The air finally has that cold metal edge in the mornings; my coffee steams against the windshield while the oaks on Washington Road decide, very slowly, whether they are ready to let go.
Autumn.
These next two weeks are full: pumpkins on porches, a 40-year-old festival on Georgia Avenue, a trunk-or-treat on just about every church lot from Martinez to Grovetown, and an Election Day that, for once, has a line on the ballot about your property tax bill. Here’s what I found, town by town, with a link to the source for every date and number. Grab a candy bar (one of the good ones; leave the raisins for the geese)…
Don’t miss
- Oct 23 to 24: The 40th Jack-O-Lantern Jubilee in downtown North Augusta. Admission and concerts are free; Tauren Wells plays Friday at 6 p.m. and Chris Janson Saturday at 8 p.m. (Aiken County calendar)
- Oct 23: Sensory Spook-tacular, Columbia County’s Halloween night for people with special needs, 5 to 8 p.m. at The Market Pavilion in Evans. (event listing)
- Oct 25: Fall festival Sunday: Wesley UMC in Evans (4 to 6:30 p.m.), Warren Grovetown (5 to 7 p.m., free) and Trinity Baptist’s Martinez campus (5:30 to 7 p.m.). (Wesley, Warren, Trinity listing)
- Oct 27: GDOT open house on widening Wrightsboro Road between Horizon South Parkway and Jimmie Dyess Parkway, 4 to 7 p.m., Columbia County Exhibition Center. (Columbia County)
- Oct 31: FireK 26 on the North Augusta Greeneway; the 10K starts at 9 a.m. and the 5K at 9:15. (Augusta Sports Council)
- Nov 3: Election Day. Georgia polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Columbia County voters will see a homestead tax-relief question. (Columbia County notice)
North Augusta
The Jack-O-Lantern Jubilee turns 40
Georgia Avenue fills up on Friday, Oct 23 (gates at 5 p.m.) and again on Saturday, Oct 24, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Admission and concerts are free; rides, vendors and activities cost extra. Tauren Wells headlines Friday at 6 p.m. and Chris Janson closes Saturday at 8 p.m. (Aiken County calendar) Cody Webb also plays Saturday, and the city counted about 36,000 people at last year’s Jubilee. (Post and Courier North Augusta) Park early. Please, park early.
More Halloween in North Augusta
PruittHealth North Augusta hosts a trunk-or-treat Friday, Oct 23, 5 to 7 p.m., at 1200 Talisman Drive. (Explore North Augusta) On Halloween morning, FireK 26 sets off from 100 Riverview Park Drive with fire trucks on display, a kids’ fun zone and a free hot dog lunch. (Augusta Sports Council)
Council gives Victory Baptist its rezoning
On Monday, Oct 19, City Council approved Victory Baptist Church’s rezoning, which lets the church expand. The mayor said the city will look at amending the zoning code to clarify how churches are handled. (WRDW) The first vote, on Oct 5, drew more than 200 people to council. (Post and Courier North Augusta)
The 2027 budget’s final vote is Nov 2
The proposed city budget equals about a 2-mill property tax increase. For a typical North Augusta home valued at $335,000, that’s roughly $27 more on next year’s city tax bill. The final reading is scheduled for Nov. 2. (Post and Courier North Augusta)
Georgia Avenue traffic calming gets the state’s OK
SCDOT has given final approval to Phase One: narrower travel lanes, new medians and high-visibility crosswalks from the 13th Street bridge up toward Jackson Avenue. Construction could start early in 2027, and council will review the project again at its Nov. 9 and Nov. 16 meetings; the second one is open for public comment. (Post and Courier North Augusta)
Edgewood Square keeps filling up
Bath & Body Works took over its corner space at Edgewood Square on Oct 19 and starts its buildout now, with no opening date yet. Ulta is due this fall, Burlington is expected in the first quarter of 2027, and Dutch Bros. should open by the end of the year. (Post and Courier North Augusta)
Schools and voting
North Augusta High is hosting a Saturday SAT on Nov. 7; the sign-up deadline is Friday, Oct 23. (NAHS) For South Carolina voters, early voting runs through Oct 31 at the North Augusta Community Center, 495 Brookside Avenue, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. It’s closed Sunday, Oct 25. (Aiken Standard)
