, Old City Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai’s biggest weekly market closes Ratchadamnoen Road to traffic every Sunday evening. Over 500 vendors line the 1 km stretch from Tha Phae Gate to Wat Phra Singh, selling hand-crafted jewellery, silverwork, silk scarves, wood carvings, ceramics, and an enormous variety of street food. It’s the single best night for strolling the Old City.
What to buy: Silver jewellery, lacquerware, hand-woven fabrics, Thai herbal products, local art prints. Polite bargaining is fine, but most prices are already fair.
🚗 Getting There: Walkable from most Old City guesthouses. From Nimman: 10-minute Grab (฿60–80). The road is pedestrianised from ~15:30 — arrive early for the best street food before crowds peak.
🗓 Every Saturday | 16:00–22:30
🧶 Wualai Saturday Walking Street (ถนนคนเดินวัวลาย)
📍 Wualai Road, south of the Old City moat, Chiang Mai
Wualai Road is Chiang Mai’s historic silversmithing district, and every Saturday evening it transforms into a more local, less touristy alternative to the Sunday Walking Street. You’ll find high-quality silverwork and brass crafts at better prices, alongside excellent northern Thai street food. The atmosphere is relaxed and neighbourhood-focused.
What makes it special: Many silver and brass vendors here are the actual artisans — you can often watch them work in workshop doorways. Northern Thai snacks like Khao Soi, Nam Prik Noom, and Miang Kham are staples at the food stalls.
🚗 Getting There: Walk south from the Old City moat via Wualai Road (~5 min from the south gate, Chiang Mai Gate). Grab from Nimman: approx. ฿80–100, 10 minutes.
🗓 Every Saturday & Sunday | 06:30–14:00
🧺 Jing Jai Farmers Market (ตลาดจริงใจ)
📍 Assadathorn Road, Pa Tan (north of the Old City), Chiang Mai
Jing Jai is the best morning market in Chiang Mai for fresh produce, organic goods, and a genuinely local weekend breakfast experience. The name means “sincere heart” — and it lives up to it. Direct-from-farm organic vegetables, artisan cheeses, fresh juices, excellent coffee, handmade Thai ceramics, vintage clothing, and some of the best breakfast food in the city (khao tom, fresh fruit smoothies, pancakes, and more).
💡 Best strategy: Arrive by 07:00 for the freshest produce and best seats. By 10:00 it’s busy; by 13:00 many vendors start packing up.
🚗 Getting There: Jing Jai is a short ride north of the Old City. A Grab from the Old City or Nimman usually takes around 10 minutes, and there is on-site parking if you are driving.
Quick Reference
Chiang Mai October 2026 — At a Glance
| Category | Best Option |
|---|---|
| Best for early risers | Jing Jai Market (06:30) · Thaan Aoan (07:00) |
| Most important day of the month | 26 October: Ok Phansa (End of Buddhist Lent) |
| Best cultural afternoon | Akha Songs & Stories — 3 Oct, City Craft Space |
| Best exhibition in the Old City | Melodies and Motifs in the Mountains (from 3 Oct) |
| Best for music lovers | TRIO PLUS Flute Concert — 10 Oct |
| Best big night out | The Ritual Festival — 24 Oct, Dhara Dhevi |
| Best for runners | CNX 100K Ultra Marathon — 3 Oct |
| Best walking street | Sunday Walking Street, Tha Phae Gate |
| Best for organic produce | Jing Jai Farmers Market |
| Old City venues | Thaan Aoan · City Craft Space · Sunday Walking Street |
Practical Guide
Essential Tips for Visiting Chiang Mai in October
🌡️
Weather
Warm days around 30°C and pleasant evenings around 20–22°C. Still humid, so drink plenty of water and use sunscreen for outdoor activities.
🌦️
End of the Rainy Season
Showers are still possible, especially early in the month. Carry a compact umbrella or rain jacket, and keep indoor options like museums in mind.
🙏
Ok Phansa Etiquette (26 Oct)
Dress modestly at temples (shoulders and knees covered) and remove shoes before entering buildings. No alcohol is sold nationwide on Ok Phansa.
🚗
Getting Around
Grab is the most reliable option for point-to-point. Red songthaews are cheaper for fixed routes. Bicycles and motorbikes are ideal within the Old City and Nimman.
About This Guide
Written by Thaan Aoan — Old City Chiang Mai
This guide is written by the team at Thaan Aoan, a family-run breakfast café in the heart of the Old City that has been welcoming guests since 2007. Every event in this list was individually verified by our team. Opening hours and dates are accurate as of 26 September 2026 — always confirm with event organisers before travelling.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs: Visiting Chiang Mai in October 2026
Common questions answered by the team at Thaan Aoan, Old City Chiang Mai
Top picks for October 2026 are Ok Phansa (end of Buddhist Lent) on 26 October, the CNX 100K Ultra Marathon and the opening of Melodies and Motifs in the Mountains near Tha Phae Gate on 3 October, the TRIO PLUS flute concert on 10 October and The Ritual Festival at Dhara Dhevi on 24 October. Add the Sunday Walking Street, the Wualai Saturday Walking Street and the Jing Jai Farmers Market, and there are 7 special events plus 3 weekly markets to enjoy.
Ok Phansa falls on Monday 26 October 2026, the full moon of the 11th lunar month, and marks the end of the three-month Buddhist Rains Retreat. Locals visit temples such as Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Phra Singh to make merit and bring offerings, and many temples hold Tak Bat Devo alms-giving the next morning, 27 October. Alcohol sales are prohibited nationwide on Ok Phansa.
Yes. October sits at the tail end of the rainy season, so the countryside is green, days are warm (around 30°C) and evenings are pleasant. Showers are still possible, especially early in the month, so pack an umbrella. It is also quieter and better value than the busy cool season that starts with Yi Peng and Loy Krathong in late November.
The Sunday Walking Street at Tha Phae Gate runs every Sunday (16:00–22:00), the Wualai Saturday Walking Street runs every Saturday (16:00–22:30), and the Jing Jai Farmers Market opens every Saturday and Sunday morning (06:30–14:00).
Yes. Tuesday 13 October is King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great Memorial Day and Friday 23 October is King Chulalongkorn the Great Memorial Day. Banks and government offices close on both days, while most shops, restaurants and markets stay open.
Yes. Friday 23 October (King Chulalongkorn Memorial Day) creates a three-day weekend from 23 to 25 October, and Ok Phansa follows on Monday 26 October. Expect more Thai domestic travellers in Chiang Mai, so book accommodation, tours and popular restaurants early.
Yes. The Sunday Walking Street, Wualai Saturday Walking Street and Jing Jai Farmers Market are all free to enter, and on Ok Phansa (26 October) you can soak up the atmosphere at temples across the Old City. Some major temples charge a small entry fee for foreign visitors.
Melodies and Motifs in the Mountains opens on 3 October at Chiang Mai City Craft Space on Tha Phae Road (10:00–18:00, closed Mondays, until 10 January 2027), and October 6th: a Reconfigured Archive runs until 30 November at MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum in San Kamphaeng (10:00–18:00, closed Tuesdays, 200 THB for adults).
Key things to know: (1) Weather: late rainy season, so carry an umbrella. (2) Alcohol ban on 26 October: no alcohol sales on Ok Phansa. (3) Bank holidays: banks close on 13 and 23 October. (4) Long weekend: 23–25 October is busy with domestic travellers. (5) Temple etiquette: remove shoes and cover shoulders and knees. (6) Getting around: Grab is the most reliable option, while red songthaews are cheaper for shared routes.
