Halloween on the Suncoast

Spooky season events in Sarasota and Manatee counties, for kids, families and grown-ups

Halloween around here has a lot going on. In one short drive you can pick a pumpkin at a farm, walk a glowing trail through the woods, trick-or-treat at a museum, or dance in costume until 1 a.m. We combed through the calendars so you don’t have to. Here’s what’s happening between now and Halloween night, with links so you can grab tickets and double-check the details.

A quick note: organizers sometimes change dates, times and ticket rules. Check the event link before you head out.

Start with the spooky trail

Lights at Spooky Point runs every night through October 31 at Historic Spanish Point in Osprey. You walk a lit path through the woods and past historic landmarks. Glowing “ghost orchids” hover over the Pioneer Graveyard, and spider orchids are spun into glowing webs high in the trees. Entry times are 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. Tickets are $34 for adults and $19 for ages 5–17. Kids 4 and under are free. The earlier slot works well for little ones. The later one, after dark, is the full experience.

Pumpkin festival weekends

Two farm festivals run the next two weekends (October 17–18 and 24–25). They’re different enough that you could do both.

Fruitville Grove Pumpkin Fest in Sarasota is the budget-friendly one. Admission and parking are free, and so are the petting zoo, playground, live music and photo spots. Rides and games run $1–$10 each. There’s a free kids’ costume contest on Saturdays at 2 p.m. New this year is Hollowgraves Haunted Manor, a walk-through haunted house with live actors, recommended for ages 8 and up. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Hunsader Farms Pumpkin Festival in Bradenton is the bigger production. Expect a craft show, a pioneer trades village, frog-jumping championships, hayrides, a rock wall, and costume contests for kids and dogs. Admission is $15 (ages 5–9 are $5, under 5 free) and parking is $5. It’s cash only. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The family calendar, week by week

This weekend: October 16–18

Fri, Oct 16 – Goblin Gathering, G.T. Bray Park, Bradenton. 4–7 p.m., free. Local businesses hand out treats. There are bounce houses, face painting, a petting zoo and costume contests. (That link is last year’s page, so check Manatee County’s site for 2026 updates.)
Sat, Oct 17 – Boo! at The Bay, Sarasota. 5–7:45 p.m., free (get tickets on Eventbrite). Trick-or-treating, pumpkin decorating, yard games and a Nightmare Before Christmas sing-along under the stars. Pumpkins go to the first 1,800 kids. Bring a lawn chair, and come hungry. Food trucks start at 4:30.
Sat, Oct 17 – Venice Night Market & Music, Halloween Edition, Maxine Barritt Park. 5–10 p.m., free. Costume parade, pet dress-up, live music and local vendors.
Sun, Oct 18 – Trunk or Treat, Grace United Methodist Church, Venice. 5–7 p.m.

The week of October 22

Thu, Oct 22 – Sheriff’s Spooktactical Night, Bradenton. 5:30–8:30 p.m., free. Vehicle displays, trunk-or-treat and free food.
Thu, Oct 22 – Trunk or Treat at SCF Venice. 6–8 p.m.
Fri, Oct 23 – Arlington Park Haunted Trail Carnival, Sarasota. 5–7 p.m., free. A half-mile trail made for kids 12 and under. A dog costume parade runs too (registration required for the dogs).
Sat, Oct 24 – Pumpkin Splash, Arlington Park Aquatic Complex. Swim through a floating pumpkin patch, pick one, and decorate it poolside. $10. Register at 941-263-6732.
Sat, Oct 24 – Cemetery Tours, Manatee Village Historical Park. 10 a.m., free, first come, first served.
Sun, Oct 25 – Selby Gardens Spooktacular, Sarasota. 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Trick-or-treating, crafts and storytelling. Admission is $28 for adults and $12 for ages 5–17.

