Looking for some Halloween fun? From crafts to trick-or-treating, this list has a little of everything you’ll need to celebrate Halloween in the Austin area.
Dates Throughout October
Just a Minute! A Día de los Muertos Play - October 3, 4, 10, 11, 18, 24, 25, 31 & November 1, various times available. Celebrate el día de los muertos with this staged adaptation of Yuyi Morales’s fantastical award-winning books Just a Minute and Just in Case. Señor Calavera wants Grandma Beetle to leave with him right away, but she still has one house to sweep, two pots of tea to boil, three pounds of corn to make into tortillas – and that’s just the start! Kids of all ages will love these bilingual counting and alphabet tales. Cost: $7 for kids 12 and under, $12 for adults. Available online at Brownpapertickets.com and sold at the door. Free show parking as available in Austin’s uptown museum district. Metered street parking also nearby. Tickets available online and at the door. Recommended for all ages! Austin Scottish Rite Theater 207 W. 18th Street.
Michael’s Kids’ Club – October 3, 10, 17 & 24, from 10 a.m. – noon. They craft, you shop! Kids 3 and up can enjoy a quick project and take home a finished masterpiece. Sign up in store or online, or just drop in. $2 per child, supplies included. October crafts include Frankenstein, Halloween Tic-tac-toe game, harvest mobile and a pet spider! All participating Michael’s locations.
Evergreen Farm Pumpkin Hunt – Weekends in October and November 1st. Saturday’s from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 – 5 p.m., The Pumpkin Hunt is a family-friendly event where children of all ages can enjoy fall activities. All activities are ongoing throughout the day, allowing families to customize their experience at the farm. Pumpkins of all sizes will be available for purchase. Free admission; $2.50 – $5.00 for some activities. The premier event, the Pumpkin Hunt ($2.50), includes a wagon ride into the Christmas tree fields where mini pumpkins are hidden in the trees. After the Hunt, enjoy pumpkin decorating on the pavilion along with the other activities and games. Evergreen Farm, 242 Monkey Road, Elgin
Boo at the Zoo – October 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30, from 6:30-9 p.m., Wear a costume (no adult masks, please), ride the Haunted Train, explore the Haunted House and see the animals by the glow of your flashlight! Plus, bring a picnic to enjoy in the Picnic Grove. Austin Zoo will be illuminated and decorated for the occasion. Tickets are $12.50 and include a train pass and unlimited Haunted House visits. Austin Zoo, 10808 Rawhide Trail.
Haunted Halloween Trails – October 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, from 7-10 p.m., This year’s theme will be “Grimm’s Ghostly Tales,” featuring three separate spooky trails each night — one for young children (amusing, rated G), another for those who want spooky surprises (rated PG) and a scary, scary trail for the adventurous (frights galore, rated PG-13). Spook lights, ghoulish stories, pumpkins, food, drinks and souvenirs promise to add to the fun. Palm readers and fortune tellers will be on site all nights to give visitors a peek into their past or future. Admission is $12 a person, a real 1800s bargain for this spook-tenaous family fun event, Austin’s legendary Halloween experience for all ages. It’s family friendly, to boot. Pioneer Farms, 10621 Pioneer Farms Drive.
Dia de los Muertos – October 23, 26, 28, 29, 31 and November 2 & 3, various times. A family celebration of books and stories, laughing skulls, dancing, music, arts and crafts, ‘midst fluttering butterflies. FREE! Austin Public Library, multiple locations.
Saturday, October 3, 2015
Fun Family Craft Time – Great Pumpkin Event – 1-4 p.m., Kids and adults can make a silly monster or a mummy pumpkin. Buy a 9″ craft pumpkin by Ashland® and the supplies are FREE! All participating Michael’s locations.
Sunday, October 11, 2105
The Pumpkin Express (Cedar Park) - 11 a.m., returns at 2:30 p.m., Join us for this new annual tradition! The Pumpkin Express takes you to the sleepy town of Bertram where we will step off for 30 minutes to pick a pumpkin from the Depot Pumpkin Patch. Kids of all ages will enjoy a chat with Farmer Brown, take a tour of our historic 1912 train depot, and sip apple cider. So pack a lunch and jump on board! All cars are pulled by our 1960 Alco diesel locomotive. Parties of two may be seated at shared tables. This ride is 3.5 hours round trip with a 30 minute layover. Tickets start at $26. Austin Steam Train Association, 401 E. Whitestone Blvd., Cedar Park.
