Local News

October 2026 in Murfreesboro brings the Hop Springs Fall Festival, Harvest Days at Cannonsburgh, Old Scream Road, Sam Davis Home ghost tours, Restaurant Week, two MTSU home football games and trick-or-treating on the Square.

Buc-ee's is hiring for its Murfreesboro travel center at Elam Road and Joe B. Jackson Parkway, which its job postings say opens in fall 2026. Murfreesboro postings list $20 an hour, and $25 for deli and food service.

Diesel topped $6 a gallon in Tennessee this week. Murfreesboro business owners say retail and parts of the construction industry are feeling the rising cost of shipping and logistics most.

The 22nd Annual Greenway Art Festival brings a juried fine art show to Old Fort Park in Murfreesboro on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cannonsburgh Village hosts its 50th annual Harvest Days on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, with blacksmithing, a car show, clogging, crafts and free admission.

The 12th Annual Oktoberfest returns to the grounds of Oaklands Mansion on Saturday, September 26, 2026, with regional brewers, live music and food vendors. Tickets must be purchased online in advance.

Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation invites families to an enchanting evening walk through Cannonsburgh Village by lantern light on January 30, 2026.

Oaklands Mansion hosts an elegant Valentine's Day celebration on February 14, 2026, featuring dinner by Chef Jack Barakat, dancing in Maney Hall, and cocktails.

The annual MTSU Jazz Festival brings middle school, high school, and university jazz ensembles to the MTSU School of Music on March 28, 2026, for performances and educational workshops.

The American Cancer Society's Relay For Life of Murfreesboro returns to Oaklands Mansion on June 12, 2026, bringing the community together to celebrate survivors and raise funds for cancer research.

Chinwag, the new bistro-style restaurant from Murfreesboro native and Hell's Kitchen Season 21 winner Alex Belew and partner Shane Nasby, starts dinner service Oct. 22 at 1440 Medical Center Parkway. Lunch follows Nov. 3.

Starbucks says its holiday menu returns Nov. 5, 2026, with Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, Sugar Cookie Latte and Gingerbread Chai, plus a new Tiramisu Velvet lineup. Here is what is coming and where Starbucks lists stores around Murfreesboro.

Starbucks says its Black Cat Frappuccino and Venti Black Night Cookie arrive Oct. 22 at select U.S. stores for Halloween. Availability varies by store, so Murfreesboro customers should check the Starbucks app before going.

Krispy Kreme's Looney Tunes Halloween Collection is available through Oct. 31 at participating shops, and the Murfreesboro shop at 2231 Medical Center Parkway is on Krispy Kreme's participating list. The four doughnuts feature Bugs Bunny, Tweety and Sylvester, Taz and Lola Bunny.

Flying Biscuit Café has signed franchisee Paresh Patel to open the breakfast-and-lunch chain's first Murfreesboro café. The company says it has not picked a site or set an opening date yet.

November 2026 in Murfreesboro brings MTSU Homecoming, the first Rutherford County Veterans Day Parade, two turkey trots, the Stones River Mall Holiday Market and Sip, Shop & Stroll. The Christmas season starts the week of Thanksgiving with Smyrna's tree lighting and Lucky Ladd Farms' Festival of Lights.

The City of Murfreesboro starts its free curbside Fall Leaf Collection on Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, and continues it through Jan. 31, 2027. During that window, residents may put loose leaves and grass clippings at the curb instead of bagging them.

Murfreesboro and Rutherford County voters will see three proposed Tennessee constitutional amendments on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot, covering pretrial bail, a state property tax ban and crime victims' rights. Here is what each one changes and the two-part test an amendment must pass.

TDOT has reached commercial close with DriveTN on the I-24 Southeast Choice Lanes, a 50-year deal to add optional paid lanes on about 26 miles of I-24 between Nashville and Murfreesboro. The existing general-purpose lanes stay free, financial close is targeted for 2027, and public open houses are planned for November.