Evans
Sensory Spook-tacular
Friday, Oct 23, 5 to 8 p.m. at The Market Pavilion: a judgment-free Halloween night for people with special needs, and costumes are encouraged. (event listing)
Wesley Fall Festival and pumpkin patch
The Wesley UMC Fall Festival runs Sunday, Oct 25, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at 825 North Belair Road. The pumpkin patch is open weekdays 3 to 8 p.m. and weekends 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and every dollar goes to Wesley Students. (Wesley UMC)
Evans Market
Two more Saturdays at The Market, 1005 Market Street: Oct 24 and Oct 31, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Columbia County calendar)
New on Washington Road: Biscuit Belly
Biscuit Belly opened Oct 6 at Evans Town Centre, 4274 Washington Road, Suite 2. It’s open 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday through Sunday. (Augusta CEO) The Peach Cobbler Factory is building out next door, but I haven’t seen a confirmed opening date yet. (Augusta Business Daily)
Library pickup, any hour
The Evans Library now has a 24-hour outdoor holds locker with 17 units. Pick "Evans Library Book Locker" when you place a hold, and your items wait there for three days. (WRDW)
Trader Joe’s: still no address
I get asked about this at every showing. Trader Joe’s says it plans an Evans store but has no location to confirm, and Augusta Business Daily thinks it could be 2028. (Augusta Business Daily) Hold your breath… actually, don’t.
Martinez
Trinity’s Trunk or Treat
Sunday, Oct 25, at 5:30 p.m. at the Trinity Baptist Martinez campus, 4594 Columbia Road: decorated trunks, live music, princesses and superheroes, and food and dessert trucks. Admission and concessions are free. The listing gives 5:30 to 7 p.m.; check with the church before you go. (CSRA Kids)
Marie’s Creole & Catering is on the way
A longtime caterer and food truck is opening a take-out spot this fall on Washington Road, across from the McDonald’s at Davis Road. Look for shrimp po’boys and jerk chicken tacos. No opening date has been announced. (Augusta Business Daily)
(Martinez is quiet this round. Most of its news is county-wide, so keep reading.)
Grovetown
Fall Family Fest at Warren Grovetown
Sunday, Oct 25, 5 to 7 p.m. at 777 Horizon South Parkway. It’s free, with inflatables, a mechanical bull, a petting zoo, face painting and food trucks. (Warren Church)
Car show, movie night and trunk-or-treat
The Cruisin’ for Christmas Car Show is Saturday, Oct 24, 9 a.m. to noon. (City of Grovetown) Halloween Movie Night is Friday, Oct 30, 6 to 9 p.m. at Liberty Park. It’s for ages 5 and up, and you’ll need to register ahead by calling Leisure and Recreation at 706-860-7691. (City of Grovetown) Woodlawn Baptist hosts its trunk-or-treat on Halloween night, 6 to 9 p.m., at 4943 Columbia Road. (CSRA Kids)
At the Grovetown Library
Halloween Trivia for all ages is Tuesday, Oct 27, at 6:30 p.m. On Oct 31, Princess Storytime starts at 10:30 a.m., followed by a horror double feature at 11 a.m.: The Birds and Mask of the Red Death. (Columbia County calendar)
Wrightsboro Road widening: have your say Oct 27
GDOT is proposing to widen Wrightsboro Road between Horizon South Parkway and Jimmie Dyess Parkway, with a 14-foot flush median, a 45-mph design speed, a shared-use path on the north side and a sidewalk on the south. The total is estimated at $47.35 million, with construction programmed for 2032. Drop by the open house on Tuesday, Oct 27, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Columbia County Exhibition Center, 212 Partnership Drive. Comments are due Nov. 10. (Columbia County)
New sidewalks for East Robinson Avenue
On Oct 13, City Council awarded a $746,905 contract to Reeves Construction for sidewalk improvements on East Robinson Avenue. (Grovetown council summary)
Columbia County (Evans, Martinez and Grovetown)
Nov. 3: the homestead tax-relief question