Pumpkin Decorating Workshop at IKEA (Round Rock) – 6-7:30 p.m., Bring your favorite blank canvas, a.k.a. pumpkin, and we’ll have fun decorating in the IKEA Restaurant! Supplies provided but RSVP is appreciated. FREE! IKEA, 1 IKEA Way, Round Rock.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Community Halloween Carnival and Haunted House – 5:30-8 p.m., Trick or Treat!! You are invited to come and join the fun at our annual Metz Halloween Carnival. We will provide free music, door prizes and a costume contest. Games will be $0.25 a ticket & haunted house $1.00. Haunted House opens at 6:30 p.m., Costume contest begins at 7:30 p.m., 1-3 Prizes for the following age divisions: 0-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12. Adult scream contest @ 7:15 p.m., Metz Recreation Center, 2407 Canterbury Street.
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Decorate a Pumpkin at Kaleidoscope Toys - 10 a.m. – 1p.m., We will have mini pumpkins for you to decorate with all kinds of craft items, including googly eyes, feathers, markers, and more! Click here to register through Eventbrite. Admission is a non-perishable food donation for the Round Rock Area Serving Center. Kaleidoscope Toys, Round Rock.
Fun Family Craft Time: Spellbinding Duck Tape T-shirts – 1-4 p.m., Get in the Halloween spirit with with t-shirt projects featuring Duck Tape! Choose a ghoulish skull or a charming cat design. $7 per project, supplies included. While you’re here, create a tote bag to enter in Duck Tape’s Spookduckular Contest. Visit spookduckular.com for more info. Bag supplies not included. All participating Michael’s locations.
Leander’s Fall Fun Festival – 5:30-10 p.m., Come join Leander Fire Department at our Annual Fall Fun Festival. LFD has carnival style games, vendors, food, haunted house, silent auction and more at this family event. All proceeds go to our Health & Safety Fund and the Benevolent Fund. Tickets for games start at just $.50 and touring the Tower of Terror is only $5! Leander Fire Department, 101 E Sonny Drive, Leander.
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Ashley’s Playhouse Fall Fun Festival - 1-4 p.m., Enjoy a bounce house, games, playhouse tours, train rides and more BYOP: Bring your own pumpkins for decorating with our supplies! Or, be one of the first 200 kids in line to receive a FREE mini pumpkin from APH! FREE! Ashley’s Playhouse, 13343 N Hwy 183, Suite 200.
The Pumpkin Express (Cedar Park) - 11 a.m., returns at 2:30 p.m., Join us for this new annual tradition! The Pumpkin Express takes you to the sleepy town of Bertram where we will step off for 30 minutes to pick a pumpkin from the Depot Pumpkin Patch. Kids of all ages will enjoy a chat with Farmer Brown, take a tour of our historic 1912 train depot, and sip apple cider. So pack a lunch and jump on board! All cars are pulled by our 1960 Alco diesel locomotive. Parties of two may be seated at shared tables. This ride is 3.5 hours round trip with a 30 minute layover. Tickets start at $26. Austin Steam Train Association, 401 E. Whitestone Blvd., Cedar Park.
Monday, October 19, 2015
Halloween Cookie Decorating (Round Rock) – 6-7 p.m., Kids can decorate cookies with a Halloween theme. Cost is $10 and includes admission to Safari Champ. Safari Champ, 1400 East Old Settlers Blvd # 200, Round Rock.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Halloween Hand Print Tile at Safari Champ (Round Rock) – 4-5 p.m., Listen to storytime: Pete the Cat, Five Little Pumpkins, paint a spider handprint on a tile. Cost $12 per child, includes admission to Safari Champ. Safari Champ, 1400 East Old Settlers Blvd # 200, Round Rock.
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Movies in the Park: Casper – 8-10 p.m., Get in the Halloween spirit with us at Dick Nichols District Park! Bring the whole family (costumes welcome!) just before sunset for a FREE screening of this film. Dick Nichols Park, 8011 Beckett Rd.
Saturday, October 24, 2015
Pumpkin Carving – 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Fun for the entire family! Activities include, Costume Contest, Face Painting, and Games! FREE! George Washington Carver Museum Cultural and Genealogy Center, 1165 Angelina Street .