The 2026 Murfreesboro Christmas Parade rolls down Main Street at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, with the theme 'A Country Christmas.' Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation is now taking entries for floats, walking groups, antique cars, dancers and horses.

Sprouts Farmers Market lists Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, as opening day for its new Smyrna store at 2015 Pilot Pl., with a three-day grand opening running through Nov. 15. The store sits near Sam Ridley Parkway and Motlow College Boulevard and becomes the second Sprouts in Rutherford County.

Rutherford County health departments in Murfreesboro and Smyrna will give free flu shots from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. An evening clinic runs 4:30 to 6 p.m. the same day at Oakland Restoration Church on North Maney Avenue.

The City of Murfreesboro has mailed its 2026 property tax bills, and payments are due by Feb. 28, 2027, before interest starts March 1. Here is how to pay online, by mail or in person, what the convenience fees are, and who qualifies for tax relief.

Smyrna, La Vergne and Eagleville voters will elect a mayor and council or aldermen members on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot. Here are the qualified candidates and the number of seats in each town, from the Rutherford County Election Commission.

The deadline for applications and nominations for Middle Tennessee State University's next president is Oct. 15, and the search committee plans to bring finalists to the Murfreesboro campus in November for interviews and public forums. Trustees say the search is on track to replace retiring President Sidney A. McPhee by the end of the year.

Former U.S. Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bill Frist will hold a free public conversation on leadership and public service at 3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19, in MTSU's Tucker Theatre in Murfreesboro. A reception follows, and free parking is available at the Smith Baseball Field lot.

Murfreesboro City Council's Oct. 1 agenda included a public hearing on annexing about 89 acres along Old Lebanon Pike for the 246-home Campbell Crossing plan. The same agenda asked council to authorize a $278,000 vision study for an MTSU overlay district east of downtown.

The Curious Kitchen says customer gift certificates will carry through its move and Spring 2027 grand reopening. The downtown Murfreesboro cooking school still lists 327 East State Street as its current location.

Rutherford County planners have set a 6 p.m. Oct. 12 public hearing on a proposed one-year pause for large data centers in the unincorporated county. The draft would cover facilities over 20,000 square feet while officials study power, water, noise and land-use rules.

TDOT says construction has begun on the 4.3-mile North Thompson Lane widening from Northwest Broad Street to Memorial Boulevard. Drivers should expect school-day lane closure limits, bridge work, greenway impacts and a project schedule stretching into 2030.

In-N-Out Burger is open at 2508 Medical Center Parkway in Murfreesboro. Here are the address, hours, drive-thru details and the other Middle Tennessee locations, from In-N-Out's own location pages.

MTSU began construction Sept. 28 on a $5.6 million cyber range in the Miller Education Center on Bell Street. Built with IBM, it is the first of its kind in Tennessee higher education and is expected to open in January.

A Friday evening fire on Sept. 25 destroyed a store building on Fosterville Road in southern Rutherford County. Rutherford County Fire & Rescue says crews kept the fire from spreading beyond the immediate area, and the Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause.

NOAA records show the first three weeks of September 2026 were the hottest on record at Nashville, with Murfreesboro close behind. Middle Tennessee Electric says long stretches of heat drive up energy use. Here is how to check your usage in myMTE.

MTSU cut the ribbon Sept. 22 on its expanded $258,000 Level Up esports arena in the Student Union Building and signed a partnership with XP League of Franklin, which will bring youth teams to campus on weekends.

Local 501(c)(3) nonprofits can apply Oct. 1-31, 2026, for Murfreesboro Community Investment Trust grants. Last year the trust awarded $598,525 to 30 nonprofits, and the city expects about 30% more to be available.

Dairy Queen's Halloween Spellbound Series runs Sept. 28 to Nov. 1 at participating stores, with a purple ube Enchanted OREO Blizzard, a Bubble Brew Sparkler, Ghost Pepper Sauce and $4 Mystery Blizzard Buddies.