The final stretch: October 27–30

Tue, Oct 27 – NBP Trick or Treat on the Lake, Nathan Benderson Park. 4:30–7:30 p.m. A candy trail, live music and a storytelling corner.
Wed, Oct 28 – Trunk or Treat, Robert L. Taylor Community Complex, Sarasota. 5–7 p.m., free. Prizes for best costume and best trunk.
Oct 28–31 – Jiggs Landing, Bradenton. A free Haunted Walk runs 7–9 p.m. There’s also a $10 Haunted Boat Ride across Ward Lake in the dark. The boat ride is spookier, so save it for older kids.
Thu, Oct 29 – Trunk or Treat at SCF Bradenton. 6–8 p.m.
Fri, Oct 30 – Trick or Treat at City Center, North Port. 5–8 p.m.
Fri, Oct 30 – BooFest, Lakewood Ranch Main Street. 6–9 p.m., free. Details at lakewoodranch.com/events.

Halloween day: Saturday, October 31

You could trick-or-treat from breakfast to bedtime.

Morning

The Children’s Garden Halloween Egg Hunt in Sarasota, 10 a.m. Pre-registration required.
Dog-A-Ween at the Sarasota Farmers Market, 10 a.m. It’s $15 to enter your pup.
Halloween at the Bradenton Public Market, 9 a.m.–2 p.m.
Boo Run 5K, 8 a.m., if you want to burn off candy in advance.
Boo! at The Bazaar, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Free indoor trick-or-treating.

Afternoon

Downtown Halloween Strut in Venice, 2:30–4:30 p.m. There’s no street parade this year.
Siesta Key Safe Treats, 4–6 p.m. Free.

Evening

Halloween at The Ringling, 4–7 p.m., free. Trick-or-treating on the Loggia and a lantern labyrinth. Come 4–5 p.m. with little ones.
Fright Night on St. Armand’s Circle, 5:30–8 p.m., free. Haunted storefronts and costumed statues.
Village of the Arts trick-or-treat in Bradenton, 6–8 p.m.

Two more to keep an eye on: Halloween on S. Lime Ave, a free animatronic and projection display (2026 details are still to come), and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s 7th annual Halloween Drive-Thru, whose date hasn’t been posted yet.

For the grown-ups

If your idea of Halloween involves a costume contest and a good cocktail, you’re covered too.

Get scared

Sarasota Fright Fest is back at the Fairgrounds after a long break. Two extreme haunted houses (Tomb of Terror and Virus), live music and food vendors. October 16–18, 22–25 and 29–November 1, starting at 7:30 p.m.
Halloween Notte is just over the line in Port Charlotte. Three haunted houses and a live show. Tickets run $5–$100.
Sarasota Ghost Walk: a 75-minute walking tour, nightly through October. $24.95, reservations required, not for small kids. Or try the Venice Haunted History Tour for $20.
Vampire Circus at the Van Wezel, October 25. A 90-minute mix of circus, cabaret and theater inspired by Tim Burton. Best for teens and up.

Dress up and go out

Sat, Oct 24 – Halloween Pub Crawl, Downtown Sarasota. 4:30–9 p.m. $19, online tickets only.
Sat, Oct 24 – Joyland’s 30th Boo Bash. 9 p.m. $15–$25. $5,000 in costume prizes and a haunted maze.
Fri, Oct 30 – WSRZ Monster Mash, Sarasota Sahib Shrine. 6–10 p.m. $10 in advance, $15 at the door. $1,500 costume contest.
Fri, Oct 30 – Clancy’s 26th Halloween Bash, Bradenton. Live band, with costume judging at 10:30 p.m.
Sat, Oct 31 – Dead Disco Block Party, Gator Club, Sarasota. 5 p.m.–2 a.m. Live bands and a costume contest.
Sat, Oct 31 – Mellow Mushroom’s Melloween. 7–10 p.m. Drag shows and “bobbing for shots.”
Sat, Oct 31 – Sage’s Haunted Mansion Party, Sarasota. 7 p.m.–1 a.m. $65 covers four themed floors, including a vampire nightclub.
Sat, Oct 31 – Halloween Block Party, Old Main Street, Downtown Bradenton. 7–11 p.m. An all-ages street party with live music.

One more thing

Short on time? Our picks: Lights at Spooky Point for a night out, Boo! at The Bay for an easy free evening, and Sage’s Haunted Mansion for the grown-up finale.

For the full master list, bookmark the Escape to Sarasota Halloween calendar and Visit Sarasota’s family fall guide.

Happy haunting!