There’s Still Time To Get Into The Halloween Spirit At These 11 Events In Tampa Bay Area

Halloween is on a Friday this year, which means celebrations will stretch into the weekend in Florida. Adding to the fun, Halloween won’t fall on a Friday again until 2031.

There’s still time to get in on the Halloween fun at haunted houses, costume parties, ghost tours, trick-or-treating and other community events.

Below, we’ve rounded up 11 Halloween events in the greater Tampa Bay area to appeal to a variety of tastes.

Are you planning a Halloween or other fall event? Feature it, so nearby readers see it all across Patch — including in roundups like this!

Scream-A-Geddon Horror Park

• When: Nightly through Oct.; Nov. 2, 7-8.
• Where: Dade City
• What: This haunted attraction has zombies, demons, and scary clowns, plus fire pits, food, and drinks.

Haunted Nights in Tampa

• When: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Mondays and Tuesdays in October
• Where: Downtown Tampa
• What: Discover haunted Tampa on this nighttime walking tour with criminology student and paranormal guide Paige Horton. From the eerie halls of the Tampa Bay Hotel to restless spirits at Oaklawn Cemetery, explore Tampa’s dark past like never before.

Goblin Gathering

• When: Oct. 17, 4 to 8 p.m.
• Where: GT Bray Park, Bradenton
• What: This spooktacular outdoor event is family friendly and fun for all ages! Local businesses will be passing out treats and sweets to participants. The event will also feature bounce houses, face painting, costume contests, petting zoo and magic.

Howl-O-Ween

• When: Oct. 19, noon registration
• Where: Sparkman Wharf, Tampa
• What: This popular dog costume contest is back with categories for best dressed pup and best human-dog duo. The contest starts at 1 p.m. on the lawn.

Halloween Soiree Young Entrepreneurs Market

• When: Oct. 19, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Where: Meadows Farmers Market, Sarasota
• What: This market includes trick-or-treating, costume contests, food, music and art.

Pied Piper’s Haunted Carnival

• When: Oct. 23-26
• Where: Armature Works, Tampa
• What: This all-ages carnival and 18-and-older music festival features carnival rides and games, classic eats and fall treats, live music and other entertainment, a Kids Zone with pumpkin pumpkin, face painting, and other activities.

Possessed: Curse of the Kress

• When: Oct. 24
• Where: Kress Contemporary, Tampa
• What: This Halloween season, Kress Contemporary becomes haunted ground for an unforgettable night of art, performance, frights, and delights. This event is a collaborative fundraiser benefiting Kress Contemporary, Fringe Theatre, Florida Museum of Photographic Arts (FMoPA), and Tempus Projects.

Pack the Park for Pack a Sack

• When: Oct. 25, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Where: Sims Park, New Port Richey
• What: This family-friendly day features a dog costume contest, pumpkin and face painting, bounce houses and inflatables, live entertainment, a car show with a trunk-or-treat, food trucks, and local vendors.

Guppyween

• When: Oct. 25 and 26, regular operating hours
• Where: The Florida Aquarium
• What: Get in the (un)spooky spirit at The Florida Aquarium. Dress up in your favorite costumes for this family-friendly event perfect for the littlest monsters and merfolk, pirates and princesses, and everything in between. Children in costume get free admission with a paid adult. Activities include trick or treating, animal encounters with creepy critters, costumed divers, underwater pumpkin carving, and Rock and Tango character appearances.

Ghoulish Gala

• When: Oct. 25
• Where: Museum of Science & Industry, Tampa
• What: Prepare for a night of spine-tingling fun as MOSI transforms into a haunted haven with a carnival twist. This eerie 18+ event promises thrills, chills and unforgettable memories with friends.

Halloween on Central

• When: Oct. 26, noon to 5 p.m.
• Where: Central Avenue in St. Petersburg’s Grand Central and Edge districts.
• What: This fifth annual event transforms 22 blocks of Central Avenue into a vibrant, family-friendly, car-free celebration with vendors, live music, business advocacy, immersive experiences and candy.