ANN ARBOR, MI — Ready your costumes, candy buckets and pumpkin-carving supplies for Ann Arbor’s Halloween celebrations.
You can collect sweets on the Huron River, listen live to a rendition of “Thriller,” taste heirloom apples or conduct spooky science experiments, among many other activities in October.
Here are some fun, family-friendly events this fall in and around Ann Arbor:
Fall Festival at County Farm Park, Oct. 11
Kids will love the pumpkin-decorating and story trails at this free outdoor event.
Fall Festival is from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, at County Farm Park, 2210 Platt Road, in Ann Arbor. It will have heirloom apple tasting, face painting and a petting zoo, among numerous other fall activities.
Food truck vendors will serve tasty bites at the event.
Trick-or-Treat on the River, Oct. 12
Check out Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation’s Trick-or-Treat on the River at Gallup Park Canoe Livery, 3000 Fuller Road, in Ann Arbor. It is from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12.
Visitors of all ages can paddle along the Huron River and visit stations for sweet treats along the way. But stay on the lookout for “ducks, swamp monsters, witches and pirates.”
Wear your costumes, bring a candy bag and water bottle and be ready to play games on land.
Guests can rent a boat for $25 each.
You can call 734-794-6240 for a recorded message on Oct. 12.
Buhr Park Boo Bash, Oct. 19
Want to go to a free silent disco and make arts and crafts for free?
The Buhr Park Boo Bash is from 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, at 2751 Packard Road in Ann Arbor, and all family members can enjoy the event’s silent disco, photo booth, trivia, inflatables and other spooky activities.
Guests can also participate in three contests:
Pumpkin carving contest from 1 to 3 p.m. with a public vote to follow. Participants will be split based on age groups and every carver must bring their own pumpkin and tools. Carvers must pre-register by Oct. 17.
Costume contest beginning at 3 p.m. Children under 18 and adults will compete in separate brackets. You can register on-site.
Pie baking contest with judging at 1:30 p.m. Participants will be split into three age groups and must use a disposable pan. Bakers must pre-register by Oct. 17.
Cobblestone Farm Association Harvest Festival, Oct. 19
Want something more educational?
People can attend the Cobblestone Farm Association Harvest Festival from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19 at 2781 Packard Road in Ann Arbor. The free event will have craft tutorials, lawn games and a tour of the restored 1844 Ticknor-Campbell farmhouse.
There will also be a trick-or-treat scavenger hunt.
Holy Bones Artisan Market, Oct. 19
Want new artisan goods to celebrate this Halloween?
Check out the Holy Bones Artisan Market from 1 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, at the Ypsilanti Freighthouse, 100 Market Place.
The market will feature collections of stunning and “spooky” goods.
The event is free and open to all guests.
St. Louis Center’s Annual Trunk or Treat, Oct. 22
See decorated trucks and a haunted house and enjoy a community dinner starting at 5 p.m. Oct. 22 at the St. Louis Center’s Annual Trunk or Treat at 16195 W. Old U.S. 12 in Sylvan Township, southwest of Chelsea.
Residents will be dressed in costumes and guests can meet the organization’s staff and community members.
Folks interested in bringing their family-friendly decorated trunks to the center can sign up for a limited parking spot at 3:30 p.m.
People willing to volunteer to decorate, act in the haunted house or for another role, can email the St. Louis Center at slcdev@stlouiscenter.org for more information.
Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics, Oct. 24
Hear Halloween-inspired musical hits at Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics performed by the Listeso String Quartet at 6:30 p.m. or 8:45 p.m. Oct. 24 at the First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor, 1432 Washtenaw Ave.
Candle lights will make the church glow and guests will hear renditions of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and Charles Gounod’s “Funeral March of a Marionette,” among other songs.
Tickets start at $27.50 per person.
Disability Network Halloween Trunk-or-treat & Dance, Oct. 24
Celebrate spooky season with your trunks at the free Disability Network Halloween Trunk-or-treat & Dance on Oct. 24 at 3941 Research Park Dr. in Ann Arbor.
The trunk-or-treat festivities will take place in the parking lot of the people with disabilities-centered organization from 5:30 to 6 p.m., followed by the Halloween dance in the warehouse studio from 6 to 8 p.m.
All guests 14 and older are welcome.
Animal Haunts, Oct. 25
Live animals will star at this celebration.
Leslie Science & Nature Center, 1831 Traver Road, in Ann Arbor will host its Animal Haunts on Oct. 25, when visitors of all ages can meet animals, conduct spooky science experiments and meet “costumed characters.”
Guests must get tickets for either for one of two time slots, 4 to 6 p.m. or 6 to 8 p.m.
The cost is $10 for adults and children 2 and older and $8 for members. Children 23 months and younger are free. Register here.
Ann Arbor Farmers Market, Oct. 29
This Ann Arbor tradition will have its fair share of Halloween festivities.
The Ann Arbor Farmers Market, 315 Detroit St., will have treats, crafts, games and “pumpkin fun” starting at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29.
There is also word of face painting at 11 a.m.
Washtenaw County Trial Court Annual Trick-or-Treat Event, Oct. 31
Enjoy Halloween Day at the Washtenaw County Trial Court’s annual celebration from noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 31 in the courthouse, 101 E. Huron St. in Ann Arbor.
First- and second-floor offices will be decorated for the spooky season and have candy for visitors.
The event is open to the public and parking will be available for a fee in the Ann/Ashley parking structure, 20 N. Ashley St.
Veterans Memorial Indoor Ice Arena Spooky Skate, Nov. 1
Spooky season is not over after October at this ice-skating venue.
The Veterans Memorial Indoor Ice Arena Spooky Skate is from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Nov. 1 at 2150 Jackson Ave.
Come ready for a costume contest and skate away to some haunting, fun music.
General admission rates apply. The cost is $6 for an adult ticket, $5 for a youth or senior ticket and $3 for skate rentals.
Ypsilanti All Hallows Illumination, Nov. 1
A beloved fall tradition is back from 6 to 9 p.m. Nov. 1 at Frog Island, 699 Rice St., in Ypsilanti.
It involves a community pumpkin display and a pet costume parade in Depot Town to a local craft market.
People are encouraged to bring their own jack-o-lantern to share with the community. LED lights are provided.
A DJ will spin spooky tunes and fall favorites, and an artisan market will sell handmade goods, according to a release from the Ypsilanti Downtown Development Authority.
Admission and parking are free, and bike racks will be available near the park. Costumes are encouraged, especially for kids and animals.
For the full schedule and volunteer information, follow @firstFridaysYpsi on social media. Those interested in sponsorship opportunities are asked to contact AllHallows@FirstFridaysYpsilanti.com or call 202-487-0969.
Volunteers organize the event, supported by local businesses.
Night Terrors at Wiard’s Orchards, ends Nov. 2
Come for the biggest scares of your life.
Wiard’s Orchards, 5565 Merritt Road, in Ypsilanti Township transforms into five spooky attractions on Fridays and weekends through Nov. 2.
Visitors can walk through a haunted barn, a stinky mineshaft or an eerie asylum, take a creepy hayride or encounter alien clowns in a three-dimensional maze.
Tickets start at $36.50 per person.
If your event is not on this list and you would like it included, please email reporter William Diep at wdiep@mlive.com.
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