Good news if you’ve had your costume picked out since August. You’re going to get plenty of chances to wear it.
If you’ve got kids, you’ll find trick-or-treat trails and trunk-or-treats all over town. If you want to actually be scared, there are haunted houses for that. And if you’re just looking to party, you’ve got costume contests, boozy strolls, and a block party that goes until midnight.
Below is every Halloween event worth knowing about from Lakewood Ranch down to Venice, in date order so you can see what’s coming up.
All month long
Lights at Spooky Point
Historic Spanish Point turns into “Spooky Point” after dark. You follow an eerily lit path through the grounds past glowing installations and Halloween decorations with a botanical theme.
It lands somewhere between campy, creepy and cute, and it’s built for all ages. Food and drinks are sold on site.
Sarasota Fright Fest
If you want an actual haunted house in Sarasota, this is it. Two of them, in fact: Virus and Tomb of Terror.
Between houses there’s live music and entertainment on the main stage, local food vendors, and horror merch to browse.
Spectator tickets get you into the grounds without going through the houses, which is handy if someone in your group would rather hold the bags. VIP adds a private tent.
Oct 13–18
Barks & Brews: Howl-o-ween
UTC’s Barks & Brews night goes Halloween, and the dogs are the ones in costume.
A panel of local celebrities judges the costume contest, with prizes for most creative, cutest and spookiest. There’s live music, craft beer samples and local vendors around it, and the evening benefits Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue Center.
Boo! at The Bay
A not-so-spooky family night on the bayfront. Trick-or-treating, pumpkin decorating and food trucks fill the early evening, and the first 1,800 kids get a pumpkin to take home.
It wraps up with a sing-along screening of The Nightmare Before Christmas on the lawn, so bring a blanket.
Venice Nights Market & Music: Halloween Edition
Venice’s waterfront night market gets a Halloween makeover, right next to Sharky’s on the Pier.
Browse the vendor booths and food trucks, then bring the kids and the dog in costume for the parade. Stay for Rock Candy’s arena-rock set as the sun goes down over the Gulf.
Oct 22–24
Halloween Dance Party
Costumes and dance moves are the whole point of this one. It’s an all-ages party on the lawn near Rocco’s Tacos, with music, live entertainment and drinks for two hours on a Thursday night.
Haunted Trail Carnival & Bark-O-Ween
Arlington Park’s half-mile walking trail turns into a Halloween carnival, with games, treats and spooky surprises along the path.
Dogs get their own fun at the annual Bark-O-Ween contest, with costume categories, themed treat booths and photo stops. It’s a drop-in event, so you can swing by any time in the three-hour window.
Witches Walk
A brand-new Halloween stroll through downtown Venice, and the kids stay home for this one.
Your wristband gets you one-ounce samples of seasonal beer and cider at participating businesses, plus a scavenger hunt and a costume contest hosted by Daiquiri Deck. Wristbands are at the Centennial Park kiosk starting at 4pm.
Pumpkin Splash
The most Florida way to pick a pumpkin. Kids swim through a floating pumpkin patch in the pool, choose their favorite, then carve or decorate it poolside with the supplies provided.
Each ticket comes with one pumpkin to take home. Kids have to be supervised by an adult.
Joyland Boo Bash
Joyland’s Halloween party is 30 years in, and this year it’s in Joyland’s new space.
The costume contest is the main event, with $5,000 in total cash prizes on the line. Put real effort into the outfit.
Halloween week: Oct 27–28
Mote A-Scare-ium
A Halloween afternoon at the aquarium, with face painting by Akiko, candy for trick-or-treaters, eco-stations, and music from DJ Lira. The scavenger hunt runs all week.
It wraps up half an hour before Trick or Treat on the Lake (below) starts next door, so you can do both in one trip.
Trick or Treat on the Lake
Local businesses and community groups decorate more than 50 themed booths along the candy trail at Benderson.
There’s plenty beyond the candy too. You’ll find a haunted trail, bounce houses, live music, dance performances, and a pumpkin scavenger hunt with prizes.
Trunk or Treat at RLTCC
Sarasota Parks & Rec’s annual trunk-or-treat in Newtown, with games, candy, and a lot full of decorated car trunks.
Kids can enter the costume contest for prizes, and the volunteers handing out candy compete for best-decorated trunk.
HalloWine Walk
Trick-or-treating for grown-ups, hosted by Fine Wine & Tastings.
You work your way through seven tasting stations tucked inside Main Street shops, pouring over 20 wines, with small bites at many of the stops.
You keep the Govino tasting glass at the end, and costumes are encouraged.
Halloween weekend: Oct 30–31
Wellen Park Spooktacular
Wellen Park’s second annual Halloween bash has trick-or-treating at more than 20 booths, pumpkin painting, a DJ set from DJ Dax, and live music from Funky Bonez on the Solis Hall stage.
The costume contests aren’t just for kids. There are categories for adults, groups and pets, and the shops compete for best decorated too.
Big Top’s Trunk or Treat
Decorated cars fill the Big Top lot on Fruitville and kids trick-or-treat from trunk to trunk, with themes ranging from spooky to silly to wildly over the top.
If you’d rather be on the other side of the candy bowl, you can sign up to decorate a trunk by email through the event page.
BooFest on Main Street
Lakewood Ranch’s Halloween night out. Kids trick-or-treat along Main Street with local vendors and merchants, and there’s a kids’ zone with inflatables, a mad scientist show, and a magic show.
The first 1,500 kids get a free pumpkin tote to fill.
Halloween at The Ringling
Trick-or-treating on the Loggia of an Italian Renaissance-style art museum. Kids in costume collect candy, wander a Lantern Labyrinth in the Courtyard, and make their own art.
Inside, guides point out not-too-spooky paintings, there’s a seek-and-find, and vintage Halloween shorts play in Gallery 19. The Say Cheese food truck handles dinner.
The museum suggests the littlest visitors come between 4 and 5pm.
Downtown Halloween Strut
Venice’s downtown trick-or-treat, with shops handing out candy along Tampa, Venice and Miami avenues.
There’s also a trunk-or-treat in the lot next to Mothers Cupboard, with kid-friendly music from DJ Steve.
Heads up if you went in past years: there’s no street parade this time.
Gator Club Halloween Block Party
Downtown Sarasota’s Halloween block party, and the way to end the night if the kids are in bed.
The Gator Club closes Lemon Avenue between Main and Pineapple and takes the party outside, with live music, food and drinks running until midnight. Costumes are encouraged.
Still need a pumpkin?
Fruitville Grove, Hunsader Farms and Dakin Dairy all run fall festivals on October weekends, and there are free community patches all over town. Our pumpkin patches guide has dates, hours and prices for every one within an hour of Sarasota.
Wrapping up
Halloween in Florida means costumes in 80-degree heat and trick-or-treating in shorts.
But between a trick-or-treat trail with 50 booths, a pool full of pumpkins, and a block party that runs until midnight, there’s no shortage of ways to celebrate.
Pick a few, check the times, and have a happy Halloween.
