Sedona is really crowded in October, especially the weekends. Try as much as possible to not be there on a weekend. Also try not to be there when school students are on their Fall break.
If you are getting there by flying into Phoenix and then driving up to Sedona -- the traffic on I-17 going northbound can get quite excessive on Friday afternoon, and really excessive going southbound on Sunday afternoon. This is because half of Phoenix spends their weekends in the high country. Also, if you decide to drive north to Flagstaff and take 89A through Oak Creek Canyon, the traffic on the weekends can be very bad, meaning it can take several hours to make that 40 mile journey. The traffic is even worse when school is not in session.
Consider visiting the Tripadvisor website and do a search for "Arizona", and then go to the AZ forum. There you will find a huge amount of info for Sedona, as there are some regulars there who live in or near Sedona. You can find answers to all four of your categories there.
If you want to eat at the popular places like Elote, you need to make your reservations yesterday.
C