Along with the general election, Columbia County voters will be asked: "Shall a local homeowner’s incentive adjustment program be established for Columbia County pursuant to House Bill 439 … for the purpose of reducing the tax burden upon qualified homesteads within Columbia County?" (Columbia County Board of Elections) Advance voting runs weekdays through Oct 30, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., plus Saturday, Oct 24, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can vote at Building G3, 610 Ronald Reagan Drive in Evans; the former Euchee Creek Library in Grovetown; or the school district’s Support Dept. Complex on River Watch Parkway. Absentee applications are due Oct 23. (Columbia County) The race for commission chair is between Alison Couch and Cambrey Wood. (WFXG)
New homes and land: what commissioners approved Oct 6
Commissioners approved changes to the 45.85-acre Tillery Park planned development off Baker Place Road, including a more traditional townhome layout in one section. They also rezoned 13.33 acres on Columbia Road so a self-storage facility can expand, and approved buying 0.93 acres in front of the Columbia County Racquet Center for $120,000 to leave room for future park growth. County Manager Scott Johnson is set to leave in January. (The Augusta Press)
Road work to plan around
The overnight lane closures on Furys Ferry Road (7 p.m. to 6 a.m.) wrap up by Friday, Oct 23, as the widening work continues. (The Augusta Press) The county lists the Furys Ferry widening, with its roundabout at Hardy McManus, as finishing in fall 2026. Hardy McManus Road and Hereford Farm Road are estimated for spring 2027, and Riverwood Park, a new passive park at William Few Parkway Extension and Hardy McManus, is on the list with dates still TBD. (Columbia County projects)
Schools
The school board voted 4-0, with one abstention, to start drafting legislation that would use data center revenue to cut the school portion of property tax bills. No bill has been approved yet. (WRDW) New literacy coaches for kindergarten through 3rd grade arrive in phases, the first in January 2027 and the rest in August 2027. (WJBF)
Real estate snapshot
The September numbers from the Greater Augusta Association of REALTORS (the whole metro, on both sides of the river):
- Median sales price: $285,000, down 1.7% from a year ago
- Closed sales: 591, down 11.0%
- Homes for sale: 2,813, up 10.4%
- Months of supply: 4.5, up from 4.1
- Average days on market: 71
- Sellers got 97.8% of list price on average
Source: GAAR Monthly Indicators, September 2026. The same report notes that the 30-year fixed rate moved above 7% in late September.
My take: buyers finally have room to breathe, with more homes to choose from and more time to decide. Sellers, it’s still a fine market if you price it right on day one; the house that sits is the house that ends up cutting its price. If you want the numbers for your own street, call or text me.
Quick questions
When is the Jack-O-Lantern Jubilee in 2026?
Friday, Oct 23, starting at 5 p.m., and Saturday, Oct 24, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., on Georgia Avenue in downtown North Augusta. Admission and concerts are free. (Aiken County calendar)
What’s the property tax question on Columbia County’s Nov. 3 ballot?
Whether to set up a local homeowner’s incentive adjustment program under House Bill 439 to reduce the tax burden on qualified homesteads. (Columbia County Board of Elections)
Where can I vote early in North Augusta?
At the North Augusta Community Center, 495 Brookside Avenue, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Oct 31. It’s closed Sunday, Oct 25. (Aiken Standard)
Is Wrightsboro Road in Grovetown going to be widened?
GDOT is proposing it, between Horizon South Parkway and Jimmie Dyess Parkway, with construction programmed for 2032. Comments are due Nov. 10. (Columbia County)
What’s the median home price around Augusta right now?
$285,000 in September 2026 across the Greater Augusta Association of REALTORS market, down 1.7% from a year earlier. (GAAR)
That’s the fortnight. Somewhere on Georgia Avenue, a jack-o’-lantern’s candle is already burning low, the clock ticking on its little orange face… See you out there. Wave if you see me; I’ll be the one carrying too much kettle corn.
Josh