Brushy Creek Hairy Man Spookyfest (Round Rock) – 1-4 p.m., Join us for the 21st Annual Hairy Man Spookyfest at Cat Hollow Park for a fun-filled day of food, arts & crafts fair, children’s activities, special performances, and live music! Participate in our Costume contest, trick or treating park scavenger hunt, pumpkin decorating, train rides, Halloween themed crafts, scary snacks station and more! There will be several local non-profit organizations in Williamson County raising money for a good cause. Costume contest begins at 1:00pm with prizes for: Judge’s Favorite, Cutest, Scariest, and Most Original. Hairiest Man Contest begins at 4:00pm. Cat Hollow Park located, 8600 O’ Connor Dr, Round Rock.
Halloween at the Y (Round Rock) – 2-9 p.m., Enjoy carnival games, inflatables, rides, and climbing walls, free candy, music, prizes, costume contests, concessions and more. Admission is $6 per person. Dell Diamond, 3400 East Palm Valley Blvd., Round Rock.
Boo-da Halloween (Buda) – 5-7 p.m., Bring the kids to trick or treat with local businesses and enjoy FREE have arts and crafts, face painting, games and Halloween stories at the Buda Public Library. Downtown Buda.
Leander’s Fall Fun Festival – 5:30 – 10 p.m., Come join Leander Fire Department at our Annual Fall Fun Festival. LFD has carnival style games, vendors, food, haunted house, silent auction and more at this family event. All proceeds go to our Health & Safety Fund and the Benevolent Fund. Tickets for games start at just $.50 and touring the Tower of Terror is only $5! Leander Fire Department, 101 E Sonny Drive, Leander.
Spooktacular at Northwest YMCA – 5-8 p.m., Invite your friends and neighbors and join us for our Spooktacular Grand Re-Opening Event! Trick-or-treat trail, games, refreshments and so much more. Plus, take a tour of our new facility and be entered for a chance to win prizes! FREE! Northwest YMCA, 5807 McNeil Drive.
Dittmar’s Halloween Spooktacular – 6:30 p.m., Carnival, haunted house, movie in the park (Casper). Carnival begins at 6:30 p.m. and the movie at sundown. FREE! Dittmar Recreaetion Center, 1009 W. Dittmar Road.
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Adult & Child Art Workshops: Halloween – 1-4 p.m., Create Picasso-esque witches, monster pop-up cards, and skeleton sculptures in this imaginative one-day class. Inspired by the Halloween season, we will work together to create take-home holiday decor. Cost: $49 + $15 supply fee for each adult/ child pair. Contemporary Museum of Art at Laguna Gloria, 3809 W. 35th Street.
Austin Symphony Halloween Children’s Concert - 3 p.m., It’s creepy, crawly and so much fun it’s spooky! Your little ghost or goblin will help haunt Long Center’s Dell Hall for the Austin Symphony’s annual Halloween Children’s Concert. This exciting concert features frightfully fun symphonic music that is stimulating for young eyes and ears (ages 2–10). The entire family is invited to dress up in their favorite costume and enjoy “boo-tiful” music with their Austin Symphony Orchestra! Tickets start at $8. Long Center for Performing Art, 701 W. Riverside Drive.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
28th Annual Monster Concert & Carnival – 5-9 p.m., The carnival will feature a wide variety of games, food/beverages, live bands, and other fun-filled activities, including the very popular (and scary!) “Haunted House.” Tickets for carnival games and food can be purchased. All proceeds benefit the Orchestra program at Austin Hight School. Admission to the concert and carnival is FREE! Austin High, 1715 W. Cesar Chavez.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Halloween Festival and Hayride (Georgetown) – 5:30-8:30 p.m., Admission is FREE, but each booth or activity charges a fee to participate. Please bring $1 bills and quarters! Hayrides will load outside the Community Center, with the first ride leaving at at 5:30 p.m. Ticket sales will STOP at 8:00 p.m. but all tickets sold will be honored. Tickets will be $1 for children ages 1-4 years and $2 for everyone else (ages 5 – adult). The Hayride is not scary – it is a friendly hay ride through the park with Halloween themed decorations, aimed towards younger children. We will show a FREE Movie in the Park. Disney’s Halloweentown (PG) will begin at 6:45 pm at the Gazebo in San Gabriel Park. Bring your own refreshments. Back again this year is a Trick-or-Treat Village! The Trick-or-treat Village will be set up in the Community Center front lawn from 5:30-8:30 pm with local businesses and non-profit organizations passing out candy. Trick-or-treat bags will be provided, or bring your own! Don’t forget to wear your favorite costume and enter our Costume Contest! Community Center, San Gabriel Park, Georgetown.