Paris Baguette's Halloween lineup runs Oct. 1 to Nov. 1 and adds a Ghost Pepper Chocolate Marble Mochi Donut and Ghost Pepper Iced Hot Chocolate. Murfreesboro's bakery cafe is at The Avenue on Medical Center Parkway.

Firehouse Subs' Thanksgiving Turkey Sub, which sold out nationwide last year, is back now through the end of December at participating restaurants, along with a new Pecan Bar. Murfreesboro has three Firehouse Subs.

MTSU (2-2) played at Kansas on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 11 a.m. Central on ESPNU, the first meeting between the programs; Kansas won 55-0. The Blue Raiders lost their Conference USA opener 23-13 at Jacksonville State.

Universal Health Services wants to build Cedar Grove Behavioral Health Hospital, a 132-bed hospital for children and teens at 1640 Lascassas Pike in Murfreesboro. The rezoning goes before a City Council and Planning Commission workshop on Sept. 30.

Monster Mini Golf's Murfreesboro location at 1002 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. now lists an opening date of early December 2026. It will have 18 holes of glow-in-the-dark mini golf, an arcade, mini bowling and a laser maze.

Murfreesboro City Council and planners take up a proposed 55-foot minimum lot width for new homes on Sept. 30, and the council holds a public hearing on outdoor pickleball and paddle court rules on Oct. 1.

Clocks fall back one hour at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, the night after Halloween. The U.S. House passed the Sunshine Protection Act in July, and Tennessee already has a 2019 law to keep daylight saving time permanently if Congress allows it.

Taco Bell's new Gordita Crunch Duos, a two-piece snack take on the Cheesy Gordita Crunch, launched Sept. 17 for $5.49 at participating locations, including Murfreesboro's 10 Taco Bells. They also come in a new $9 Discovery Luxe Box.

ALDI is launching its first line of fresh, heat-and-eat ready-made meals, with single-serve meals under $8 and family-size meals under $15. They roll out in select markets starting in October and nationwide by January 2027.

The Twinning Station mixed-use development on Waldron and Blair roads returns to the La Vergne Planning Commission on Tuesday, Sept. 29, now at about 89 acres with 938 homes, a grocery store, retail and office space.

Trick or Treat on the Square is Oct. 30 from 3 to 5 p.m. Here is every 2026 Halloween event in Murfreesboro, Smyrna and La Vergne, from the Barfield Bash and Old Scream Road to Halloween in the Park, pumpkin patches and glow-in-the-dark corn mazes.

Rutherford County Schools and Murfreesboro City Schools are both out for fall break Monday, Oct. 5, through Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. Here are the rest of the 2026-27 break dates and things to do with kids that week.

MTSU Homecoming 2026 is Saturday, Nov. 7, when the Blue Raiders host WKU at 2:30 p.m. The week's headline event is the first Live at MTSU concert on Nov. 5 at Murphy Center with Bailey Zimmerman and Waka Flocka Flame.

The first annual Rutherford County Veterans Day Parade runs Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, from 10 a.m. to noon, traveling down Main Street from MTSU to the Murfreesboro Public Square. It is free, with an awards ceremony at 1 p.m.

McDonald's Monopoly is back Oct. 6 through Nov. 1, 2026, with peel-off game pieces on eligible items and all play in the McDonald's app. Prizes include $1 million, a 2027 Jeep Cherokee and a Carnival cruise.

National Coffee Day is Tuesday, Sept. 29. Krispy Kreme on Medical Center Parkway has a new Original Glazed Coffee Flavored Doughnut through Sept. 29 and free coffee with any purchase that day, plus a free brewed coffee offer from Scooter's Coffee.

TDOT has revised its I-24 ramp repair schedule in Rutherford County after weather delays, with closures now set for the weekends of Oct. 16, 23 and 30. Both eastbound Sam Ridley Parkway off-ramps close fully the weekend of Oct. 16. Here is the updated schedule, plus other Murfreesboro road work.

