Choctaw's October Happens Almost Entirely at One Park. Here's How the Month Fits Together
October 8, 2026
October 8, 2026
"Unfortunately, conditions at Ten Acre Lake have not improved as we had hoped when the Fishing Derby was originally rescheduled." The City of Choctaw posted that on September 24, along with the news that the 2026 Fishing Derby was canceled. Under advice from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, the city said it would not stock the lake because water levels were extremely low and the water was still warm.
The derby was the one big fall event this year set somewhere other than Choctaw Creek Park. With it gone, October in Choctaw comes down to two places: 2001 N Harper Rd and Main Street. The park is carrying almost the whole month while the city is in the middle of fixing it up.
The derby didn't fail all at once. It was first set for September 5. On August 19, the Wildlife Department added fish habitat at Ten Acre Lake and surveyed the fish population. It found fewer fish than the derby needed. The city's August 27 update said this summer's extreme heat had contributed to fish kills across the state. The department recommended waiting until the water cooled significantly before stocking.
So the derby moved to Saturday, October 3, in the hope that temperatures would drop in time. They didn't drop enough. The city says it hopes to bring the derby back in 2027.
The lake is still on the city's project list. Phase 2 of the Ten Acre Lake trail project has passed tribal clearance and environmental review. Next, the city will issue a Request for Proposals for engineering services. That puts the trail at the design stage, not the construction stage. The lake's fall program waits on the weather and its trail waits on engineers, so October's activity has gone to the park across town.
October 3 shows the shift best. The canceled derby would have been at the lake that morning. What's left on the calendar is at Choctaw Creek Park:
A summer concert series running into October is unusual in itself. The series schedule lists June 13, July 18 and August 15 as evening shows from 6 to 10 p.m. September 19 was listed as an afternoon show from noon to 8 p.m. The October 3 date keeps the same noon start, so families can arrive after the 5K and stay into the evening without changing parking spots.
The city's homepage calendar lists the Pumpkin Run on a different day. Choctaw UMC is the host, and its event page says Saturday, October 3, at 9 a.m. Go by the church's page if you are registering.
Two days before, on Thursday, October 1, the Choctaw Homecoming Parade starts at 6 p.m. The city warns that several roads will close and asks spectators to park before 5:30 p.m. That makes the first three days of the month busier than any other stretch until late October.
The park is in the middle of upgrades while it hosts all this. The City's September 2026 newsletter says the Choctaw Creek Park restrooms are getting new toilets, sinks, lighting and paint. The playground there and the one at Bouse Park have new mulch.
That's the short-term work. Bigger plans are coming through the Tax Increment Financing district that City Council approved in July. The newsletter says the district covers about four square miles, from NE 10th Street to NE 23rd Street and from Hiwassee Road to Triple X Road. First-phase plans include new and upgraded restrooms at Choctaw Creek Park and a larger big pavilion.
The pavilion matters because it is where the busiest event of the fall takes place. The same first phase includes a new indoor volleyball and basketball facility at Bouse Sports Complex, along with new football and soccer fields. The city is putting money into both of its main recreation sites, and the park that already holds most events is getting a bigger version of its busiest building.
The last weekend before Halloween shows why the pavilion expansion matters. Haunted Hollow runs Friday and Saturday, October 23 and 24, in the Big Pavilion from 6 to 8 p.m. each night. MetroFamily Magazine's listing describes food, vendors, candy, games, contests and activities, and says all ages are welcome.
When Haunted Hollow ends for the night, the Haunted Trails continue. The Choctaw Volunteer Firefighters Association presents the trails, which are aimed at teens and adults. The entrance is just west of the Big Pavilion, and the trails run from dusk until 11 p.m. Younger kids get the pavilion early in the evening and older visitors get the trails later, and both stay within one stretch of the park.
That Saturday is busy across town too. The Choctaw Area Chamber of Commerce holds its Fall Festival on Main Street on October 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Local businesses can sponsor the pie-tasting competition, the pumpkin-carving competition and the costume contest, and the Chamber is still taking vendor booths and kids' activity hosts. The festival ends at 3 p.m. and Haunted Hollow opens at 6, so a family could do both on October 24 with time for dinner in between.
Choctaw Creek Golf Course is the third city site getting fall attention, and it too has dealt with a tough summer. The September newsletter says nematodes suddenly showed up under the greens in July. The course's new superintendent is working on a plan to eradicate them and restore the greens.
The course has stayed busy anyway. The city says the $25 Monday-through-Thursday rate it introduced last year has brought many new golfers to Choctaw, and from July 2025 to June 2026 the course logged 20,433 rounds and hosted 23 tournaments. It is also the home course for the Choctaw-Nicoma Park middle school and high school golf teams.
New paint, flooring and other updates are done in the pro shop and restaurant areas. The city expects the rest of the work to wrap up by the end of October. The golf course pavilion is next, with plans to screen in the patio. The restaurant spaces can already be booked for organizational meetings, tournaments and community events, and the city says private-event bookings for the public are coming soon.
The timing ties into the holiday calendar. Breakfast with Santa is set for December 5, 9 to 11 a.m., at Choctaw Creek Golf Course. The city's newsletter and event listings show nothing in between for November, so the refreshed golf course is where the city's event calendar picks up next.
Road work will run alongside the events. Here is what the city has listed, as of its September 2026 newsletter:
None of these projects had a firm start date in the city's update. Before heading to the park on a busy Saturday, check the calendar on mychoctaw.org. The city says it lists special events, pavilion reservations and the food trucks scheduled at the Caboose.
If you're planning any October weekend in Choctaw, start with these addresses: Choctaw Creek Park at 2001 N Harper Rd for October 3 and October 23–24, Main Street on the morning of October 24, and the golf course, where the city expects the final pro shop and restaurant work to be done by the end of the month.
The Oberfield Real Estate Team follows these calendars because our clients' plans so often depend on them. If you're curious how your street compares now that the city's park, trail and road projects are moving forward, reach out for a free home valuation, and we'll walk you through the details.
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