Halloween lands on a Saturday this year, October 31. Viola's pumpkin patch is already open, the Arboretum's Pumpkin Walk and a downtown pet parade come the weekend before, and downtown runs its free Trick-or-Treat Trail on the night itself.

The short version

• Now through October: Viola's Pumpkin Patch
• Friday, October 23: Free community pumpkin carving at Mother Road Brewing, 4:30 to 6:30 PM
• Saturday, October 24: Pumpkin Walk at the Arboretum
• Saturday, October 24: Howl-O-Ween pet parade and costume contest at Heritage Square
• October 24 and 25: Celebraciones de la Gente at the Museum of Northern Arizona
• Saturday, October 31: Downtown Trick-or-Treat Trail, 4 to 7 PM, free
• Saturday, October 31: Book of Shadows aerial show at NAU, 8 PM

Now through October: Viola's Pumpkin Patch

610 S State Route 89A · Venue 928-853-0399 · Nursery 928-526-0202

The patch opened September 26 and stays open through October, according to Viola's. You'll find thousands of pumpkins, a straw maze, a pumpkin decorating station, old-fashioned games, and plenty of photo spots.

flagstaffpumpkinpatch.com lists the season as September 26 to November 1, 10 AM to 6 PM (4 PM on wedding days), at $7 per person with ages 3 and under free.

Friday, October 23: Free Community Pumpkin Carving

4:30 to 6:30 PM · Mother Road Brewing Company, 7 S Mikes Pike

The night before the Pumpkin Walk, the Arboretum and Mother Road invite everyone to carve pumpkins together. It's listed as free and family-friendly for all ages, with carving supplies on hand while they last, and the brewery has drinks for the grown-ups. Your pumpkin gets lit up and shown on the grounds at the Pumpkin Walk the next day.

Saturday, October 24: Pumpkin Walk at the Arboretum

3:30 to 7:30 PM · 4001 S Woody Mountain Rd

Hundreds of lit pumpkins, plus food trucks, beer, music, and kids' activities. It's the Arboretum's last event of the season.

Tickets bought ahead cost $19 for non-members, $8 for ages 5 to 17, and nothing for under 5 (members pay $14). At the door it's $25, $10, and free under 5 (members pay $20). That makes it the priciest plan on this list, and buying ahead saves you $6 per adult.

Parking and logistics:

• Bring a flashlight, lantern, or headlamp. The parking lot fills quickly, and you may end up parking along Woody Mountain Road.
• Families can be dropped off at the visitor center before parking.
• If someone in your group has limited mobility, ask a parking attendant for a golf cart ride to and from your car.
• The walk runs rain or shine, and there are no refunds.
• Last admission to the garden that day is at noon, and it stays closed to the public until the Pumpkin Walk opens at 3:30 PM. If you want to see it in daylight, pick another date.

October 24 is also the 25th anniversary of Flagstaff becoming the world's first International Dark Sky City, and Discover Flagstaff lists community events for the occasion.

Saturday, October 24: Howl-O-Ween Pet Parade

3 to 7 PM · Heritage Square, 6 E Aspen Ave

If your family includes a dog (or another costumed critter), Howl-O-Ween is a good one. The pet block party and registration start at 3 PM, the parade begins at 5:30 PM on a closed block of Aspen Avenue, and the costume contest and awards wrap up at 7 PM. Watching is free. It costs $10 per pet to join the parade and contest, and all of that goes to High Country Humane. Register online at freakyfoottours.com/howl-o-ween or at Heritage Square.

October 24 and 25: Celebraciones de la Gente

Museum of Northern Arizona

This isn't a Halloween event. It's Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces' Día de los Muertos celebration, and it lands on the same weekend as the Pumpkin Walk. Families can visit nearly two dozen candlelit ofrendas (altars) set around the Jaime Major Golightly Courtyard, with music, food, workshops, and performances.

The organizer confirms the October 24 and 25 dates but hasn't posted 2026 times or admission. Last year the museum charged $20 for general admission, $10 for members, $8 for ages 10 to 17, and nothing for ages 9 and under, with Saturday hours of 10 AM to 7:30 PM and Sunday hours of 10 AM to 4 PM. Check before you go.

Saturday, October 31: Downtown Trick-or-Treat Trail

4 to 7 PM · Free · Heritage Square, 22 E Aspen Ave

Start at Heritage Square, where you'll find a photo spot and the printed trail map. The map sends you to downtown businesses handing out treats, and a digital version goes up on the Downtown Flagstaff website the week of the event. Trunk-or-treat is set up along Aspen Ave between Leroux and San Francisco streets.

Businesses signed up so far include Baja Mar, Dark Sky Brewing Co.'s Beaver Street taproom, Flagstaff Chocolate Company, Grand Canyon Chocolate, Old Barrel Tea Company, Historic Barrel + Bottle House, Evolved Flagstaff, Flag CSA, NorthEnd Consignment, and Re/Max Fine Properties. More will be announced. Old Town Shops is offering $5.99 kids' meals at Bigfoot BBQ, in case dinner is next.

Also on Halloween

Book of Shadows: Nocturne, an All Hallows Eve aerial show · 8 PM (doors 7 PM) · Prochnow Auditorium, 326 W Dupont Ave. SUN Entertainment and Momentum Aerial present an evening of aerial and circus acts with a costume contest. NAU students get in free, and public tickets are sold online. The listing doesn't give an age recommendation, so check before bringing little ones. It starts after the trail wraps up.

For older kids: the downtown ghost tour

Freaky Foot Tours runs its Haunted History Tour from Wheeler Park (212 W Aspen Ave) every night at 7 PM, with a second departure at 8 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. It's 75 minutes and about a mile of downtown sidewalk, and groups are capped at 28.

The company calls it all ages and recommends 13 and up. There are no actors and no jump scares, but the heaviest story is a true 1930s family tragedy, so you know best what your kid can take. Tickets are $22 for children, $25 for students, and $29 for adults. Weekends fill up, so book ahead. On Halloween, the 8 PM departure starts after the trail wraps up.

Parent tips

• Layer under the costume. Flagstaff sits at about 7,000 feet, and evenings cool off fast.
• Buy Pumpkin Walk tickets ahead. Pre-sale prices are lower than at the door.
• Go early for the trail map. In 2024, maps were only handed out until 6 PM.
• Call before you drive to Viola's. Hours and prices for 2026 weren't posted when we checked.
• Confirm times before you head out. Organizers change them, and the trunk-or-treat dates above are from last year.