Movies in the Park: Beetlejuice – 8-10 p.m., Kick off your Halloween weekend with this spooky, off-beat classic – costumes welcome! The fall season of Movies in the Park series continues with this celebration of the Ghost with the Most himself – BEETLEJUICE! Join us at Republic Square Park just before sunset for a FREE screening of this film. Republic Square Park, 422 Guadalupe.
Friday, October 30, 2015
Monsters & Mayhem Fall Fun Festival (Round Rock) – 9-11:30 a.m., Eeek! Spat! Slime! It will be a ROARing great time! Join Round Rock Parks and Recreation for a Monsters and Mayhem Fall Fun Festival. Calling all of our little preschool monsters to jump in and join in on the fun! Our Monster Mash themed festival will be filled with lots of monstrous activities for all of our little ghouls and goblins. Lots of Frankenstein Fun including Carnival games, Hayrides, Cookies and Punch, Storytime and much more! FREE but people are encouraged to bring a canned food donation for the Round Rock Serving Center. Old Settlers Park, 3300 Palm Valley Blvd., Round Rock.
Boo Bash (Georgetown) – 5-8 p.m., Come down to the Georgetown Square in costume, young & old and enjoy trick or treating as the merchants stay open. Enjoy the season of witches, goblins and all those creative creatures our enjoying the evening. FREE! Downtown Georgetown Square.
Creative Action’s Kids’ Ball -5-8 p.m., This FREE, interactive event features make-your-own treats, family-friendly activites, music and dancing. Craft stations will be set up for kids to create custom trick-or-treat bags, magic wands, costume hats and spooky monster puppets. We’ll also have a rollicking performance by Austin favorite, White Ghost Shivers. Central Market North, 4001 N. Lamar Blvd.
Image courtesy of Bullock Museum
Spooktacular -5-8 p.m., Explore the Bullock after hours at this family-friendly Halloween extravaganza, featuring performances, games, interactive activities, art, and more. This year’s program will introduce children and their families to Texas “creepy crawlies” through activities and special screenings of Flight of the Butterflies in the IMAX Theatre. Get hands-on with spooky science from Girlstart and show off your Halloween costume for a special prize. FREE! Bullock Museum, 1800 Congress Ave.
Halloween Party on the Plaza - 6-8 p.m., Join The Domain for a Halloween Party on the Plaza! Enjoy a live performance by Superband, a kids costume parade, face painting, balloon twisting, a pumpkin patch photo opportunity, crafts, games and giveaways. Costumes encouraged. Masks permitted on children ages 12 & under. No toy weapons, please. FREE! Domain II, between Dillard’s and Dick’s Sporting Goods, 11410 Century Oaks Terrace.
Thinkery’s Halloween Hootenanny – 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., Whether you come dressed as a paleontologist, superhero, princess, or a buzzing bee you will love doing spooky science with us! The evening’s spooktastic line up includes: Pumpkin Pandemonium – UT’s Fun with Chemistry Program brings you exploding pumpkins, vomiting pumpkins and smoking pumpkins. Messy fun for everyone! Amazing Arthropods – See the wonders of insects larger than life at the Micro Eye exhibit with Nathan Jones of UT’s Brakenridge Field Laboratory. Thriller Dance Lessons – Shake your bones to Michael Jackson’s, Thriller with instructors from Go Dance. Owl Pellet Dissections – Curious about what owls eat? Find out as you carefully dissect the regurgitated undigested parts of an owl’s meal. Sink or Float Pumpkins? – Do you think pumpkins sink or float? The Thinkery, 1830 Simond Ave.
Sinister Circus Halloween Carnival – 6:30-8:30 p.m., Come one come all, step right up to the main event of the year under the Northwest Big Top! You’ll find everything to have a haunting good time: bounce house, popcorn, carnival games, candy, prizes, a sinister circus trick-or-treat trail and even more Halloween fun! *First 10 tickets & endless trips through the Trick-or-Treat Trail FREE! Additional tickets for only 25¢. Northwest Recreation Center, 2913 Northland Drive.
