Halloween Festivities in Ocala/Marion County
Drink in the Spooky Spirit with These Halloween Happenings!
Marion County Parks and Recreation's Annual Carnival
Kick off the Halloween season at the Marion County Parks & Recreation’s 4th Annual Carnival on Saturday, Oct. 8! Have some family-fun with games, music, food trucks, face painting and a haunted maze. Make sure to come in your best costume as there will be a contest! This 4th annual event takes place at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilionin Ocala and is completely free to attend thanks for Marion County Parks and Recreation. The carnival festivities fall between 5-9pm.
After Dark in the Park Movie Series
The Friday before Halloween, spend the evening at Fort King National Historic Landmark for a free movie showing of The Village at 7 pm! The movie is sure to get you into the Halloween mood as it is about mysterious creatures in nearby woods. The movie is rated PG-13. For a full list of the movie series line up, visit OcalaFL.org.
HAPI Harvest Day
Saturday, Oct. 29, from 12-4 pm, visit Sholom Park in Ocala for Hapi Harvest Day. The afternoon will feature live music, a painted pumpkin hunt, trick or treating, food trucks and a Monster Mash Dance Party. Come in costume for a chance to win the costume contest. The event is hosted by Horticultural Arts and Park Institute, Inc.
Halloween Run
On Saturday, Oct. 29, the City of Ocala is hosting a Halloween Costume Family Fun Run right in the Historic Downtown Ocala area. As the name suggests, costumes are encouraged! The 5K begins at 8:30 am, starting at Citizens’ Circle, looping through the historic neighborhood district and back around to Citizens’ Circle. Registration is only $5. The best part, if running is not your thing, you can walk (all the better to show off your costume).
ANNUAL FAST FALL FESTIVAL
Another fun event Statuary before Halloween, Oct 29 is the first Annual FAST Fall Festival at the new Florida Aquatics Swimming & Training in Ocala. Celebrate Halloween beginning at 4 pm with a candy crawl, costume contest, pumpkin scavenger hunt, food trucks, swimming and more. For more information, click HERE.
This family-friendly festival is free and open to the public. To attend you must sign a facility waiver, you can pre-register to skip the line HERE or register in person the day of the event.
Trunk or Treat
Both Silver Springs State Park and the City of Belleview are offering safe ways to trick-or-treat this Halloween with fun trunk-or-treat events!
Make trick-or-treating a weekend affair with Silver Springs’ Trunk-or-Treat celebrationon Sunday, Oct. 30, from 2-6 pm. The entire family is welcome to enjoy trunk or treating. From 11 am – 6 pm, listen to music play Halloween games, take hay rides and food trucks! This not too scary event encourages costumes. park.
On Oct.29, from 4-7 pm at Lake Lillian in Belleview, there will be a free family-friendly trunk-or-treat where kids can visit various “trunks” and collect sweets to bring home in a safe way!
Boo Bash
The Boo Bash at the E.D. Croskey Recreation Center is a free, family-friendly event on Halloween Day hosted by the City of Ocala! The celebration is from 5:30-7:30 pm and will offer face-painting, spooky activities, candy and more for a safe and fun time. Costumes for all ages are encouraged!
Howl-o-ween Paw-ty
Halloween fun is for the whole family, including the pets too! Wednesday, Oct. 26, from 4-7pm, bring the kids and pets to the Southeaster Livestock Pavilion for the Annual Howl-O-Ween Paw-ty. The event features trunk or treat for the kids, vendors, games and costume contests for everyone. Kids and pets get in free.
Bats - Night Flight
Join Park Rangers at the Heritage Nature Conservancy in Ocala to experience bats taking flight from the bat house and learn fun facts about the world of bats. The event takes place Friday, Oct. 14 from 7 to 8:15 pm. For more unique programs as Ocala’s Parks, click here.
Pumpkin MastersTM Carving and Painting
Signature Brands and the Marion Cultural Alliance are teaming up to bring a pumpkin carving and painting event to the Brick City Center for the Arts in Downtown Ocala Oct. 15, 10 am – noon. Here tips and trick from carving experts and painting techniques from local artists, so that you can have the best looking pumpkin in the neighborhood. Free carving kits to the first 50 families.
Nightmare on Pine Street
Brave the annual Nightmare on Pine Street Haunted Trail and have a fright for a good cause at Wayne’s World of Paintball. Every year the scary trail provides a fun way to celebrate Halloween through a guided tour full of ghostly and frightening characters. The trail is open the last three Fridays and Saturdays of October!
Pumpkin Patches
What is more in the Halloween spirit than picking your own pumpkin?
The Ocala Pumpkin Patch is open this fall!
Not just a fan of Halloween, but of ALL things fall? Check out the fall festivities happening or our full events calendar updated daily.
