Halloween in Dallas: Parties, Markets and Spooky Events

Dallas’ Halloween calendar is already moving this Friday, October 9, with options that range from free movie nights to full haunted-house productions. For a low-key evening, Harwood Park in downtown Dallas screens The Witches at 7 PM tonight, followed by Buffy the Vampire Slayer on October 9, Poltergeist on October 16, Addams Family Values and The Rocky Horror Picture Show on October 23, and It on October 30. Families can also plan around the free Spooky Movie Series at PGA District in Frisco, where Friday screenings include The Haunted Mansion, Twitches, Halloweentown, Hocus Pocus, Hocus Pocus 2, and The Witches. On Saturday, October 10, the Dallas Farmers Market hosts The Pumpkin Chapter from 9 AM to 4 PM, with children’s authors, storytimes, vendors, balloon art, and bookmark-making. The market’s locally grown pumpkin patch is open through October 31.

The family calendar gets busier later in the month. Flick or Treat at Andrew Brown Park East in Coppell takes place Saturday, October 17, from 5 PM to 9 PM, with trunk-or-treating, food trucks, and a Hotel Transylvania screening. On October 24, choices include Heritage Halloween at the Frisco Heritage Center from 11 AM to 1 PM, Family Day Trick or Treat at Meadows Museum from 2 PM to 4 PM, Eerie Irving from 6 PM to 10 PM, and Little Monsters on Main in Lewisville from 6 PM to 9:30 PM. Dallas’ Arts District hosts Stage Fright: A Halloween Family Festival on Saturday, October 31, from 10 AM to 1 PM. The program includes a zombie dance lesson, a K9 demonstration, Dallas Zoo creatures, a DJ, and a costume contest; registration is required. The Dallas Farmers Market also has Halloween and Día de los Muertos programming on October 31, including children’s activities, a seed scavenger hunt, live music, and an Ollimpaxqui Ballet Company performance.

For a more intense night, Six Flags Over Texas Fright Fest in Arlington runs on select nights through November 1. The haunted attractions require a separate pass, starting at $30 plus fees, while scare zones are included with park admission. This year’s houses include The Strangers: No Escape, The Conjuring Universe, SAW: Legacy of Terror, EverSmile Industries, and Terror at the Polynesian Palm. The event also has live shows, themed food, and daytime family activities such as a trick-or-treat trail and pumpkin painting. Six Flags says the nighttime program is not recommended for children under 13; guests 17 and under need a chaperone who is at least 21, and children 11 and older cannot wear costumes or full-face makeup.

Other haunted options around the area include The BooMont Hotel at Galleria Dallas, an indoor walkthrough on Level 3 that runs daily from October 1 through November 2, and Dark Hour Haunted House in Plano, open through November 13. J&F House of Terror in Garland and Cucuy Nights, also in Garland, continue through October 31, while Haunted Shadows Lake Trail in The Colony offers a mile-long outdoor trail. For a seasonal market rather than a scare attraction, the Cottonwood Art Festival in Richardson runs October 3–4 with more than 190 artist booths, and Huffhines Harvest Fest returns October 17–18 with a pumpkin patch, scarecrow activities, and a costume contest. The month closes with Halloween parties and family events across Dallas and its neighboring cities, so the best fit depends on whether your group wants crafts and costumes, live entertainment, or a darker night out.