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Spooky Skedaddle 5K and Fun Run – 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Calling all hearing and Deaf ghouls, goblins and ghosts! Creep and crawl your way through Texas School for the Deaf Foundation’s third annual Spooky Skedaddle 5K timed run, 1K Fun Run & Halloween Festival. Come in costume; bring your family and friends. Come in costume and enjoy an afternoon full of races, music, food trucks, trick-or-treating and festival games. Entry Fees: Admission is FREE, Heal Yeah 5K race $35, Spooky Skedaddle 1K Fun Run $3. Texas School for the Deaf, 1102 S. Congress Ave.
Halloween Express (Cedar Park) – 10 a.m., returning at 4 p.m., Climb aboard this special Hill Country Flyer to celebrate Halloween! We journey through the Texas Hill Country, crossing the wooden trestle bridge over the South San Gabriel. During the two hour layover in Burnet you can enjoy lunch on your own, a leisurely stroll around the historic town square and the Wild West Gunfight (weather permitting). Special tricks and treats will be on board and costumes are encouraged! All cars are pulled by our 1960 Alco diesel locomotive. Parties of two may be seated at shared tables. This ride is 6 hours round trip with a 2 hour layover. Austin Steam Train Association, 401 E. Whitestone Blvd., Cedar Park.
Trunk or Treat (Pflugerville) – 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Happy Howloween! Come get some yummy candy while meeting some ADORABLE pfurry pfriends at the Pflugerville Animal Shelter. PLUS an all ages costume contest with prizes! Come and adopt a pet! FREE! Pflugerville Animal Shelter, 1600 Waterbrook Drive.
Halloween Storytime: Trick or Treat for Books - 11:30 a.m., Gather at BookPeople this Halloween for a storytime filled with our favorite type of treats – new books! Storytime will be in our amphitheater starting at 11:30AM, featuring stories full of monsters, ghosts, and witches (but none of them will be too scary). Then, after storytime, join the costume parade around the store, which will start on our second floor and end at the front of the store where you’ll get your treat – a free book to bring home! This Halloween Party is perfect for witches and wizards ages 7 and under. Can’t make the storytime and parade? We’ll be handing out books to trick-or-treaters all day! Kids can stop by any time on October 31st for a special Halloween treat! (While supplies last.) FREE! BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar Blvd.
Viva la Vida Festival 2015 - Noon – 8p.m., This year, Austin’s largest and longest-running Day of the Dead event features a grand procession, a Day of the Dead mercado, live music, a Sugar Skull float by local piñata artisans Monica and Sergio Lejarazu from Jumpolin Piñatas, an exhibition with community altars highlighting the states of Mexico inside the Museum, and educational programs. Attendees can also taste traditional foods from Austin’s best food trucks, hands-on art activities, and artist demos. The 2015 event is co-sponsored by the City of Austin.The grand procession begins at 6th Street between Chicon and Comal and travels an entire mile west on 6th Street to the festival location. People of all ages can take part in the parade. To participate, register here. Northwest corner of 4th St. & Congress in downtown Austin
Halloween Trick or Treating (Bee Cave) – 4-9 p.m., FREE face painting, kids entertainment, live music music, and of course trick or treating! The fun starts at 4pm in the outdoor Amphitheater with kids entertainment by Joe McDermott, then trick or treating follows from 4p-6pm. Make the rounds at over 100 stores and restaurants at the Hill Country Galleria to trick or treat! Be sure to wear your costume! We will end the day with a live music performance by Chubby Knuckle Choir! Hill Country Galleria, 12700 Hill Country Blvd.
Trunk-or-Treat (Wells Branch community) – 6-9 p.m., Bring your trick-or-treat route by the Community Center parking lot off Klattenhoff Dr. for Trunk-or-Treat. Trunk-or-Treat is a great centralized and safe location for you and your kids to trick-or-treat on Halloween night. You will be able get candy, play games, get your picture taken in a photo booth and more all for FREE on Halloween night. KF Park Parking Lot, 2106 Klattenhoff Dr.
Looking for more fall fun? Check out our list of Top 10 Fall Events in the Austin area here.
And don’t forget about Oktoberfest! Here’s a list of ways you can celebrate, complete with oompah bands and German bier!
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