The American Red Cross declared only the second national blood supply crisis in its history on July 27, and says the supply remains vulnerable this fall. Here is where to give blood in Murfreesboro, including drives at MTSU on Oct. 22 and downtown on Oct. 23.

A state-run job fair at the American Job Center, 1313 Old Fort Parkway, runs Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Employers include Taylor Farms (through Eclipse Staffing), Kroger, Yates Nissan, Chromalox and the U.S. Army.

AutoZone celebrated its 8,000th store with a Murfreesboro grand opening on Sept. 10, 2026, with Gov. Bill Lee and Sen. Marsha Blackburn at the ribbon cutting.

Nissan Americas chairman Christian Meunier told CNBC the company's next step is three shifts at its U.S. plants, including Smyrna, as the 2027 Rogue Hybrid arrives. Here is what it could mean for Rutherford County jobs.

National Coffee Day is September 29. Here is where to find pumpkin, apple, and fall spice drinks and treats in Murfreesboro this season, from Dapper Owl and 7 Brew to Andy's Pumpkin Pie Concrete.

Wawa, Bubba's 33, Another Broken Egg Cafe, and a second Tim Hortons are open in Murfreesboro, with Big Bad Breakfast and UFC GYM on the way. Here is September 2026's roundup of openings, closings, and projects in the works.

Early voting in Rutherford County runs October 14 to 29 at nine locations ahead of the November 3, 2026 election. Here are the deadlines, hours, addresses, ID rules, and what is on the ballot.

The Rutherford County Board of Education voted 6 to 1 to allow schools to display plaques pairing the Ten Commandments with portions of the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution, with the plaques paid for by funds raised outside the school system.

The Rutherford County Library System board has hired Heath Lee as executive director, days before former director Luanne James filed a federal lawsuit over her March firing.

La Vergne's free Goblins and Goodies candy trail returns to Veterans Memorial Park on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, with trick-or-treat booths and a costume contest.

Patterson Park Community Center hosts the 6th Annual Party in Pink Zumbathon on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, from 9 to 11 a.m. during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

McFadden Community Center hosts its annual Fall Fest on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, from 5 to 8 p.m. with a Haunted Hallway, carnival games and free admission.

The Rutherford County Walk to End Alzheimer's steps off at MTSU's Hayes Soccer Complex on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, with a $250,000 fundraising goal.

MTSU's Todd Art Gallery shows new work by 24 Art and Design faculty in the 2026 Faculty Biennial, open through Saturday, Oct. 3, in Murfreesboro.

The 2nd Annual Fall Art & Craft Fair brings local artists, handmade crafts, vintage vendors, food trucks and live music to the Oaklands Mansion grounds on Saturday, September 5, 2026.

Perform Murfreesboro brings Finding Nemo Kids to the Washington Theatre at Patterson Park Community Center for four performances February 19–22, 2026, featuring young local performers in the beloved underwater musical.

Linebaugh Public Library in Murfreesboro hosts a Girls Who Code Club session on February 19, 2026, offering girls a free, beginner-friendly introduction to coding and technology from 4:00 to 4:45 PM.

Wilderness Station at Barfield Crescent Park leads a guided all-day winter hike to Machine Falls on Saturday, February 21, 2026. The excursion departs at 8:00 AM and registration is required through Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation.

Wilderness Station at Barfield Crescent Park offers an introductory archery class on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, from 3:30 to 5:30 PM. All equipment is provided and registration is required through Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation.

Murfreesboro Little Theatre presents its annual Summer Camp at Oaklands Mansion, June 1–6, 2026. The week-long program gives young performers a chance to develop acting, singing, and stagecraft skills on the historic mansion grounds.

The Center for the Arts in downtown Murfreesboro seeks performers for its upcoming production of Legally Blonde: The Musical, with auditions scheduled for February 8-9, 2026.